Cold weather bushcraft tips and tricks

[FishyFolk]

hello,
Great stuff Rune. Old Native trick living in the snowy wastelands of Scotland & Arctic Warfare CADRE Veteran. A foot snow bath.. bare feet quick dip in the snow, dry off the feet quickly, & into a pair of warm dry socks, straight into your sleeping bag & your feet are warm as toast. Coldest I've endured & slept outdoors -33C.
Regards
David

Yeah I've done that too if the snow is still soft. But most of the time the surface is fozen. But yes, just keeping your feet clean and getting the sweat off helps a lot.

[Ehecatl]

Here?

Anything form +5 to minus -15 celcius

In the upper part of that temperature range, I also have to deal with wet snow...and that stuff will soak into anything it comes into contact with...making it extra important to change into a dry kit before bed.
I am on an island on the coast so it seldom gets much colder than that. But It won't be much of a problem if it does. The milder variant is much, much worse, and harder to stay warm in.

Anyway a changing clothes tip if you are not in a tent but just inder a tarp, is to bring a small plastic tarp to put on the ground under your hammock so that you have a dry spot to undress and get your dry kit on. Keep it clean and the snow off this. You step on snow in your dry socks...they become wet socks and you have cold feet.

peronally I bring a foam mat to sit on by the fire, and use that to stand on when I change clothes.

I know what you mean - wet/damp and cold is not a good mix. Some folk do not appreciate that warmer air can contain more water vapour so a few degrees lower in temperature can actually make it feel warmer as you may not have damp to content with too.

[Tigger004]

I wear wollen heat-eater socks and a thinsulate beanie, these work for me... once when it was really cold I wore a softie set ( trousers and jacket ) I was very warm indeed but woke up sweaty which spoilt it completely... so a balance is required.

[janso]

I wear wollen heat-eater socks and a thinsulate beanie, these work for me... once when it was really cold I wore a softie set ( trousers and jacket ) I was very warm indeed but woke up sweaty which spoilt it completely... so a balance is required.

I did the same! Fell asleep in a pair of softie trousers and a lifa top using my bag as a blanket, woke up hot as hell and couldn't figure it out until I realised. I normally aim for naked in a liner, in a bag and it works for me once I've got that micro climate working

[Johnnyboy1971]

A couple of the disposable hand warmers dropped into your boots when you first wake up will take the chill off them ready for you to get them on.
Sleep with you stoves fuel inside your bag. Even meths can suffer from the cold and the first coffee of the morning is an important one.
I try to lay my clothes I have taken off between my bivvybag and sleeping bag. This helps give a little more insulation and padding but only if they are dry. Also when you put them back on your body heat will have warmed them a little.
Foot powder, I like to give them a good rub in it before clean dry socks for bed.

[FishyFolk]

A couple of the disposable hand warmers dropped into your boots when you first wake up will take the chill off them ready for you to get them on.
Sleep with you stoves fuel inside your bag. Even meths can suffer from the cold and the first coffee of the morning is an important one.
I try to lay my clothes I have taken off between my bivvybag and sleeping bag. This helps give a little more insulation and padding but only if they are dry. Also when you put them back on your body heat will have warmed them a little.
Foot powder, I like to give them a good rub in it before clean dry socks for bed.

I use light my zippo fueled hand warmers before bed and drp them into my boots. They burn for 12+ hours, and will dry my boots out inside :-)

[Johnnyboy1971]

I use light my zippo fueled hand warmers before bed and drp them into my boots. They burn for 12+ hours, and will dry my boots out inside :-)

Not seen those before. Will have a look and thanks for that.

[FishyFolk]

Not seen those before. Will have a look and thanks for that.

Mine are not made by Zippo. They are something I found on Ebay...

Anyway, with your socks dried and heated by the hot bottle, and your boots at least heated of not perfctly dried inside, by the hand warmers, it's a lot better start of the day than sticking your feet into a pair of icy lumps....

[Midge_Fodder]

Ahhh I have some Whisky stones for drying my boots, I hear them up near the fire till they are hot but not scorching and drop them into the boots. 100% sustainable and non stinky as they literally are pebbles I found that were a nice size and shape, then gave them a wash. I also got the Dremel out and put some celtic knot-work on them for a bit of style and put them in a wee canvas bag.

[Sylvanbilly]

When using a hammock in the cold I also use a foam mat to stand on while undressing for bed, lay it out just at the side of my hammock, that way I can sit in my hammock and take off boots and clothes while stepping on and off my mat, I have made an under hammock out of rip stop to hang from my continuos loop threaded through my hammock ends, connected with soft shackles, this is ideal for all my kit to be kept in, like Bergen boots and the clothes I take off at night, only think is the clothes are stiff and cold in the morning