Thread: "Oh sh#t" overnight kit

Originally Posted by Ross Nolan

The dog ended up inside the jacket with me. I can't remember being colder. The trick is to start preparing for a night out well before nightfall. Going to sleep cold and tired is much worse than just cold.

That's the thing. It can take a surprising amount of time to make shelter and gather enough firewood for the night and generally setting your self up. Your lizard brain is trying to convince you that you get back to the camp/car/hut before nightfall when really you should be listening to your Homo Sapien brain and sorting yourself out while it's light

Originally Posted by MB

Genuinely interested. How confident are you that you could start a fire, even when you have the essentials? To be honest, I struggle when everything is wet. May not be an issue in the open, drier parts of the country, but I don't visit those places very often. Others have said the same including a mate who is ex-army.

This is a skill/art form that we simply don't practise enough anymore. I have spent a couple or three unexpected nights out,funnily enough two were in same area a year of two apart. First we lost track in dark so simply slept where we were,not bad or cold but really dry,was happy to find swampy patch for drink next morning.we awoke and were literally still on track. The other night in same spot,three of us all young,I was most experienced.we had ditched tent n took fly only.it snowed.we on bushline.i got fire going had meal.we made nest in under trees with fly over top.my mates got into sleeping bags.i took my wet swannie off and got cold while waiting to crawl into bed...one of the coldest I can remember being. If had got straight into sleeping bag I would've been still warm. Two other nights out no drama.

Rolled an ankle recently. On day 5 of a 5 day trip in high country, luckily only a short distance from a track. Made me think though, I could walk/grovel on it for about 20 mins before it got too sore, would have been interesting if a day earlier on my own in the tussock. Had a PLB and inreach, bt they don't help much with hypothermia if a night out at 1100m was the outcome. Some great advice and stories on here, the key one being to have the emergency gear with you when the emergency happens.....

When I was a NZ Mountain Safety Council bushcraft instructor, had to attend a 2 day "Instructor Development" course, based at an outdoor education centre. It was raining, and after a roast dinner on Saturday evening, the 18 instructors were tasked to meet in the main lounge with our "survival kits". The facilitator asked the group if anybody had ever had to use their survival kit. Only 2 of us had (we were both hunters). The facilitator said: "So you all discuss survival kits on the courses you run, but apart from the 2 hunters, none of you have actually put the kit to the test? Right, follow me, and bring your kits with you". He led the group outside and into the adjoining bush, and selected a sleeping position for each of us, about 50 metres apart. After informing us that all doors in the centre would now be locked, he said he would see us for breakfast. I had a comfortable night, having taken my "in the shit" hunting daypack as my survival kit, as had the other hunter. At breakfast, when we were asked how many people would now modify their survival kit, 16 hands went up. It was an innovative teaching method, had inherent controls, and very effective. It wasn't cold overnight, but most people were very uncomfortable.

there was a long thread on this subject a while back went on quite a bit so look it up if you want more info

Add rectangle of closed cell foam mat cut to fit inside your daypack, weighs a fraction and good for keeping your arse of the ground, makes a big difference when its cold if you don't have a full size mat. And I've noticed a good number of the mylar blankets can be small, but Macpac (among others) sell the Mylar "emergency" bags, definitely big enough for you (and maybe a really good mate at a push!) to climb into, and are only a few grams more. Their blankets are also a decent size, but I think I'd still take a bag...

Also, the Real Meals "bacon mash" freeze dried meal still tastes good made up cold!

Lot of people talking about a back up torch. Simple, lightweight and small....get a new battery every now and then (or use the one in your rifle?)

My backup torch.

https://www.pbtech.co.nz/product/TOL...ini-Keychain-F

A wee story re wet wood. A couple of cobbers and I did a very ambitious traverse in Fiordland in the early 80s. I recall our loads averaged 30 kgs with 14 days food, a mountain radio and I think a rifle each . . . We might have shared two between us though. Relatively light loads for the day due to processing a lot of our own dehy food.

Anyhoo on the first "serious" day we were going downhill and it started to rain lightly. Was quite nice for a couple of hours then it changed up to a heavy very cold rain. We crossed a big river and shortly after noticed we were bloody cold and the decision was made to stop and camp.

What we didn't realize was just how hypothermia we all were, our judgment was very weak. I was to light the fire while the other two got the tent up. It was very wet, in the wet bit of Fiordland and I couldn't seem to find any dry wood, even with the half axe we had. After a bit I happened to check my watch and somehow realized we'd been putting up a tent and lighting a fire for TWO hours - we were very hypothermia. Once one of realized I was able to get another of the party 'on track' and the tent was soon up with the coldest guy in his bag.

Within a few more minutes with a clear head I found a big overhanging tree with plenty of dry stuff and a big fire was going within 10 minutes with a bit of bike rubber we always carried in those days.

A big part of good bushmanship is observing as you go, and if you keep an eye out for burnable wood you'll be surprised how much there is even in wet country . . . .

My PLB lives on my belt along with my hunting knife and its always the last thing I take off in camp and the first thing I put on when packing to leave.