The only thing you need to have to be deadly in the mountains in the knowledge of making really big snowballs, then pushing them down the mountain at your enemies. classic looney tunes strategy that never fails.
I have it on good authority that using fireworks to cause an avalanche is a good way to wipe out a lot of mongol raiders, especially if you have a dragon spirit voiced by Eddie Murphey.
Ah, winter combat. A topic near and dear to my heart as a Norwegian. What most of the arm chair generals miss when it comes to this topic is that its not so much about the combat, its more about not dying on your way to, or from it...
Norwegians are probably the best-trained and acclimated soldiers to Arctic Conditions, especially their SOF/Recce troops. UK SBS, Canadian SOF and Infantry, Finns, US Army Alaska, Swedes, 10th SFG Mountain Teams, Danes, German KSK, Austrians, Italian SOF are others. The Cadre at ITC (formerly ILRRPS) have a phenomenal collection of senior SOF/Recce guys, most of whom have Arctic experience including Norwegians.
Sometimes I envy you Norwegians and snow. I've never actually seen snow before, so thriving in it is alien to me. I've found I'm better in the bush, dealing with wildlife, and unpredictable weather patterns is my speciality, lol. Sometimes even have to carry 2 different camo patterns, one for when it's dry, and another for when it's pouring
Served in the army in northern Norway. As you mentioned, the key is to adjust your layers according to activity level, temperature, wind and precipitation. The best tips I have for winter ops: - Your innermost layer should always be wool. Not only is wool warmer than synthetic materials, but it provides warmth even when wet which makes it far superior to any synthetic material. If you have a high activity level I can not recommend wool thermal netting enough. It transports humidity away from your body, preventing you from getting soaked when marching etc. - We had something called "the chimney principle". Warm air rises, and will bring humidity with it, so ensure air can flow all the way from your legs to your upper torso where you'll need some ventilation so it can exit (wear more spacious clothes, and don't tighten them too much around your waist). If you follow this and use wool thermal netting the difference in humidity is massive. - You'd be surprised how little clothing you really need when maintaining a high activity level, we often used just wool netting and snowcamo when marching in -20 to -30 (low wind and no precipitation). It's better to be a bit cold while marching, than wearing too much and sweating. But then it's even more important to quickly add more layers as soon as your activity level decreases. - One area that's often overlooked is your face, at -40 and 15 mph winds, windchill will cause frostbite in only 5 minutes, so cover your face well (neck gaiter/balaclava with holes for breathing through plus snow/ski goggles is my best tip). Take a look at a windchill factor chart and you'll realize how important it is in arctic areas. - NEVER touch metal with your bare hands at sub-zero temps, you'll get frostbite almost instantaneously. At the end of the day you have to try and fail a bit to figure out what works for you, we're all different and accustomed to different climates. Stay vigilant and take action quickly, it's much better to be uncomfortable for a couple minutes while changing clothes, than being absolutely miserable in an hour when you're soaked or freezing.
Have you ever tried 100% Acrylic rather than wool for your innermost layer? I found it to be softer and more durable. Dupont use to make a product called "Hollow core" that was the best base layer material. Unfortunately I can no longer find products made with it.
@@retirednobaddays456 Haven't tried acrylic fiber specifically, but I've used other synthetics meant for colder weather. They are, as you mention often more durable than wool and require less care. I find that they work fine for temps around 0 to - 10 Celsius (32 to 15 f). But with longer use I get clammy and subsequently get cold. Wool *can* be itchy, but if you buy high quality soft merino wool I find that it's almost as comfortable and soft as synthetics. The army issued clothes (that I still use) is made by a Norwegian company called Aclima. We used the wool thermal netting as the innermost layer and often a thin wool layer over that again.
One HUGE consideration for cold weather is the effect of the cold on batteries. I was in a cold weather artillery battery and our comm gear lasted literally half as long in cold conditions. Radio batteries lasted half a day as opposed to a day and a half in hot climates. Be sure you have a plan to have extra batteries for nvgs, peqs, lights is super important. Extra radio batteries and ensuring you're always charging batteries will make your life alot easier for any equipment you may rely on.
Agreed. I store my batteries in a well-insulated water tight pouch in my pack which helps hold a charge but as soon as those batteries are removed and go into any device in the cold their charge depletes rapidly. The best advice given here that I would also emphasize is to STAY DRY! That means moisture from sweat as much as moisture from the exterior environment. DRY = LIFE!
@BooksOfBlood in an hour long video about a broad topic I think the fact that they mentioned it I'd good enough. Would love to see more content around weather considerations.
The best temperature control while under movement tip I learned from trappers who worked the Yukon was very simple: if it's colder than -20F you only take one glove/mitten off if you think you're starting to get hot. Keep the jacket zipped and the hat on because you'll lose heat way too fast and you won't be able to recover it in certain conditions. The single bare hand will radiate plenty of excess heat; when it gets cold your body is cooled off enough, and it doesn't take very long. Pace yourself and plan enough time to move slowly so you won't sweat as much. Sweat kills fast when you're living outdoors in -40. I've had enough frostbite that the nerves in the upper part of my cheeks are pretty much permanently dead, so don't try to be tough and push through the discomfort, it's really not worth it. Same goes for snow blindness, the closest I can describe the pain is like you just spent 2 hours welding without a hood. It's beyond bad and you won't risk it twice.
@@jon8207 The traditional way for the natives was to tie a leather strap across your eyes like a blindfold and then cut two slits in it for vision. That works decently and helps keep you warm, but it's not super comfortable. If you choose to use sunglasses or goggles you'll need full wrap around where there's no light coming in from the sides or edges. Goggles work best but you need a deep tint and preferably something reflective, usually with that gold color seems to be the most popular.
Right. Humans naturally bleed heat most, not from our heads, but through our palms and soles. It is a common trick I use when I get too hot working outside. Find shade, dip both hands into the coldest water available. After a couple minutes I feel much better. If you are (in an extreme cold environment) getting hot enough that your body is sweating to cool itself down, then it is probably a good idea to seek other methods to cool down that don't require so much moisture.
I’ve lived here in Alaska my entire life. I’ve jumped out of planes in January, lived in snow caves, gone hunting for weeks when it gets below zero at night, volunteered with mountain rescue, backcountry snowboarding etc. The cold is just brutal, and it will wear you down. Your mental health WILL take a hit 100%. It will never not suck. Embrace it, wear layers, drink water, eat a lot, take care of your feet.
The FitnessGram Pacer test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter Pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal *boop*.
Interesting fact. Actual Arctic warfare cadre's discourage aerobic activity as the moment you stop moving your sweat freezes and you die from hypothermia.
This candidate physical ability test (CPAT) consists of eight separate events. The CPAT is a sequence of events requiring you to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner. This test was developed to allow fire departments to obtain pools of trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes.
I watched 1/4 of a platoon become heat casualties in -30f weather. It was a Ruck that we weren’t told was going to happen and weren’t prepared for. All our water was frozen so we couldn’t hydrate and everyone wore way too many layers. Great learning experience.
For decades, I have been part of the search and rescue teams for the Civil Air Patrol in Utah and now the Colorado front range. No matter what your plans are, prepare. The most horrifying crash that we hiked into was one where the victims where going to some kind of party. They died still in their light evening attire. Nothing in their luggage area for warmth. Their ELT had dead batteries. I've seen skiers deliberately go off into the back country never letting anyone, where they were going. Grid searching is okay, but we have walked right past victims because the terrain didn't make it possible to see them. Carry a map and compass no how to use them. Have a signal mirror. Have a whistle, Have a proper hunting knife and multiple fire starters. Know how to built a small fire. Know the international symbols for a search messages and deploy the message with rocks or timber. Have signal fire built and start it as soon as you hear our propeller driven engines. I can't emphasize enough, how rescuers can't find you if we can't see signs of life!
Great advice! When it comes to grid/line searching, looking back behind and above is essential too. Aircraft can get stuck in the trees above, and looking behind allows us to see things from a different angle, and on the back side of landmarks. Semper Vigilans
Afterthought, here in Canada, it is pretty common for people lost in the woods to seek shelter under trees, seems legit as the snow is absent in those spots, but more often then not, the act of accessing that area, knocks all the snow down from the tree. It is WAY more common than you would think for park rangers to find people suffocated under trees….
@@thekerr8728 Wasn't that the book where the guy doesn't realize how cold it's getting and then he fails a few times at starting a fire, finally giving up?
I was a Letter Carrier in the USPS ( I know, big deal, right?!) through 25 Minnesota winters on a walking route, and if you've ever been to Minnesota during the winter you know how manic the weather can be. Everything you've said about layers and starting cold I have found works, I even have used the same hardcore mittens with the wooly/fur backing you have in the video on my static hand that can't be put in a hand warmer pocket at any given time because it holds all the mail in it for the entirety of the blocks I'm walking off that day. ( average walking distance adds up to 10 to 12 miles a day on different types of terrain with elevation, it's a lot more hardcore than those sit-coms would have you believe). My other hand can be put in a pocket between houses because that one is used to put the mail in the mailbox and only needs to be exposed at that specific moment. I found wearing a wool based fingerless glove works well on that hand as it allows better dexterity to manipulate the mail, and believe it or not, you can over layer your hands too. Sometimes having an opening at your wrist will allow some air to vent out from your body and keep you from building up too much heat at your core which can make you sweat, especially when you're moving about at a decent clip. The reverse of that- I found a wrist gaiter works well too, considering more times than not I only wore a lite wicking hoody and an insulting vest to keep my core warmer since I was moving pretty much all day, including well after the sun went down, 21:00 hours on some occasions. What I found worked as a wrist gaiter was to simply take an old wool sock and cut the ankle part off and use that. It should fit loose enough on the wrist so not to cut off too much circulation to the hand, but not so much it slides around with movement. The wrist happens to be an area of the body that circulates a lot of blood, applying heat to it in the winter will warm your body very quickly when it's cold, and applying cold to it will cool you down quickly in the hotter seasons. The neck and ankles do the same thing, but you may already be applying some type of gaiter to those areas already. You can get away with less bulk on your arms and legs this way which allows you more dexterity and flexibility to move quickly through the environment when it's required by just covering these areas up.
Honestly this is some of the best info in the comments so far. Living and moving around day to day will take up a large portion of your life should civilization fall, not combat
Here's my best winter tip: if you're cold, you want to look for a small, usually white console on the wall, it should have a + button, press it and then wait for a little while and you're all set.
I learned the hard way to buy bigger clothes and even buy your winter boots 1/2-1 size big. More air space equals more warmth. If your wearing lace up boots, don’t lace them up any tighter than you have to. I was at a survival class at The Pathfinder School when I learned this. My feet were as cold as they’ve ever been, and during a morning session, Dave Canterbury said “you guys with lace up boots whose feet are freezing, reach down and loosen them up.” Immediately my feet started warming up. Helped a ton!
I live in Wyoming and I hunt late season rifle every year. I’m out for a week to 10 days at a time. I use a camper for shelter so it’s some what “cozy”, but there is no running water and I only haul enough fuel for the generator for 5 days and I use it sparingly in case of a big snow and I’m snowed in. Everything you have covered is how I prepare and what I bring to thrive while hunting. It’s not for the faint of heart and you need to know how to adapt. Winters here can get down to -40 F with the windchill, and it’s always windy here. When I’m out for the day, I bring about a 1/3rd of a pound of trail mix. I usually only have a few handfuls through the day but I have enough in case of emergency. Water is most important and you nailed it! Keep it on your body or it will freeze. Layers layers layers! I stop and change layer’s probably 4-5 times a day to always keep my dry base layer on if I have stopped and then change back to my synthetic wicking when on the move following a heard of elk. Great job guys! Keep up the good work.
I misspoke on the weight of the amount of trail mix I bring. I load up a quart size freezer bag of trail mix and it weighs more than a third of a pound. 👍🏻
It’s like the study they did of the high school kid, they made him watch math videos I think and he wasn’t intrigued but then they showed him a video of tax evasion and he was locked in.
Spent 8 years in the 10th Mountain Division 4/31 Infantry and LRSD. Been to Mountain Warfare school summer and winter and went to mountain warfare school in Bolivia. Put actual mountain warfare training and skills to use in Afghanistan 01-03. We wore white bottoms and dark tops at night to avoid high lighting near ridges. A lot of people assume mountain warfare is skis and snowshoes. It also involves Ahkios, climbing techniques, rope work, and shelter construction.
ahkios: also named as pulkka´s in many eu country. kids go down with them in hills during winter, but big ones, you can store 3 months worth of food and supplies.
Backpack hunting, trapping and backcountry traveling in Alaska, I can say this. The biggest thing about winter combat, is combating the winter. Learn to layer properly, not enough is bad, too much is bad. Learn to stay hydrated. Learn to pack your pack (yes it's important) Where to procure water, how to make it potable. Finding and making shelter. Being able to start a life saving fire anywhere and anytime in any condition. Navigation. Reading avalanche signs when on mountains. It all starts now with your fitness, how you eat, how you sleep, your morning workout routine. What you do on weekends. You'll know you have the skills when you can't screw up practicing them. The danger is watching a video like this and telling yourself your good to go.
I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
Yes, getting layers on and off is huge also. I live in MN and hunt coyotes all winter long, moving gets hot fast, sitting gets cold fast. A plate carrier on top of everything doesn't work well. AND WOOL, WOOL, ALL WOOL except outer shell, gortex outers get noisy as hell when it's real cold, find a light and quiet windbreaker outer, layer wool under. Loose boots... if you're foot moves in the boot it's called frictions, tie your boots loose, WOOL SOCKS! And get tough, an eskimo can sun tan in 15 degrees and it would kill a Floridians, the more years and the more cold you freeze to will make you used to it. IRISH SETTER ELK TRACKER BOOTS are a favorite of mine.... BIG TRADITIONAL SNOWSNHOES.
A trick I’ve learned as an avid hunter and outdoorsman concerning the “start cold” concept is to walk out with as little on as possible (carrying your layers, coat, whatever in a pack), and if you have a zipper anywhere on your pants or other clothing, open it (fly and everything). You might feel silly, but you’ll be warmer for it by the time you get to where you’re going.
Don't quote me on this but in -60 temps your body loses more water than it would in a desert. Cold evaporates water quickly and your lungs expel more water than normal. Sweat is extremely bad for thermal regulation as it soaks the insulation layers and begins to allow heat to quickly flow from the body.
@@coleeckert5663 100%, the thirst from a day in bitter and windy conditions is unreal, like wake up the next morning still thirsty, no matter how much you drank the night before kind of thirsty. A day’s work in the heat seems to be mitigated much faster, oddly enough.
As a ski patrol volunteer, I’ve been outside quite a bit in winters of the Midwest. I’ve noticed there’s cold, then there’s cold and damp. My own personal experience is many synthetic materials operate great in cold/dry conditions. When it gets damp, I am always chilled even in layers unless I’m wearing natural fibers like wool underneath a waterproof goretex shell. Many different wool options out there to layer in, and i would highly recommend! Also beginning to get into winter camping, as I feel experience is a great teacher. Thanks for your videos!
Absolutely, Norwegian ex military here and the absolute worst temp. range is around the 0 Celsius range. Everything becomes wet immediately and you are miserable all the time. I would take negative 25 Celsius over 0 any day.
That's why when it does get cold in the south, or other humid places, it's so goddamn miserable. I grew up in FL and have zero issues with traditional cold like the mountains of Colorado, but you get 40 degrees and rainy? Kill me.
In Finland, double socking is the basic procedure taught in the army. Besides double socks, the winter rubber boots have thick wool felt inners, which can be more quickly dried than boots with inbuilt insulation. Layers are the key even in footwear and it's great that you can quickly swap out the insulation to get dry. Just get your winter boots in a larger size so they don't become too tight. For wintertime I'd really get minimalistic with my boots, classic leather combat boots or similar that don't soak up the moisture. Getting frozen, cold boots on your feet in the morning sucks anyway, so better get boots that don't soak all the sweat.
The 2 sock system never worked for me when i was in the British army. Admittedly we rarely if ever dealt with cold on the Arctic level, but it was still a system that was taught to stop blisters and trench foot. After a lot of fucking around i found what worked best for me was vaseline rubbed on the hot spots and then a good quality boot sock, never had any issues after that.
@@Matt_Alaric Interesting, My experience was very much the opposite. We use foot powder, the thin liner and the thick wool outer (made by Durray if you're curious). Always kept me warm and more importantly dry. To be fair I would never use that system in warmer months unless it was very very wet out. Usually in warmer months I would roll with some sort of thin wool boot sock.
@@yodasecondave Different strokes for different folks i guess. I was pretty miserable with my feet until i got my system sorted out, but since then has been fine. I'm glad yours worked for you too.
@@Matt_Alaric No doubt, everyone is built different, add to that operating in different environments with different boots and you end up with a lot of variables.
Sunglasses. Snowblindness is a killer. Most sunglasses are shade #2, but in some cases, I'd recommend #5. You'll walk right of a cliff without sunglasses because you can't see any distinctions in the bright snow. It all becomes one sheet of white.
Critical. Only add is for people to consider colored shades to leverage contrast effects they can provide, which is only valuable given your location. If it's diverse, go generic.
You can actually get burnt eyes from the bright white glare when it’s sunny! Learned the hard way during Arctic military training 😂 you can barely open your eyes for a couple days and they’re hella blood shot. Similar to being out on the ocean as well…
I would absolutely love to see GT travel the country and make videos about the camo for the different areas like the Midwest, Appalachia, the swamps of the south, etc.
@@Dragunov1Bros yeah man I'm in the SE too, I totally understand. Where I am it's like, 30 mins in one direction takes you into a massive city, 30 min the other way and you're lost in Appalachia 😂
I went deer hunting with my dad years back, 2001 or 2002, I was 15 I believe. We went to central Minnesota to shoot rifles. My dad used his German Mauser and I used his Spanish Mauser. We slept in his bus made camper. It was -40 the whole 3 days we were hunting. I remember my feet were cold and my dad let me wear his bunny boots. Bunny boots are a must have! I ended up finding a pair of bunny boots in my size last year, which being a woman, it was a huge score to find for smaller feet! Point to my story: bunny boots are amazing and I will not go out in negative weather without them!
You have to go into cold weather work, knowing it’s going to be absolutely miserable, no matter what you do. Having some way, to provide yourself and team, with something warm to drink, is a huge morale booster. I’ve never done any military work, but just an 8 hour shift in the cold, comes down to maintaining safety, and mindset. A thermos full of hot coffee, or heating up some water with torch for tea, makes a world of difference.
I used to carry a multifuel stove and percolator and we'd raid the cans of coffee from the A rats when we could. MSR multifuel stoves run beautifully on JP8 and Jet A.
It's also important to remember that temperature ranges change how the cold effects people. From 5C to -10C it's a wet cold where the worry is less about the temperature being a problem but the wetness causing hypothermia so you have to focus hard on waterproofing. From -10C to -20C it becomes a dry cold that will aggressively dehydrate you, and wind chill is a huge concern for frostbite. Below -20C survival is basically down to hunkering down and layering up trying to protect yourself from the environment because it's actively trying to kill you.
@@drbear2029 ya my stupid azz used to wear fur fur and more fur, but a hunting trip my snowmobile broke down 15-20 miles out and it was 20 below wind chill made it worse and oh boy did it hurt as much as help. Def Warm but w/ exertion made it way too warm….
This is very accurate from my experience of Canadian winter. Edit: specifically in northern Ontario where there is an abundance of varying sized lakes.
My last assignment was with PACOM based in the sub-arctic. Of course back then, we were primarily issued the old school arctic gear as the Army was in the early stages of transitioning to the Gore-Tex and bear suits. I chose to stick around after I got out and my permanent residence frequently sees sub-zero temps down to -60* F. The old school stuff still works well especially the field pants and liners, and I have a box full of arctic mitts, trigger-finger mittens and liners along with mil-surp arctic gear of other nations I've bought over the years. The old school German winter splotch camo works extremely well where I live and I also bought some US overwhites that I can mix and match with the German stuff. Also the Russian KLMK works well too as the pattern is similar to the German pattern. But what I really want to get my hands on, is a set of the Finn digital arctic camo. That schit will make you a ghost in snowy taiga forests. I've never had any issues with Break-Free in the cold. Ezoxx is also a good weapons lube down much colder than you want to be out in. A lot of the stuff I learned afterwards was from the native folk living in the remote villages. For hats, parka ruffs and mittens there is absolutely no substitute for the the warmth and efficiency of natural fur. Eat Moose. Wear Wolf
Fell through a creek at -5°f right before sunset this hunting season. Would not recommend, having proper winter gear and a good state of mind made it bearable for the 2 miles up and down ridges back to the truck. 87% Merino wool socks saved my beans. Having proper winter gear is vital. Obviously this wasn't an *extreme* winter scenario but not good and potentially life threatening. But would have been deadly if it happened 3 days later when it was -25°
Glad to hear you made it out okay. 👍 I always wear Marino wool socks in the woods to. Although I’ve also gotten in the habit of keeping an extra pair in a large ziplock bag with a pair (pants and shirt) of light thermals in my pack for this exact situation.
Really appreciate the shoutout to the CAF bros. As much as I hated doing winter warfare courses, the sheer utility of the knowledge I gained from them has helped immensely. I'll tell you I cannot stress enough the point of keeping your weapon in the environment it is going to be used. Even with -60 degrees (first C, than F), leave your weapon outside your shelter. It might be -60 outside, and -10 inside the arctic tent, but that is still enough to cause a change in the viscosity of the lubricant that could damage the weapon. Great work, Mr. Thumb.
As a felon who recently had my firearms rights restored (yes it's a thing if you live in a cool state like Alaska) I've been recently looking into what gear I want or need for my terrain. My name is also Adam, and this video hit at JUST the right moment!
Thanks Fam! I didn't know it was possible either until recently. Glad to be a productive member of society again! First steps, solid equipment and the training to go with it.
A thing we did when I was stationed at Ft. Wainwright was called "Monkey Feet"! If we needed to leave the tent to releve ourselves we would use our arctic mittens as slippers. As light infantry we were always creating multiple uses for anything we carried in order to save weight!!
When i was in college i went into a military surplus shop local to me, they had a load of old British army winter gear. I still have the jacket for those cold days game shooting, the clothing is fantastic and honestly better than most commercial stuff.
@@yyy-875 Yes i have the one that folds into a hood with the toggles. It was my uncles when he was a paratrooper. im currently applying for the british army, waiting for basic training start date. I also use the goretex british army DPM bivi bag. works great for me
I noticed you are based in Idaho, as an Idaho native, I would love to see you start a class about wilderness survival since our state has many different environments to learn in.
Wiggy's socks will keep your feet dry like no wool sock possibly can. They make a lot of kit that is very useful in the context of this video. The best sleeping bags Ive ever used by far (and these have been used by some branches or units of our Armed Forces.) They offer a center zippered bag specifically designed to meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces. Great synthetic booties, boot driers (these are incredible), overboots, and some of the warmest Mukluks available (the later two are also available in fire resistant versions). Oh and they make the crucial "water bottle parka" type insulated bottle cover, which is a necessity when the temps drop below freezing. Nothing worse than a frozen water bottle when you need a drink. They also offer a rain pancho (I think they are $10 if you buy a sleeping bag) as well as a couple different woobie configurations. Check them out, their products are high quality, practical, and outperform other trendy brands. Plus the best part is that its actually all made at their factory in Colorado with no plans to switch to offshore production like so many once great brands have done. They are the best kept secret in outdoor gear. (I wouldn't feel compelled to sing praises like this for any other brand to be honest but Ive never been so overwhelmed/blown away by the caliber of pieces of gear as I have with Wiggy's)
One of the most important things I was taught in the arctic was to be, "Comfortably cold.". If you're stagnant, be a little cold. Don't be freezing and stay dry, but be a little chilly. If you start moving and you're already comfortably cold, downgrade. Keep a level 7 jacket or similar for when you're standing still, but just throw it over yourself. Then when you start a movement, chuck it in the bag.
@PTOxGhostface561 the only other most important thing at an arctic post is; teaching new guys what too cold is and how to get used to knowing what that is. And teaching them to tell someone when they are. There's always a tactful way to say, "No." when you're too cold or about to be.
@@_Maroi oh yes most definitely I’m currently out here at Ft. Wainwright and it gets down pretty deep into the negatives. Always tell my guys to let me know if they’re cold. There’s cool and then there’s cold haha
@PTOxGhostface561 Watched some retarded Chaplain's Assistant get a CWI on both feet because he wore pt socks and told no one two days into a January field problem at Wainwright. Thankfully, the Chaplain was a good guy, and we backed him up on asking the dude if he was good every 20 minutes, so he didn't get a pp slap for it. Too many privates think they're cooler than the Arctic.
Speaking as a German Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry) our Winter camo is a kind of Gore-Tex. I personally think that this is very problematic since whenever you exhaust yourself walking up a mountain, building something out of snow, etc you start sweating no matter the temperature. Sweating is the biggest problem in very cold environments, especially when wearing goretex because it prevents the baselayers from drying.
GoreTex is a breathable textile and layers under it can dry out. Often times the generation of moisture under it far exceeds the rate at which water vapor (sweat) can travel outside of the clothing system. Gore Windstopper offers a higher rate of breathability with some moisture protection still, but it is not truly waterproof.
You forgot painful lesson #1. In freezing conditions, bare skin sticks to metal. Any metal. So you make real damn sure to wear liner gloves, and tape over any bare metal with any kind of tape. Lesson #2, snow reflects sunlight mercilessly. You will need sunblock, or get the worst sunburn of your life. And ANY bare skin can get frostbite way before you notice it. Learn to buddy check for white skin, that's frostbite. Lesson #3, grease or wax your boot laces. Otherwise they can absorb water and freeze, making it impossible to put your boots on or off.
Would love to hear a becoming deadly in Appalachia series for all of us in the eastern mountains! Completely different climate and brings some unique challenges: bugs, humidity, etc…
As a European, from what I've heard about the Appalachian range, it sounds like an interesting and unique environment. I'd very much like to learn the specifics of survival and potential combat in that setting. (I do know about mosquitoes though, DEET works pretty well)
Adam is definitely right about the area around Fort Drum, especially fall/spring the whole area basically becomes a swamp. A lot of good advice here guys, thank you both so much for taking the time to inform people, especially putting it on TH-cam for free 🤘
I went to a Rey mears talk on cold weather survival and living. It was absolutely fascinating. Apparently most Swedish people wear wool pullover jumpers over a hard shell jacket because it keeps the gore-tex type stuff warm enough to work. It also means that when the moisture leaves your body it freezes on the jumper and you can brush it off. It was absolutely fascinating some of it I would never have thought of. My favourite boots are altberg defenders, the leather is treated with some repellent chemical and you can put wax over it. Alternatively there are wellie boots, I don’t know what you Americans call them but they’re just cheap rubber boots I think Dunlop makes a half decent one. A decent pair of oversized wellies and extra thick socks are awesome. In the uk we’re used to constantly having everything be soaking, an here in the Pennines I’m used to dealing with just everything being ankle deep peat bog and wellies are some of the only boots that can deal with the constant wet.
Canadian Forces are issued separate sets of Gore-Tex boots, along with GoreTex socks (but in true old school fashion, they still issue double-thick Arctic socks. We got issued several pairs every year, I may just have a supply of socks for the rest of my life. 😂 many still in issued package!
Been waiting for this. Thanks for all the information GT. Taking your message seriously. Trying to eat better, and get in shape. "Get fit or Die" really hits hard. That's a good thing. Gonna try to do better everyday, and soak up information available. I know these videos can be hell to make for you guys. Just know its greatly appreciated man. Stay safe stay healthy and can't wait for the next video. Love you guys!
@@TerryWhisk hey, butt out man, he's found a motivation that kicked him in the ass enough to go out and improve himself. He's just being appreciative and comments like yours discourage people that are on the brink of refining themselves. Dont be a buzzkill brotha
There's so much to go over with winter but I've made a few base rules for all the coasties who come up to the lovely land of the northern tundras. Disclaimer, you're gonna want different pairs of your lower layers cause you will sweat. You will need to change eventually. I run hot and sweat a lot so I usually wear a layer less and I typically deal with the coldest temps of -10f to -15f. I use an AK with a winter trigger guard so my gloves may not work super well with an AR. I've always given people the rule of 4. Layers of 4, wear no more. Wearing more than 4 layers will lead to inability to perform basic motor functions and leading to sweating which leads to hypothermia. Layering is fairly simple. 1Under clothesfor wicking, 2 thermals, 3 wind/water breaker and 4 being a insulator. (3 and 4 can be swapped depending on your environment if it's more wet, or more windy etc etc.) For pants I'll usually do thermal underwear, sweats and something like Carhartt overalls or a jumpsuit. For shoes I'll stick to a regular sock, a wool sock and then my Sorel Caribous. I also have a pair of large snow shoes to strap to them. You should also have a pair of "dry shoes" (stored in your pack) for use inside your tent/shelter etc. For hands I usually stick to 2 layers. I have a pair of surplus nomex flight gloves. And then a larger mitten with a index finger. For my head and face I have a few different balaclavas of different thicknesses and materials, my preferred is a thin balaclava with a breathable material and then wearing a trapper hat with a baseball brim, I prefer this hat cause it lets me do my next part if wrapping a scarf around my head to block wind. It isn't a very thick scarf, it's about a foot and a half by 5 feet in size, I use it to wrap over my head, pin it to the brim of my hat to make little "wind blinders" and then across my face and nose to help stop wind/cold from shortening your breath. Finally is for eye protection. I use a set of revision locusts. (Key note to prevent fogging lightly coat the inside and outside of your goggle lense with a mix of 1/4 water, 1/4 rubbing alcohol and a drop of dish soap, you can rub it on with a microfiber. This will help a ton of it's too cold to have your skin exposed and need to be fully covered. Keep in mind most of my stuff I use is civilian items you can find in stores, on Amazon at garage sales. It's less geared towards full out combat but more of a "patrol" setup in a "grid down" situation. Giving you warmth and a bit of mobility in a sub 10 minute frostbite environment on exposed skin.
I had Danner's 38m insulated backcountry hunting boots as a wilderness guide (9.5 day shifts in the Utah desert, temps got down to below zero, up to 3 ft of snow), they worked perfectly. My feet did sweat but they were largely dry. Also tips would be sleeping with the socks you just changed out of in your sleeping bag to keep them warm/dry them out or wear them close to you when hiking. Also eating peanut butter is the best thing ever when you're cold.
Zippo makes a pocket heater that uses lighter fluid. It keeps a wick thing burning and it's hot. I've used it in the Utah mountains to great effect I kept it by my feet while sleeping in my pockets while hiking and it's fuel efficient long lasting heat. In colder places I can see it usefull to keep gear warm food electronics water ect.
I was homeless in the winter and we got a blizzard. I was in the city so these won't exactly convert all that much to rural mountains, but I have some very basic tips that everyone already knows. Layer up if you need to but don't over do it. Wear water proof shoes or boots. Tuck your pants into your boots if you can to help keep them dry. Keep a towel or blanket with you to sit on because cold concrete sucks even wearing 2 pairs of pants. Blankets will be your best friend. Lighters are much easier than all other methods of fire starting. Small candles and cigarettes help keep you warm, but be careful because they can easily set your blankets and clothes on fire. Change your clothes regularly, sweat sucks and you don't wanna smell bad even in the woods. Neck gaiters, balaclavas, bandanas work amazing to keep your neck and face warm. Wear some type of glasses. Snow is blinding during the day and if it's snowing hard it sucks when it hits your eyes. Wear a hat. I moved during the day because it was warmer and I would hunker down somewhere at night. If you are homeless, 24 hour laundry mats and gas stations are amazing. Drink plenty of water and make sure you have regular access to water. Don't eat snow or ice, hot drinks are very noticeable when it's cold out but they are great too just hold and keep your hands warm. Try to get out of the wind. Again I know all of this is common sense but it's all things I had to do for a few months while I was homeless. I'm sorry these are probably the dumbest tips you've ever heard but like I said it helped keep me alive when I was down on my luck.
I’ve never commented on a GT video before, you guys pretty much hammer most of the nails down. As a former Canadian PPF member with probably about 5 years of Arctic/sub-Arctic training I will say that 1) the better equipment you have the easier it will be to survive (keep it simple stupid) and 2) you better have a couple large heavy duty tarps in your pack. I know it seems repetitive to say but I mean this. It makes ALL the difference between being comfortable and being miserable, if you become miserable in these environments it WILL lead to you and your group experiencing the most hellish experience you can have. You won’t become the Donner party but you will experience a small version of it. Trust me, you don’t want to experience that shit.
I serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. I must say a tactic that I learned from living through the Fridgid, Icy, and Windy state of Michigan during the Winter. Geothermal is your best friend when sleeping in the snow. Naturally the cold air being 32° to 0° will stay cold above ground. This will push any warm elements into the ground creating the ground to be substantially warm sometimes it will be as high as 10° to 20° warmer. As long as the soil is not wet and the vegetation and leaves from fall has the ground well covered. And the layer of snow on top will trap and insulate that heat in the ground even more. I would always have my platoon use their e-tools and dig the top lair of dead grass and about 3 to 6 inches of dirt where they would sleep. Put an iso mat or sleeping mat down with a good sleeping bag and bivy cover. Have your tarp cover your sleeping area to keep that Geothermal warmth from the ground well covered and insulated. Never usually had a problem sleeping in the cold with this tactic. Hope this helps someone with future missions and or adventures.
I was just listening to your episode on the art and war podcast the other day, it's awesome to see you take this series into different biomes like you said you had planned. Love the content and the knowledge.
On keeping the feet dry: Foot powders, after repeated use (like an athelete's foot regimen), can work their way into the cracks and crevices of your footwear as you hike and cause the seams to pop/become useless. It works something like the way water can get into seams and cracks in even brick, and heave it out upon freezing, only in this case it's the action of your foot that's driving the wedge. If you're using foot powder, subtract from the longevity of your footwear, as after a week of a powder regimen, you can absolutely ruin an otherwise good pair of boots. It's another reason keeping dry feet from the jump is really important.
I spent a week hunting in -30 to -40° in Montana this year and learned a lot about my cold weather gear, I thought I was g2g, but learned quickly that there's a huge difference between 10° and -36°
If you're in the south, or another area where we get cold weather (below 40f), but not snow. A waxed, tan Carhartt jacket is warm, waterproof, camouflaged against a mostly brown woodland background, and oddly IR neutral.
So I live in the south east and I’ve been trying m81 and I’ve noticed it only blends well in the spring when there is a lot of green but during the winter there is a lot of grey and brown. What would be your recommendation for camo during that season
@@politicallyinsensitive4200 or six color, or desert tiger stripe. We can't use current hunting camo because the material and dyes create a bad IR Signature, so the best way to go is brown military camo designs , which are usually desert.
From my time growing up in the cold of the mountains I can add a few things. Eyewear is stupidly important. Snow reflects infrared and UV light better than just about anything out there, and all that bright toxic light can and WILL find its way straight into your retinas. Frostbite feels like a burning sensation if that goes away you are in some serious danger. If you can, get someplace warm or make a shelter fast cause you've got maybe 30 minutes. Pemmican is an easy to make food that is mostly fat, some protein and carbs. You can buy it or make it, but this can be eaten cold, lasts damn near Forever, and can be tasty. Super cold air can screw with your sense of distance, it's what some believe caused the titanic to hit the ice berg. Look for markers at known distances to gauge how far you're shooting.
I've always been a fan of the old German winter poncho which isn't completely white, but has blotches of pine needles. I use it in combination with US bottoms and mitten covers. Plus, you can camo your shelter with it, while wearing the bottoms at night.
Very cool topic, excited to watch! A distinction I think is important and rarely covered is that trapping and holding near the body's heat is one thing when you're dealing with active/sedentary HEALTHY bodies. But if we're febrile, or sick, or have a disease that has compromised our body's ability to generate heat, that's another can of worms. in that case, ingesting warm fluids and fatty foods, exothermic heat sources, and particularly IR (think space blankets) insulation in conjunction with Polartec fleece, Down, and fur (definitely the warmest of the 3) are the only mechanisms I've found to actually get me to warm up when hypothermic in those suboptimal conditions. Obv a nice hot bath does wonders but that's a luxury in the woods ;).
In the same way you can treat your boots you can also treat wool and wool goods. Merano/Sheep's wool is the best for this, and even when completely soaked/even submerged in water, it retains 85% of its thermal retention. You need to boil the wool and apply lanolin to it and you can get it to nearly waterproof. I find it has the best breathability and is quieter than any polyester. I should note I'm a medieval living archeologist, so I've worn the stuff commonly. Linen is also a good choice against the skin if you find wool uncomfortable. Further, no matter how many layers of wool you have, you can always achieve a greater breathability. Further, for everyday use, cloaks and hoods are great. The hood I have is separate from the cloak, and has a shoulder mantle to provide water run off even should it rain and or be too hot for the cloak. The cloak is also nice since it can be opened or closed depending on how hot or cool you need it to be, and the atmosphere inside the cloak can be kept above freezing if it's not too cold. That and the human shape is greatly broken up by it. I haven't worn a camouflage version but I believe it would work. You could also make it reversible snow on one side, camo on the other should you really desire this. Further I'd recommend an additional item to all outer layers of cloths which you want to waterproof. Lanolin for Animal fabrics, and for plant based fibers Use bee's wax to get them waterproofed. Plastics and polyesters won't work in this case because they melt. But you can use a heat gun like you mentioned not just on your leather boots, but you can also wax your cloths should you desire a waterproof layer, and that same cloth is what they used to make tents out of before we had polyester. There's also furs an other things which can really help insulate, such as rabbit for cold weather, but a medium coldness. the lower the temperature, the longer the hair of the hide needs to be. Fur is great and should always be worn leather out, as the leather can still be treated with the normal methods, such as waxing or sealing. Don't know how useful it will be to a modern military but I can assure you, that the old ways work just as well.
Two tips, from someone who spends a fair bit of time in the mountains during winter: Layering is about adaptability, not replacement. Ten light wool base-layers are not a substitute for an equally bulky parka. People sometimes think that adding a second extra undershirt will increase warmth as much as their first undershirt did, but it will not. Same for sleeping: adding base layers to your body inside your bag will not significantly increase your warmth - you need a warmer bag, not more layers. Second tip: boot covers can dramatically increase the warmth of your footwear system. When snowshoeing or skiing, snow tends to collect on top of the laces of your boots, where the insulation is thinnest. Below about -20F or so, that becomes a real issue. Insulated boot covers (or insulated gaiters that cover the laces) are hugely beneficial. Switching from thick socks to thin socks + a boot liner can also dramatically increase warmth, at the cost of stability.
On Mt Rainier in January I learned about sleeping in a snow cave and I learned a few things I will pass on here. 1) bring a tarp. If you end up sleeping in snow you want a tarp under you. 2) Have a foam and inflatable pad. It adds a lot of insulation 3) make sure you don’t slide off your pad and tarp or your sleeping bag will get wet and you will freeze your butt off. 4) snow is an excellent insulator. I survived a -20 degree night with a 0 degree bag that got wet because of the snow cave 5) winter camping sucks
This song was intended for MT. Rainier Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day To seek our pale enchanted gold The dwarves of yore made mighty spells While hammers fell like ringing bells In places deep, where dark things sleep In hollow halls beneath the fells For ancient king and elvish lord There many a gleaming golden hoard They shaped and wrought, and light they caught To hide in gems on hilt of sword On silver necklaces they strung The flowering stars on crowns they hung The dragon-fire in twisted wire They meshed the light of moon and sun Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old We must away, ere break of day To claim our long-forgotten gold Goblets they carved there for themselves And harps of gold, where no man delves There lay they long, and many a song Was sung unheard by men or elves The pines were roaring on the heights The winds was moaning in the night The fire was red, it flaming spread The trees like torches blazed with light The bells were ringing in the dale And men looked up with faces pale The dragon's ire, more fierce than fire Laid low their towers and houses frail The mountain smoked beneath the moon The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom They fled their hall to dying fall Beneath his feet, beneath the moon Far over the misty mountains grim To dungeons deep and caverns dim We must away, ere break of day To win our harps and gold from him Far over the misty mountains cold To dungeons deep and caverns old
I miss living out there. I'm from Ohio but my aunt lives in Longview Washington. I met a girl here in ohio that, from all places in the world, was from the Columbia River gorge. Eventually we moved out there and it was a wonderful experience. I actually got to get out and do some real mountain exploring. We've since separated and I've moved back to Ohio, but the experience and people I've met out there have carried with me and will continue to be with me forever.
As part of my training program, I add fall and winter Elk and coyote hunting in Colorado. Everything above 10,000 feet is always cold. You will always have a physically exerting hike into your sitting spot. You will learn what gear works best. If your tactics suck, you'll know because you won't even see any game. You also have to make a shot under pressure. I apply most of these principles in this video while Elk hunting.
A really key nugget I've found is the ability to add and subtract layers as you move in and out of shelter. Your body needs something to warm up *to*, and wearing your full goretex suit inside your shelter will normalize your body temp to that higher heat level- when you walk outside you'll be cold and have nothing additional to put on. So the jacket is easy to don and doff, but the standard Glretex pants force you to take your boots off and that's not ideal, so a good hack is to cut the goretex pants down the side and sew in velcro so you can "Magic Mike" it.
My biggest tips are: 1: Sometimes a wind layer is more important than insulation when on the move. 2: Bring as many pairs of darn tough wool socks as possible. 3: Snow shoes are an absolute must. 4: Brown blend into snowy environments more than you think. 5: Have a way to keep water a liquid. Ice plate under armor or chest rig worked well for me. Cheers!
Lithium batteries for cold weather. Snowshoes are a must in the mountains. Wool under layers with a good synthetic waterproof outer layer. Boot gaiters. Logistics for how to keep and carry enough fuel, so as not to need wood fires that give your position away. Water purification filters need to stay in your sleeping bag or pocket at night or they freeze and are ruined. Remember that tracks in the snow are easily spotted from the air. And finally, carry a small shovel for making a snow cave, it can save u from freezing and is also a good hiding spot.
Being brought up in Michigan and working outside for forty yrs thank you for fine tuning my cold weather knowledge, you dudes are great teachers thank you.
Winter is deadly here in my area of the country. Temperatures are regularly below 0 for extended periods of time. There are times where it gets so cold that you would become hypothermic in minutes without some serious cold weather gear. Firearms are also much more likely to have malfunctions at those temperatures as well if you use oil to keep them lubricated.
My pop's was a survival instructor in the air force during the vietnam war, and growing up with him as a kid was always a survival experience no matter what you where doing he had to put some kind of situation to the task.
@@hhaste Sometimes it was for how ridiculous something you wouldn't think, like don't wad your garage rags up that they can catch on fire and on electric fires, as a kid who cared right,but the shooting and trapping, and hunting was the bomb in 1973.
Sounds f’n awesome for a kid growing up… instead of the constant parental ass kissing so common today. Your dad did his job, preparing you for life when he’s not around to protect you… now it seems like most under 30s think the government will take care of their every need.
@@williamflowers9435 You are exactly right and as I write this I'm in his assisted living watching his Dementia take him away,he did his job and I'm proud.
As someone who grew up in a place with scolding hot summers and frigid winters the best advice I can think of is: if you want to know how much it sucks to be too hot, get too hot. If you want to know how much it sucks to be soaking wet in -10 degrees, go try it. Take the lesson of doing so and use common sense to fix the problems of both.
There's not much to be said for living in Canada, but growing up there taught me about how to survive the cold. You could legitimately get frostbite while waiting for the bus, standing in the direct sunlight (which there was precious little of during the short days of winter). Now I'm in Colorado and even up in the mountains it's typically not nearly as cold and brutal here. Sleeping outside in the cold is always a bitch, however.
@@ymah8458 I'm in Loveland, only about 5000' ASL. The wind is worse in CO than anywhere else I've lived (including WY) but Weld and Morgan counties are where it really gets redonk.
One thing people often forget is that walking in snow is LOUD. It will be harder to hear other sounds while walking through snow and threats will hear you coming much easier. To mitigate this problem you need to stop and reassess your situation more often.
Good briefing guys. To help with conductive heat loss I've used a small 2 x 2' closed-cell foam sitting pad in camp, which can also be used under the boots while standing. It takes up little room and weight. Regardless of the boots used, when pausing to rest and in camp, swinging the legs alternately helps keep the circulation moving. As does swinging the arms. In a tent or igloo shelter, a pee bottle is your friend, as putting off urinating tends to make you less rested. You're going to sweat if you're moving as noted, so having a second base layer you change into as soon as you stop for camp or teaching session will help keep core temp stable. Use the sun when it's out in order to dry your socks and base layers-if its not too windy. Having coban wrapped around your long gun forend grip wherever metal may be touched helps- like on his example. I always kept a Bic lighter on a leash around my neck or in a close pocket as frozen lighters don't usually work well. I agree with someone else's comment about the use of snowshoes in deep snow, unless you're very proficient with skis and skins. Pace oneself in winter environments to avoid exhaustion. Movement with all the clothing, packs, and tools adds extra effort.
Keep in mind for anyone new to - 15° to -40° temps. If you are breathing heavy your breath will freeze your lens on your scope and if you try to whipe the frost off it will scratch the lens.
Hi there from Rocky Mountain Colorado. I am a fan of your show, really good and intetesting all around. Having skied some, including having the worst (coldest) ski job (that I know of) for 3 winters I wish I had some military winter training before. For instance, the worst ray on the job I was stuck at 10,000 feet with a snowmobile in 100mph wind event in which I could see snow really, but there was hardpack trail but the blowing snow made it impossible to see the trail and the snowmobile off the trail would break through the wind crust then the track would sorta like cavitate in the powder under the crust be stuck. I claim to be 'advanced' in winter survival. I had hopes of more talk about the clothing gear. The water bag in jacket is new to me, sounds like a slick idea. I only had been savvy about thermos in pack for water, which I would start out some (the stormy for sure) days with boiling hot water then it was just very hot by lunch time, snow was handy to make that drinking warm. Some guys and myself experimented with the insulated Camelback type system, which the mouth piece and tube always froze within 2 hours. I heard to blow air into hose to force the liquid back into the bag, but ice would form within the tube the many drops that don't go into reservoir, then next sip adds more water to the ice sposts and so on until the ice 'clots' block off the tube. A 'happy medium' trick could be a thermos with boiling hot water and equal to double the h2o in other container less thermal though less bulky, then mix some hot water with the cold through the day to have drinkable warm water.
Great video with a lot of helpful information. My basic training in the Swiss Army was in the coldest part of the country, where temperatures can reach minus 20°F. The issued gear was not adequate at all - I wish I new back then what I do now. Just tested some gear at a 48h GORUCK survival event in a state park next to the Hudson river. Learned a lot again just from trying out gear in a controlled environment, as you guys were saying.
Man, I love this series. And this episode is really helpful for me now. Having grown up in the jungle, being sent to a jungle regiment after joining the army, I know a lot of survival in that kind of environment. But now they sent me to the mountains, and I know shit about how to live here.
I'm the opposite. Born and raised in rural Canada, I could tell you tons about winter survival. Also, mountains and boreal forest. But I'd be way out of my element in the jungle. I'd probably die of poisonous critters, or eating something poisonous.
Excited to watch this entire video. I do winter backpacking. It took awhile to dial in my clothing. You need a lot less than you think. Walking around day to day is different than humping it 10 miles. Try not to overheat. After 20 minutes of hiking you are warm.
I always feel like super man when I’m snow shoeing. It’ll be like 20 degrees and I’ll have my jacket off my flannel unbuttoned and basically be down to my thermal layer and tee shirt after about 30 minutes.
@@dukeofbanfe you sound hot bodied like me. It will be 10 out and I'm in long johns and flannel lined snow pants , long under shirt and tshirt. If I don't, I'll get heat stroke in the winter 😂
Finnish soldier here, the only proper footwear for arctic winter conditions are rubber boots. Anything made of leather or core-tex can work for a few days but eventually they will get wet. In winter, you have to work very hard to keep yourself alive and operational. Having to constantly treat your leather boots with some kind of wax is consumes your time and effort that are needed elsewhere. Winter warfare is very hard on your mind and body, so there is a high risk that you start to neglect the wax treatment due to exhaustion. Your rubber boots must be loose enough to house a felt liner, felt insole and wool socks. Good trick is to wrap your socks in newspaper, the paper will absorb a ton of moisture, so you don't have to change your socks so often.
One of the best pieces of kit we used to get issued in the Canadian Army was a down sleep system. It was heavy to carry, but it kept you warm. We switched to a synthetic material now.
Ya these guys say down insulation is useless in a military environment but I'd bet the Canadian military knows more than these guys about staying warm in -40 celcius for months on end. Down ain't gonna get wet when it's -10 celcius or colder. Down isn't for 0 Celsius environments. In those cases it's dangerous. For real cold it's king
I recommend drying wet socks under the uniform on the shoulders. We put a wet or spare sock on our shoulder under the uniform. It is good that the sock does not touch our skin
Here's some additional points to share: CLOTHING: -Level V Gorkas are mint. They are thin for what they are and work great under -10, anything above that and you will start to sweat with them on. -Before you resort to thick gloves or mittens, a trick I would use would be to have synthetic running gloves with thin leather gloves over them. This gave you a decent layer of warmth, still be relatively thin enough to manipulate firearms, and the leather helped achieve a lot of traction over synthetic options. This usually worked well until -10, then you would need more time in your mittens. -Second on the Darn tough socks, they rock without being too thick. -Vapor "bunny boots" are awesome, but incredibly bulky. I couldn't imagine going to war with those on. -Balaclavas (or any face protection) is important not just for weather considerations but to keep your skin from getting direct contact with metal parts of your rifle when aiming (especially for AR buffer tubes). -Hand warmer fanny packs are great and keep your hands out of bulky mittens longer. SUSTAINMENT: -I really like ALICE packs, but I had a lot of trouble packing everything I wanted into them (especially the multi-layered sleeping system). I know a lot of guys hate them, but the Army issues rucksacks give you a lot of space to work with in comparison. COMBAT: -Breathing will build frost and condensation on AR buffer tubes and exasturbate contact frostbite if you make direct skin contact with them. -Breathing will also fog up optics. At first it's easy to wipe off, but over time it becomes frost and then you have to scrape your glass to get it off. -Protect your handguns, modern holdster setups are great, but leave space for snow and ice to get in at the top and bottom of the handgun. Duct taping the bottoms keep snow from getting jammed up the barrel. As for the top, there is a reason some militaries still issue slower holster designs that completely cover the handgun. -Eyepro fogs just as fast in the Arctic from your breath as being in a humid swamp, except this time the fog can turn to frost. Eyepro is important, but understand you may want to take them off before your life could depend on you seeing a target. Hope this helps!
Having been to Fort Drum and living my entire life in somewhere snowy. My biggest takeaway for being warm. Stay dry. -40 and drywas nothing compared to 10 and soaking wet. Maybe not nothing but I was much more miserable walking through the swamps of Fort Drum at 10-15 degrees versus staying dry at -40. Both are their own special miserable. Socks, dry boots, and boot gaiters. Boot Gaiters were a game changer when I got them.
I don’t know about everyone else but I think a video where you get out and use some of this stuff would be great. It’d be really cool to see you creating situations so that you could show why you carry and wear what, how you use it and what situations certain gear would be ideal for.
I’m in Northern California near Tahoe. I keep a Tyvek painter suit in my kit. It’s all white. Thin. Comes in a little package. Can be painted on. Cheap at lowes or even Walmart.
During a brief interlude (early March through late October) just shy of the Arctic Circle, I was taught that very low temperatures can cause one's corneas to freeze. Hence, in extreme cold conditions, goggles should be worn unless you do not want to be able to see. There is also the issue of snow blindness.
My hometown got down to -75 wind chill before I was born, and I asked my dad if it was any different from -40/-50. He said the only difference (when wearing layers) was that your eyes froze and everybody had to wear goggles.
It's not surprising that winter warfare tactics are similar across Arctic (or cold mountain) climates. It's one of the few things that there's a right way to do it or you die. There are many creative solutions for other environments, but deep cold and high elevation requires precise planning and thoughtful execution.
The only thing you need to have to be deadly in the mountains in the knowledge of making really big snowballs, then pushing them down the mountain at your enemies. classic looney tunes strategy that never fails.
😂
Not far off from what happened on White Friday in WW1.
Bro, or we just pull our pants down and fart down hill.
I have it on good authority that using fireworks to cause an avalanche is a good way to wipe out a lot of mongol raiders, especially if you have a dragon spirit voiced by Eddie Murphey.
ACME Field Manual 69
Ah, winter combat. A topic near and dear to my heart as a Norwegian. What most of the arm chair generals miss when it comes to this topic is that its not so much about the combat, its more about not dying on your way to, or from it...
lol that was our first point. Definitely agree
+1
I always buy my winter wear at Hugo Boss. Should be fine…
Norwegians are probably the best-trained and acclimated soldiers to Arctic Conditions, especially their SOF/Recce troops.
UK SBS, Canadian SOF and Infantry, Finns, US Army Alaska, Swedes, 10th SFG Mountain Teams, Danes, German KSK, Austrians, Italian SOF are others.
The Cadre at ITC (formerly ILRRPS) have a phenomenal collection of senior SOF/Recce guys, most of whom have Arctic experience including Norwegians.
Sometimes I envy you Norwegians and snow. I've never actually seen snow before, so thriving in it is alien to me. I've found I'm better in the bush, dealing with wildlife, and unpredictable weather patterns is my speciality, lol. Sometimes even have to carry 2 different camo patterns, one for when it's dry, and another for when it's pouring
I just can’t believe he can afford to have all this snow brought in for his video. Huge production quality efforts here
Of course it is, you think he’d pay for fake snow? 🤔
@@conorb350 True, he aint no cheapskate
Lk
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Served in the army in northern Norway. As you mentioned, the key is to adjust your layers according to activity level, temperature, wind and precipitation. The best tips I have for winter ops:
- Your innermost layer should always be wool. Not only is wool warmer than synthetic materials, but it provides warmth even when wet which makes it far superior to any synthetic material. If you have a high activity level I can not recommend wool thermal netting enough. It transports humidity away from your body, preventing you from getting soaked when marching etc.
- We had something called "the chimney principle". Warm air rises, and will bring humidity with it, so ensure air can flow all the way from your legs to your upper torso where you'll need some ventilation so it can exit (wear more spacious clothes, and don't tighten them too much around your waist). If you follow this and use wool thermal netting the difference in humidity is massive.
- You'd be surprised how little clothing you really need when maintaining a high activity level, we often used just wool netting and snowcamo when marching in -20 to -30 (low wind and no precipitation). It's better to be a bit cold while marching, than wearing too much and sweating. But then it's even more important to quickly add more layers as soon as your activity level decreases.
- One area that's often overlooked is your face, at -40 and 15 mph winds, windchill will cause frostbite in only 5 minutes, so cover your face well (neck gaiter/balaclava with holes for breathing through plus snow/ski goggles is my best tip). Take a look at a windchill factor chart and you'll realize how important it is in arctic areas.
- NEVER touch metal with your bare hands at sub-zero temps, you'll get frostbite almost instantaneously.
At the end of the day you have to try and fail a bit to figure out what works for you, we're all different and accustomed to different climates. Stay vigilant and take action quickly, it's much better to be uncomfortable for a couple minutes while changing clothes, than being absolutely miserable in an hour when you're soaked or freezing.
Adjust adjust adjust. First and best advice for serious winter activity.
Have you ever tried 100% Acrylic rather than wool for your innermost layer? I found it to be softer and more durable. Dupont use to make a product called "Hollow core" that was the best base layer material. Unfortunately I can no longer find products made with it.
@@retirednobaddays456 Haven't tried acrylic fiber specifically, but I've used other synthetics meant for colder weather. They are, as you mention often more durable than wool and require less care. I find that they work fine for temps around 0 to - 10 Celsius (32 to 15 f). But with longer use I get clammy and subsequently get cold. Wool *can* be itchy, but if you buy high quality soft merino wool I find that it's almost as comfortable and soft as synthetics. The army issued clothes (that I still use) is made by a Norwegian company called Aclima. We used the wool thermal netting as the innermost layer and often a thin wool layer over that again.
I was waiting for a Nord to chime in with the wool net base layer. You guys love that stuff.
@@Rysander1 What can I say, we love it because it works lol
One HUGE consideration for cold weather is the effect of the cold on batteries. I was in a cold weather artillery battery and our comm gear lasted literally half as long in cold conditions. Radio batteries lasted half a day as opposed to a day and a half in hot climates. Be sure you have a plan to have extra batteries for nvgs, peqs, lights is super important. Extra radio batteries and ensuring you're always charging batteries will make your life alot easier for any equipment you may rely on.
37:00
@@krzysztofzpucka7220 yep 👍
Yeah it's weird they only spent like 10 minutes talking about that
Agreed. I store my batteries in a well-insulated water tight pouch in my pack which helps hold a charge but as soon as those batteries are removed and go into any device in the cold their charge depletes rapidly. The best advice given here that I would also emphasize is to STAY DRY! That means moisture from sweat as much as moisture from the exterior environment. DRY = LIFE!
@BooksOfBlood in an hour long video about a broad topic I think the fact that they mentioned it I'd good enough. Would love to see more content around weather considerations.
The best temperature control while under movement tip I learned from trappers who worked the Yukon was very simple: if it's colder than -20F you only take one glove/mitten off if you think you're starting to get hot. Keep the jacket zipped and the hat on because you'll lose heat way too fast and you won't be able to recover it in certain conditions. The single bare hand will radiate plenty of excess heat; when it gets cold your body is cooled off enough, and it doesn't take very long.
Pace yourself and plan enough time to move slowly so you won't sweat as much. Sweat kills fast when you're living outdoors in -40. I've had enough frostbite that the nerves in the upper part of my cheeks are pretty much permanently dead, so don't try to be tough and push through the discomfort, it's really not worth it. Same goes for snow blindness, the closest I can describe the pain is like you just spent 2 hours welding without a hood. It's beyond bad and you won't risk it twice.
How do you prevent snow blindness? Polarized tinted eye protection?
@@jon8207 The traditional way for the natives was to tie a leather strap across your eyes like a blindfold and then cut two slits in it for vision. That works decently and helps keep you warm, but it's not super comfortable.
If you choose to use sunglasses or goggles you'll need full wrap around where there's no light coming in from the sides or edges. Goggles work best but you need a deep tint and preferably something reflective, usually with that gold color seems to be the most popular.
@@mikedebear Thank you!
I’m going to try that. Sounds plausible.
Right. Humans naturally bleed heat most, not from our heads, but through our palms and soles. It is a common trick I use when I get too hot working outside. Find shade, dip both hands into the coldest water available. After a couple minutes I feel much better. If you are (in an extreme cold environment) getting hot enough that your body is sweating to cool itself down, then it is probably a good idea to seek other methods to cool down that don't require so much moisture.
I’ve lived here in Alaska my entire life. I’ve jumped out of planes in January, lived in snow caves, gone hunting for weeks when it gets below zero at night, volunteered with mountain rescue, backcountry snowboarding etc. The cold is just brutal, and it will wear you down. Your mental health WILL take a hit 100%. It will never not suck. Embrace it, wear layers, drink water, eat a lot, take care of your feet.
Very well said! First step to survive the suck is to accept that it sucks!
The FitnessGram Pacer test is a multistage aerobic capacity test that progressively gets more difficult as it continues. The 20 meter Pacer test will begin in 30 seconds. Line up at the start. The running speed starts slowly, but gets faster each minute after you hear this signal *boop*.
Interesting fact. Actual Arctic warfare cadre's discourage aerobic activity as the moment you stop moving your sweat freezes and you die from hypothermia.
I mistook this for a meme but more you analyze what he is saying. The pacer is the biggest breakthrough in all of science and mankind. Damn.
ptsd
This candidate physical ability test (CPAT) consists of eight separate events. The CPAT is a sequence of events requiring you to progress along a predetermined path from event to event in a continuous manner. This test was developed to allow fire departments to obtain pools of trainable candidates who are physically able to perform essential job tasks at fire scenes.
We all heard the voice when we were reading it huh?
I watched 1/4 of a platoon become heat casualties in -30f weather. It was a Ruck that we weren’t told was going to happen and weren’t prepared for. All our water was frozen so we couldn’t hydrate and everyone wore way too many layers. Great learning experience.
For decades, I have been part of the search and rescue teams for the Civil Air Patrol in Utah and now the Colorado front range. No matter what your plans are, prepare. The most horrifying crash that we hiked into was one where the victims where going to some kind of party. They died still in their light evening attire. Nothing in their luggage area for warmth. Their ELT had dead batteries. I've seen skiers deliberately go off into the back country never letting anyone, where they were going. Grid searching is okay, but we have walked right past victims because the terrain didn't make it possible to see them. Carry a map and compass no how to use them. Have a signal mirror. Have a whistle, Have a proper hunting knife and multiple fire starters. Know how to built a small fire. Know the international symbols for a search messages and deploy the message with rocks or timber. Have signal fire built and start it as soon as you hear our propeller driven engines. I can't emphasize enough, how rescuers can't find you if we can't see signs of life!
Great advice! When it comes to grid/line searching, looking back behind and above is essential too. Aircraft can get stuck in the trees above, and looking behind allows us to see things from a different angle, and on the back side of landmarks. Semper Vigilans
Afterthought, here in Canada, it is pretty common for people lost in the woods to seek shelter under trees, seems legit as the snow is absent in those spots, but more often then not, the act of accessing that area, knocks all the snow down from the tree. It is WAY more common than you would think for park rangers to find people suffocated under trees….
There’s an old book called “To build a fire” where the character makes that mistake…
Your Canadian
The snow under trees is also sometimes much less dense, you can fall in and be unable to get out, then suffocate.
......it's more common for people lost in National Parks, to NEVER BE FOUND BECAUSE THE FOCKN SAMSQUANTCH GOT 'EM!!!!
@@thekerr8728 Wasn't that the book where the guy doesn't realize how cold it's getting and then he fails a few times at starting a fire, finally giving up?
I was a Letter Carrier in the USPS ( I know, big deal, right?!) through 25 Minnesota winters on a walking route, and if you've ever been to Minnesota during the winter you know how manic the weather can be. Everything you've said about layers and starting cold I have found works, I even have used the same hardcore mittens with the wooly/fur backing you have in the video on my static hand that can't be put in a hand warmer pocket at any given time because it holds all the mail in it for the entirety of the blocks I'm walking off that day. ( average walking distance adds up to 10 to 12 miles a day on different types of terrain with elevation, it's a lot more hardcore than those sit-coms would have you believe). My other hand can be put in a pocket between houses because that one is used to put the mail in the mailbox and only needs to be exposed at that specific moment. I found wearing a wool based fingerless glove works well on that hand as it allows better dexterity to manipulate the mail, and believe it or not, you can over layer your hands too. Sometimes having an opening at your wrist will allow some air to vent out from your body and keep you from building up too much heat at your core which can make you sweat, especially when you're moving about at a decent clip. The reverse of that- I found a wrist gaiter works well too, considering more times than not I only wore a lite wicking hoody and an insulting vest to keep my core warmer since I was moving pretty much all day, including well after the sun went down, 21:00 hours on some occasions. What I found worked as a wrist gaiter was to simply take an old wool sock and cut the ankle part off and use that. It should fit loose enough on the wrist so not to cut off too much circulation to the hand, but not so much it slides around with movement. The wrist happens to be an area of the body that circulates a lot of blood, applying heat to it in the winter will warm your body very quickly when it's cold, and applying cold to it will cool you down quickly in the hotter seasons. The neck and ankles do the same thing, but you may already be applying some type of gaiter to those areas already. You can get away with less bulk on your arms and legs this way which allows you more dexterity and flexibility to move quickly through the environment when it's required by just covering these areas up.
This is good info, thank you
Honestly this is some of the best info in the comments so far.
Living and moving around day to day will take up a large portion of your life should civilization fall, not combat
You are living the postmans oath
bruh
Did they at least pay you good lol?
Here's my best winter tip: if you're cold, you want to look for a small, usually white console on the wall, it should have a + button, press it and then wait for a little while and you're all set.
But not too much, or there will be an older man complaining ”dont touch the thermostat!”
You have to be careful, it is protected by a ferocious beast called, the Dad
Unless you have a heat pump and the electric company raised rates 52 percent in the last 6 months
I don’t have a white one… mines black.
mine doesn't have a button, just some silvery stuff in a glass tube and one time I drank what was in it and I no longer feel cold or hot anymore.
I learned the hard way to buy bigger clothes and even buy your winter boots 1/2-1 size big. More air space equals more warmth. If your wearing lace up boots, don’t lace them up any tighter than you have to. I was at a survival class at The Pathfinder School when I learned this. My feet were as cold as they’ve ever been, and during a morning session, Dave Canterbury said “you guys with lace up boots whose feet are freezing, reach down and loosen them up.” Immediately my feet started warming up. Helped a ton!
Same thing with gloves!!! Leave space between your finger tip and the end of the gloves. It doesn’t sound like much but it actually really helps.
@Nick Mueller Absolutely brother. Makes a huge difference.
Dave canterbury is the man, loved when he was on dual survival haha
I live in Wyoming and I hunt late season rifle every year. I’m out for a week to 10 days at a time. I use a camper for shelter so it’s some what “cozy”, but there is no running water and I only haul enough fuel for the generator for 5 days and I use it sparingly in case of a big snow and I’m snowed in. Everything you have covered is how I prepare and what I bring to thrive while hunting. It’s not for the faint of heart and you need to know how to adapt. Winters here can get down to -40 F with the windchill, and it’s always windy here. When I’m out for the day, I bring about a 1/3rd of a pound of trail mix. I usually only have a few handfuls through the day but I have enough in case of emergency. Water is most important and you nailed it! Keep it on your body or it will freeze. Layers layers layers! I stop and change layer’s probably 4-5 times a day to always keep my dry base layer on if I have stopped and then change back to my synthetic wicking when on the move following a heard of elk. Great job guys! Keep up the good work.
I misspoke on the weight of the amount of trail mix I bring. I load up a quart size freezer bag of trail mix and it weighs more than a third of a pound. 👍🏻
I love Wyoming. 😎
An hour of Grand Thumb is much easier to watch than an hour of chemistry lecture.
It’s like the study they did of the high school kid, they made him watch math videos I think and he wasn’t intrigued but then they showed him a video of tax evasion and he was locked in.
join the military then, you literally get paid to watch lectures like this
As a chemist and a reservist, both can be fun and interesting.
@@Carbidestruck but I’m not a chemist, guess it comes down to, you like what you like. 😂
You making chemical weapons?
Spent 8 years in the 10th Mountain Division 4/31 Infantry and LRSD. Been to Mountain Warfare school summer and winter and went to mountain warfare school in Bolivia. Put actual mountain warfare training and skills to use in Afghanistan 01-03. We wore white bottoms and dark tops at night to avoid high lighting near ridges. A lot of people assume mountain warfare is skis and snowshoes. It also involves Ahkios, climbing techniques, rope work, and shelter construction.
Got out of that unit a little over a year ago. B Co 4-31
Agreed. Cold ops was always way more complex than any jungle or woodland operations for me.
Climb to Glory! (Old school B 1/32 here)
PRO PATRIA!
ahkios: also named as pulkka´s in many eu country. kids go down with them in hills during winter, but big ones, you can store 3 months worth of food and supplies.
Nice, was also 10th mtn. But was 19d. But was an instructor at camp eathen Allen for winter mountain warfare school for a couple years.
Backpack hunting, trapping and backcountry traveling in Alaska, I can say this. The biggest thing about winter combat, is combating the winter. Learn to layer properly, not enough is bad, too much is bad. Learn to stay hydrated. Learn to pack your pack (yes it's important) Where to procure water, how to make it potable. Finding and making shelter. Being able to start a life saving fire anywhere and anytime in any condition. Navigation. Reading avalanche signs when on mountains. It all starts now with your fitness, how you eat, how you sleep, your morning workout routine. What you do on weekends. You'll know you have the skills when you can't screw up practicing them. The danger is watching a video like this and telling yourself your good to go.
I believe in taking care of myself, and a balanced diet and a rigorous exercise routine. In the morning, if my face is a little puffy, I'll put on an ice pack while doing my stomach crunches. I can do a thousand now. After I remove the ice pack, I use a deep pore cleanser lotion. In the shower, I use a water activated gel cleanser. Then a honey almond body scrub. And on the face, an exfoliating gel scrub. Then apply an herb mint facial mask, which I leave on for 10 minutes while I prepare the rest of my routine. I always use an aftershave lotion with little or no alcohol, because alcohol dries your face out and makes you look older. Then moisturizer, then an anti-aging eye balm followed by a final moisturizing protective lotion.
How about business cards?
Did you get that reservation at dorsia?
Finally, I am ready to return some video tapes.
Layer management/ sweat management is one of the most important self checks you have to maintain! Sweat during winter = a very bad time.
Exactly, if you're moving you should be cold when standing still.
Yes, getting layers on and off is huge also. I live in MN and hunt coyotes all winter long, moving gets hot fast, sitting gets cold fast. A plate carrier on top of everything doesn't work well. AND WOOL, WOOL, ALL WOOL except outer shell, gortex outers get noisy as hell when it's real cold, find a light and quiet windbreaker outer, layer wool under. Loose boots... if you're foot moves in the boot it's called frictions, tie your boots loose, WOOL SOCKS! And get tough, an eskimo can sun tan in 15 degrees and it would kill a Floridians, the more years and the more cold you freeze to will make you used to it. IRISH SETTER ELK TRACKER BOOTS are a favorite of mine.... BIG TRADITIONAL SNOWSNHOES.
In the British army, we have a saying "be bold start cold". Great video and an excellent addition to the series. Cant wait to see what's coming next.
A trick I’ve learned as an avid hunter and outdoorsman concerning the “start cold” concept is to walk out with as little on as possible (carrying your layers, coat, whatever in a pack), and if you have a zipper anywhere on your pants or other clothing, open it (fly and everything). You might feel silly, but you’ll be warmer for it by the time you get to where you’re going.
Don't quote me on this but in -60 temps your body loses more water than it would in a desert. Cold evaporates water quickly and your lungs expel more water than normal. Sweat is extremely bad for thermal regulation as it soaks the insulation layers and begins to allow heat to quickly flow from the body.
If you're warm at rest you're dressed too heavy for activity.
@@denmanfite3156 100%
@@coleeckert5663 100%, the thirst from a day in bitter and windy conditions is unreal, like wake up the next morning still thirsty, no matter how much you drank the night before kind of thirsty. A day’s work in the heat seems to be mitigated much faster, oddly enough.
@jackjohnson291 I think it's because warm air is usually more humid, unless of course you're in a desert.
As a ski patrol volunteer, I’ve been outside quite a bit in winters of the Midwest. I’ve noticed there’s cold, then there’s cold and damp. My own personal experience is many synthetic materials operate great in cold/dry conditions. When it gets damp, I am always chilled even in layers unless I’m wearing natural fibers like wool underneath a waterproof goretex shell. Many different wool options out there to layer in, and i would highly recommend! Also beginning to get into winter camping, as I feel experience is a great teacher. Thanks for your videos!
damp cold cuts down to your bones way before dry cold will
Synthetics will never beat natural fibers when it comes to skin contact clothing. Wool is wonderful, and cotton kills.
Absolutely, Norwegian ex military here and the absolute worst temp. range is around the 0 Celsius range. Everything becomes wet immediately and you are miserable all the time. I would take negative 25 Celsius over 0 any day.
That's why when it does get cold in the south, or other humid places, it's so goddamn miserable. I grew up in FL and have zero issues with traditional cold like the mountains of Colorado, but you get 40 degrees and rainy? Kill me.
Last deer hunting season there were snowy days below -5°C, and that felt much warmer than the days when it was raining at 3°C
Humidity kills
In Finland, double socking is the basic procedure taught in the army. Besides double socks, the winter rubber boots have thick wool felt inners, which can be more quickly dried than boots with inbuilt insulation. Layers are the key even in footwear and it's great that you can quickly swap out the insulation to get dry. Just get your winter boots in a larger size so they don't become too tight. For wintertime I'd really get minimalistic with my boots, classic leather combat boots or similar that don't soak up the moisture. Getting frozen, cold boots on your feet in the morning sucks anyway, so better get boots that don't soak all the sweat.
In Canada we use a two sock system as well, a think sock liner with a heavy wool outer.
The 2 sock system never worked for me when i was in the British army. Admittedly we rarely if ever dealt with cold on the Arctic level, but it was still a system that was taught to stop blisters and trench foot. After a lot of fucking around i found what worked best for me was vaseline rubbed on the hot spots and then a good quality boot sock, never had any issues after that.
@@Matt_Alaric Interesting, My experience was very much the opposite. We use foot powder, the thin liner and the thick wool outer (made by Durray if you're curious). Always kept me warm and more importantly dry. To be fair I would never use that system in warmer months unless it was very very wet out. Usually in warmer months I would roll with some sort of thin wool boot sock.
@@yodasecondave Different strokes for different folks i guess. I was pretty miserable with my feet until i got my system sorted out, but since then has been fine. I'm glad yours worked for you too.
@@Matt_Alaric No doubt, everyone is built different, add to that operating in different environments with different boots and you end up with a lot of variables.
Sunglasses. Snowblindness is a killer. Most sunglasses are shade #2, but in some cases, I'd recommend #5. You'll walk right of a cliff without sunglasses because you can't see any distinctions in the bright snow. It all becomes one sheet of white.
Absolutely crucial kit for myself, I even bring an extra pair!!
I use copper braising glasses. Dark green shade 5 👍 Miller brand
Critical.
Only add is for people to consider colored shades to leverage contrast effects they can provide, which is only valuable given your location. If it's diverse, go generic.
You can actually get burnt eyes from the bright white glare when it’s sunny! Learned the hard way during Arctic military training 😂 you can barely open your eyes for a couple days and they’re hella blood shot. Similar to being out on the ocean as well…
I would absolutely love to see GT travel the country and make videos about the camo for the different areas like the Midwest, Appalachia, the swamps of the south, etc.
I’d love to have videos on surviving in the Southeast. A good mix of cities and country with typically humid and hot climate.
I would love to see him travel the whole world grading food
@@Dragunov1Bros yeah man I'm in the SE too, I totally understand. Where I am it's like, 30 mins in one direction takes you into a massive city, 30 min the other way and you're lost in Appalachia 😂
It's multicam, always multicam.
@@longobardir multicam is wayy too light out where I'm at, classic m81 is the general preference.
I went deer hunting with my dad years back, 2001 or 2002, I was 15 I believe. We went to central Minnesota to shoot rifles. My dad used his German Mauser and I used his Spanish Mauser. We slept in his bus made camper. It was -40 the whole 3 days we were hunting. I remember my feet were cold and my dad let me wear his bunny boots. Bunny boots are a must have! I ended up finding a pair of bunny boots in my size last year, which being a woman, it was a huge score to find for smaller feet!
Point to my story: bunny boots are amazing and I will not go out in negative weather without them!
You have to go into cold weather work, knowing it’s going to be absolutely miserable, no matter what you do. Having some way, to provide yourself and team, with something warm to drink, is a huge morale booster. I’ve never done any military work, but just an 8 hour shift in the cold, comes down to maintaining safety, and mindset. A thermos full of hot coffee, or heating up some water with torch for tea, makes a world of difference.
Brah, the most amazing thing they had for us in the field was just some warm broth. Huge moral boost!
Plain hot water works too
I don’t think you, used enough commas,
I used to carry a multifuel stove and percolator and we'd raid the cans of coffee from the A rats when we could.
MSR multifuel stoves run beautifully on JP8 and Jet A.
@@TerryWhiskOxford commas.
It's also important to remember that temperature ranges change how the cold effects people. From 5C to -10C it's a wet cold where the worry is less about the temperature being a problem but the wetness causing hypothermia so you have to focus hard on waterproofing. From -10C to -20C it becomes a dry cold that will aggressively dehydrate you, and wind chill is a huge concern for frostbite. Below -20C survival is basically down to hunkering down and layering up trying to protect yourself from the environment because it's actively trying to kill you.
you also have to consider overheating in your gear walking in snow is exhausting and you need to be prepared.
yeah its also important to listen to the video otherwise you end up writing a long comment on subject matter they pretty much covered, but thanks bud
@@rogerclemmons8652 sassy, I like it.
@@drbear2029 ya my stupid azz used to wear fur fur and more fur, but a hunting trip my snowmobile broke down 15-20 miles out and it was 20 below wind chill made it worse and oh boy did it hurt as much as help. Def Warm but w/ exertion made it way too warm….
This is very accurate from my experience of Canadian winter.
Edit: specifically in northern Ontario where there is an abundance of varying sized lakes.
My last assignment was with PACOM based in the sub-arctic. Of course back then, we were primarily issued the old school arctic gear as the Army was in the early stages of transitioning to the Gore-Tex and bear suits. I chose to stick around after I got out and my permanent residence frequently sees sub-zero temps down to -60* F. The old school stuff still works well especially the field pants and liners, and I have a box full of arctic mitts, trigger-finger mittens and liners along with mil-surp arctic gear of other nations I've bought over the years. The old school German winter splotch camo works extremely well where I live and I also bought some US overwhites that I can mix and match with the German stuff. Also the Russian KLMK works well too as the pattern is similar to the German pattern. But what I really want to get my hands on, is a set of the Finn digital arctic camo. That schit will make you a ghost in snowy taiga forests. I've never had any issues with Break-Free in the cold. Ezoxx is also a good weapons lube down much colder than you want to be out in.
A lot of the stuff I learned afterwards was from the native folk living in the remote villages. For hats, parka ruffs and mittens there is absolutely no substitute for the the warmth and efficiency of natural fur. Eat Moose. Wear Wolf
Fell through a creek at -5°f right before sunset this hunting season. Would not recommend, having proper winter gear and a good state of mind made it bearable for the 2 miles up and down ridges back to the truck.
87% Merino wool socks saved my beans.
Having proper winter gear is vital.
Obviously this wasn't an *extreme* winter scenario but not good and potentially life threatening. But would have been deadly if it happened 3 days later when it was -25°
Glad to hear you made it out okay. 👍 I always wear Marino wool socks in the woods to. Although I’ve also gotten in the habit of keeping an extra pair in a large ziplock bag with a pair (pants and shirt) of light thermals in my pack for this exact situation.
What was on the other side?
@@Heywoodthepeckerwood more mountains and elk, but had to turn around bc of it.
@@AJuniorOutdoorsman never mind.
Always carry a dry set of clothing. Minimum a dry set of thermal underwear.
These deadly in the mountains videos are by far my favorite on TH-cam. I understand they take alot to make, but I want MORE!
Really appreciate the shoutout to the CAF bros. As much as I hated doing winter warfare courses, the sheer utility of the knowledge I gained from them has helped immensely. I'll tell you I cannot stress enough the point of keeping your weapon in the environment it is going to be used. Even with -60 degrees (first C, than F), leave your weapon outside your shelter. It might be -60 outside, and -10 inside the arctic tent, but that is still enough to cause a change in the viscosity of the lubricant that could damage the weapon. Great work, Mr. Thumb.
Glad we could help! ❤ Good to know our Arctic warfare training gets passed on!
As a felon who recently had my firearms rights restored (yes it's a thing if you live in a cool state like Alaska) I've been recently looking into what gear I want or need for my terrain. My name is also Adam, and this video hit at JUST the right moment!
Congratulations on fixing your life
Ill be damned, i thought right restoration was behind an unfathomable amount of red tape all over the country. Congrats.
Great news. Now use your liberty for good.
Congratulations I hope more Americans join you.
Thanks Fam! I didn't know it was possible either until recently. Glad to be a productive member of society again! First steps, solid equipment and the training to go with it.
A thing we did when I was stationed at Ft. Wainwright was called "Monkey Feet"! If we needed to leave the tent to releve ourselves we would use our arctic mittens as slippers. As light infantry we were always creating multiple uses for anything we carried in order to save weight!!
11-Charlie Echo & Alpha 4/9 INF 172 LAI '76-'78 with some time on the Ski Patrol @ Birch Hill. "Good times" 🤣
It’s all fun and games until the piss bottles start showing up.
Why are the light infantry always the guys with the heaviest packs???🤔😁
More videos with Adam, please. He's really knowledgeable and y'all have a great dynamic
When i was in college i went into a military surplus shop local to me, they had a load of old British army winter gear. I still have the jacket for those cold days game shooting, the clothing is fantastic and honestly better than most commercial stuff.
Similar situation for me, except it's East-Bloc coldweather kit instead of British.
@@yyy-875 i own a 80s arctic british army bag. weighs 2.75kg so pretty heavy but the best bit of kit i own
@@yyy-875 Yes i have the one that folds into a hood with the toggles. It was my uncles when he was a paratrooper. im currently applying for the british army, waiting for basic training start date. I also use the goretex british army DPM bivi bag. works great for me
@@wiberly661 best of with your application mate 👍
can you post a link to a picture of it>?
I noticed you are based in Idaho, as an Idaho native, I would love to see you start a class about wilderness survival since our state has many different environments to learn in.
Also an Idahoan and I would love to attend these classes
I am 100% down for this
@HULKHOGANADHH definitely top-notch acting in that one.
@@johnqpublic2718 good documentary
@Hulk Hogan Hellstorm
Wiggy's socks will keep your feet dry like no wool sock possibly can. They make a lot of kit that is very useful in the context of this video. The best sleeping bags Ive ever used by far (and these have been used by some branches or units of our Armed Forces.) They offer a center zippered bag specifically designed to meet the needs of members of the Armed Forces. Great synthetic booties, boot driers (these are incredible), overboots, and some of the warmest Mukluks available (the later two are also available in fire resistant versions). Oh and they make the crucial "water bottle parka" type insulated bottle cover, which is a necessity when the temps drop below freezing. Nothing worse than a frozen water bottle when you need a drink. They also offer a rain pancho (I think they are $10 if you buy a sleeping bag) as well as a couple different woobie configurations. Check them out, their products are high quality, practical, and outperform other trendy brands. Plus the best part is that its actually all made at their factory in Colorado with no plans to switch to offshore production like so many once great brands have done. They are the best kept secret in outdoor gear.
(I wouldn't feel compelled to sing praises like this for any other brand to be honest but Ive never been so overwhelmed/blown away by the caliber of pieces of gear as I have with Wiggy's)
One of the most important things I was taught in the arctic was to be, "Comfortably cold.". If you're stagnant, be a little cold. Don't be freezing and stay dry, but be a little chilly. If you start moving and you're already comfortably cold, downgrade. Keep a level 7 jacket or similar for when you're standing still, but just throw it over yourself. Then when you start a movement, chuck it in the bag.
I have to hear it and also tell our new guys almost everyday. You’re not supposed to be warm or hot, comfortably cold is the way to go
My Dad was a career Marine officer and always said "Sleep comfortably cool."
@PTOxGhostface561 the only other most important thing at an arctic post is; teaching new guys what too cold is and how to get used to knowing what that is. And teaching them to tell someone when they are. There's always a tactful way to say, "No." when you're too cold or about to be.
@@_Maroi oh yes most definitely I’m currently out here at Ft. Wainwright and it gets down pretty deep into the negatives. Always tell my guys to let me know if they’re cold. There’s cool and then there’s cold haha
@PTOxGhostface561 Watched some retarded Chaplain's Assistant get a CWI on both feet because he wore pt socks and told no one two days into a January field problem at Wainwright. Thankfully, the Chaplain was a good guy, and we backed him up on asking the dude if he was good every 20 minutes, so he didn't get a pp slap for it. Too many privates think they're cooler than the Arctic.
Speaking as a German Gebirgsjäger (mountain infantry) our Winter camo is a kind of Gore-Tex. I personally think that this is very problematic since whenever you exhaust yourself walking up a mountain, building something out of snow, etc you start sweating no matter the temperature. Sweating is the biggest problem in very cold environments, especially when wearing goretex because it prevents the baselayers from drying.
Easy fix. Wrap your feet in saran warp before putting on your socks and boots. Socks and boots won't get wet from sweat
I agree. It's simple. You sweat, you die.
@@LostBeagle Yeah, vapour barrier is what that‘s called. But in this case gore-tex is entirely redudant because all the moisture stays inside.
GoreTex is a breathable textile and layers under it can dry out. Often times the generation of moisture under it far exceeds the rate at which water vapor (sweat) can travel outside of the clothing system. Gore Windstopper offers a higher rate of breathability with some moisture protection still, but it is not truly waterproof.
@@LostBeagle Rab sells purposes built vapor barrier socks for this purpose, common in mountaineering.
You forgot painful lesson #1. In freezing conditions, bare skin sticks to metal. Any metal. So you make real damn sure to wear liner gloves, and tape over any bare metal with any kind of tape. Lesson #2, snow reflects sunlight mercilessly. You will need sunblock, or get the worst sunburn of your life. And ANY bare skin can get frostbite way before you notice it. Learn to buddy check for white skin, that's frostbite. Lesson #3, grease or wax your boot laces. Otherwise they can absorb water and freeze, making it impossible to put your boots on or off.
Great tips. Thanks!
I once held my head inside my freezer for 43 seconds while holding two cold ones. A real initiation for a warrior dominating the caverns of cold.
You know I once got ice for whisky and realized it was to damn cold to put ice in whisky and closed the freezer …
Now, imagine your entire body subjected to that, for hours, when you get frostbite after a few mins of any exposed skin! 😂
Would love to hear a becoming deadly in Appalachia series for all of us in the eastern mountains! Completely different climate and brings some unique challenges: bugs, humidity, etc…
You tryna see GT get attacked by some eldritch horror?
@@zombieo_43 if you mean the locals then yeah lol
straight up. I love Pa
As a European, from what I've heard about the Appalachian range, it sounds like an interesting and unique environment. I'd very much like to learn the specifics of survival and potential combat in that setting. (I do know about mosquitoes though, DEET works pretty well)
Risky Crisky has you covered on that
Adam is definitely right about the area around Fort Drum, especially fall/spring the whole area basically becomes a swamp. A lot of good advice here guys, thank you both so much for taking the time to inform people, especially putting it on TH-cam for free 🤘
I went to a Rey mears talk on cold weather survival and living. It was absolutely fascinating. Apparently most Swedish people wear wool pullover jumpers over a hard shell jacket because it keeps the gore-tex type stuff warm enough to work. It also means that when the moisture leaves your body it freezes on the jumper and you can brush it off. It was absolutely fascinating some of it I would never have thought of.
My favourite boots are altberg defenders, the leather is treated with some repellent chemical and you can put wax over it. Alternatively there are wellie boots, I don’t know what you Americans call them but they’re just cheap rubber boots I think Dunlop makes a half decent one. A decent pair of oversized wellies and extra thick socks are awesome. In the uk we’re used to constantly having everything be soaking, an here in the Pennines I’m used to dealing with just everything being ankle deep peat bog and wellies are some of the only boots that can deal with the constant wet.
wool is king
Canadian Forces are issued separate sets of Gore-Tex boots, along with GoreTex socks (but in true old school fashion, they still issue double-thick Arctic socks. We got issued several pairs every year, I may just have a supply of socks for the rest of my life. 😂 many still in issued package!
Been waiting for this. Thanks for all the information GT. Taking your message seriously. Trying to eat better, and get in shape. "Get fit or Die" really hits hard. That's a good thing. Gonna try to do better everyday, and soak up information available. I know these videos can be hell to make for you guys. Just know its greatly appreciated man. Stay safe stay healthy and can't wait for the next video. Love you guys!
Why even post this lmao just do it for yourself without needing attention and validation 💀
@@TerryWhisk hey, butt out man, he's found a motivation that kicked him in the ass enough to go out and improve himself. He's just being appreciative and comments like yours discourage people that are on the brink of refining themselves. Dont be a buzzkill brotha
@William123 thanks man. Appreciate that.
@@TerryWhiskhe’s just thanking him for motivating people…
There's so much to go over with winter but I've made a few base rules for all the coasties who come up to the lovely land of the northern tundras.
Disclaimer, you're gonna want different pairs of your lower layers cause you will sweat. You will need to change eventually. I run hot and sweat a lot so I usually wear a layer less and I typically deal with the coldest temps of -10f to -15f. I use an AK with a winter trigger guard so my gloves may not work super well with an AR.
I've always given people the rule of 4.
Layers of 4, wear no more.
Wearing more than 4 layers will lead to inability to perform basic motor functions and leading to sweating which leads to hypothermia.
Layering is fairly simple. 1Under clothesfor wicking, 2 thermals, 3 wind/water breaker and 4 being a insulator. (3 and 4 can be swapped depending on your environment if it's more wet, or more windy etc etc.)
For pants I'll usually do thermal underwear, sweats and something like Carhartt overalls or a jumpsuit.
For shoes I'll stick to a regular sock, a wool sock and then my Sorel Caribous. I also have a pair of large snow shoes to strap to them. You should also have a pair of "dry shoes" (stored in your pack) for use inside your tent/shelter etc.
For hands I usually stick to 2 layers. I have a pair of surplus nomex flight gloves. And then a larger mitten with a index finger.
For my head and face I have a few different balaclavas of different thicknesses and materials, my preferred is a thin balaclava with a breathable material and then wearing a trapper hat with a baseball brim, I prefer this hat cause it lets me do my next part if wrapping a scarf around my head to block wind. It isn't a very thick scarf, it's about a foot and a half by 5 feet in size, I use it to wrap over my head, pin it to the brim of my hat to make little "wind blinders" and then across my face and nose to help stop wind/cold from shortening your breath. Finally is for eye protection. I use a set of revision locusts. (Key note to prevent fogging lightly coat the inside and outside of your goggle lense with a mix of 1/4 water, 1/4 rubbing alcohol and a drop of dish soap, you can rub it on with a microfiber. This will help a ton of it's too cold to have your skin exposed and need to be fully covered.
Keep in mind most of my stuff I use is civilian items you can find in stores, on Amazon at garage sales. It's less geared towards full out combat but more of a "patrol" setup in a "grid down" situation. Giving you warmth and a bit of mobility in a sub 10 minute frostbite environment on exposed skin.
I had Danner's 38m insulated backcountry hunting boots as a wilderness guide (9.5 day shifts in the Utah desert, temps got down to below zero, up to 3 ft of snow), they worked perfectly. My feet did sweat but they were largely dry. Also tips would be sleeping with the socks you just changed out of in your sleeping bag to keep them warm/dry them out or wear them close to you when hiking. Also eating peanut butter is the best thing ever when you're cold.
Zippo makes a pocket heater that uses lighter fluid. It keeps a wick thing burning and it's hot. I've used it in the Utah mountains to great effect I kept it by my feet while sleeping in my pockets while hiking and it's fuel efficient long lasting heat. In colder places I can see it usefull to keep gear warm food electronics water ect.
Always a good day when another video in this series drops
"You sweat; you die" - old Swedish army proverb.
I was homeless in the winter and we got a blizzard.
I was in the city so these won't exactly convert all that much to rural mountains, but I have some very basic tips that everyone already knows.
Layer up if you need to but don't over do it. Wear water proof shoes or boots. Tuck your pants into your boots if you can to help keep them dry.
Keep a towel or blanket with you to sit on because cold concrete sucks even wearing 2 pairs of pants.
Blankets will be your best friend.
Lighters are much easier than all other methods of fire starting.
Small candles and cigarettes help keep you warm, but be careful because they can easily set your blankets and clothes on fire.
Change your clothes regularly, sweat sucks and you don't wanna smell bad even in the woods.
Neck gaiters, balaclavas, bandanas work amazing to keep your neck and face warm.
Wear some type of glasses. Snow is blinding during the day and if it's snowing hard it sucks when it hits your eyes.
Wear a hat.
I moved during the day because it was warmer and I would hunker down somewhere at night.
If you are homeless, 24 hour laundry mats and gas stations are amazing.
Drink plenty of water and make sure you have regular access to water. Don't eat snow or ice, hot drinks are very noticeable when it's cold out but they are great too just hold and keep your hands warm.
Try to get out of the wind.
Again I know all of this is common sense but it's all things I had to do for a few months while I was homeless. I'm sorry these are probably the dumbest tips you've ever heard but like I said it helped keep me alive when I was down on my luck.
Disgusting how modern nations allow people to remain without housing.
I’ve never commented on a GT video before, you guys pretty much hammer most of the nails down.
As a former Canadian PPF member with probably about 5 years of Arctic/sub-Arctic training I will say that 1) the better equipment you have the easier it will be to survive (keep it simple stupid) and 2) you better have a couple large heavy duty tarps in your pack.
I know it seems repetitive to say but I mean this.
It makes ALL the difference between being comfortable and being miserable, if you become miserable in these environments it WILL lead to you and your group experiencing the most hellish experience you can have.
You won’t become the Donner party but you will experience a small version of it.
Trust me, you don’t want to experience that shit.
I serve in the U.S. Marine Corps. I must say a tactic that I learned from living through the Fridgid, Icy, and Windy state of Michigan during the Winter. Geothermal is your best friend when sleeping in the snow. Naturally the cold air being 32° to 0° will stay cold above ground. This will push any warm elements into the ground creating the ground to be substantially warm sometimes it will be as high as 10° to 20° warmer. As long as the soil is not wet and the vegetation and leaves from fall has the ground well covered. And the layer of snow on top will trap and insulate that heat in the ground even more. I would always have my platoon use their e-tools and dig the top lair of dead grass and about 3 to 6 inches of dirt where they would sleep. Put an iso mat or sleeping mat down with a good sleeping bag and bivy cover. Have your tarp cover your sleeping area to keep that Geothermal warmth from the ground well covered and insulated. Never usually had a problem sleeping in the cold with this tactic. Hope this helps someone with future missions and or adventures.
I beg of you to make more of these kinds of videos. By far the best kind you've made so far.
Agreed!
I was just listening to your episode on the art and war podcast the other day, it's awesome to see you take this series into different biomes like you said you had planned. Love the content and the knowledge.
Can't wait for southeastern!!
The art of war podcast? What's that? Just tried pulling up whatever you're talking about and nothing came up :(
Biomes, lol nerd.
Reading comprehension isnt your best skill
Which episode # is that
On keeping the feet dry: Foot powders, after repeated use (like an athelete's foot regimen), can work their way into the cracks and crevices of your footwear as you hike and cause the seams to pop/become useless. It works something like the way water can get into seams and cracks in even brick, and heave it out upon freezing, only in this case it's the action of your foot that's driving the wedge. If you're using foot powder, subtract from the longevity of your footwear, as after a week of a powder regimen, you can absolutely ruin an otherwise good pair of boots. It's another reason keeping dry feet from the jump is really important.
I spent a week hunting in -30 to -40° in Montana this year and learned a lot about my cold weather gear, I thought I was g2g, but learned quickly that there's a huge difference between 10° and -36°
😂 Yeah.
Where in MT abouts were you hunting?
If you're in the south, or another area where we get cold weather (below 40f), but not snow. A waxed, tan Carhartt jacket is warm, waterproof, camouflaged against a mostly brown woodland background, and oddly IR neutral.
Thats cool. Didnt know that
So I live in the south east and I’ve been trying m81 and I’ve noticed it only blends well in the spring when there is a lot of green but during the winter there is a lot of grey and brown. What would be your recommendation for camo during that season
@@benpruitt8505 maybe tricolor desert with a little grey paint?
@@politicallyinsensitive4200 or six color, or desert tiger stripe. We can't use current hunting camo because the material and dyes create a bad IR Signature, so the best way to go is brown military camo designs , which are usually desert.
The problem with the south is the humidity. Highly humidity and cold hit different
From my time growing up in the cold of the mountains I can add a few things.
Eyewear is stupidly important. Snow reflects infrared and UV light better than just about anything out there, and all that bright toxic light can and WILL find its way straight into your retinas.
Frostbite feels like a burning sensation if that goes away you are in some serious danger. If you can, get someplace warm or make a shelter fast cause you've got maybe 30 minutes.
Pemmican is an easy to make food that is mostly fat, some protein and carbs. You can buy it or make it, but this can be eaten cold, lasts damn near Forever, and can be tasty.
Super cold air can screw with your sense of distance, it's what some believe caused the titanic to hit the ice berg. Look for markers at known distances to gauge how far you're shooting.
I've always been a fan of the old German winter poncho which isn't completely white, but has blotches of pine needles. I use it in combination with US bottoms and mitten covers. Plus, you can camo your shelter with it, while wearing the bottoms at night.
Very cool topic, excited to watch! A distinction I think is important and rarely covered is that trapping and holding near the body's heat is one thing when you're dealing with active/sedentary HEALTHY bodies. But if we're febrile, or sick, or have a disease that has compromised our body's ability to generate heat, that's another can of worms. in that case, ingesting warm fluids and fatty foods, exothermic heat sources, and particularly IR (think space blankets) insulation in conjunction with Polartec fleece, Down, and fur (definitely the warmest of the 3) are the only mechanisms I've found to actually get me to warm up when hypothermic in those suboptimal conditions. Obv a nice hot bath does wonders but that's a luxury in the woods ;).
In the same way you can treat your boots you can also treat wool and wool goods. Merano/Sheep's wool is the best for this, and even when completely soaked/even submerged in water, it retains 85% of its thermal retention. You need to boil the wool and apply lanolin to it and you can get it to nearly waterproof. I find it has the best breathability and is quieter than any polyester. I should note I'm a medieval living archeologist, so I've worn the stuff commonly. Linen is also a good choice against the skin if you find wool uncomfortable. Further, no matter how many layers of wool you have, you can always achieve a greater breathability. Further, for everyday use, cloaks and hoods are great. The hood I have is separate from the cloak, and has a shoulder mantle to provide water run off even should it rain and or be too hot for the cloak. The cloak is also nice since it can be opened or closed depending on how hot or cool you need it to be, and the atmosphere inside the cloak can be kept above freezing if it's not too cold. That and the human shape is greatly broken up by it. I haven't worn a camouflage version but I believe it would work. You could also make it reversible snow on one side, camo on the other should you really desire this. Further I'd recommend an additional item to all outer layers of cloths which you want to waterproof. Lanolin for Animal fabrics, and for plant based fibers Use bee's wax to get them waterproofed. Plastics and polyesters won't work in this case because they melt. But you can use a heat gun like you mentioned not just on your leather boots, but you can also wax your cloths should you desire a waterproof layer, and that same cloth is what they used to make tents out of before we had polyester. There's also furs an other things which can really help insulate, such as rabbit for cold weather, but a medium coldness. the lower the temperature, the longer the hair of the hide needs to be. Fur is great and should always be worn leather out, as the leather can still be treated with the normal methods, such as waxing or sealing.
Don't know how useful it will be to a modern military but I can assure you, that the old ways work just as well.
Living in canada our weather conditions often get missed, super awesome to see learn this stuff
Lots of things get missed in Canada,...like not a spry barroon floating over it.
@@danonotinthelionsden you’re not wrong
Two tips, from someone who spends a fair bit of time in the mountains during winter:
Layering is about adaptability, not replacement. Ten light wool base-layers are not a substitute for an equally bulky parka. People sometimes think that adding a second extra undershirt will increase warmth as much as their first undershirt did, but it will not. Same for sleeping: adding base layers to your body inside your bag will not significantly increase your warmth - you need a warmer bag, not more layers.
Second tip: boot covers can dramatically increase the warmth of your footwear system. When snowshoeing or skiing, snow tends to collect on top of the laces of your boots, where the insulation is thinnest. Below about -20F or so, that becomes a real issue. Insulated boot covers (or insulated gaiters that cover the laces) are hugely beneficial. Switching from thick socks to thin socks + a boot liner can also dramatically increase warmth, at the cost of stability.
On Mt Rainier in January I learned about sleeping in a snow cave and I learned a few things I will pass on here.
1) bring a tarp. If you end up sleeping in snow you want a tarp under you.
2) Have a foam and inflatable pad. It adds a lot of insulation
3) make sure you don’t slide off your pad and tarp or your sleeping bag will get wet and you will freeze your butt off.
4) snow is an excellent insulator. I survived a -20 degree night with a 0 degree bag that got wet because of the snow cave
5) winter camping sucks
This is what I've been waiting for!!! Excellent series ♥️
This song was intended for MT. Rainier
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To seek our pale enchanted gold
The dwarves of yore made mighty spells
While hammers fell like ringing bells
In places deep, where dark things sleep
In hollow halls beneath the fells
For ancient king and elvish lord
There many a gleaming golden hoard
They shaped and wrought, and light they caught
To hide in gems on hilt of sword
On silver necklaces they strung
The flowering stars on crowns they hung
The dragon-fire in twisted wire
They meshed the light of moon and sun
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
We must away, ere break of day
To claim our long-forgotten gold
Goblets they carved there for themselves
And harps of gold, where no man delves
There lay they long, and many a song
Was sung unheard by men or elves
The pines were roaring on the heights
The winds was moaning in the night
The fire was red, it flaming spread
The trees like torches blazed with light
The bells were ringing in the dale
And men looked up with faces pale
The dragon's ire, more fierce than fire
Laid low their towers and houses frail
The mountain smoked beneath the moon
The dwarves, they heard the tramp of doom
They fled their hall to dying fall
Beneath his feet, beneath the moon
Far over the misty mountains grim
To dungeons deep and caverns dim
We must away, ere break of day
To win our harps and gold from him
Far over the misty mountains cold
To dungeons deep and caverns old
Dwarves are my spirit animal
The pines were roaring stanza is amazing Tolkien wrote a banger
I really hope this becomes an every episode thing
The Wellerman and Colm R McGuinness do an AMAZING rendition of this
I miss living out there. I'm from Ohio but my aunt lives in Longview Washington. I met a girl here in ohio that, from all places in the world, was from the Columbia River gorge. Eventually we moved out there and it was a wonderful experience. I actually got to get out and do some real mountain exploring. We've since separated and I've moved back to Ohio, but the experience and people I've met out there have carried with me and will continue to be with me forever.
As part of my training program, I add fall and winter Elk and coyote hunting in Colorado. Everything above 10,000 feet is always cold. You will always have a physically exerting hike into your sitting spot. You will learn what gear works best. If your tactics suck, you'll know because you won't even see any game. You also have to make a shot under pressure. I apply most of these principles in this video while Elk hunting.
A really key nugget I've found is the ability to add and subtract layers as you move in and out of shelter. Your body needs something to warm up *to*, and wearing your full goretex suit inside your shelter will normalize your body temp to that higher heat level- when you walk outside you'll be cold and have nothing additional to put on. So the jacket is easy to don and doff, but the standard Glretex pants force you to take your boots off and that's not ideal, so a good hack is to cut the goretex pants down the side and sew in velcro so you can "Magic Mike" it.
Hey don't joke about that, my name is Mike and I'm an aspiring magician, that movie stole my future stage name.
@@mikhailyaremkiv bwahahahaha
My biggest tips are:
1: Sometimes a wind layer is more important than insulation when on the move.
2: Bring as many pairs of darn tough wool socks as possible.
3: Snow shoes are an absolute must.
4: Brown blend into snowy environments more than you think.
5: Have a way to keep water a liquid. Ice plate under armor or chest rig worked well for me.
Cheers!
Lithium batteries for cold weather. Snowshoes are a must in the mountains. Wool under layers with a good synthetic waterproof outer layer. Boot gaiters. Logistics for how to keep and carry enough fuel, so as not to need wood fires that give your position away. Water purification filters need to stay in your sleeping bag or pocket at night or they freeze and are ruined. Remember that tracks in the snow are easily spotted from the air. And finally, carry a small shovel for making a snow cave, it can save u from freezing and is also a good hiding spot.
I have a friend who avoids lithium batteries I winter. They don't have power below -10C, why you want to use them ?
A good tip for arctic mittens is to have them between your soft shell and your base layer to keep them warm and to prevent snow getting inside them
Being brought up in Michigan and working outside for forty yrs thank you for fine tuning my cold weather knowledge, you dudes are great teachers thank you.
Winter is deadly here in my area of the country. Temperatures are regularly below 0 for extended periods of time. There are times where it gets so cold that you would become hypothermic in minutes without some serious cold weather gear. Firearms are also much more likely to have malfunctions at those temperatures as well if you use oil to keep them lubricated.
My pop's was a survival instructor in the air force during the vietnam war, and growing up with him as a kid was always a survival experience no matter what you where doing he had to put some kind of situation to the task.
Sounds fucking terrible for a child growing up..
@@hhaste Sometimes it was for how ridiculous something you wouldn't think, like don't wad your garage rags up that they can catch on fire and on electric fires, as a kid who cared right,but the shooting and trapping, and hunting was the bomb in 1973.
Sounds f’n awesome for a kid growing up… instead of the constant parental ass kissing so common today. Your dad did his job, preparing you for life when he’s not around to protect you… now it seems like most under 30s think the government will take care of their every need.
@@williamflowers9435 You are exactly right and as I write this I'm in his assisted living watching his Dementia take him away,he did his job and I'm proud.
@@compact1620 ugh, dementia sucks! God bless him!!!
As someone who grew up in a place with scolding hot summers and frigid winters the best advice I can think of is: if you want to know how much it sucks to be too hot, get too hot. If you want to know how much it sucks to be soaking wet in -10 degrees, go try it. Take the lesson of doing so and use common sense to fix the problems of both.
I'm guessing one of the Dakotas, lol
There's not much to be said for living in Canada, but growing up there taught me about how to survive the cold. You could legitimately get frostbite while waiting for the bus, standing in the direct sunlight (which there was precious little of during the short days of winter). Now I'm in Colorado and even up in the mountains it's typically not nearly as cold and brutal here. Sleeping outside in the cold is always a bitch, however.
What area of CO are you in? I’m in Northern and live at about 7600’. The only thing that gets me up here, during winter, is the wind!
As a fellow Canadian, and as a former member of the Canadian Army, yeah, winter living can be difficult and uncomfortable.
@@ymah8458 I'm in Loveland, only about 5000' ASL. The wind is worse in CO than anywhere else I've lived (including WY) but Weld and Morgan counties are where it really gets redonk.
holy cinematography! shout out to you and even a bigger shout out to the crew. much love to all of you
One thing people often forget is that walking in snow is LOUD. It will be harder to hear other sounds while walking through snow and threats will hear you coming much easier. To mitigate this problem you need to stop and reassess your situation more often.
Good briefing guys.
To help with conductive heat loss I've used a small 2 x 2' closed-cell foam sitting pad in camp, which can also be used under the boots while standing. It takes up little room and weight. Regardless of the boots used, when pausing to rest and in camp, swinging the legs alternately helps keep the circulation moving. As does swinging the arms. In a tent or igloo shelter, a pee bottle is your friend, as putting off urinating tends to make you less rested. You're going to sweat if you're moving as noted, so having a second base layer you change into as soon as you stop for camp or teaching session will help keep core temp stable. Use the sun when it's out in order to dry your socks and base layers-if its not too windy. Having coban wrapped around your long gun forend grip wherever metal may be touched helps- like on his example. I always kept a Bic lighter on a leash around my neck or in a close pocket as frozen lighters don't usually work well. I agree with someone else's comment about the use of snowshoes in deep snow, unless you're very proficient with skis and skins. Pace oneself in winter environments to avoid exhaustion. Movement with all the clothing, packs, and tools adds extra effort.
Keep in mind for anyone new to - 15° to -40° temps. If you are breathing heavy your breath will freeze your lens on your scope and if you try to whipe the frost off it will scratch the lens.
Hi there from Rocky Mountain Colorado. I am a fan of your show, really good and intetesting all around. Having skied some, including having the worst (coldest) ski job (that I know of) for 3 winters I wish I had some military winter training before. For instance, the worst ray on the job I was stuck at 10,000 feet with a snowmobile in 100mph wind event in which I could see snow really, but there was hardpack trail but the blowing snow made it impossible to see the trail and the snowmobile off the trail would break through the wind crust then the track would sorta like cavitate in the powder under the crust be stuck. I claim to be 'advanced' in winter survival. I had hopes of more talk about the clothing gear. The water bag in jacket is new to me, sounds like a slick idea. I only had been savvy about thermos in pack for water, which I would start out some (the stormy for sure) days with boiling hot water then it was just very hot by lunch time, snow was handy to make that drinking warm. Some guys and myself experimented with the insulated Camelback type system, which the mouth piece and tube always froze within 2 hours. I heard to blow air into hose to force the liquid back into the bag, but ice would form within the tube the many drops that don't go into reservoir, then next sip adds more water to the ice sposts and so on until the ice 'clots' block off the tube. A 'happy medium' trick could be a thermos with boiling hot water and equal to double the h2o in other container less thermal though less bulky, then mix some hot water with the cold through the day to have drinkable warm water.
This series is the best. Thank you guys so much for your hard work and time spent on putting this together!
Great video with a lot of helpful information. My basic training in the Swiss Army was in the coldest part of the country, where temperatures can reach minus 20°F. The issued gear was not adequate at all - I wish I new back then what I do now. Just tested some gear at a 48h GORUCK survival event in a state park next to the Hudson river. Learned a lot again just from trying out gear in a controlled environment, as you guys were saying.
These sorts of small vids with tiny details are worth so much from guys who've really put time into the field.
Man, I love this series. And this episode is really helpful for me now. Having grown up in the jungle, being sent to a jungle regiment after joining the army, I know a lot of survival in that kind of environment. But now they sent me to the mountains, and I know shit about how to live here.
I'm the opposite. Born and raised in rural Canada, I could tell you tons about winter survival. Also, mountains and boreal forest.
But I'd be way out of my element in the jungle. I'd probably die of poisonous critters, or eating something poisonous.
Excited to watch this entire video.
I do winter backpacking. It took awhile to dial in my clothing. You need a lot less than you think. Walking around day to day is different than humping it 10 miles.
Try not to overheat. After 20 minutes of hiking you are warm.
I always feel like super man when I’m snow shoeing. It’ll be like 20 degrees and I’ll have my jacket off my flannel unbuttoned and basically be down to my thermal layer and tee shirt after about 30 minutes.
@@dukeofbanfe you sound hot bodied like me. It will be 10 out and I'm in long johns and flannel lined snow pants , long under shirt and tshirt. If I don't, I'll get heat stroke in the winter 😂
Finnish soldier here, the only proper footwear for arctic winter conditions are rubber boots.
Anything made of leather or core-tex can work for a few days but eventually they will get wet. In winter, you have to work very hard to keep yourself alive and operational. Having to constantly treat your leather boots with some kind of wax is consumes your time and effort that are needed elsewhere. Winter warfare is very hard on your mind and body, so there is a high risk that you start to neglect the wax treatment due to exhaustion.
Your rubber boots must be loose enough to house a felt liner, felt insole and wool socks. Good trick is to wrap your socks in newspaper, the paper will absorb a ton of moisture, so you don't have to change your socks so often.
One of the best pieces of kit we used to get issued in the Canadian Army was a down sleep system. It was heavy to carry, but it kept you warm. We switched to a synthetic material now.
Ya these guys say down insulation is useless in a military environment but I'd bet the Canadian military knows more than these guys about staying warm in -40 celcius for months on end. Down ain't gonna get wet when it's -10 celcius or colder. Down isn't for 0 Celsius environments. In those cases it's dangerous. For real cold it's king
These survival videos are sweet. Would love to see some more variations of them. Great stuff.
I recommend drying wet socks under the uniform on the shoulders. We put a wet or spare sock on our shoulder under the uniform. It is good that the sock does not touch our skin
Here's some additional points to share:
CLOTHING:
-Level V Gorkas are mint. They are thin for what they are and work great under -10, anything above that and you will start to sweat with them on.
-Before you resort to thick gloves or mittens, a trick I would use would be to have synthetic running gloves with thin leather gloves over them. This gave you a decent layer of warmth, still be relatively thin enough to manipulate firearms, and the leather helped achieve a lot of traction over synthetic options. This usually worked well until -10, then you would need more time in your mittens.
-Second on the Darn tough socks, they rock without being too thick.
-Vapor "bunny boots" are awesome, but incredibly bulky. I couldn't imagine going to war with those on.
-Balaclavas (or any face protection) is important not just for weather considerations but to keep your skin from getting direct contact with metal parts of your rifle when aiming (especially for AR buffer tubes).
-Hand warmer fanny packs are great and keep your hands out of bulky mittens longer.
SUSTAINMENT:
-I really like ALICE packs, but I had a lot of trouble packing everything I wanted into them (especially the multi-layered sleeping system). I know a lot of guys hate them, but the Army issues rucksacks give you a lot of space to work with in comparison.
COMBAT:
-Breathing will build frost and condensation on AR buffer tubes and exasturbate contact frostbite if you make direct skin contact with them.
-Breathing will also fog up optics. At first it's easy to wipe off, but over time it becomes frost and then you have to scrape your glass to get it off.
-Protect your handguns, modern holdster setups are great, but leave space for snow and ice to get in at the top and bottom of the handgun. Duct taping the bottoms keep snow from getting jammed up the barrel. As for the top, there is a reason some militaries still issue slower holster designs that completely cover the handgun.
-Eyepro fogs just as fast in the Arctic from your breath as being in a humid swamp, except this time the fog can turn to frost. Eyepro is important, but understand you may want to take them off before your life could depend on you seeing a target.
Hope this helps!
Having been to Fort Drum and living my entire life in somewhere snowy. My biggest takeaway for being warm. Stay dry. -40 and drywas nothing compared to 10 and soaking wet. Maybe not nothing but I was much more miserable walking through the swamps of Fort Drum at 10-15 degrees versus staying dry at -40. Both are their own special miserable. Socks, dry boots, and boot gaiters. Boot Gaiters were a game changer when I got them.
I don’t know about everyone else but I think a video where you get out and use some of this stuff would be great. It’d be really cool to see you creating situations so that you could show why you carry and wear what, how you use it and what situations certain gear would be ideal for.
I’m in Northern California near Tahoe. I keep a Tyvek painter suit in my kit. It’s all white. Thin. Comes in a little package. Can be painted on. Cheap at lowes or even Walmart.
Tyvek also acts like a waterproof membrane and allows moisture to move out of it
During a brief interlude (early March through late October) just shy of the Arctic Circle, I was taught that very low temperatures can cause one's corneas to freeze. Hence, in extreme cold conditions, goggles should be worn unless you do not want to be able to see. There is also the issue of snow blindness.
My hometown got down to -75 wind chill before I was born, and I asked my dad if it was any different from -40/-50.
He said the only difference (when wearing layers) was that your eyes froze and everybody had to wear goggles.
It's not surprising that winter warfare tactics are similar across Arctic (or cold mountain) climates. It's one of the few things that there's a right way to do it or you die. There are many creative solutions for other environments, but deep cold and high elevation requires precise planning and thoughtful execution.
An hour long video with garand
We are blessed!