the last frontier (cost, military, linear)

[Metlakatla]

I wish people who post here would at least try to make sense.

[onthamove]

bored with nothing to do huh well i studied all day fri and sat so i gave myself the freedom of boredom today, trust me i am takin 21 hours this semester i dont have time to be bored to often

[onthamove]

why is everyone so negative? this is why i dont like todays world; too negative

[HighlandLady]

Hit the play button on Into the Wild one too many times, did you? You aren't getting it. Denali is compared to Everest (ever hear of that one) and Denali, though a wee bit shorter, is more difficult of a climb. Glaciers are just one obstacle...and crevasses are EVERYWHERE. Not to mention another obstacle - Denali's own unique weather system.

Do research....online and the gods help me - BOOKS. Read about it. There are many stories and a lot do not have happy endings! I'm not talking about Kraukuer's story re: Supertramp either.

Tenacity can be a great thing....willful stupidity usually brings heartache (for those who won't even have anything to bury) and a very painful end for you.

[onthamove]

i have read a book called deep survival about people who have gotten in survival situations i have a book of edible plants of the rockies, rockies being new mexico to alaska, check it out by linda kershaw......i am gonna rent in the wild that movie relates to me in no way

[onthamove]

i just like quiet guys, so what i maybe dont summit but maybe i make it halfway thats still great as far as i am concerned to experience the tranquility of the only frontier area left would be worth an early death

[Metlakatla]

This was fun but it's getting about as sophomoric as threads such as the one about the names of Palin's children.

Good luck to you now.

[onthamove]

not sayin i am gonna die but if i were called home i'd be goin to final frontier lol

[HighlandLady]

Originally Posted by onthamove

i have read a book called deep survival about people who have gotten in survival situations i have a book of edible plants of the rockies, rockies being new mexico to alaska, check it out by linda kershaw......i am gonna rent in the wild that movie relates to me in no way

One very small point in your favour then...but I dismay over the young who feel the need to 'find themselves' without learning along the way. Edible plants aren't going to help you.

[JavaPhil]

First, -40 to -80 is not something to laugh at. Metal can shatter like glass in the right conditions. Nylon does strange things at that temp. My survival sleeping bag is only rated at -60. I went cheap, because I do know a few things about survival in extremes. (8 years in Naval Special Warfare, by the way). Melting water for your use is going to cost you about 3-4 hours a day, by the way. Fuel for your stove (figure for 6 weeks since you plan on hiking in, up and back don't you know), food for the same amount of time. Rope (expensive stuff, not el cheapo from Home Depot), carabiners (about 200 for a start, since you plan on climbing alone), pitons (lots and lots), ice axe (take 2 spares, since your hands will be cold and one could drop, and the other spare will need work on your off time), tent, cooking gear, oxygen for about 6 days minimum (altitude sickness is bad). Most folks acclimatize themselves at 2 levels for 2-3 days before attempting the next leg, but going alone, you can't pool your gear, and have a couple of someones carry the cooking gear, tent, axes, pitons and stuff. This is just off the top of my head sitting here on the couch. I am off by an order of magnitude on some things, and the time frame I envision is about 5 days of serious hiking to get to one of the lower base camps. Remember, 5 days in equals 5 days out. If you tell me you can go faster, you need to really look at the maps. 6 linear miles a day on an ordinary map can translate into 20 miles rather quickly. You know, hiking around the ravine, river, what have you, in front of you to find an easier, safer route.

Don't follow the trails as they are usually made by animals that expect to use them. Can't use the road as NPS still has year-round rangers to prevent this kind of thing from happening. Usually, they're trying to prevent idiots from hurting themselves or the local wildlife - but not you. You know better.

You'll need 3 changes of clothing, and 6 pairs of socks minimum. 2 pairs of hiking boots and 2 pairs of climbing boots. You have to let todays boots dry out tomorrow and so on. Each set of clothing is at least 4 layers. 3 for legs I guess. Inner should be thermal, next light cotton (to wick sweat), next sweats and an arctic rated jacket, waterproof - same with leggings. One set of those, unless you happen to take a tumble in the rare stream - doesn't happen to me more than once every fishing trip, but God knows I'm clumsy, and you're a young buck in the prime of life. Don't get caught with a gun in the park, so carry lots of bear spray. Wolves NEVER bother single guys out for a walk, so don't worry about them. (Are you not catching my sarcasm here - if not, yes, wolves can take down a grown man). Look hoss, I've got kids older than you, if you notes on this forum are correct. I spent my life in strange places and found myself happy to come out in one piece. I counted on the kindness of strangers, and leaned on my buddies for all I was worth. In SpecWar, EVERY op had a nine hour prep plan, each major step delineated to the [i]nth[i] degree. We had to tell our operations boss 3 things in every major step that could go wrong amd come up with 3 different solutions for each hypothetical problem. And I had the fleet backing me up.

You're planning on going alone. In military parlance, you need a buddy, a wingman.

You're planning on going into one of the last true wilderness with a minimum of training. You train for every possible problem. Throw yourself into a (shallow) stream. See how hard it is too start a fire when your hands don't want to hold a thing. Hell, just hold your hands in a glacier fed stream in spring and try to light a fire. Look hoss, this place is a killer for a lone man.

You're planning on bypassing every possible safety precaution - informing NPS, getting a knowledgeable guide. This isn't walking a tightrope without a net, this is throwing yourself into a black abyss and hoping for the best possible outcome.

I know the feeling of a crowded world with no new explorations and discoverys to enjoy. The feeling of being born too late. But attempting this is delusional. I can't think of a fresh way to say this without sounding insulting and I don't want to insult you.