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The reporter noted they were carrying a lot of gear, but they really didn't look geared up in the video. I have done all of my snowshoeing in the Cascades in Washington state. Because it is so different than summer hiking, I took a winter travel course provided by the Mountaineers. After that, I always carried a bivy bag (those space blankets do not keep your backside warm and dry), at least 2 methods of starting a fire, extra clothes and food, medical supplies and a shovel. The shovel has a metal scoop so it can be used to heat snow for water, dig a shelter or God forbid dig out companions in the event of an avalanche. I have had other hikers tease me for the size of my pack on a day hike, but I would rather have what I need and survive than be dead on the mountain for going too light.
The reporter noted they were carrying a lot of gear, but they really didn't look geared up in the video. I have done all of my snowshoeing in the Cascades in Washington state. Because it is so different than summer hiking, I took a winter travel course provided by the Mountaineers. After that, I always carried a bivy bag (those space blankets do not keep your backside warm and dry), at least 2 methods of starting a fire, extra clothes and food, medical supplies and a shovel. The shovel has a metal scoop so it can be used to heat snow for water, dig a shelter or God forbid dig out companions in the event of an avalanche. I have had other hikers tease me for the size of my pack on a day hike, but I would rather have what I need and survive than be dead on the mountain for going too light.
I am not sure of what they had... But what ever they had wasn't used well.
I have been a winter camper since New years Eve 76/77, and can see these 2 guys were inexperienced.
I have never been in western mountains in winter, but i know these mountains well, and what works and what will just get you killed.
The methods i use are redundant.... Sort of one item backs up another. My winter stove needs a form of heat to get started and has only 1 basic moving part. I use a BIC lighter and carry several in winter, to light tins of sterno, which are used to heat my SEVA 123 stove(s) i own 3 of those and a MSR Wisper Lite multifuel. The MSR rarely goes in winter because it has many moving parts.
My mittens are multi system mitts too, as is my sleeping bag system, and in winter I don't bother with any tent.
I use a bivy sack like you. Most of my trips run around 10 days out.. I can't carry food enough for more.
The food type I liked best seems about gone as Stoffer's frozen boiling bag meals. All I needed to do was boil a cup of water and heat 2 bags of food, then dump on in the other...
No fuss no muss and no washing. Just fold the food packets into one another and after 10 days, my trash all fit into 2 Swiss Miss cocoa packets.
My Mitts allow me to take a fall and not expose any flesh, plus run a old 35 mm Minolta camera, that only uses a battery to run the light meter.
I only have done day outings in the winter. Bought the bivy just in case...don't want to be stuck up on the mountain in the cold and dark with nothing to keep warm. I don't imagine preparedness is much different in the Rockies or Appalachians. We always used a Jet Boil as it is easily contained but it doesn't seem to get quite as cold in the mountains of western Washington so the fuel may be an issue out here with the temps being lower. I like how you looked at the number of moving parts...I've never given that too much thought. I'll have to look into the SEVA.
The dehydrated food has come a long way over the years. I can remember eating the curly colored pasta and some summer sausage every night when backpacking as a kid. I find that most of the Mountain High brand meals are pretty yummy (at least after huffing it with a heavy pack all day!).
Sounds like you've got it down to a fine art, Mac. Glad we won't be seeing you on the news for anything like this.
That Jet Boil isn't going to be any good here in winter.... No propane stove is.... You will never find a SEVA new anyway, so hunt down MSR stoves that use coleman fuel and carry sterno as back up anyway.
These canister stoves are only good in 3 seasons.... In the cold the liquid inside the can just won't get warm enough to boil, which is how propane builds pressure in containers.
Packing a home size bottle is a tad too much, but they only work because of their size.
I have no idea about any mt equipment shopping in your area, but here in North Conway we have EMS, IME, and Ragged Mt who deal in top quality gear and Ragged and IME also have consignment shops, where you can trade, sell and buy used items for fair prices. A bit of a drive, but one day you will want to see these shops, the kanc, The presidential range and etc.
I know my way around my own Mt's and i still have every body part i was born with less a spleen, but the mts didn't get that a car driver did..
In the preppers room here i made a detailed post of how I get dressed and un dressed grave site camping at tree line in dead winter. That usually ends up around -40 below 0 in higher wind..
The term grave site is because there is hopefully enough snow to dig about 2 feet deep so you can lay down and have the wind blow over the top of you.
Ragged Mt. isn't too far away. Drove up there before the snow hit just to check it out. I'll definitely have to go back and check out the shop. Also have an EMS close by in W. Lebanon.
I just checked, looks like you can still buy a SVEA on Amazon and Campmor.com. I'm going to have to look into getting one of those.
Ragged Mt. isn't too far away. Drove up there before the snow hit just to check it out. I'll definitely have to go back and check out the shop. Also have an EMS close by in W. Lebanon.
I just checked, looks like you can still buy a SVEA on Amazon and Campmor.com. I'm going to have to look into getting one of those.
That is another ragged mt.... The store I am talking about is in part of the town of Bartlett called Intervale, on the border to Glen, also a part of the town of Bartlett on Rt 16 and rt 302, just west of North Conway.
I will check out SEVA 123 to see what it is you might get.. If you do get one fir sure let me know..
One reason why is you will need a close cell pad fur the stove ..... other wise it will either not heat up and run well, or it will melt snow and ice and freeze in solid... I have seen more than one get kicked free in hard winter hiking boots before......
Also these are tricky to run indoors. Basically it is a rocket engine. The hotter it gets the better it runs.
These are not so very adjustable like the add says, but maybe with in reason they can be.
The filler cap has a safety valve and if the stove over heats flames will shoot up from it more than 12 inches high!
But it is a workable piece of gear and i wouldn't own 3 if they were bad.
For these you will also need fuel bottles in the MSR type Lets see.....
You would need a funnel of some sort to fit the bottle cap. I don't have this type but it would do.
The type i have just slips in to the cap. Each time it is used you remove the cap and install the funnel on the cap and then place the cap back in the bottle.
One must be careful to not forget and or not spill the whole bottle..
With the type i show...... I don't own one, and wouldn't keep it in a bottle in my pack on a bet either... If that were opened there is no telling what might happen to all the gear you have.
I can not find any image of what type of funnel I have that fits right on the bottle caps.
Looking over the SEVA 123 add I saw the guy didn't like the chain..... i do not agree to remove the chain. Loose that key and the stove is useless...
i don't agree to heat the stove the way he does either. A can of Sterno is good back up in winter anyway.... To use this stove in winter on ice and snow you place a closed cell pad on the ice and snow first.
In the pot that comes with the stove (I never use that to cook a thing) I place the opened and lite sterno, and set the stove on that. I pay attention to the stove on that too. Very close attention to detail, or the safety vent will blow and you will waste fuel and be at risk ......
I also don't use the depression made on the stove to hold fuel under the rose bud. The idea there is you some how spill fuel into that depression and light it......
To me that is a waste, and it just makes black soot which gets on everything you own....
The Sterno is far cleaner and a back up..... To turn the sterno off you just drop the cover of it's own can on it. Move the Seva pot with the sterno still in it and turn on the Seva valve..... it will show a stream of fuel and wet the top of the rose bud.. With a BIC light that...
Adjust to full steam ahead with a pot of water on the burner plate.. You get maybe 7 minutes burn time at full bore fast and may want ear plugs !
Use this before you need it..
In warmer times your hand can be all the heat you need to jump this stove up, or even the sun.... But not in night and dead of winter..
This will run where no other stove can. And most certainly where no bottle of propane stove ever will in real serious cold.
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and i still have every body part i was born with less a spleen, but the mts didn't get that a car driver did..
