[arctichomesteader]

It's definately possible to survive the winters here outdoors. I've been out at 30 below in the NEK, using my military arctic sleeping bag and a good ground pad under it. I still take some trips out in Winter to trap and hunt in the NEK. Wool is nice stuff, BTW, stays warm while wet. Cotton kills.

[Hopes]

Yeah, the OP needs the right gear to make it. If he doesn't have it, he st ill has some time to get it (somehow). If he doesn't have/get what's necessary, he won't likely survive.

I could send some stuff my son no longer uses. How to mail it though?

If my son returns to VT this winter, I could have it dropped off somewhere, but that wouldn't be until late November or early December.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

It's definately possible to survive the winters here outdoors. I've been out at 30 below in the NEK, using my military arctic sleeping bag and a good ground pad under it. I still take some trips out in Winter to trap and hunt in the NEK. Wool is nice stuff, BTW, stays warm while wet. Cotton kills.

Possible, but not realistic for a middle-aged guy in a tent all winter with little money. If you live in a nice warm house most of the time and camp out for a few days it's not the same thing. Heck, even Robert Frost used to spend the winter in Florida once he could afford it. Vermont must only be a summer gig for most of the homeless here.

[arctichomesteader]

Originally Posted by pauldorell

Possible, but not realistic for a middle-aged guy in a tent all winter with little money. If you live in a nice warm house most of the time and camp out for a few days it's not the same thing. Heck, even Robert Frost used to spend the winter in Florida once he could afford it. Vermont must only be a summer gig for most of the homeless here.

People spend winters in Alaska and elsewhere in the Arctic in tents, while trapping, working on their cabins, etc. I spent the better part of a Winter in the NEK trapping and hunting in a tent, in the wilder parts of Essex County. Quite an incredible wilderness experience of a sort, though the trapping didn't pay off that year.

When it dips below zero mother nature is not forgiving of any mistakes or stupid behavior. But it's entirely doable if a person is prepared and has some important skills down good (i.e., fire starting, erecting a strong enough shelter to not get suffocated by snow collapsing it, etc.). I know for a fact a homeless guy was living in the mountains nearby down here in a state forest last Winter. I started noticing the recently used but empty campsites while checking my traps and hunting small game up there and finally bumped into him. He had some issues with a bear this Spring biting and destroying some of his canned food, BTW. A couple cans with tooth holes in them are still up there. Keeping food out of the reach of wildlife is a must whenever staying outdoors.

[pauldorell]

Originally Posted by arctichomesteader

People spend winters in Alaska and elsewhere in the Arctic in tents, while trapping, working on their cabins, etc. I spent the better part of a Winter in the NEK trapping and hunting in a tent, in the wilder parts of Essex County. Quite an incredible wilderness experience of a sort, though the trapping didn't pay off that year.

When it dips below zero mother nature is not forgiving of any mistakes or stupid behavior. But it's entirely doable if a person is prepared and has some important skills down good (i.e., fire starting, erecting a strong enough shelter to not get suffocated by snow collapsing it, etc.). I know for a fact a homeless guy was living in the mountains nearby down here in a state forest last Winter. I started noticing the recently used but empty campsites while checking my traps and hunting small game up there and finally bumped into him. He had some issues with a bear this Spring biting and destroying some of his canned food, BTW. A couple cans with tooth holes in them are still up there. Keeping food out of the reach of wildlife is a must whenever staying outdoors.

Even so, not many could handle living that way. If they started out healthy and had all the right survival skills and knowledge, it would still take at least ten years off their lives. I think historically people who lived like that were lucky if they made it to age fifty. And here we're talking about a suburban guy with limited outdoor experience. I expect he'll be heading south soon.

[Hopes]

My son is worried about him not knowing how to walk along the roads in the winter with the snow plowed up high on the sides. As anyone would know, it's dangerous to walk along the edge of the plowed part of the road for risk of being hit by a car. But my son was tying to explain how it's dangerous to walk in the piled up snow on the road side of the guardrails because there are signs indicating where gutters and other dangerous features are located, but the warning signs are often plowed over with so much snow you can't see them. As a result, he says it's safter to walk on the outside of the guardrails, even though that means trudging along in some serious snow. Anyways, I thought I would mention this so he knows to ask the locals to give him tips about how to walk safely in the winter.

I'm just really concerned. How much winter experience can someone from the Carolinas have? (I lived in NC as a child so I have an idea.) I have spent most of my life in Pittsburgh, where we contend mostly with ice storms (snow too but more rain and freezing rain.) Nothing like what Vermont dishes out. Even though I am an experienced camper, I wouldn't be able to do it in a Vermont winter. Heck, I doubt I could handle living in a house in Vermont in the winter.

Hopefully he has made some friends and has somewhere to stay when it gets really bad.

[MTK1]

quote=arctichomesteader;26208516]People spend winters in Alaska and elsewhere in the Arctic in tents, while trapping, working on their cabins, etc. I spent the better part of a Winter in the NEK trapping and hunting in a tent, in the wilder parts of Essex County. Quite an incredible wilderness experience of a sort, though the trapping didn't pay off that year.

When it dips below zero mother nature is not forgiving of any mistakes or stupid behavior. But it's entirely doable if a person is prepared and has some important skills down good (i.e., fire starting, erecting a strong enough shelter to not get suffocated by snow collapsing it, etc.). I know for a fact a homeless guy was living in the mountains nearby down here in a state forest last Winter. I started noticing the recently used but empty campsites while checking my traps and hunting small game up there and finally bumped into him. He had some issues with a bear this Spring biting and destroying some of his canned food, BTW. A couple cans with tooth holes in them are still up there. Keeping food out of the reach of wildlife is a must whenever staying outdoors.[/quot


Artichomesteader- Whats your thought on this guy? Has eluded authorities for 5+ years in the Utah wilderness. Weapon of choice is a Remington 600. I guess he has been breaking into cabins and what not but still...Considered a modern day Mountain Man and a role model to some...

http://cdn.theatlanticwire.com/img/u...190148924_.jpg



http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=...9QEwAQ&dur=383

[FrugalYankee]

No hate here, just an unwillingness to buy into the romance of the alternative lifestyle of being homeless by choice. Programs are there for anyone who wants a place to call home. As a matter of fact, I just put one of my apartments at the disposal of an organization who helps people just like that help themselves. I've personally helped someone who was in this program get on track and get an education and I'll gladly do it again. They bring nothing but the clothes on their back and will to be a part of society. I would think someone who is intelligent and articulate would be able to find and be accepted into such a program - if they wanted to. On the other hand if someone prefers being homeless then good luck.

[Hopes]

Originally Posted by FrugalYankee

No hate here, just an unwillingness to buy into the romance of the alternative lifestyle of being homeless by choice. Programs are there for anyone who wants a place to call home. As a matter of fact, I just put one of my apartments at the disposal of an organization who helps people just like that help themselves. I've personally helped someone who was in this program get on track and get an education and I'll gladly do it again.

That's great! What's the name of the program?

[FrugalYankee]

It is on this list
http://www.helpingtohouse.org/docume...rch%202011.pdf

I'd prefer not to say which one as I am not one of those people who wants to make it easy for others to find out who I am.