Living in nature far away from civilization can be a great and very useful experience, that’s why the human was addicted to long trips and journeys during the last centuries. Wild nature teaches us how to rely only on our own power, keeping harmony with the world around us. But life in such extreme conditions requires special knowledge.
Which type of fireplace will last longer? How not to get frozen in a tent? How to find water in the forest? In case if you have a chance to leave your concrete apartment at least for a weekend, I have several tips for you. By the way, The Lost Ways by Claude Davis will give you many more great tips, which will help you to survive in extreme conditions. You really have to download this survival guide!
The fireplace has to be located in 1,5 – 2 meters from your tent or hideout. If you make it closer, sparkles can reach your outfit. If you create it further, you won’t get enough warmth from it in the tent. And, of course, you have to locate the fireplace to leeward of the tent in order to avoid sparkles flying to it.
When you need to find a place for your tent during the cold season, try to find a place, which is surrounded by trees. Here you won’t face strong wind like in open space and temperature will be higher by several degrees. But don’t try to get inside dense bushes, because there can be a danger of fire. During the summer season, try to find an open space or a bank slope in order to avoid mosquitoes, which will be blown by wind gusts.
There are about 10 main types of fireplace. The most convenient option for a cold season is the “Land of Nod”. It will last all night and won’t require constant wood adding. It also won’t melt a lot of snow and won’t leave a fire pit.
The classic “Land of Nod” fireplace consists of two logs of 2 meters each (try to find dry pine wood), put one on each other. In order to avoid rolling of the upper log, you have to fix the fireplace from both sides with two vertical stakes. Firewood has to be located between two logs, like in a sandwich. You can use dry slivers, bark, birch bark paper or anything else that can be burnt.
If you have to spend a night with a very low temperature outside, throw fir branches under your tent. Such branches will keep your hideaway from frost.
Don’t enter your sleeping bag in clothes, especially if you are wet. If you do that, your sleeping bag won’t be able to distribute the heat and keep it, thus you will freeze.
As warlord Suvorov said: “Keep your head cold, but legs warm.” If your feet are freezing at night, put them in your backpack in addition to the sleeping bag.
No need to despair if you are out of water during a long trip and there is no river. Dig a hole (2 by 2 meters with 1 meter of depth) and put an open vessel into the center of it (a bowl or a saucepan). You can put plastic film above and cover it with a small rock. Evaporation from the ground will condensate on the inner side of the film and pour into the vessel.
The cloth is also very useful and can bring you some water. You can tie it around your ankles or your calves and walk around, choosing wet places (after rain or dew). Then you can squeeze out water into a vessel or drink it, thus, slicking the thirst.
The Lost Ways by Claude Davis
