S2H winter class 2026 observations and lessons learned

[Cliff Gray]

On the footwear side of things, Im surprised there isn't more talk of using pacboots. Seems like they would offer more waterproofing than muks and better traction.

I wore pacboots a lot when I was horseback outfitting. They aren't near as comfortable as muckluks and are not quite as warm. Agreed on traction, pacboots win

my packboots would never stay waterproof for very long. from bending over, squatting, working with horses, etc.. anything I did much at all that bent the top of my foot would eventually crack the rand. both schnees and kenetreks. regardless, mukluks are far from waterproof also.

from my limited experience with the mukluks I don't think I'd go back in time and replace pack boots with them. The mukluks would end up saturated with horse poop mud and filth. the canvas and soft leather is a lot different from pack boots. to me that is the difference. mukluks are not well suited for wet snow, mud, rain, true filth. Clean, dry, frozen, cold as hell they are.

 

[5MilesBack]

I'm cool with all that. I think I'd rather just accept death than do the rewarming drill though.

That's one of those things that I'm OK doing when I have to, but not for practice. Kind of like packing elk off the mountain. I'll do it when I need to, but no way I'm carrying 80-100lb pack loads around all summer to prep.

 

[Cliff Gray]

[mention]Formidilosus [/mention] [mention]Cliff Gray [/mention] Form I’ve seen you mention Duckworth a couple times. Cliff has made videos mentioning the Duckworth Powder Hoody. I’ve been using one since last season. Haven’t done a rewarming drill wearing it yet, but it’s done well as a mid layer in a pretty wide range of conditions for me. Thoughts on this vs the Ranger sweater?


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next time I do rewarming I'll try the duckworth layers. particularly the vapor hoody. I think the powder hoody would be a long haul to get dried out. I'm sure you would stay warm but you would be wet for a long time.

I wore the powder hoody on the warmer days. The sub 15 degree and wind days the cowichan sweater is warmer.... but it is three times the weight. I don't have the experience to compare to the ranger sweaters.

 

[Firth]

I know this is meant in jest, but it's not bad at all. Other than staying up late and having guys check to make sure you're okay, it's just an exercise and might be a good one to know. I don't even remember being actually cold at any point during the drill. Actually, I'm going to amend that. Having silt in your base layer is the worst part. 100%

Half in jest.

I've jumped in a couple glacier fed lakes for fun but that was on a hot day. I fell through some rotten ice on a river during spring once. In that case I wasn't smart enough to not go on the ice, but I was smart enough to do it in a spot falling through wasn't life threatening.

I'd probably buck up and let myself get peer-pressured into the fun. I do see the value in learning how your body will react to that stressor. Probably just once though, beyond that I'd be a fan of learning from others' experiences.

 

[Livinfree77]

All I can say is that you Western hunters must be some bada$$ SOBs. I had been thinking about a hunt out West but I was totally ignorant of the danger. I might have to reconsider that dream.

@Livinfree77, did the salami rolls look anything like
these pepperoni/pepperjack rolls?

View attachment 1027718

More like this - With salami, pepperoncini peppers, olives, cheese and maybe mushrooms

 

[Dobermann]

[mention]Formidilosus [/mention] [mention]Cliff Gray [/mention] Form I’ve seen you mention Duckworth a couple times. Cliff has made videos mentioning the Duckworth Powder Hoody. I’ve been using one since last season. Haven’t done a rewarming drill wearing it yet, but it’s done well as a mid layer in a pretty wide range of conditions for me. Thoughts on this vs the Ranger sweater?

Hi Jake, I asked Form about Duckworth a few months back ... could be worth searching for if you haven't seen it already.

 

[Jake Larsen]

Hi Jake, I asked Form about Duckworth a few months back ... could be worth searching for if you haven't seen it already.

Appreciate that. I hadn’t seen it yet.


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[Dobermann]

My brother - have you ever hunted out west, in stormy, snowy mountains, in grizzly country?

We need to know the limitations of our gear.

With weather alone, a lot of us are entering a life-or-death environment just stepping out of the truck. But snow falls from branches onto guns. Breath moisture gets into actions, and freezes them in sub-zero temps. Get in and out of a warm vehicle and the gun frosts up, melts and flows deep into that gun's action when you warm it up again, and freezes it solid again next time you step back into the cold. Crap lube freezes up. People trip on branches under the snow. Guns encounter the unexpected.

What are the limitations of your gun?

Only if you know them, do you know how to address a given event. This information is important.

Great post.

I'd be curious to know how many of us have either come close to death, or been in situations that could have resulted in death, when in the backcountry. I have ... and know others who have. In my specific cases, the cause wasn't gear-related - but the solutions (one actual, one if the scenario had played out differently) were gear-dependent, not just skills. Something to think about.

 

[Jimbee]

I've been wearing Steger Mukluk/ Neos overshoes combo at work. Might be an option for someone for better traction, waterproofing and durability. Probably not quite as lightweight as Tundras, but seems close. (I have both)

 

[6.5x284]

I have the same combo.
What do you think a better option would be in this weight range?

Same legs and a wiser ridge warden ball head, or the wiser ridge warden on the backcountry lite legs are how I’d approach it if you needed that same weight range for your setup. You’re getting double vs triple pull legs though.

On the Ridgeline legs you’re double stacking heads unfortunately unless you like that ball head. I’ve found I don’t mind it shooting but I dislike it glassing or spotting.


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