OP
OP
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2014
- Messages
- 11,006
The only thing right now is getting a parka made by Goosefeet gear to your specs. There is an option coming out from a company, hopefully by this fall- somewhere around 12-14oz down, with features specifically made for this use.
Oh yes, you need more than the Grummans. Right now I am using two Grummans. However that is a compromised answer as no matter large you get the top pair, it does weigh on and compress the bottom pair. Same as above- Goosefeet Gear.
Exhaustion, potential for critical thinking to start waning.
There are basically three options when you get soaked in colder weather-
1). Immediately try to start a fire.
2). Active rewarming- throw your puffies and gear in and start moving at a continues, but not exhausting pace.
3). Static rewarming- throw puffies on, set up tent, get in bag and eat/drink constantly.
The first (fire) option is a 100% binary choice- it either works or it doesn’t. If you get and keep a fire going- money. But the time it takes to do so you are losing motor control, getting hypothermic, and losing critical thinking ability. If you fail to get the fire going, or it goes out- death from exposure is a very real, if not most likely outcome.
The second (active) works well, but isn’t feasible in all conditions- where we were, there was 3-4 feet of snow on the flats, more in places. No one can keep up a steady, consistent pace that isn’t exhausting them for 2-3 hours that it would take to force dry out. Also, the snow itself while moving through it is causing wetting from the outside. On top of that, by the time someone has fallen in water surrounded by snow and/or in cold weather- they generally aren’t thinking clearly. Often they choose wrong routes, totally opposite directions, bad choices- and get lost.
Number three (static) is usually the safest, and cleanest choice. It has the fewest downsides and is least likely to make a bad situation worse. Get wet, get insulation on immediately, walk a few yards to decent ground, set tent up, lay pad and bag out, get in. It’s things that most people have done repeatedly so it is much easier to do with subconsciously and when stressed.
For training, static rewarming is the hardest on the clothing system- it exposes everything. So, for practice it’s the best choice regardless.
I’ve never had to do a static rewarming outside of practice/training. I have done partial and near full active rewarming. The last time was a slip in a creek in 20° F temps and 2+ feet of snow. Both legs up to above the knees, and the entire left side of my body went in. Probably 70% of my body was soaked. I was wearing a t shirt, Atlantic Rancher Ranger sweater, Woolnet base bottoms, Sarma TST woolshell pants, and Vivo Tracker ESC shoes. Being the shoes have no Goretex, they let the water out relatively quickly- feet stayed wet, but no issue while moving. The baselayer dried my skin out quickly on the bottom, and they combined with the woolshell pants- I didn’t feel wet after about 20 minutes. The top soaked through, but it was still warm, and I mostly didn’t dry it due to sweating while moving. Once I stopped 2-3 hours later, I was soaked on top due to the moisture in the foliage and sweat, the pants were soaked, but being a tighter weave wool and the Woolnet base-layer, I didn’t feel it. Still warm. It was no issue.
