Winter Walk for the Wild 2005


	Excerpts from A Snow Walker's Companion by Garret and Alexandra Conover
The following sections are from A Snow Walker's Companion. Garrett and Alexandra's indespensible guide to winter trail skills from the the far north. Click here to learn how to order a copy of the new edition! Hypothermia and Frostbite Diagrams of Canvas Wall Tents Cross Section of a Riverbed in Midwinter Snowshoe Types Footwear Menus Recipe for Bannock Figuring Out How Much to Cook
HYPOTHERMIA Hypothermia is the dropping of the temperature of the body core. Chilling starts slowly but is detectable to informed observers and easily reversed. If the early stages are not responded to, a serious escalation may occur, and a full-scale medical emergency will exist. Head and hands can lose heat rapidly, and one of the body's responses to unchecked heat loss is to protect the core that houses the vital organs. By automatic constriction of the vasculature to the extremities, the body curtails the flow of warm blood to the limbs, hands, feet, and head, from whence it would return to the core in a chilled state and further reduce the core temperature. This mechanism allows the body to survive even if feet or hands are literally frozen solid. In an emergency, the body "knows" that it can't afford to wait for a distant brain to catch on and correct the situation. Compared to the heart, lungs, and other organs within the core, the brain is considered dispensable. Unfortunately, judgment and motor skills are what is needed most to prevent or reverse the onset of hypothermia, and these are the first functions that fail as the body gets chilled. As mentation drops, the victim can no longer recognize the decline or perform the functions necessary for recovery. Without companions to observe a sudden lack of coordination or inability to answer simple questions, the person is doomed. You have two chances in a group- one if you are solo. If you are alone and miss the signs that occur early enough for self-recovery, you are out of luck. If you are with a group, your companions can still help you and affect a recovery even after the early stages-if they catch the symptoms in time. TOP FROSTBITE Frostnip is the surface freezing of skin (first-degree frostbite). On the winter trail, this is most likely to occur on noses, cheekbones, earlobes, and fingertips. Windchill is the usual mechanism for frosting the face, while most finger frosting is the result of conduction through direct contact. Touching metal, such as pressing a shutter-release button on a camera with a bare finger, can create a white frost spot. Everyone is likely to experience frost-nip a few times while learning to manage layering systems effectively. It is part of the pathway to becoming smart, preventive, and vigilant, and is initially forgivable among beginners. The cure for such frostnip is simple. Thaw the frost spot. This can be done by placing a warm fingertip or whole hand over the affected area until the skin returns to normal flush. It takes a matter of seconds. Never rub the area, as ice crystals can rupture cell walls. And never, ever, rub snow on the area. If frostnip goes undetected and underlying tissue becomes frozen (second-degree frostbite), then you have a more serious problem. After warming the area, it is likely that a fluid-filled blister will occur. Such frosting is treatable in the field, but will be accompanied by sensations of itching, burning, or pain, and the skin will invariably turn brown and slough off. Keep the area clean and watch for infection. If an extremity such as a foot freezes solid (third-degree frostbite), do not thaw it in the field. A trail first-aid kit would not be adequate for either the ensuing pain or the probability of systemic infection. And finally, a person can walk on a frozen foot and thus contribute to his or her own evacuation. TOP DIAGRAMS OF 10 x 12 CANVAS WALL TENT The three schematic illustrations of a ten-by-twelve-foot wall tent show a number of strategies for setup as well as the placement of items that maximize the efficiency, pleasure, and order of a winter camp. The bird's-eye view shows the layout of the living and kitchen areas. The split-level kitchen pit is shown for a deep-snow camp, as well as the floats for the stove legs, the palisade of firewood that prevents melt-back of the stove pit, and the flat firewood that serves as table-top space to keep utensils out of the snow. Sill logs are in place so that the kitchen pit is not eroded or collapsed by the comings and goings of people.

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CROSS SECTION OF A RIVERBED IN MIDWINTER This cross section of a riverbed in midwinter shows not only conditions as they exist at the time of encounter, but also reveals events of the season thus far. The water level dropped as the winter progressed because all but the input of ground springs was suspended in ice and snow. The ice sagged or fractured to accommodate the new water levels. Pressures created by new snow and the thickened, resettled ice fluctuated, and the river continued to adjust and change. Open leads provide the most visible and dramatic examples of equilibrium being established, but there are more subtle hints as well. Overflow might be extruded through stress cracks, and the water levels may rise and fall within an airspace beneath the ice. Otters and mink will likewise favor those areas where airspace and access to open water are protected by a roof of ice left over from earlier higher water levels. Very often the speed of the current in combination with the insulating layer of snow on top of the ice will keep these under-ice leads open despite long periods of subfreezing cold in the air above TOP
SNOWSHOES The Alaska, Ojibwa, Maine/Michigan, Attikamek, Beavertail, and Elbow snowshoe styles are suitable for northern snow walkers. Of these, the Alaska, Maine/Michigan, and Ojibwa styles are readily available. (Snowshoes are illustrated to scale.)
FOOTWEAR For some reason, the fact that humans have known how to stay warm and dry in breathable materials for the past ten thousand years or more has not inspired many to ask how and why. And it is not ethnocentric certainty that technology will provide an improvement in the form of some new waterproof material, because native peoples have had waterproof materials for centuries. They chose not to use them in extreme cold. They had reasons not to. In all cold-weather conditions that we are aware of, breathable systems are easier to manage and maintain; have no side effects except good ones; and are safer, cleaner, saner, and smarter on all counts. But if existing solutions are forgotten long enough for demand to disappear, then we become easy victims for those determined to sell ineffective solutions. To our knowledge, the last commercial snowshoeing moccasin went extinct in a Moor and Mountain catalog in the mid-1960s. It was not until the mid-1980s, when Steger Mukluks was formed to outfit the Greenland Traverse Expedition and the Trans-Antarctica Expedition with footwear, that anyone made a published claim for breathability as a key to warmth. And for those who will journey on rough sea ice or across the pavement of their local shopping center, Steger Mukluks come with a durable rubber sole that does not extend up the sides of the foot to trap moisture. Long live such a company!
So, starting at skin level, your footwear system for temperatures twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit and below is this: One or two pairs of wool socks, or a silk or synthetic liner sock if wool irritates your skin. Over the sock or socks is either a homemade duffel-cloth bootie or a felt liner such as is used in snowmobile boots or leather/ rubber insulated boots. Duffel cloth is essentially felted wool in "blanket" form. It is manufactured in Britain and is available in some northern stores. Duffel cloth is used primarily in mittens, moccasins, and anorak liners. Because it is thick and felted rather than woven, it is sewn edge to edge rather than lapped as in normal sewing, and often a strengthening overstitch with a contrasting yarn embellishes the seams. If duffel cloth is not available, most winter-boot stores carry felt boot liners. To improve the insulation of the duffel or felt liner, you can insert a felt insole into the bottom, doubling the thickness between the sole of your foot and the snow. Insoles can be bought one size smaller than the felt liners and, if need be, trimmed with scissors to fit. Over these layers the snug but not tight moccasin is worn. The sock-felt-moccasin system is entirely breathable, very lightweight, and magnificently functional in conditions ranging from twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit to as cold as temperatures go on earth. At these temperatures, snow is dry, and no matter how hot your feet get through exertion, the layers of insulation block radiation of heat, which would otherwise be lost to the snow around the moccasin. Your feet are warm because they are dry.
Not only are your feet dry, but the layers that make up the insulation around them are dry because the entire system breathes. Thus, moisture generated by activity passes through these layers as a gas. The small amount that condenses shows up as light frost on the outside of the felt liners. This can be brushed off with a whisk broom in camp. Because your foot and entire footwear system remain dry, your feet stay warm, even if the level of activity changes. When a morning of snowshoeing and toboggan hauling ends at lunchtime and your feet suddenly go from energetic activity to complete rest, they remain warm and comfortable. Even if the air is well below zero during lunch, you can improve the insulation around your feet by shoving them down deep in the loose snow. A few feet below the powder's surface, the temperature will be nearly twenty degrees Fahrenheit: cold enough to be dry, but considerably warmer than the ambient air temperature. Not only is the moccasin-and-liner system simple, elegant, and foolproof, it is as comfortable and light as can be. The lightest winter boots will weigh in at four or five pounds, while the moccasin system is under two pounds. You feel as if you are prancing around in bedroom slippers.
When your feet are warm, the rest of your body is warm. The inherent pleasure in this is enough to convince anyone to use moccasins. The real proof of the concept, though, comes from people with circulatory problems. We have had guests who suffer from Raynaud's Disease, in which circulation to the extremities is so poor that they turn waxy white and get quite cold. In moccasins, virtually all of these people expected to be cold, yet none were. The only time anyone mentioned cold feet was on extremely cold mornings as we loaded the toboggans. Due to the relative inactivity of this job, one's toes can begin to feel the chill if it is minus twenty-five to thirty degrees Fahrenheit or colder. But since moccasins are so soft, unrestricting, and light, a few paces with snowshoes through unbroken snow will soon have one's blood roaring, delivering heat even to the most distant cells, way down in the toes.
Should the temperature rise above twenty-five degrees Fahrenheit, your body weight will supply enough compression to begin melting the snow, thereby dampening your moccasins. At thirty-two degrees, the snow is already wet and begins to melt. At this time, winter travelers tend to become gloomy, as thaw makes everything more difficult and time-consuming. Wetness brings inconvenience at best and danger at worst, and managing for comfort and safety becomes more elaborate. The first course of action under such conditions is to change from moccasins to light rubber boots. Rubbers are not breathable; hence, they are waterproof. They are worn over the same sock-and-liner combination as the moccasins, but they will keep the wet of thaw conditions from reaching insulation and feet. Sweat from your feet, however, is stopped by the layer of rubber, and in some conditions your felt liner can become damp or even wet. Because of this, your feet may feel cold if you stop moving, but at thirty degrees Fahrenheit or above they cannot get dangerously cold and may not even get uncomfortable. In this case, it is preferable to get damp rather than soaked because getting soaked could be dangerous. At night, in camp, it is a simple matter to dry dampened liners and socks. The rubber boots are single-layer soft rubber with a slight ripple tread on the soles. The best ones of which we are aware are made by the Tingley Company and are often found in hardware and feed stores. They come in overshoe, mid-calf, and knee-high lengths, with the mid-calf style being the most useful to a winter traveler. They are lightweight, can be rolled up small, and can be inverted to dry near the tent stove (a wipe of the interior with a bandanna will also dry them).
When purchasing a pair, remember to bring the felt liners and insoles you will be wearing with them. As with moccasins, the fit should be snug and wrinkle free, but not tight. In addition to their use in thaw conditions, rubber boots find daily work once camp is pitched with tent stoves going. Moccasins are hung to dry and any short-term forays out of the tents are made in the rubbers, which are easily slipped on and off. This keeps your socks dry when passing back and forth from the hot tents to the ambient cold. Thus, with snowshoeing moccasins and rubber boots, you have covered all conditions in a manner that is close to perfect. You have, in fact, mirrored the natives' combination of smoke-tanned moccasins and waterproof sealskin boots.
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SAMPLE MENUS
Breakfasts: Mixed grains for cereals-oats, bulgur, rolled wheat, bran, cornmeal Dried fruits-apricots, apples, banana chips, dates, figs, papaya, pineapple, prunes, raisins, etc. Meats-sausage, bacon, scrapple Tempeh-tasty soybean patties cooked in tamari Pancakes-multigrain Eggs-fried or boiled Hot drinks-herbal and black teas, coffee, cocoa, and hot fruit juices "Bunkers"-drop biscuits cooked in bacon drippings or vegetable oils
Lunches Fresh-baked yeast breads (for layover days) Bannock-baking-powder bread cooked in frying pan Crackers-pilot crackers, Sea Rounds, Royal Lunch, Rye Vita Crisps Soups Cheeses Salami, pepperoni Peanut and almond butters Jams, jellies Jerked (dried) meat Candy Fatback 'lassy teutons-ginger cookies high in sugar and fat Fruitcake-homemade, rich in butter, eggs, milk, dried fruits, and vitamin C
Supper The meat dishes below can be adapted for vegetarians by replacing meat with nuts, cheeses, or soy products such as tempeh, dried tofu, and texturized vegetable protein, or by mixing complementary proteins such as legumes and rice. Additionally, all vegetables-except those we recommend you freeze-are dehydrated. Chicken curry with onions, peppers, carrots, apples, raisins, and nuts Brown rice with butter Biscuits Beef stew made with potatoes, carrots, onions, dried soup, herbs, etc. Dumplings Sweet and sour lentils with molasses, vinegar, tamari, onions, carrots, and celery Kielbasa (Polish sausage) Cornbread Spaghetti with hamburger, tomato sauce, onions, peppers, mushrooms, and garlic Parmesan and mozzarella cheese Garlic bannock Bulgur-wheat pilaf with Polish sausage, carrots, celery, pepper, and onions Cream sauce and biscuits Beef stroganoff with egg noodles, sour cream, frozen peas, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and garlic Macaroni and cheese with a topping of toasted sesame seeds Pesto sauce with pine nuts or cashew pieces Vegetable pasta (spirals) Parmesan cheese Snacks Popcorn-with butter or sprinkled with nutritional yeast Fruit leather Nuts GORP (Good Ole Raisins and Peanuts)-plus M&Ms, chocolate chips, dried fruit, and other nuts Beef jerky
Desserts Upside-down cake Apple crisp Gingerbread Cake Pies Pudding Packaged cheesecake Doughnuts Hot, rehydrated fruit sauces TOP
BANNOCK RECIPE
(eight servings) 4 cups flour 4 tsp. baking powder 1/2 tsp. salt dash sugar 1/3 cup oil Enough water to make a stiff dough
Mix the dry ingredients first, then add the wet ones. Mix well and shape into a large pancake. Put onto a HOT, greased eight-inch frying pan. Cover the pan and cook the bannock over medium heat for ten minutes, then flip over and cook uncovered for another five minutes or until a wood sliver inserted comes out clean. Break apart to eat.(Tradition has it that cutting slices brings bad luck.) TOP
FIGURING OUT HOW MUCH TO COOK
Experience, as with everything, develops your skill in planning and cooking. But you have to start somewhere, and it is critical that you are accurate, particularly if you have never prepared meals for hungry groups where resupply is not possible. You can get a good jump on experience by using the following rules of thumb. (Remember, quantities vary depending on length of trip, participants' experience, temperature, and work load.) Quantities (expedition quantities in italic):
Baking powder: 1 oz. per 1 Ib. (4 cups) flour Butter: 1 oz./person/day or 1/2 lb./person/ week Cereal grains: 1/2 cup/person/meal (3 cups = approx. 1 lb.), 1/2 cup/person/meal (1/2 lb./person/week) Cheeses: 1 oz./person/day Crackers: 1/4 lb./person/day Flour: 1 cup/person/meal (approx. 1/4 lb.) Subtract 1/2 cup per person/day if pancake mixes are brought. Lentils, split peas: 1/3 cup dry/person/meal Meats, fresh or thawed: 1/2 lb./person/meal Pancake mix: 1 cup/person/meal, 2 cups/ person/meal Pasta: 3-4 oz./person/meal Peanut butter: 1 oz./person/day Rice: 1/2 cup dry/person/meal Sugar: 1/2 lb./person/week
By using this list to decide how much rice you need (for example), you must determine what is required per person per meal, multiplied by the number of people and by the number of times rice will be served. It sounds tedious, and it is at first, but it is the only accurate way to determine adequate provisions. In preparing your supply list, take into account other forms of flour that you may or may not be bringing. For example, if you are not bringing pancake mixes or crackers but are making everything from scratch, you will have to bring more flour. Or, you might need less sugar if you are bringing syrup, honey, molasses, or presweetened desserts such as puddings and cheesecakes. TOP
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