Personal Protection: Clothing, Shelter, Fire

Clothing

"COLDER" Acromym

Proper care of your clothes will keep you warm in the arctic and cool in the desert. Never underestimate their importance!

Shelter: The Second Line of Personal Protection

The ability to provide a proper shelter, under adverse conditions is an extremely important skill for all backcountry travelers to learn. When it's 80 below zero you'll appreciate the comfort of a cozy 30 degree snow cave. On the flipside, when it's 120 degrees a shade shelter will be a pleasant relief from the scorching sun. In addition, a shelter provides a sense of well being and may help you maintain your will to survive.

Exactly when a shelter is constructed will depend on the environment your in. In a temperate forest you might elect to attend to other needs and put off your shelter construction until two to three hours before sunset (provided you're not in the middle of a winter storm). In the desert or arctic regions a shelter might take on the highest priority and may supersede your other needs. Regardless of the scenario, a shelter should be constructed in a safe and effective site and should meet certain basic requirements. Whether you use a manmade or natural shelter will depend on the environment, available materials, and time.

Site Selection/Safety Considerations

• Large enough and level enough for both yourself and your equipment.
• Close to construction materials.
• Close to signaling and recovery site.
• Close to food and water source.
• Avoid potential safety hazards
• Avalanche slopes
• Drainages.
• Unstable rock formations.
• Below dead trees or unstable overhanging dead branches.
• Animal trails.

A tarp can be used to build

• Lean to
• A-frame
• A-tent

Natural shelters you might use could be

• Lean to
• A-frame
• Snow cave
• Tree pit

Fire: The Third Line of Personal Protection

The ability to build a fire may be the difference between life and death. Success with fire begins with proper preparation and knowledge of its basic stages.

The 3 Stages of Fuel

1. Tinder: any material that will light from a spark.
2. Kindling: pencil led to pencil thick fuel which will light from a small flame.
3. Fuel: wood with a thumb size or larger diameter which is used to maintain the fire.

Fire Preparation
Always prepare the tinder last since it will tend to collect moisture from the air.

In addition to the fuel, collect a platform and brace. The platform will provide a dry surface in which to build your fire on. A brace is normally something that has a wrist size diameter and can be placed on the platform.

The platform and brace will keep the tinder dry and allow oxygen to circulate under the tinder once it's lit.

Lighting the fire
Many heat sources can be used to light a fire. Preferably a metal match since it virtually never runs out. Matches and lighters tend to run out or fail under adverse conditions. In addition to a metal match, a flint and steel and/or a bow and drill are valuable tools if you can learn to use them. The key to starting your fire is proper preparation and having a working heat source which you have the ability to use.

• Elevated platform bed
• Desert/shade shelter