WinterCampers.com at Dead Vly

I merged  pictures from our winter camping trip to Dead Vly with Walt Michael’s hammer dulcimer tune “Hawks and Eagles” using PhotoStory for Windows.  Matt did one of these last year and I liked the results.  I didn’t do as much panning in the photos and the photos move by fast (5 seconds or less) because I had a lot of pictures and the music was fast paced. The process was pretty straight forward and is another way to view the trip.

Basically it shows us hiking in,setting up tents (and bivies),getting wood,sitting around the fire and the snow fall on the tents (and bivy) at night.

A broadband connection is recommended. WinterCampers.com at Dead Vly

We were looking to get in a quick overnight trip before black fly season.  Looking at the weather report for the weekend,things didn’t look very promising,with high winds,rain and freezing temperatures forecast for the weekend.  So Skip and Jim decided on a short Friday night overnight trip with plans to extract before the bad weather arrived mid-day on Saturday.

Jockeybush Lake is a 1.1 mile hike up a 200′grade with two small stream crossings.   Access to the trail head  begins across from Lake Alma on Route 10 with parking is adjacent to yellow and brown trail sign. The trail follows a stream that flows from the Jockeybush Lake into West Sacandaga River.

A beautiful rocky stream with several small waterfalls comes down from the right about halfway to the lake.

Since we were only staying overnight we packed light and decided to hike sans snowshoes.  At the beginning of the trail we found compressed snow left from previous snowshoe hikers.

I packed in a pair of waterproof,20″NEOS Trekkers which I proposed to use for the stream crossing.  The overboots were just a little small to fit over my hiking boots however,after an initial use Skip found he could easily slip them over his boots.

As we gained some elevation there was more snow cover.  Hiking involved trying to stay on the packed trail or risk a quick post hole.  Although we didn’t need snowshoes the lack of gaiters meant our boots filled with snow overflow and soaked our socks.

The south east end of the lake has a beaver dam across it,allowing one to cross to an area of large,flat rocks. The view of the lake from this spot is wonderful,however we found it occupied by a couple and being buffeted by winds sweeping down the lake. We followed an unmarked,but easy to follow trail around the north shore of the lake to a location where large granite ledges provided a scenic view.

While Jockeybush Lake was covered by ice it was slowly melting back from the shoreline.

We utilized a fire ring near the shore for cooking our brats,but set up our tarp on an open area back in the woods.  We lowered the windward sides as much as possible. Despite 20 mph wind gusts during the night the shelter stayed intact and upright.

During the evening we heard a horned owl from across the lake,but otherwise slept great.

The next morning we discovered the fuel canister that Skip had packed for heating our water was empty.  So we had water and granola bars for breakfast and hiked out.  The hike out was easier and quicker due to the snow setting up in the cold temperatures overnight.

Space blankets are not blankets.  We usually think of a blanket as something that will insulate from the cold air – you can fold up a wool blanket and place it on the snow, sit on the blanket and for the most part your posterior won’t get overly cold. Conversely, space blankets offer near zero insulating properties and conduct cold or hot temperatures very efficiently.

The purpose of a space blanket is to reflect heat back towards the source of the heat. If you are very cold a space blanket alone will do little to help reheat you.  If, however, if you are producing heat (e.g. a marathon runner at the end of a long run)  a space blanket will significantly slow down the rate at which your radiated heat dissipates into the environment.  If you find yourself stranded in a blizzard you can use a space blanket to slow the rate of heat loss but it won’t do anything to heat you up after you’ve spent 2 hours wandering around.

Space blankets have drawbacks:

• You can never get a space blanket folded up like they were before you opened them.
• Light weight space blankets tear easily and may be single use.
• Space blankets are loud and can crinkle through the night.

So what good are space blankets then?

• Space blankets are inexpensive, light weight and packable.
• Space blankets are multi-purpose; serving as a clothing, a shelter or signaling device.
• A space blanket can be used as a emergency poncho or wind jacket.
• Space blankets can be used as a emergency shelter.  They can shed rain/snow and offer a good wind break.
• A space blanket can be used under a sleeping bag as a ground cloth.
• Space blankets will reflect the sun’s energy away from you and provide shade.
• A space blanket makes a good emergency signal flapping in the breeze and reflecting sunlight.
• A space blanket can be used as a heat reflector in back of a camp fire to direct heat from the fire.
• In a first aid situation a space blanket can be combined with a traditional blanket to maximize the reheating of a victim much better than either used by themselves.

The Platform. Step 1 is paying attention to base the fire is going to sit on.  Whether you are trying to promote Leave No Trace techniques and establishing a protection layer between the fire and the ground or shielding the fire from dampness or trying to keep it up out of the snow and direct it’s heat; a platform is all important.  The picture below depicts a good platform.  It is built in the existing fire pit at the Tirrell Pond lean-to.  It has a solid base of logs; getting it up out of the snow and a couple of reflective walls to channel the heat back to the fire and towards the lean-to.  Len the Fire Master preaches “Get It Off The Ground”, especially if it is damp and/or cold.

Firestarter. Whether you use matches, butane lighters, flint and steel, or decide to rub two sticks together, you need a flame or spark and something to catch fire.  There are commercial materials such as wetfire or esbit tablets, homemade starters such as cotton balls dipped in Vaseline, or wax and shavings cupcakes, or nature materials such as birch bark.

Tinder. Tinder should be bone-dry, snappable twigs, about as long as your hand. You need two complete handfuls.

Kindling. Kindling should be as thick as your thumb, long as your forearm, breakable with two hands. You need at least two armfuls.

Fuel wood — anything thick and long enough that it can’t be broken by hand. It’s okay if it’s slightly damp. You need a knee-high stack.

The Process.

Step 1: Light the tinder, turning the pile gently to get air underneath it.
Step 2: Feed the kindling into the emergent fire with some pace.
Step 3: Lay on the fuel wood. Pyramid, the log cabin, whatever — the idea is to create some kind of structure so that plenty of air gets to the fire.

Fire making tips.

1. Don’t build a fire under snow-laden branches (to avoid a flame-smothering avalanche).

2. Make a foundation for your fire with medium-size logs or thick bark, or dig down to the frozen earth. Without these precautions the fire will melt into the snow and suffocate.

3.  Gather only dead wood from downed trees and branches to feed your fire. If the available fuel is snow-covered and damp, use more tinder and kindling, and start with a smaller fire. “If you keep at it,” explains Kostoss, “you can dry out any wood enough to burn.”

4. For a no-hassle fire, use the classic tepee method: In the middle of your foundation, sandwich a handful of loose tinder between two layers of kindling. Prop small and medium sticks, no bigger than your wrist, upright around the kindling, their tops meeting like the poles of a tepee. Leave a larger opening on the windward side to ensure enough air for the fire, and light the tinder.

Maintenance and feeding

Pre-heat and dry larger pieces of wood by laying them discretely alongside the fire before placing them in the fire to burn.  If you keep at it you can dry out any wood enough to burn.

Finally, fires by committee are notoriously problematic.  Everyone has a different thermostat and style.  Our process is to appoint someone as “The FireMaster” and request the FireMaster for more or less heat.

The trail continues along the western side of Tirrell Pond reaching a 2^nd lean to at 4.6 miles. Blue Mountain Village can be reached by continuing another 4 miles.

Below WinterCampers.com snowshoes into Tirrell Pond.

• If your feet are cold, cover your head.
• You can lose up to 75% of your body heat through your head alone.

Although 13-16% of the blood volume is in the head at any given time it is a very exposed structure. The problem is that the head is only about 10% of the body surface area.  Thus, the head would have to lose about 40 times as much heat per square inch or centimeter compared to the rest of the body.

Wilderness Medicine took volunteers, wired them to monitor their core temperatures, and discovered we lose heat through any exposed part of the body and the amount of heat we lose depends on the amount of exposed surface area.  The rate of heat loss is relatively the same for any exposed part of the body not simply the head. You do not lose heat significantly faster through the scalp than any other portion of the body with the same surface area. The idea that we lose heat faster through out scalp because of the constant blood supply to the brain is simply a myth.

Wilderness Medicine reports the cerebral blood flow is constant; blood flow to the brain does not change as the demand for oxygen is constant. As a result, when you look at total heat loss, the head accounts for about 7% of the heat lost.  The cerebral blood flow does, however, vary based on cardiac output – the harder your heart beats, the greater the blood flow to the brain.  When you begin to exercise you increase the blood flow to the brain and increase the percentage of heat loss through the head to about 50% of total body heat loss.  But as the person continues to exercise, the muscles demand more oxygen which increases blood flow. To ensure thermoregulation and maintain normal core temperature (exercises increases body heat), the skin vasodilates which increases blood flow to the skin to cool the blood. The net result is a decrease in the total blood flow to the brain and a decrease in percentage of total body heat lost through the head to about 10%.  Once sweating begins, the percent lost through the scalp returns to 7%.  Research at the Army Research in Environmental Medicine labs showed that there was a temporary increase in heat loss through the scalp that returned to the baseline of 7% as the subjects continued to exercise.

CNN published a set of 10 health myths including heat loss through one’s head:  “You Lose 75 Percent of Your Body Heat Through Your Head”.  CNN reports the truth is: “This adage was probably based on an infant’s head size, which is a much greater percentage of the total body than an adult head”. That’s why it’s important to make sure an infant’s head remains covered in cold weather. (This also explains those ubiquitous newborn caps at the hospital.) But for an adult, the figure is more like 10 percent. And keep in mind that heat escapes from any exposed area (feet, arms, hands), so putting on a hat is no more important than slipping on gloves.

It is still a good idea to put on a hat  if your feet are cold.  But what is BUSTED is that there is nothing peculiar or unique about the head. The idea that we lose heat faster through out scalp, because of the constant blood supply to the brain, is simply a myth.

A collection of comments from previous discussions on this topic are listed below:

• nogayc@msn.com: I read the referenced article and still do not think that this addresses issues such as the proximity of blood vessels to the skin and the rate of heat loss.
• Ezra Burgess, Former Nordic Advisor to the Eastern Division National Ski Patrol.
  I have been involved in winter camping for over 35 years. The problem here is that the original statistic is not being stated properly. The original statistic made many years ago was that 50% to 70% of body heat is lost thru the head, neck and shoulder areas of the body. The solution to prevent this was and is to put on a good hat, close up your coat and/or wear a scarf. The heat-loss doesn’t come from the head only; but from the overall collection of heated air trapped in the clothing layers rising from the “chimney effect” caused by an open neck,head and shoulder area allowing all this heated air to escape thus chilling the body. Don’t forget, however, that when engaging in strenuous activities the body will produce greater amounts of heat, requiring you to open these areas for proper ventilation and then re-closing them when activity ceases.
• Compass Points: Whether we lose 50 percent or 10 percent of our body heat through our heads …It doesn’t matter.Cover up the noggin anyway. Wear a liner while engaging in strenuous activity like hiking up a mountain, then add a thicker hat for camping, sleeping, etc.  That is unless you don’t want to keep your ears.
• Josh Turner: That’s a pretty cool fact. I use an Under Armour face mask/liner that does a pretty good job.
• Trailsauce: So, we lose most heat from the head because it’s the most frequently uncovered? Makes perfect sense. Even if you wear a beanie your face is still exposed.

Components Of A Sleeping System

1. Sleeping pads

A good sleeping pad may be the most crucial element to staying warm at night.  What is under you is more important in keeping you warm than what’s on top of you. Unless you have the right amount of insulation below you the ground will absorb most of the radiant heat vented by your sleeping bag and you’ll feel cold at night. You can prevent this by using an insulated sleeping pad.  This compensates for the fact that you are lying on your sleeping bag, compressing the fill, eliminating most of its loft and heat retention capabilities. Typically I use some combination of a closed-cell pad and an inflatable Therm-a-Rest pad.  The closed cell pad has a R-value of about 2.6 and the Therm-a-Rest has an R-value of about 3 for a total of 5.6.

An alternative is to use a down filled sleeping pad such as Exped’s Downmat 9 which has an R-value of about seven. So a Downmat more than equals two regular pads-a self-inflating and a closed-cell pairing-in insulation. While I’ve never used a down-filled pad, I am told they are very comfortable.  Weight-wise a Downmat 9 weighs two pounds, while the two Therm-a-Rest pads will end up at three pounds six ounces.

2. Sleeping bag

If you want to be comfortable winter camping you need more than a summer or three season bag. Your sleeping bag choice requires a decision between down and synthetic insulation. Down insulation weighs less, lasts longer, compresses smaller, and costs more. Synthetic dries quicker, provides better insulation when wet, and costs less. You should consider whether you sleep warm or cold and take that into consideration when buying your bag. Buy a sleeping bag that’s rated 5 to 10 degrees colder than any temperature you expect to encounter.  The excess insulation may weigh more, but you will appreciate having the extra insurance. Different brands and different designs run warm or cold talk so talk to friends and research the internet.  Feather Friends and Western Mountaineering make well regarded down sleeping bags.

If you don’t have a really warm winter bag, consider an insulated over-bag that you can use with your three-season one to boost the temperature rating or bring two sleeping bags.

Make sure your sleeping bag is the right size for you. If there’s too much space your body will lose heat trying to warm that empty space. However, you might want extra length to your sleeping bag to sleep with boots, water bottles, cameras, clothes, etc. to keep them from freezing.

3. Sleeping bag liner

A sleeping bag liner serves as an insulating layer inside a sleeping bag, it provides a layer of protection between your body and any water bottles or clothes you include in your sleeping bag at night and they keep your sleeping bag clean from dirt and body oils. A sleeping bag liner might consist of a fleece blanket, silk mummy bag or a vapor barrier bag.  My experience is that blankets tend to get tangled so look for something shaped like your sleeping bag.

A vapor barrier is made of a waterproof, non-breathable coated material and the concept is to keep a sleeping bag dry on multi-day trips by preventing body perspiration from getting trapped in the insulation of the sleeping bag.  In ideal dry conditions the heat generated by the body drives the moisture through the insulation. However, in extreme cold this moisture might become trapped in the insulation and freeze. By using a vapor barrier the moisture is contained and can be removed by turning the vapor barrier inside out and shaking off the flakes as the moisture freezes.  Used properly, a vapor barrier liner can allow you to sleep comfortably in temperatures 10 or 15 degrees lower than you could without a liner; used improperly, a vapor barrier liner leaves you sleeping covered in your own sweat.

I have used a DesignSalt silk sleeping bag liner for 5 years.  I have used this liner in a variety of weather conditions with temperatures ranging from -teens to mid-70s. The silk liner is lightweight – it only weighs 4.7 ounces. The liner adds 9.5 degrees of warmth to my sleeping system.  It is  breathable, wicks moisture away from skin and is soft and comfortable to the skin. Finally it is the ideal size. I am 6′4″ and found the sizing of liner to be ideal. The 95″ long bag features a drawstring hood, a 35″ wide opening taping to a comfortable 22″ boxed foot end.

Preparation Before Sleep

1. Preparing your site

Select a protected campsite out of the wind and off the valley floor and other low areas where cold air settles.  Look for natural wind blocks like large boulders, rock outcroppings, or dense stands of trees protect against wind. Breezes blow up canyons or mountains during the day, and down at night. If you camp near a steam, cold air travels down water corridors.  Don’t set your tent or build a fire under trees that have snow on their branches.

Use a winter- tent. You want nylon tent walls with minimal mesh, closeable vents, and a full coverage fly. It’s amazing how much warmth a good winter tent can hold. If you are sleeping in a tent open the ventilation system to permit the moisture to vent out.  Most tents are going to have condensation somewhere – just try to reduce the volume to prevent your sleeping bag and clothing from getting wet.

If you are sleeping in a lean-to you should consider hanging a tarp across the opening to help eliminate breezes.  Similarly, if you are sleeping in the open a snow wall or tarp can serve as a wind block.

2. Preparing your sleeping system

As soon as you set up your site you should set up your sleeping system. If you are using a self-inflated air mattress let it self-inflate and then add puffs of air right before bedtime.  You don’t have to worry about moisture buildup even in winter; freezing of moisture in the pad isn’t an issue unless you are doing this daily for months at a time.

Fluff your sleeping bag up very well. This will allow more time for the sleeping bag to regain its loft. Also, you should give your sleeping bag a good fluff just before getting in it. This also helps the bag retain loft throughout the night.

Put tomorrow’s clothes under your sleeping bag.  If you put tomorrow’s clothes between your sleeping pad and your sleeping bag, your clothes will be warm when you go to put them on the next day.  The additional layer between you and the ground will also help you keep warm.

3. Preparing your body

During the winter it’s important to be adequately hydrated.  Your body demands more water in the winter as your lungs lose moisture humidifying and warming the dry, cold winter air. The average person needs about 1.5 to 2.5 liters per day, whereas a winter exertions may require 2.5 to 5 liters per day. In order to burn fuel efficiently you must keep your body hydrated.

Avoid caffeine, alcohol and nicotine. Caffeine is a diuretic which causes water loss increasing dehydration. Although alcohol has some caloric value, it is a detriment in cold weather. Physiologically, alcohol creates peripheral vessel dilation which results in the rapid loss of body heat. Nicotine is a strong vasoconstrictor that decreases circulation to your extremities and promotes frostbite.

Eat a hot, hearty meal for dinner. Your body will use this fuel to keep you warm throughout the night. If the weather is really bad and you don’t feel like cooking a big meal, then cook the meal that is easiest and fastest to make. When cold-weather camping, you carry a freeze dried meal since they are a quick, easy hot meal.

Eating a a high calorie, high fat content snack before bedtime will give your body more fuel to help keep you warm. Proteins, such as cheese, nuts, or grains, are better than simple sugars.  Proteins release their energy more slowly than sugars, keeping you warmer through the night.

Do calisthenics to get your circulation moving and your metabolism going.  Take a brief hike around camp, or do jumping jacks or pushups to increase your metabolism and get warm before getting into the sleeping bag.

Go to the bathroom before bed and save yourself a middle of the night trip in the cold.

External Heat Sources

Fill a leak-proof water bottle with hot water. Wrap it in a spare fleece layer or sock, place it in your sleeping bag and sleep with it. You pre-warm your sleeping bag with the hot water bottle before you slide into it to avoid those “cold-nylon shivers”.

Depending on your tent mate you can snuggle next to one another to share warmth. By keeping sleeping bags close together in the tent you can take advantage of your partner’s heat.

Take some heated rocks from around the campfire and place them inside your cooking pot for a safe heat source inside your tent.

Chemical heating packs work great for hands and feet. Layer them between socks or gloves – never put them directly next to your skin. Chemical heat packs usually last several hours.

Dressing For Sleep

Change into clean, dry, loose fitting clothes prior to climbing into your sleeping bag.  Perspiration in the clothes you wore during the day will chill you at night. Wear wool, silk or polypropylene long underwear tops and bottoms.  A hat, balaclava or hood will help keep your head warm.  Accessories such as socks, light gloves/mittens, and a scarf around your neck will also help retain body heat.

Make sure your feet are as dry as possible before going to bed. Wear dry sleeping socks or booties or you can “dry” wash your feet with a good foot powder that contains aluminum chlorohydrate, to dry the skin and reduce perspiration.

If you wear too much to bed you can risk compressing your sleeping bag insulation and getting overheated.  You want to avoid sweating during the night. If you feel constricted in your bag, you have got too much on.

Personal Variations

Some people have ‘must be warm’ spots on their bodies. For some people it is their head or feet. Mine is the small of my back. If my lower back is warm, I feel warm and can tolerate other parts being chilled.  Bring an insulating layer (down jacket or fleece) into your sleeping bag to place around your cold sensitive areas.  If your feet are cold, wrapping them in a fleece jacket may do the trick for you.

Adjustments During The Night

Don’t bring wet clothes or boots into your sleeping bag as moisture will travel from wet clothes to sleeping bag.  If you must bring leather boots into your sleeping to prevent them from freezing consider putting them in a stuff sack and placed into the foot of the sleeping bag.  You can also put the boots in a sack and place them between your sleeping bag and the pad underneath.

Sleep with your face outside of your sleeping bag. Your breath contains a great deal of moisture that can cause dampness to collect in the bag as you sleep.

Avoid overheating at night. Being too warm produces perspiration, so vent your bag if needed or take off your hat.

If you are cold add more insulation by using your jacket as an additional layer and seal the area around your neck by cinching your mummy bag or use extra clothing to seal off the opening around your neck. I have found putting a down jacket loosely over me to be more comfortable than wearing the jacket and it prevents sweaty arm pits.

Pee if you feel the urge.  Holding it in requires your body to waste energy trying to heat up the water in your bladder.  To avoid exposing yourself to the elements use a pee bottle.

Keep a snack available for the middle of the night, so if you do wake up cold you can replenish lost calories and warm back up again. Semi-sweet chocolate bars or trail mix work fine.

If you have tried all these measures and are still very cold, don’t be afraid to wake someone!

The Morning After

When you awake prolong your time in the sleeping bag as long as possible.  Try to prepare a hot drink, eat your breakfast, get dressed and pack up to the extent possible while staying warm in your sleeping bag.

Roll the moisture out of your bag each morning when you get up (roll from foot to head), then leave it open until it cools to air temperature. If weather permits set it out to dry.

Pack your inflatable sleeping pad by folding the mattress several times and sitting on it to get most of the air out, then start at the end and roll toward the valve, using your knee as pressure to keep it rolling tightly.  Or alternatively fold mattress in half lengthwise, then fold again. Now sit on mattress and open the valve. When all the air is out, close the valve and roll up your mattress.

Packing nylon tents and stuff sacks can really cause your hands to get cold.  Wear your gloves and mittens as much as possible to prevent frostbit.

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Inflatable pads provide superior comfort but you can get cold spots where hips or shoulders compress the pad.  Closed cell pad provide superior insulation but don’t provide much cushion.

This counter-intuitive stacking of the two is worth trying if you are going to be spending a lot of time sleeping in the snow.