In today's episode I update you on Advantage Survival, announce my Search and Rescue retirement and review my Systems of Survival.

Episode Music: Crawled Out Of A Grave by danosongs.com and Back In The Saddle Again by Gene Autry.

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Nothing beats the sound of snow... I spend a butt-load of time commuting from Puyallup to Seattle everyday for work - drive sucks. Good thing is I get to catch up on some of the best podcasts out there. The reality is I only want to see Seattle from the top of some mountain peak as I listen to the sound of snow falling. Nothing drops my blood pressure more than that experience and I don't do it enough.

Winter's here and I want to plan a snow camping trip just to get out and decompress from my daily workload. I've got a few days coming up and there's no better time to take advantage of it. By putting this planning exercise to pen, the hope is to give you some insight on my Systems of Survival (SOS) and how I plan a trip. I call this planning my workflow and that flow will differ depending on the plan but what will not differ is making sure I've got my Systems of Survival covered.

To that end here is my snow camping prep as I patiently wait for more snow to stack up in the Cascades. The first question I ask myself is where am I going? For the sake of this rambling let's say... somewhere near Mt. Rainier on the southwest side just because it's easy for me to get to. A place like High Hut in the South District Ski Trails. This should provide me cover if I need it and some good views of the mountain if the weather is clear.

I know I want to go in on snowshoes so I need to pack accordingly. Is this an overnighter? I think yes. Am I going alone or taking someone with me? For the sake of safety I'll bring along a friend this time. Now I'm going to list out my mission goals.

1 Get home alive.

2 Decompress

3 Create an awesome overnight winter campsite where I can chill; pardon the pun.

4 Test out gear for Advantage Survival and generate some good podcasting content you'll enjoy.

5 Eat well. Comfort food will be a priority on this trip.

6 Sleep warm. I'm testing out some winter hammock sleeping techniques. Risky I know but I have some innovative ideas.

7 Not overheat on the hike up or down by managing my Clothing System efficiently.

8 Practice fire building techniques on snow.

9 And 2 other things I can't remember right now.

Next up.....gear up. Time to pull out the big pack and my snow gear. If you're like me pack choice will be hard due to the fact I have too many. But I'll settle for the Mountain Hardware. It's proven and durable and should haul the load just fine. Snowshoes will be the tried and true MRS' Ascent and depending on the weather, snow condition, pack weight and my weight (yes I could stand to drop 10) I'll make the call whether to bring the float attachments. I always roll with my body recovery device... I mean my avalanche transceiver with whistle attached, my probe poles and a snow shovel all purchased thru Survival On The Snow.  I will also take a small repair kit that will have an extra binding strap for the shoes, switch key for the transceiver, duct tape and so on.

Now it's time to dial in those Systems of Survival that I'll be taking up the hill. The above covered #13 Gear Carry & Gear Repair and #16 Backcountry Winter Travel. I wanted to get the big bulky stuff out of the way first. Now let's move to the top of the list.

Systems of Survival

1 Shelter: For this trip I'm going to go out on a limb and take my Hennessy Hammock Expedition Asym Classic. I know it's risky. I could freeze my bum off or get pummeled by chunks of snow falling off the tree branched but.... I'm going to try something new that should keep me nice and toasty and revolutionize winter Hammock camping for the masses. Ok, bold statement but it may spawn some new sleeping techniques to try. I do have a couple of backup plans, 1 snow cave, 2 snow trench tarp-top style. More on those shelters in a future rambling. Now that I'm all over the board listing out my SOS; a solid set of breathable rainwear top and bottoms (to be named later) will be my first line of defense in my shelter system. Lastly, a Grabber Outdoors Hooded All Weather Blanket as an emergency backup and maybe incorporated into #2 snow trench shelter.

2 Water: This trip is only an overnighter so I'm taking my water with me in a CamelBak 100oz Antidote Reservoir - if and when I need more I will melt snow in a water generator by the campfire and run it thru my McNett Aquamira Frontier Pro Ultralight Water Filter. Depending on temps I may sleep with the extra water and filter to keep it from freezing.

3 Fire: So I'm taken my tried and true standard fire kit. I don't expect any issue getting a fire started, the question is what type of fire will I construct? Depending on my camp location and hammock setup and what that looks like will be a driving factor in my overall warmth during the night.

4 Tools: I'm taking four tools on this trip and it's what I take on every trip. Oh yes! Silky Saw, the best in my opinion. Ka-Bar Large Heavy Bowie. I want a chopper because I know I'll be processing a fair amount of firewood for the night and morning. Next an EESE Izula for quick meat cutting and a Victorinox Swiss Army Dual Pro X for around camp tasks. My standard toolbox.

5 Communications & Signaling: iPhone with the Spot Connect App and my Spot Connect device. Part of me wants to leave it all at home but knowing what I know it wouldn't be very irresponsible of me plus it does help put my wife and kids at ease knowing that I'm doing OK. My kids think the custom "goodnight" messages are pretty cool too. For some other signaling capabilities my headlamp has strobe functions my compass has a mirror, one glow stick with 5' of bank-line wrapped around it so I can swing it around my head in a big-ass circle. That's it on this trip.

6 Navigation: Only taking a topographical map of the area in a Ziploc bag and my Brunton 15 TDCL Compass. As a backup my iPhone has GPS Topo apps and downloaded map tiles however I don't plan to use them. I know the area pretty well and I see no need to stray from the path. In the perfect world right? The Garmin GPSMAP 60CSx is staying home.

7 Lighting: Fenix HP10 7 Level 225 Lumen LED Headlamp. The best headlamp I've ever owned! I'll be sporting the red lens for early morning and night hiking to preserve my night vision. In camp I'm using a Fenix LD20 with the white cone attachment for lantern effect. Also a glow stick for backup.

8 Outdoor Clothing: In addition to the rainwear mentioned above clothing management is a goal on this trip. It's one of the things that is hard for me to manage consistently. Not sure why, maybe I'm not planning my burn rate very well. I tend to be a little random in my energy usage. Anyway, layering is the key and having the ability to vent is another factor in my clothing choices. Let's start with my base layer. Synthetic underwear. Over that a thin set of two piece Cabela's Hollow-Core Heat Base Layer. This layer has been proven on many search and rescue missions. Next, I've become a huge fan of a Polartec® 200 Fleece one piece medium layer. Top looks like a vest and the whole thing fits snug against the body. It has zips all over the thing. Legs, butt and front. Knees are reinforced and it's warm, a very nice piece of kit. I'll have either a wool or fleece jacket that has some type of wind stopping technology. Pants will be a synthetic hiking type, rain bottoms or both. Now all of this is subject to adjustment depending on weather conditions. That's the hard part and I will get it figured out once I'm at the trail head. Whatever I decide on I know I'll have my Outdoor Research Expedition Crocodile® gaiters on. If weather is good they'll go over my hiking pants if it snowing they'll slide under my rain pants for the shingling effect. Feet and hands; I like smart wool type socks and only one layer. I will have Gore-Tex® boots not sure which ones yet but the boots will be insulated. For my hands I'll need to layer there too by starting off with a Burton Gore-Tex® Glove with a fleece liner glove. At camp I'm using a lightly oiled leather glove for the firewood possessing. OK time to cover the head with a fleece skullcap from Mountain Hardware. If the weather turns I'll use the hood attached to my rain jacket over that and I sleep with that hat on as well. I know clothing is a very complicated system and very individualized. There are so many types and styles to consider. One thing that I won't have with me is anything that's cotton. Extra stuff in my pack will be a down jacket for camp warmth, one extra pair of smart wool socks and a neck gator. I will also have two survival gear items I'll show off soon.

9 Security: Beretta 9mm. Why? Cuz I can. Mainly for Zombie protection or rouge puddy-tats. Not sure if Sasquatch will gimme me any guff. Also back in the tool department that Ka-Bar Large Heavy Bowie can be a wicked implement.

10 First-Aid: A very lightweight basic kit with one Israeli Battle Dressing. Nothing crazy here, it's about risk management for me.

11 Essentials: For the trip at hand... sunglasses, trekking poles with snow baskets and snow goggles. If it's really cold freezing an eyeball would suck.

12 Cooking & Food: As one of my mission goals comfort food will be a priority. Now I know what your thinking so stop. I'm bringing some marinated stakes and bakers for the camp fire. I'm saving pack weight by not packing the refrigerator. This is after all a recreational trip for me. That's dinner. Lunch will be Mountain House. Trail food will be my own gorp mix. Breakfast, Mountain House. Yes I need coffee. Starbucks VIA Ready Brew Colombian Medium Roast. Not a huge Starbucks fanboy but find me a good alternative.

My cooking kit will consist of a campfire, a MSR Pocket Rocket Stove for boiling water fast. A one cup aluminum pot that I have no idea where I got it. I hate sporks so a spoon for me please. If your wondering how I'm going to cut the steak... I'm eating it like a Neanderthal, potato too. Oh, I almost forgot, a 8"x 8"x1/4" piece of plywood as a flat base for my stove to sit on, this will keep it from melting into the snow.

14 Power Management: A Goal Zero Guide 10 4AA Battery Recharger with 4 Sanyo Eneloop AA batteries. Energizer Ultimate Lithium AA 8x Batteries the 4 Pack and a USB plug for my iPhone to charge it up if needed.

15 Sleep Systems: Well I've alluded to the fact that I'm hammock camping and the details I'll share with you after the trip in part 2 or a podcast. I am taking a Hennessy Hammock Expedition Asym Classic, an inflatable matters pad and a 20 degree synthetic filled sleeping bag.

17 Personnel Hygiene: Hand sanitizer but I will need to be careful using this in freezing conditions. I don't want any cold injuries. Other items include a toothbrush and toilet paper.

18 Riding Gear: Not taking a snowmobile or tracked ATV on this trip so no need for riding gear.

The Plan

Before leaving I'll put together a detailed trip plan for my wife and a copy of the exact map we'll have with us. I'll update my Spot profile on the website adding my tag-a-longs info and test the Spot Connect. I usually rotate the lithium batteries out to my headlamp and put new lithium's in the Spot. I do the same with my transceiver. Researching weather and avalanche conditions is next on the list. This will be the deciding factor on whether the trip is a go-no-go.

So my plan is get to the insertion point early, at about daybreak. That sounds tactical... I love this time of the morning anyway and weather permitting it should make for an awesome sunrise in the wilderness. The drive in will be about an hour and a half from my house where I'll meet my tag-a-long, load up and head out.

At the trail head we'll get our clothing, boots and snowshoes on, do a pack check to make sure we have our SOS, secure the truck and hit the trail. We're going in about 3 miles and in the snow this will be slow going - that's OK, we're in no hurry. I really want to not overheat so managing my pit-zips and other zips, layering system will be a key goal of mine. I think it's critical not to sweat in cold conditions for obvious reasons. The cool thing is if we don't make it to our intended destination it's not a big deal we can camp anywhere along the way and be just fine.

This is getting long winded so I think I'll stop for now. Stay tuned for Part 2 and I hope my diatribe helps you plan your next trip and find the sound of snow.

On one of my many adventures alone (I know bad idea), I was snowshoeing in the Glacier View Wilderness west of Mount Rainier. I was doing a quick overnighter and planned to stay the night camped near a stream right at the timberline. Temperatures were hovering around 22º F and I was cooling down from the trek, I needed a fire. I was able to find plenty of wood to burn and against my better judgment I built a fire in a hurry (I know bad idea #2). As I was blowing into the infant flame a little voice inside said “captivate the heat, captivate the heat.” I took another breath and let it out slowly. I looked at my fire only to readjust the wood to help me captivate the heat. I nursed it along like I was preforming microsurgery and it paid off. I now had a sustainable fire that just needed maintenance thru the night.

There are a few ways I use to captivate the heat. In my fire kit I keep a 10”x10” square piece of aluminum foil. I use this foil on top of my base then construct the fire on top of it. Bigger is better but in my small pocket fire kit there are some tradeoffs for space. The foil does a few things for me. It reflects heat up to help dry the wood above. It also gives me a good dry hearth to set my tinder on and light. This step may not be necessary in all conditions but here in the Pacific Northwest - we get rain.

How you construct your fire will make a difference too. We’ve seen so many ways to build a fire on TV survival shows, books and YouTube it’s almost overwhelming. One of the key points in my mind is to pick a fire building technique and perfect it. Practice, practice, practice. Get good at building it in all weather conditions then, try another fire style.

One technique I've perfected is the tee-pee method. I construct it in the shape of a half moon allowing me to captivate the heat in the early stages, drying the wood out if needed and allowing me to feed the fire from the open side. It works for me.

Now that I've captivated the heat to turn my fire into an life saving inferno, it’s time to captivate the heat around you. It’s vitally important to have some means to reflect the heat back at you. You can do this by building a reflector that will bounce the heat to you. You can also achieve this by building your fire close to a rock wall or some other naturally accruing feature but be safe about it. You don’t want to burn your shelter down. I'm going to take a short detour here to tell you a story of another way to captivate the heat. I worked with a guy once who is an avid hunter. Every hunting season, he gets the fever bad and to say hunting is a lifestyle for him and his family is putting it mildly.

We were bs'ing around the water cooler talking about... hunting. He had some great stories about getting lost but always kept a cool head and reasoned his way out of things. Of course I gave him my “have The Advantage Survival - be prepared” speech, but I'm digressing. He told me he always hunts and scouts alone. He’ll spend hours sitting on a hillside glassing for elk or deer or whatever’s going to be in season, soon we get on the subject of fire. I asked him how he keeps warm in sometimes inclement weather. His reply was surprising to me. He said, and I paraphrase here, “aw hell that’s easy. I just sit on ma-pack, pull a wool blanket around me and over ma-head; than I light a can of Sterno and set it on the ground next to my feet. The damn thing will burn fer hours and I - stay - warm.” I thought to myself....that’s an innovative way to stay warm as long as you get some “fresh air." My point here is to get you thinking of other ways to captivate the heat. A wool blanket wrapped around your core and head is a good start. Don’t let this precious commodity escape you when it’s all about keeping your core temperature at 98.6º F. Keep this thought with you and reflect on it every time you start a fire or need to pack gear items like the Grabber Outdoors Hooded All Weather Blanket. I love this thing because it has more than one use in the wild. I'll review this blanket and other ways to "captivate the heat" in another post... Stay tuned and stay warm.

SHOW NOTES:

This is the gear that really mattered to me today. I'm not an impulse buyer but sometimes it's OK to do it every once in a while or at least that's what I keep telling myself.  No, I do not have buyer's remorse, what I do have is a new piece of gear that will enhance my Systems of Survival.  I was looking for a Mule, got a HAWG. Let me explain.

In my never-ending search for the perfect "kit" I thought it would be a good idea to reevaluate my current gear carry system. This sometimes can be a long process for me. I like to think through every piece of equipment I want to carry and what I really need to carry.  I begin by asking lots of questions of myself like; where will I use the equipment? In what capacity will I be using it - Search and Rescue or personal? Do I really need it or will something I already have fill the need? What is "The Survival Advantage" of having this new equipment? All of these questions and more are racing through my head as I evaluate the prospect of new gear.

I wanted a new pack that was small, reasonably light, had a good build quality and not priced off the charts. Believe it or not there was not a lot of choices in my want/need mindset that fit the bill. I looked at Maxpedition Monsoon Gearslinger because I had one already and it's the bomb, but I wanted smaller. I also wanted to manage water better than I have with other packs. This lead me to reevaluate hydration systems and in walks the MULE by CamelBak. I didn't know it at the time but what I wanted was a HAWG.

LINKS FROM TODAY'S SHOW:

More Photos of the HAWG

Systems of Survival (SOS)

AS Gear Shop

CamelBak 2011 HAWG NV

CamelBak 2011 Mule NV

Maxpedition Monsoon Gearsling

AdvantageSurvival.com

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Taking a few extra steps before you head out on your next outdoor adventure could mean the difference between you making it home to your family and friends alive, or not. Developing a work-flow for preparing is a simple and rewarding task that will not only leave you prepared, but will give you the additional confidence in knowing you’ve done the right things to prepare. It will also familiarize you with your gear if you haven't been using it lately.

Another benefit to trip planning is providing your family and friends with a level of comfort knowing you’ve planned well for your next adventure.

In today's show I discuss my work-flow for preparing to start a wilderness adventure. I’ll reflect on some past search and rescue missions as well as reviewing my Systems of Survival. I also express the importance of filing a trip plan with a responsible person.

From updating your Spot profile to managing your GPS and car keys, everyone should take something away from today's Advantage Survival Podcast. And don't forget to check the weather and avalanche conditions before you head out.

SHOW LINKS

File a Trip Plan

Music in today's show in part by Jason Shaw @ audionautix.com

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Don’t be the guy that I read about in the news and Tweet about. That guy who went into the backcountry without being remotely prepared. It’s always important to take some SOS or Systems of Survival with you. You can research the “10 essentials” and take that or go the extra mile and research the area that you’re heading into and prepare a little more. For example, if you're heading into snow country you may want to consider adding sunglasses and sun screen or in a desert environment an extra water carry system.

There is a saying in survival that one is none and two is one. Having redundant backup systems of survival is not necessarily a bad thing. In today’s show I take you through a brief description of my Survival Kit/EDC (Every Day Carry) systems of survival that I consider important in my environments. I carry these systems on my body so there is no mistake that I will have them available if a survival situation presents itself. I also have extra systems in my main backpack if I need them or someone with me needs them.  With my Search and Rescue responsibilities that is always a factor I need to be prepared for. That said, my pack weight may increase. A small price to pay for living another day.

So let’s take a look at the list of systems I have in my Survival Kit/EDC.

Gear Carry System: Kelty Sling Bag. 250 cu. in. Chest Pack. (This pack has a concealed carry feature; very nice)

Shelter System: 55 gal. Plastic Drum Liner or poncho.

Water System: McNett Aquamira Frontier Pro filter system with extra pre-filters and a 1 liter Platypus Water Bottle.

Fire System: A hybrid version of my Advantage Survival PacFire Fire Kit. Contents include Fatwood Sticks, Fatwood Shavings, Foil Hearth, Fire Steel and Striker, 1 Tampon, 1 Bic lighter, 1 UST’s Wetfire Cube and 4 Tinder-Quik Tabs.

Tool Systems: Silky Super Accel Z1 Folding Saw with 210 mm blade and a ESEE Izula Fixed Blade Knife.

Communication and Signaling System: Spot Satellite Messenger, Cell Phone, Storm Whistle, Signal Mirror (from my compass), Strobe (a function on my flashlight), Light My Fire Fire Steel “Army” version (sparks at night to signal rescue), 1 Chem Light Stick (Used on a 5’ piece of paracord, swing around your head at night in a circular motion to attract rescuers)

Navigation System: Compass with mirror, Map of Area and an optional Garmen 60csx GPS unit. (Keep map in a Ziploc bag or waterproof map case)

Lighting System: Fenix LD 20 LED 180 Lumen Flashlight with white dome for a lantern effect and One 12 hour Light Stick

Power Management System: 4 AA Energizer Ultimate Lithium Batteries

First Aid System: Small first aid kit with bandages and over the counter meds. (Stock it for your skill level)

Personnel Hygiene System: Toilet Paper and hand sanitizer  (Items can be used for fire starter, a redundant system)

Optional Gear Item Considerations: Bug Spray, Duct Tape, Sunglasses, Sunscreen, 50’ of Bank Line Cordage or 20’ of Paracord, Pencil and Waterproof Note Paper, 3 sf of Heavy Duty Aluminum Foil, Fishing Kit, Snare Kit, Adventure Medical Kits’ Heatsheets Emergency Bivvy, Energizer XP4001 Universal Rechargeable Power Pack for your Cell Phone or your companions. (Planning is key to what you might add to your survival kit or EDC)

This is a list that you can expand on or delete from, but the key is you have something for each System of Survival that works for you. As you know the “10 Essentials” have come a long way however 10 is not enough for me. The fact that you are reading this post and listening to the podcast shows that you are smarter than your average Poo Bear. You already have the advantage!

On a side note, one of the bonuses of my SOS is that you can use the gear in an urban environment. Keep the kit close to you. You’ll never know when we might have a natural or man made disaster that will call upon your survival skill set, test your resolve and your SOS. Are you Ready?

Links From the Show

You can find most items mentioned in today's show at:

The Advantage Survival Gear Shop

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Having the ability to construct a fire in the wilderness or in the backcountry is paramount to your successful survival. Today on the Advantage Survival Podcast we talk about fire systems; some of the tools, tricks and techniques used to constructing a fire in the backcountry.

If you have any comments or questions, I would love to answer them on the show. You can email me at: les@advantagesurvival.com or leave me a voice mail message at area code 425-606-4740.

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Links From Today's Show

Sparkie Fire Starter

WetFire Tinder

Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel

Tinder-Quik Fire Tabs

REI Storm Proof Matches

Bic Lighters

Fatwood Starter Stickk

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In today's episode I talk about the gear systems I use when I go hiking or participate in Search & Rescue missions. Below is my list. I will cover more detailed information of each system in future podcasts.

Systems: Shelter, Water, Fire, Tools, Communications, Signaling, Navigation, Lighting, Clothing, First-aid, Essentials, Cooking, Food, Gear carry, Gear repair, Power management, Riding gear, Sleep system, Backcountry winter travel systems and Personnel hygiene.

Let me know what you think of the show. You can click the "Contact" link to the right or send me an email at:

advantagesurvival@me.com

Thanks for listening!

Links from today's show: http://atvsar.org

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Welcome to The Advantage Survival Podcast. A podcast about the gear, the systems and the knowledge that will give you the advantage. Are you Ready?

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