Survival in the arctic

J

JakeP

Joined
Jul 29, 1999
Messages
122
Hello,
I live in Anchorage, AK and do allot of snowmachining and sometimes I have to go out from my cabin by myself. Hypotheticly if I was out in -30 degree weather in nothing but a snowmachine suit and my machine broke down and I was stranded how long could I hold out in just a snowmachine suit, a quart of water and no food. I'm asking more about freezing than starving. How long can the human body survive in those conditions?

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Jake P
Anchorage,Alaska

 
If you can dig a snow trench or cave, or build some type of shealter I imagine you could last a good while. A lot would depend upon keeping dry and out of the wind. How long is that? I do not know, reading books like Endurance makes one think a lot of it is up to the individual.
 
Since you are surrounded by a temperate forest (in anchorage)...all the resources you need to survive are at your disposal...you could survive forever.

The only limiting factor is your imagination!!!!! Oh yeah...and your will to survive.

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Greg Davenport
http://www.ssurvival.com
Are You Ready For The Challenge?
Are You Ready To Learn The Art Of Wilderness Survival?

 
Hi Jake...

I suggest you carry a real decent survival kit on your machine.. If not on your body at least somewhere...


Eric..

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Eric E. Noeldechen
On/Scene Tactical
http://www.mnsi.net/~nbtnoel


 
Thanks for the response the only things that scare me is the dark, the wind and getting wet in overflow. You need to remember in alaska in the winter its dark all but about 6 hours a day.

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Jake P
Anchorage,Alaska

 
Hey Jake!
I'm up in Fairbanks, and just finished a one week arctic survival course. I'd say if you were planning on heading out in 30 below weather, make sure you have some gear with you. The most fabulous thing I learned, is that with a properly built snow shelter, the shelter *All by itself* will create an internal temperature of between 15 and 20 _above_ zero. You and your body can raise this to a few degrees below freezing. Plenty warm to last overnight in your snowmachine suit.

Proper snow shelter -- Create shelter as you like, but make sure you have over 8 inches of snow on the walls and roof, and dig it out to the ground. The ground is warm, at least in comparison to the air. And the ground here in Fairbanks warmed up our shelters to 18 - 22 degrees above zero. We were told that this works, but not quit as warm, on sea ice as well. That will get you to about 10 - 15 degrees at most. Also make sure your door is snug in your shelter. No drafts to steal your warmth. The snow is breathable enough to provide for you. No fires inside though.


Stryver
 
Got snowed in once in a remote area of North Dakota for over 6 days. The snow cave we dug was warmer than the bulding we were working in. In fact everybody was sleeping in the grage as it was the warmest bulding and you could remove some clothes.

I had ice forming in a glass of water I was playing with inside my office it was so cold inside. Think the wind chill was somewhere around -120F and the actual temp was about -70F. Just a tad cold.........
 
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