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My siwash experiences
Posted by Michael Strahan on Feb 14 2006
I was trying to remember how many times... I think three or four. Three on sheep hunts and once on a float hunt for sure. One of the sheep hunts was solo and I slept out without a sleeping bag twice on that hunt. On the sheep hunts I "slept" intermittently between bouts of jumping around to get the blood going and waiting for a dawn that I was sure would never come. I use the term "sleep" loosely; it's that shivering, near vegetative state somewhere between hypothermia and a coma.
The float hunt was another story. A friend made a late stalk on a moose but it got dark on us. I went upriver for one of the rafts; the other one was parked upriver on the opposite side with all our gear (we were getting a few things organized and camp was not set). Anyway, we were running a 25-horse outboard on the cataraft and I ran downriver to where the rest of the group waited. By then it was too dark to find the channel to go back upriver, even with only two people aboard. So we hunkered down in a patch of willows for the night and built a fire (a luxury I didn't have the other times). The only guy who got any sleep was the guy who fell asleep on the wood pile. It was a long, miserable night and it rained to boot. Spent the night sitting on the ground in a rain jacket and hip boots. It was mid-September on the Noatak River, so not exactly a heat wave. On none of the occasions did I have a tarp or sleeping bag. Then I've slept out a few times with just a sleeping bag and pad, and a poncho to keep the dew off. Not bad, actually. It's much more bearable with the sleeping bag, let me tell ya. In fact, I bet most of us could do just fine with a sleeping bag and pad, and a tarp. You don't always need a tent. Of course you have to use common sense. Well, the nice thing about the tent is that it keeps the bugs off of you and keeps critters from crawling into your bag with you. I'm a big boy, but there's something disconcerting about a small rodent running across your bare feet in a sleeping bag...
Now, none of these experiences makes me special, just so you know. It might prove I'm some kind of idiot, or perhaps unbalanced, but no, not too smart.
Something I DID learn though. Now I have a list of stuff I bring with me every time I leave camp. Yes, EVERY time we go out hunting. Here is is:
1. Fire starters; multiple types in multiple places.
2. Tarp. 8x8 is fine.
3. Parachute cord for securing tarp (at least 50 feet).
4. Headlamp (in case I convince myself that I MUST find camp).
5. Food.
6. Stove and a pan to boil water in. Can't beat hot water for warming up core temperature, plus it gives you something to do.
7. Rain gear.
8. Hat
Since I started carrying all this junk I haven't had to siwash. So see, I really AM an idiot.
:-))
-Mike
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