Their is nothing better than a hot meal after hiking a long cold or wet day siting next to the campfire.
Nobody said you shouldn't know how to build a fire.
But IMO it is supremely unwise to waste one's last fading moments with minimal dexterity and clarity of thought trying to build a fire when one could be erecting a shelter and getting into dry layers.
Many times I've been in situations where building a fire is nigh impossible and I know what I'm doing. Teaching noobs that this is #1 on the list of survival strategies is just plain stupid.
The Five Basic Principles of Going Lighter ~ Cam "Swami" Honan of OZ
In my experience, it insulates better dry or wet compared to my merino Iceraker baselayer. Cashmere does not keep its shape as well meaning if you get it soaked, it can get baggy. This quality is actually an advantage overall, the fibers bend more easily than merino and it seems to hang on your body better. Drawback is lower abrasion resistance. I could be wrong, this is just my observation
Rather overly simplified.
None of the food that I would want to eat would be easily cooked or carried, even if I did not hate cooking and cleaning. I like good food. The crap other people (OP) eat is their own business. I know after any long, hard day, the last thing I want to do is light a stove. Now, if someone handed me a plate of something hot and edible, I'd be game.
Who read this in high school English class?
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/To_Build_a_Fire
Absolutely. That still haunts me.
You reposted that as if it was relevant to the discussion.
It's not.
The important part, that you are simply fundamentally off base about, is the second part.
It is absurd that anyone (with little or large amounts of practice) can reliably start a fire in wet conditions. Especially when they're already shivering and suffering from the effects of hypothermia. Got a hiking partner that's in good shape? Sure - after they've helped you into dry clothes and into a dry tent and sleeping bag, and made you a nice meal and sugary beverage, a fire might not be a bad afterthought.
This is the order these were posted in. People started responding to you after your first post. You did clarify a "true emergency" and "emergency" but they had already responded.
That being said, your posts were edited with an ellipsis (...) each time. That's acceptable practice but I would caution its use. It's not particularly necessary for short posts, which these were. I do consider not using the ellipsis to be selectively quoting.
So it seems you are saying that an emergency where fire building is an important early consideration is separation from pack. Not exactly what the OP asked but there was a safety component. So I recommend reevaluating the discussion going forward taking into account the fullly quoted posts here.
Hypothermia will kill you faster than lack of water or food. Roughly 3,3,3. Three hours vs. three days vs. three weeks.
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
Whiteblaze.net User Agreement.
I've given tremendous thought to the David Decareaux tragedy in the Ozarks where he and his two sons expired from hypothermia in January 2013 on a dayhike.
Here's a telling quote from the article---
As the three hikers were making their way home that afternoon and evening, heavy rain set in, and when night arrived, the temperature plummeted into the 20s.
From
https://www.rockmnation.com/2013/2/5...he-ozark-trail
1) Day starts out warm in 50Fs.
2) Rainstorm hits at around 35F.
3) Rain usually stops and temps drop drastically to 20F or 10F or 0F
4) Temps rise in clear weather back to 50Fs.
I've always known about this cycle but put his name to it as a sort of homage.
The "tremendous thought" part comes in when I envision what I would do in a similar scenario with little gear (they were dayhikers). Some considerations and options:
1) Bail out of the wind (off a ridge etc).
2) Find a rock overhang or big blowdown.
3) Stuff a crawlspace with bushels of dead leaves (wet leaves---doesn't matter)
4) Crawl into leaves and place bushels of dead leaves on top of you/group to survive the night. ETC ETC
Last edited by Alligator; 02-17-2021 at 15:50. Reason: Poor taste
So after I clarified for you, you have gone and grabbed a post where the person may not have been caught up to your evolving position. What you are doing is perpetuating the argument I just moderated.
Please restate the conditions of the scenario you are describing fully if you wish to continue.
Thank you.
"Sleepy alligator in the noonday sun
Sleepin by the river just like he usually done
Call for his whisky
He can call for his tea
Call all he wanta but he can't call me..."
Robert Hunter & Ron McKernan
Whiteblaze.net User Agreement.