News FreezeFest Survival Guide

(from Ram)

--- In Yahoo Canyons Group, "RAM" <adkramoo@> wrote:

An annual rite. I dig this old post out and put it out there. Its five years old now and lots of new ideas and methods have grown up, along with the attendance at the fest. I am still swamped work wise, so I'm not really looking it over. Hopefully all the FreezeFest veterans will amend and add all that has been learned. I'll review and comment when I get the chance.

Here a few of the things I have learned.....

1-A super warm sleeping bag is heavenly
2-A back up bag, squeezed under a seat in the car, gives piece of mind and
doesn't take up much room
3-Three foam pads is mighty comfortable and warm
4-A 60 gallon trash liner, to keep personal gear frost free and dry, next to
your sleeping arrangements, works well
5-More 60 gallon, heavy duty liners, for wet gear. Can't bring too many.
6-Lots of firewood, for those endless evening hours.
7-Interesting companions, with the gift of gab. A must
8-Spirits, for the illusion of warmth and the illusion of the gift of gab.
9-Dehydration at bedtime. That 3AM pee is worth avoiding. Hydrate in the AM
10-Layers of clothing, for the campsite. If you don't feel like the Michelin
Man or a blow up doll, put on some more clothes
11-Hot breakfasts.
12-Stove, pot, water and matches, right next to your bed.
13-Ten course dinners. Eat all you want, lose weight. A truly effective diet.
14-Package your lunches for every day, at home in the warmth of the house,
before the trip. Grab a bag every day, rather than pack up in the cold
15-I have 5 pairs of neo socks. Most of the week is over before a wet one
goes on the feet, in the morning
16-A little warm water, from the stove, unfreezes those shoes and is nice and
cozy
17-Old, shredded wet suits, make great garb, for MOSTLY dry canyons. The
occasional waist deep pool is a non issue, the system is warm and it is great
body
armor in the tight world of many a canyon.
18-A different dry, shredded wet suit, for the first 3 days, is heaven. By
day 4, a suit and some socks have dried.
19-A pair of waterproof, Air Force Mickey Mouse/bunny boots, insulated to -50
below zero for the campsite. If the feet are happy, your happy.... and
fashionable too.
20-Cheese, yogurt and fresh fruit need no cooler. Keep them deep enough in
the car prevent freezer burn.
21-Haven't discovered at what temperature scotch freezes yet.
22-Extra ground sheets create layering and segregation of wet gear, in the
vehicle. Critical!
23-A LARGE community tent, for when the wind blows too hard, for a safe fire
24-Heaters and a generator to warm that big tent
25-It is always comfortable in the canyons proper
26-It is often very uncomfortable on the AM bench land approach to the canyon
27-It's generally not worth carrying extra gear to stay warm that first hour,
as it is often not needed the rest of the day
28-Flashlights in the pack, in the sleeping bag, in the car, everywhere!
29-Canyon water can only get so cold and it is never as bad in reality, as
the anticipation
30-FreezeFests have lots of return customers. It's getting new folks over
their prejudice and out on a trip, that is the hard part.
31-Soccer Mom chairs, for in the big tent or around the fire are worth their
weight in gold
32-Cooking tables make excellent wind breaks, when laid on their side.
33-Go ahead, eat some more!
34-The inside of a convenience store feels really weird after 4-5 days of
being only outside.
35-Dusty dirt insulates and works as sunscreen
36-Water freezes in canyons, in the open areas next to narrow places and
stays liquid in the darkest and narrowest places.
37-All reptiles and FreezeFesters know that there is always a place, often
sunny and always out of the wind, to be comfortable in.
38-A mid winter trips helps the sanity between the prime fall and spring
seasons
39-Let the beard and hair grow. Shaggy is warmer
40-A January 1st Black Hole is an eloquent way to start the year.
41-FreezeFest partners have a build in "No Whining" filter. They laugh or
smile big smiles, all the time and are a joy to be around.
42-When its over, a hot shower, loving wife and 2 pretty cool kids welcome me
home.

Yahoo group? What is a Yahoo group?

Some other things....

~Recycling is a thing at FreezeFest. Containers have been provided by Malia in the past and volunteers, usually with pick-ups, take bags to centers near their homes.

~ NO TREATED WOOD!! PLEASE! NO BURNING of anything in the fire except paper. PLEASE!

~ some folks bring groovers for pooing. Others drive the 5 miles to Hog Springs picnic area...no unauthorized pooing

~when the car is on, wet stuff by your feet, with the heater on

~ a canyon, with a drive to it, is a warm way to start the day

~ stuff wet shoes with something, dirty shirt, newspaper, whatever, overnight. Shoes shrink when they freeze

~dish gloves under canyon gloves works for warmth. I have switched to thin wool gloves, under canyon gloves and this works too

~ too much neoprene is almost as bad as too little. Overheating, too much resistance, dehydration, cramps

~ I use coolers once a year.....at FreezeFest, to keep things from freezing.

THERE IS SO MUCH MORE....ANYBODY ELSE WITH A SYSTEM TO SHARE?

I copied these FF survival notes for a friend who is thinking about coming along. I added a few notes of my own:

1 - Warm adult beverages (Hot Toddy, Hot Buttered Rum, Irish Coffee, Wassail, Mulled Wine) should be shared!
2 - The Army-issue sleeping bag system is USUALLY warm enough. But it never hurts to have extra blankets or bags.
3 - Contact lens case, solution, spare lenses all go into the sleeping bag with you at night.
4 - Wetwipes go into the sleeping bag with you at night.
5 - Phone, GPS, GoPro camera, all go into the sleeping bag with you at night.
6 - Some nice high-energy dark-chocolate before bedtime will help you sleep warmer.
7 - I will be bringing a groover, but it's only for emergency pooping (eg; pooping after you've had too much alcohol to drive.)
8 - Never let anyone know if you're going to use the groover during peak alcohol consumption hours.
9 - A neck gaitor is my favorite piece of warmth.
10 - Memory foam (pillows or pads) when frozen are stiff as a board, and FROZEN. No fun to sleep on.
11 - Don't let Cody drink more than you; he'll always get your drunk-ass out of the snowy bushes and into a sleeping bag. (This one could save your life.)
12 - When streaking camp Vaseline helps prevent freezer burn.

13- Beware of the Moqui Queen and plastic snakes

There will be many shenanigans in general, don't come if you have thin skin.

Lithium ion batteries (in cell phones) can lose all electrical potential in the cold, so don't rely on them for GPS & beta. Sometimes they work again when warmed up. Don't charge them when cold, or they can be irreversibly damaged (loose charge life). Disposable alkaline batteries are more temperature resistant. Older iPhone models don't respond well to water. Don't ask how I learned these lessons, or how many starlit hours I spent in the frigid backcountry when the hardcopy backup beta was missing a map.

bump

some freezefest tales for your enjoyment ...


FreezeFest Canyon Tales:

Perfect Beginning • Ram
Escape from Canyon X • Tom Jones
FreezeFest II • Ram
Logjams in the Black Hole • Ram
Fixed Ropes in the Black Hole • Dave Black
Joining the Shenanigans Club • Ryan Cornia
FreezeFest III • Ram
Cheese on Ice • Ram
FreezeFest IX (short film) • Dan Ransom
Crystal Kaleidoscope • Ram
Christmas in Imlay • Ram
A Left Fork Christmas • Ram
Call of the Wild • Ram
Mysterious Christmas • Ram
Holy Water • Ram
A Christmas Heaps • Tom Jones

Christmas time is here by golly ---

Should be a real freezefest this year, lots of snow and cold temps.

Nope nope, nope nope nope. It has been super cold for 2 weeks, therefore, we are due an unusually warm spell.

I insist!

T

Rain and snow this year! Should be interesting!

So how'd it go this year? Did anyone survive to do a write-up on it?

No.