Se7eN's trip report thread.

Chapter one.

Date - 12.28.17
Location - Western Alberta, Canada

I headed out to my base camp to participate in the shelter contest that Ash was putting on. Weather was really cold today, but I was bundled up pretty good in all of my Carhartt Arctic gear. I also was wearing my outdoor research ninja mask and had my north face wool hoody on underneath my parka. You can beat that sh*t. It's tough and functional for severely cold conditions.



There was not much snow, and thankfully, no ice on the trail. We had a good dump of snow, then it melted for a few days then everything froze. Some trails i have been on were completely treacherous unless you had ice cleats on.



There were no tracks here either. This was good. I build my base camp in a location where it has never been found in the last 3 years...




I couldn't have asked for a more beautiful day to be out. My grandfather always told me to go to the bush to find healing. He was right. Every step I took was rebuilding my soul. The chickadees chirping in the background, while squirrels chatter away, obviously annoyed by my presence. The sign of rabbits and mice in the fresh snow...A slight breeze which was strong enough to hear as it swept through the trees. Crisp winter air that made my lungs cold with every breath. Not a man made sound was heard aside from the noise I was making.




I finally made it to camp. I had finished this place this spring. I build it to be used with canvas tarps. More of a long term shelter. I have plans to build an elevated food cache, as well as improve my perimeter wall all the way around the shelter.

The floor is elevated off the ground as well. I love this place.







Naturally, I had to take a picture of my beloved Gransfors Bruks Double Bit Felling Axe.



I had left birch bark, kindling and firewood last time I was here. Good thing too, because I was as cold as the devils heart later on and didn't have the patience or energy to gather materials to build a fire.



Here is my set up for the day.
Eberlestock Halftrack loaded with knives, food and other goodies. Carhartt arctic parka and bibs, Muck Arctic Pro boots, ESEE 6 on my leather belt and of course, my axe.



Part 2 is coming shortly.

 

I'm sure most of you have seen my shelter entry in the contest thread, but in case you haven't, here are the pictures. I built a small body length lean to. Its a primitive version of the supershelter as it does not have the reflective blankets or poly over the front of the shelter.

I didn't use any cordage and primarily build the entire shelter with my axe.













The frame of the shelter is fast and easy to build. The raised bed with insulation UNDERNEATH is critical. Where things get technical, is with the spruce bow thatching. When you think you have enough, add 3 times as much. Trust me.






During my hunt for materials, I saw a massive birch. I thought to myself "that tree is going to have a massive chaga fungus growing on it"

Turns out I was right.

I had to have it. but there was work to do first.





Part 3 is coming shortly.

 

More shelter pictures through various stages of thatching.



At this stage, I messed up. My north face wool hoody breathes so well, I didn't notice how much I was sweating.. Lots of snow had fallen on me too. Note that I didn't have my winter parka on....




More shelter pics





My ESEE 6 was so cold it hurt to hold it. I love my 6, however, the 5 will always be my favorite. Truth be told though, If i could only have one ESEE knife in this climate, during this season, it would be the JUNGLAS. Hands down.







My precious.



Shelter with me in it for relevant size. It was very comfortable. This shelter, as stated in the contest thread, is totally useless without extreme cold sleeping gear, OR a long log fire. Don't make the mistake of thinking this shelter will save your live in -25c or colder without either of, or both of those elements.

Additionally, give yourself enough time to build the shelter ( took me less than 2 hours ) and collect firewood for the night...



Part 4 inbound

 

this is going to be an epic thread

 

Last shelter picture....I promise.






Perfect. Shelter complete. By the time I was done taking pictures, my leather gloves were frozen stiff. I was hungry and thirsty. Wait! The CHAGA. I had to have it. With the tenacity of a honey badger, I went to work. I risked severe injury as I swung the double bit overhead, knocking massive chunks of the prized fungus off of its host tree.

REWARD.




Alright. Back to camp. Its time to start a fire. Temperatures are dropping fast as the sun has gone beneath the skyline This is a job for the RB3. Why you ask? Good question. In these cold temperatures, all green wood is frozen so solid, that my ESEE 6 is almost useless, unless used for chopping or batoning. Don't criticize that statement to much, the reason I saw it is because of the grind. The scandi grind, although weaker, is superior in the wintertime when dealing with GREEN wood. The painted and unsharpened spine on my 6 also makes it impossible fro scraping birch bark to make shavings, and strike a firesteel. Unlike some, I would rather not use the edge of my my 6 for these tasks unless I had to.



Ahh. FIRE.



I pulled out my heavy cover canteen for a drink of water. Can you not feel the warmth of this fire through the photo?



Time for some chow. Ham sausage, jalapeno monterey jack cheddar and coffee.



Heavy cover on deck for boiler water. Expensive kit, but worth the money.





Dinner. This was so good!



Gents and Gals, it does not get any better than this. Cheers!




more to come.

 

Time to head out. its getting dark, and I have 2 km to walk out to the truck. Turns out while taking pictures, my leather gloves fell too close to the fire, shrunk and became as stiff as steel. Useless. Rookie mistake.

TIP: ALWAYS PACK EXTRA GLOVES!!!!!

That being said.....


I put on my arctic expedition outdoor research mitts and got ready to leave.




Time to bail. I put out the fire, and broke camp.




By the time I got back to the truck, this is how frozen I looked. Sorry for all the selfies..but pictures don't lie. It was -31 by the time I got to the truck. STANDING TEMPERATURE.




I had a great time. The whole time I was out, I couldn't wait to share this trip with all of you. I hope you enjoyed the pictures and my lengthy explanations.

It's good to be back.

-Se7eN

 

Looks like a great time out man, thanks for sharing. Love that axe...

 

That was awesome,glad your back on the forum,nice pics and story..very true about the healing power of outdoor time...

 

Great trip report! I would love to see more of that larger shelter. What area of Alberta are you in? I'm in Calgary

 

Just to clarify the temps he was in.....that was MINUS 31 DEG CELSIUS.

 

Thanks Bushy LOL

It's was cold. Very cold.

@Klynesquatch i live in Spruce Grove my friend.

I will post a write up about basecamp just for you!

 

Right on! I was just up in Drayton Valley after Christmas love how much easily accessible bush is up there

 

Your axe is awesome.

 

Great thread Sir. I wanted the axe but could only find the throwing version.

 

It's a beast. Very fun to use. When you chop with it, it gives off a nice ringing sound with every strike

 

Excellent!

 

As @Bushman5 said this is an epic thread! Thanks for sharing!

 

Awesome trip report! I envy that extreme dry cold you have. Coldest I've ever seen it was -28C standing cold, with 52km wind all day. The wind chill was -44C. I decided that was a good day to have breakfast over a fire in the woods.

Gotta love that Double Bit. I owned one for a few years, used it a lot when I lived up North BC. Ended up letting it go after moving to the island and having it sit idle for 3 years though.

Thanks for sharing man, I love trip reports like this!

 

Time to jump back in time to the spring of 2017.

March, 2017.
Weather: Better than Alberta
Goal: Harvest Fatwood.

I went to run a pulp mill shutdown in Nanaimo B.C. during my hiatus from the forum. This is my story.

I had one thing on my mind as I drove down to the Vancouver area...Well. two things were on my mind...#1. I cant wait to score some stick, purple fatwood from this area!!! #2 If I had planned this better, Bushman5 and I could have arranged a fatwood raiding party.... sh*t. He is going to be PISSED if I ever post this.

Hold my beer...Hey Y'all! Watch this!!


During the drive down, I stopped at some dump of a road side pull over...Off into the sticks I went. A1 pro in hand, I was on a mission. FATWOOD.



Prospects everywhere....and garbage....there was garbage everywhere too....Where I grew up, if you dumped your sh*t in the woods, you got your a$$ kicked. I didn't take any pictures of garbage, but bushman5 has posted tonnes of pictures showing the litter down in these parts. Nuff said.

Honorary shot of the overpriced knife that I eventually sold.



Even with its dull factory edge ( that I re sharpened) It slayed west coast fatwood with a reverence.



Alright. I had a ferry to catch. I jumped back in the F 350 and stomped on the afterburners. The 6.7 lit up my duratracks and I was gone like a cold bud light at a nascar race.

Made it to the ferry. I love the ocean.





I walked around a snapped a few pictures. very much enjoying the trip.






This is the location text I sent my wife, LOL.




I was almost there. I was excited as hell.




More to come.

 

Once I was on shore, I checked into my hotel, ditched my work gear and headed out to find some fatwood.



Prospects everywhere.

But, what is this?



That sure looks like PURE heartwood from a douglas fir....

Guess what?

I WAS RIGHT, AND IT WAS PURE FATWOOD.



Turns out, there was more...I gathered everything that I could...I was that awkward redneck that was walking back to his truck with a tonne of this stuff...Looked like rotten stumps to the city folk...was pure gold to me!





Afterwards, I was thirsty. Se7 needed Ice cold beers. I took a drive past the mill I had to work at. Harmac Pulp. She's old, but the people that run this place are top notch.



This is the view from one of the local watering holes....Awesome.

I couldn't wait for tomorrow!!




More to come.