Ok, so if you have seen any of my previous posts, then you just KNOW there is a good and probably humorous story behind this, and you would be right...
Let me start by saying I have boots. Well, I thought I had some boots. I have "wipe off the car and shovel the driveway" or "walk across the street to the mail boxes" boots. Those are NOT boots. For what I was about to face I may as well had on Ballerina slippers, but i'm getting ahead of myself.
Knowing disasters aren't just a "summer thing", I wanted to take full advantage of every training opportunity. Well when our Boy Scout troop decided to do a winter campout and offer the Scouts a chance to earn their Polar Bear badge, I figured it would be another great opportunity to test and train. For those unfamiliar with the requirements, you must stay outside for a minimum of 24 hours in subfreezing temperatures. Thats, eat, sleep, bathroom, everything...
So, growing up a city kid, cold scares the crap out of me, and I didn't want to freeze to death so I asked a friend who lives in Alaska for advice. While he didn't laugh in my face (i'm sure he did later), he dismissed my weatherman's forecast of 18 degrees with stories -35 and real arctic storms and real polar bears... he also assured me I would be fine, I was not going to die overnight, and gave me some helpful tips. Hearing it from a cold weather expert made me feel a LOT better.
So off we went on our hike / trek around the scout ranch. Using maps and compass to find our way, cooking meals on the winter trail, packs of gear on our backs. If I don't look happy, its because it was dark, it was cold, and it was 5:30 AM when we set out on the trail. Now believe me I have good gear, fleece hat and Balaclava, base layers, the best wool socks Gander Mountain sells, the whole nine yards... but my boots? They were good enough, right?
Well, my boots had never failed me before, but 2 days is a loooong time. They were ok on the hike, but as the day went on, the cold crept in, the rubber got cold, then colder, then, colder, and there was no warming them up. By lights out i was walking abound with ice blocks on my feet like in the Bugs Bunny cartoon. Just a little tip, if you get your boots too close to the camp fire, the soles can and will catch fire before they warm up... Don't ask why i know this. By the time we had made dinner at base camp and were ready to bed down for the night, I had a pair of hand warmers stuffed down on my toes.
The morning was actually more pleasant then you might expect. Thanks again to my friend in Alaska, I had stuffed my boots down in the bottom of my military bivy sac to keep them from freezing and overnight my body heat had warmed them up. I did however find out that damp gloves, if left in the tent overnight, will freeze rock solid. In the end, all the Boy Scouts and I survived and were no worse for wear, and we all learned some valuable survival skills. When they get their Polar Bear Patch, I hope they are as proud of what they accomplished and of what it represents as I am.
Now in true fashion, the first thing I did when I got home AFTER warming my feet by the fireplace was to hop on the internet looking for insulated thermal boots that would meet my increasing list of needs, and reflect what i had learned. After quite a search and reading a lot of reviews, I settled on Columbia's Bugaboot. They are insulated and waterproof enough to stand still in 6 inches of snow all day, yet with enough grip to function as good trail boots in the cold winter months where we hike without snow. So, anyway, lesson learned, gear improved, and I pushed myself beyond where I thought my limits were. Now for hunters and other outdoor enthusiast this may not be much, but growing up a city kid, overcoming the cold, and my own fear, is a big deal.
And a special thanks to my buddy Permafrost at American Preppers Network for all the great advice.
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