View Full Version : Arctic/cold climates survival
Hi, Do any UK instructors/companies other than RM run an existing arctic/cold climates survival course/trip? :?:
Thanks
Chris :wave:
TheViking
29-09-2004, 17:18
Mmm.... UK Survival school (http://www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk/arctic-and-winter-survival.htm) does. :wink:
Thanks Andy, forgot about them - will take a look.
What search engine are you using, I use BBC but didn't get that.
Thanks mate.
Chris :wave:
TheViking
29-09-2004, 17:24
What search engine are you using, I use BBC but didn't get that.
Google (http://www.google.com) is the best, IMO. Extremely simple and it has advanced search and image search also. :wink: Though I use the danish one.
Thanks Andy, will try that.
:shock: Have you seen the reindeer skinning / Sami pics link on the webpage link you put up on your reply - is that bloody or what, looks a bit too hardcore for me, arggghh might give that a miss, I'm not a young man anymore.
Thanks mate,
Chris :wave:
TheViking
29-09-2004, 18:10
Thanks Andy, will try that.
:shock: Have you seen the reindeer skinning / Sami pics link on the webpage link you put up on your reply - is that bloody or what, looks a bit too hardcore for me, arggghh might give that a miss, I'm not a young man anymore.
Thanks mate,
Chris :wave:
I've never seen a reindeer being skinned, but I've eaten reindeer meat and it tastes superb, IMO. My parents didn't like it, cause they said it didn't have enough taste. :roll: It tastes salt, but not too much. It's perfect! :biggthump Just a thought.
It tastes salt, but not too much. It's perfect! :biggthump Just a thought.
I guess that you have eaten dried reindeer meat then, reindeer meat taste verry good but it´s not mormally very salty.
TheViking
29-09-2004, 19:50
I guess that you have eaten dried reindeer meat then, reindeer meat taste verry good but it´s not mormally very salty.
Sorry, I didn't mean salty, but only a little tip of salt... :wink: This was reindeer fresh from the freezer and then cooked... :wink: :wink: :wink: My dad got it from a friend who had shot it in Lapland I think, but not sure... :?: :biggthump
Never eaten it Andy, do you think it might taste like uk venison/deer?
These pictures are intrigueing, makes you wonder what kind of people go on a trip like this? looks like hard stuff :shock:
http://www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk/arcticpics/Sami.htm and
http://www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk/norwaypics/norway.htm
What is Jeger in Nowegian?
Chris :?:
TheViking
29-09-2004, 21:02
I'm no Norwegian but Swedish, Norwegian and Danish is almost the same. We understand eachothers languages 100%. :biggthump Well, I hopw so if i'm gonna translate this one... :rolmao:
'Jeger' is two things: Their Special Air Service (in denmark it's hunter-corp) or a hunter. :wink: If you're being teached by Jegers it will probably mean SAS, but if we're talking about a person who's shooting an animal it would probably be a hunter. :wink: Hope you get it.
But in this case it is their SAS. :biggthump
tenbears10
29-09-2004, 21:27
http://www.wild-live.org/
These guys are planing a trip to sweden or finland. There was some discussion about exactly where and when. Email them and they will give you some info. Never know I might see you there.
Bill
Thanks Andy and Bill
The main reason I asked this was I am working in the Alps during the winter and I really just wanted to get to know who was operating in the cold extremes at the minute to ring and speak about kit, I know, selfish and using there knowledge, but - it's good to speak to people who know.
I rang the Uk Survival School and guess what (jinga) they are currently in the borneo :***::***::***::***::***::***: jungle - lucky them.
Bill, If I was wanting to do some expedition/course stuff, as an exped/mountain leader myself I would make sure I was not on a companies first trip, never as good in my experience IMHO.
Andy, they certainly look like the SAS. Hardcore stuff.
Chris :wave:
tenbears10
29-09-2004, 23:03
Bill, If I was wanting to do some expedition/course stuff, as an exped/mountain leader myself I would make sure I was not on a companies first trip, never as good in my experience IMHO.
Chris :wave:
Good point mate but then the cost means maybe you put up with a few teething problems (around half the price of going with ray mears)
I'm not committed by any means yet.
Bill
Skinning a reindeer and then eat it it´s not hardcore, it´s the normal life for many people in that part of the region. The sami people are really good on using every part of the animal. They even use the blood and mix it with flour too make a dish called "palt". This way of using the animals blood is still used in the south too but then they make a dish called "blod pudding".
Jaeger is not the same thing as the SAS, Jaeger is just a ranger. In sweden we call them jägare but often add the word soldat (jägarsoldat) after so people will ni that it´s a soldier and not a hunter. My guess is that have used soldiers that are trained for the cold enviroment that is up there. And Andy is right on one point, Jaeger (swedish jägare) also means hunter.
Nice one guys
You Know your stuff
I'm waiting for a call back from one of their guy's who was there - not an instructor mind, but one of the exped team who uk survival school have arranged to contact me - the main guys are in the jungle - what a bloudy life.
On the pictures it shows a kind of mossy/grass stuff is that the same as arctic/reindeer moss that we get here in the uk mountains http://www.uksurvivalschool.co.uk/norwaypics/slides/Nor18.htm is thisv edible or do you need to do something with it?
Sorry guys, this is to me is very intresting and just picking brains, thanks to our viking guys. :super:
Thanks guys.
Chris :biggthump
I think it is reindeer moss but are not 100% sure, a better picture had been better :wink:
It´s not edible but can be as a medicine.
jamesdevine
30-09-2004, 09:01
I thought Reindeer moss was ediable so long as it was part diegested by the Reindeer. Or am I mixing it up with something else.
Also Chris check out BearclawBushcraft they have a trip to Sweden coming up.
James
Thanks James, but I can safetly say the first Swedish course will be held in summer and swimming in the lake will be an option!
Although we are looking at winter courses in that region too but not next year.
:chill:
Summer, swimming in lakes mmm. sounds more up my street :lol:
I was hoping to speak to someone who's currently working on this type of stuff, I have a habit of ringing instructors/companies to pick their brains :wink: - cheeky, but one way of getting to know some of the latest tricks.
I was wondering about buriel location beacons as I have an extremme suit with a buriel beacon tag on it and would this work or be picked up by any beacon? Maybe one of you guys could help on this. :?:
I've asked some friends and they are not sure.
Chris :wave:
I thought Reindeer moss was ediable so long as it was part diegested by the Reindeer. Or am I mixing it up with something else.
Also Chris check out BearclawBushcraft they have a trip to Sweden coming up.
James
You might be right, I think I´ve also geard something about that rhe sami people used to eat what was in the reindeer stomah and there was always reindeer moss. But I am not sure about this.
Yep reindeer stomach is a delicasy!! A sort of green puree or porrige.
And the moss itself can be eaten but it needs to be correctly prepared as its too acidic for our little tummys.
Reindeer moss is that Cladina arbuscula (latin) or Cetraria islandica (latin)?
.....'Jeger' is two things: Their Special Air Service (in denmark it's hunter-corp) or a hunter. :wink: If you're being teached by Jegers it will probably mean SAS, but if we're talking about a person who's shooting an animal it would probably be a hunter. :wink: Hope you get it.
But in this case it is their SAS. :biggthump
Nope, these Jeger soldiers are not the same thing as the SAS. A "Jeger" soldier is just a ranger. The Norwegian equvivelant of the SAS (they train and are/have also been employed together with the SAS - rumor say that they have at times been deployed with the SAS in Northern Ireland) is the "Forsvarets Spesial Kommando (FSK)" - these guys are picked for the selection course and training from the "Jeger Kommando" and the "Marinejeger Kommando" (something like the british SBS). When they have passed the selection course they have to sign a contract for 7 yrs of duty. They are currently deployed heavily in Afghanistan together with the SAS and Delta Force.
Yep reindeer stomach is a delicasy!! A sort of green puree or porrige. And the moss itself can be eaten but it needs to be correctly prepared as its too acidic for our little tummys.
Yes, Gary, reindeer stomach is a delicacy amongst the eskimo, some of the sami people and the siberian peoples, but it taste like sh** !!
I've tried something like a spoonful, and man did it turn something in my stomach :yuck:
The moss (Cetraria islandica - I looked up the latin name just now) can be prepared for eating by cooking it in a lye solution, and then rinse and clean it a couple of times with clean water. The reindeer stomach can absorb most of the nutrients etc in the moss, but humans can only absorb a fraction of that (too acidic like Gary said) - unless it is prepared in the way described. To get it somewhat more tasty you can boil it again with some bouillon (beef cubes).
I was instructing on a course up in the Lifjell mountains in Telemark a couple of years back where the students had to eat what they found survival style. A lot of this moss was found, but for some reason a lot of them didn't eat the stuff and went really hungry for most of the week - and to be honest I don't blame them as I have tasted a lot better disgusting food than that.
Cheers Gerd - tastes like s**t - wasnt that crocadile Dundee!! :rolmao:
Thanks for clearing all that up
Cheers Gerd - tastes like s**t - wasnt that crocadile Dundee!! :rolmao:
Yep, that is Mr. Dundee ! I saw it again a few weeks ago. A true bushcrafter with the right attitude "You can eat it, but it taste like sh**!" :o): :rolmao:
TheViking
30-09-2004, 14:00
Nope, these Jeger soldiers are not the same thing as the SAS. A "Jeger" soldier is just a ranger. The Norwegian equvivelant of the SAS (they train and are/have also been employed together with the SAS - rumor say that they have at times been deployed with the SAS in Northern Ireland) is the "Forsvarets Spesial Kommando (FSK)" - these guys are picked for the selection course and training from the "Jeger Kommando" and the "Marinejeger Kommando" (something like the british SBS). When they have passed the selection course they have to sign a contract for 7 yrs of duty. They are currently deployed heavily in Afghanistan together with the SAS and Delta Force.
OK. :wink: I was not sure. It's just easier to say SAS instead of explaining differences and stuff. In Denmark we have a Huntercorp which is the equivalent to the SAS and they also train and fight with them. We also have SBS.