Clean- keep your layers clean as possible from the environment and your sweat, dip spit, food, or piss/ shit. KEEP IT CLEAN!
Overheating- Avoid it! You will become much colder in wet layers. Wet layers will take long to dry and you may not survive the process. Dress down for movement and have a layer at hand for static positions. When layering up consider how long you can fight before you begin sweating.
Loose & layered- your base layer should be snug not tight, and the rest should be loose enough to trap air. That air will be warmed by your body and thus keep you warm. Too tight and the cold will conduct right through. In most cases your outer layer should be a vapor barrier, meaning wind and water resistant, as those two things will sap your heat very quickly. Choose layers wisely so you have less to doff in an emergency and less to pack.
Dry- stay as dry as possible. As mentioned being wet will kill you in extreme cold weather. Even in above freezing temperatures you can go hypothermic if wet and hypothermia will kill you just as easily in cool weather as it will in freezing.
Top layers: base layer (silk weight) that wicks moisture away from skin and into outer layers where it can be dried by body heat IN SMALL AMOUNTS. Moderate insulating layer of the fleece and extreme layer of the puff jacket, all protected by the vapor barrier layer of the Goretex jacket. During movement I normally only have the base and vapor barrier layers. Sometimes the fleece if it’s cold enough and movement is slow, like a patrol.
Bottom layers: base to vapor barrier. For me the silk weight and Goretex are enough coupled with good socks, and gaiters. For sleep or long hours in a hide/ defense I put on the puff pants.
Feet & hands: must be protected as the digits are the first to go. Contact gloves with outer mittens are my go to. Feet need good socks and boots. For static I like the puff booties and good over boots that I can move and fight in. I pack extra socks & 2-3 pairs of contact gloves.
Head: beanie & neck gaiter. I like lightweight for movement and fleece for static.
EMBRACE THE SUCK & JUST KEEP GOING -Combat Vets wear it as a badge of Pride- Trump wrote a book on it - Trump Never Give Up
Coming from a dude who sweats too easily, I can agree with this! The right layers allows you to reduce the overall layers needed. Easier to control overheating.
Avoid cotton inner layers - holds moisture. Polyester including loose knits like polar fleece let it pass through and keep it off your skin.
+1 on layers you can put on or take off if the day temperature changes or to let a layer dry.
Whitewater folk use a lot of neoprene. Generally overkill for dry land, but if you tend to have cold hands or cold feet thin neoprene gloves and socks help with warmth. NRS.com and other stores.
I was extremely lucky & served under leadership from a SF background that understood what we faced on the ground, so l had access to everything from MP5's when we were fighting in the Adits, Caves, Karizi-Qanats, and Tunnels In the Taliban Bad Lands in the border region of Afghanistan, (that most civilians have never heard about) , to the Barretts for shooting across Mountain Valley's .
They could not drag my M110 off me though, by far my favorite weapon system of all l used .
The Karizi -Qanats are a ancient tunnel system used in Afghanistan as basically a underground aqueduct,carrying water from Mountain Springs miles away to the valley floors where the locals lived & farmed.The longest one we fought in & mapped was 12 miles long, with vertical shafts every 100 feet.
What the Taliban / Al-Qaeda would do is not only use them for their snipers to shoot & scoot & then escape/hide in ,but as we also found the top Iranian bomb builders were holding bomb making classes inside them & storing the top quality bomb material inside ,which the foreign jihadists would then use as a base to make their own.
I am very proud of being among the first to discover & initiate & attack within them.I grew up in the high country of Montana & the mountains are full off caves & shafts we would explore . My family have also run our own Outfitters & guiding business to supplement their Cattle Ranching since 1938,so l learned to properly track game from our Indian Ranch hands since l was 7 or so.
We had a ongoing priority mission to Kill Or Capture (KOC) a foreign jihadist who was a accomplished sniper ,he had been trained by Hezbollah .We were using a basic hammer and anvil ambush to try to trap him, but when we entered the large compound where we last had eyes on him ,he had as usual disappeared into thin air .
Fortunately we were that far ahead of the main force ,l convinced our leaders to allow me & 4 others as security to enter the compound & try tracking him,l did this by looking at scurry/scuff marks in the dirt inside the compound ,which only went so far & we would lose .When l looked in detail for any bolt holes etc there was a small vertical shaft for a well they used a bucket to drop down & get water from the Qanats.
Then using knowledge of how we use to get down the mountain shafts as a kid ,we were able to use torch light to expose the footholds he had used to brace himself escaping down.
We then volunteered to enter all Qanats we discovered & had many CQB's killing 4 of the top Iranian trained bomb makers over the coming months & found huge stashes of bomb making material & weapons ,in particular Steyr hunting rifles Al-Qaeda had smuggled in from Pakistan (border was just a few miles away,the MOAB was dropped just a couple of valley's over & we would regularly fight our way into the bomb site compounds).
The biggest problem we had was getting access, as like the Tunnel Rats in Vietnam we would have to use knives & spade edges to gain access into the small openings,we initially just used our knives & pistols but a few of us developed a shotgun system & eventually had the MP5's approved although we never got access to suppress them which should have been approved by the REMF's from the start
Here is basically the Shotgun system we came up with ,l now use the same design as my Bear Gun when guiding Horse back hunts ,it sits in my scabbard ready for use.
'The Bear Trap' Bennelli M3 & EOTech, Slug Chukka-
The only real "injury" l brought back with me was tinnitus from gun battles inside those tunnels & shooting inside rooms on raids in the local compounds .
Our Motto was
"Bringing Terror To The Terrorists " & l am very proud once we worked out these tactics we did exactly that,these scumbags were the best of their best foreign trained Jihadists smuggled in from Pakistan to lead locals & from getting the biometric system data from their bodies & that left on top end weapons & bombs we found in the tunnel, we would then reach out & touch their leadership even in foreign countries & continued on KOC missions until this day,some getting a supersonic Vasectomy courtesy of the US Military & a bladed missile sitting in their Lap.
The only real "injury" l brought back with me was tinnitus from gun battles inside those tunnels & shooting inside rooms on raids in the local compounds .
I wouldn't minimize tintinnitus. Hearing damage is nothing you can brush off.
I do a bit guiding & what l tell clients is what they equip themselves with should be the best they can afford based upon their own projected usage ie only going to use it once ? then you can probably make do with the cheaper end, going to use a lot for your own recreation get the best you can afford.
So the options are up to you ,do not forget Army Surplus stores sell less fashionable high quality gear cheap, including from counties with Arctic conditions so are a very good cheap source for quality second hand gear, otherwise the usual hiking /hunting stores will carry more expensive new gear.
If you have any questions just ask ,l will help where l can.
I'll second this. I'd like to know what are the best to buy for socks, boots, gloves, and even the different layers. I figure it's best to ask a combat veteran who knows who to manage the cold through proper gear.
Great advice. I work in the elements, and I cannot state enough how important layering is. As soon as you start any physical activity, you'll begin sweating. Dont have 4 layers on to begin with. It's fairly easy to warm up, with summer exercises and another layer. It's impossible to dry your other layers of you get too hot and sweaty. You'll be miserable, and could get hypothermia. Cover your head, keep toes and hands dry, and you'll be fine. Keep extra layers in a backpack.
I'm a meteorologist, I just examined the 29DEC00Z GFS model run 9 days out.
morning and overnight in the mid to upper 30s, clear and calm.
late morning, a light breeze, then calm. Sunny skies, High pressure over VA keeps freezing temps pushed up into NY during the day.
https://i.imgur.com/z7OcLDF.jpg
Remember C. O. L. D. -
Clean- keep your layers clean as possible from the environment and your sweat, dip spit, food, or piss/ shit. KEEP IT CLEAN!
Overheating- Avoid it! You will become much colder in wet layers. Wet layers will take long to dry and you may not survive the process. Dress down for movement and have a layer at hand for static positions. When layering up consider how long you can fight before you begin sweating.
Loose & layered- your base layer should be snug not tight, and the rest should be loose enough to trap air. That air will be warmed by your body and thus keep you warm. Too tight and the cold will conduct right through. In most cases your outer layer should be a vapor barrier, meaning wind and water resistant, as those two things will sap your heat very quickly. Choose layers wisely so you have less to doff in an emergency and less to pack.
Dry- stay as dry as possible. As mentioned being wet will kill you in extreme cold weather. Even in above freezing temperatures you can go hypothermic if wet and hypothermia will kill you just as easily in cool weather as it will in freezing.
Top layers: base layer (silk weight) that wicks moisture away from skin and into outer layers where it can be dried by body heat IN SMALL AMOUNTS. Moderate insulating layer of the fleece and extreme layer of the puff jacket, all protected by the vapor barrier layer of the Goretex jacket. During movement I normally only have the base and vapor barrier layers. Sometimes the fleece if it’s cold enough and movement is slow, like a patrol.
Bottom layers: base to vapor barrier. For me the silk weight and Goretex are enough coupled with good socks, and gaiters. For sleep or long hours in a hide/ defense I put on the puff pants.
Feet & hands: must be protected as the digits are the first to go. Contact gloves with outer mittens are my go to. Feet need good socks and boots. For static I like the puff booties and good over boots that I can move and fight in. I pack extra socks & 2-3 pairs of contact gloves.
Head: beanie & neck gaiter. I like lightweight for movement and fleece for static.
EMBRACE THE SUCK & JUST KEEP GOING -Combat Vets wear it as a badge of Pride- Trump wrote a book on it - Trump Never Give Up
https://i.imgur.com/RzgCfUj.png
100% solid advice. Can confirm.
Just to piggyback on what TrailerTrashKilla said, all good stuff by the way. it's this:
If you're warm enough to be sweating, you're too bundled up.
Coming from a dude who sweats too easily, I can agree with this! The right layers allows you to reduce the overall layers needed. Easier to control overheating.
That will do it
Adding:
Avoid cotton inner layers - holds moisture. Polyester including loose knits like polar fleece let it pass through and keep it off your skin.
+1 on layers you can put on or take off if the day temperature changes or to let a layer dry.
Whitewater folk use a lot of neoprene. Generally overkill for dry land, but if you tend to have cold hands or cold feet thin neoprene gloves and socks help with warmth. NRS.com and other stores.
+1 to the comment below about wool socks.
It is so amazing how a nice gloves and socks will do so much to regulate temp
I've found camping in the snow is fun if your feet are warm, and miserable if they are cold. Wool can be warm even if damp.
But layers is what I learned as a boy scout, and I've never had a problem winter camping.
https://www.joecheated.com/
Lead cannons.
At that point it’s life or death...fuckit.
Yes. Keep your core warm. You might think about a couple of those hand warmer packets. You can stuff them in a lot of needed spots.
Do designated marksman get to choose which rifle they can use?
I was extremely lucky & served under leadership from a SF background that understood what we faced on the ground, so l had access to everything from MP5's when we were fighting in the Adits, Caves, Karizi-Qanats, and Tunnels In the Taliban Bad Lands in the border region of Afghanistan, (that most civilians have never heard about) , to the Barretts for shooting across Mountain Valley's .
They could not drag my M110 off me though, by far my favorite weapon system of all l used .
https://i.imgur.com/z7OcLDF.jpg
Tell us some stories about what you saw in those caves/tunnels!
The Karizi -Qanats are a ancient tunnel system used in Afghanistan as basically a underground aqueduct,carrying water from Mountain Springs miles away to the valley floors where the locals lived & farmed.The longest one we fought in & mapped was 12 miles long, with vertical shafts every 100 feet.
What the Taliban / Al-Qaeda would do is not only use them for their snipers to shoot & scoot & then escape/hide in ,but as we also found the top Iranian bomb builders were holding bomb making classes inside them & storing the top quality bomb material inside ,which the foreign jihadists would then use as a base to make their own.
I am very proud of being among the first to discover & initiate & attack within them.I grew up in the high country of Montana & the mountains are full off caves & shafts we would explore . My family have also run our own Outfitters & guiding business to supplement their Cattle Ranching since 1938,so l learned to properly track game from our Indian Ranch hands since l was 7 or so.
We had a ongoing priority mission to Kill Or Capture (KOC) a foreign jihadist who was a accomplished sniper ,he had been trained by Hezbollah .We were using a basic hammer and anvil ambush to try to trap him, but when we entered the large compound where we last had eyes on him ,he had as usual disappeared into thin air .
Fortunately we were that far ahead of the main force ,l convinced our leaders to allow me & 4 others as security to enter the compound & try tracking him,l did this by looking at scurry/scuff marks in the dirt inside the compound ,which only went so far & we would lose .When l looked in detail for any bolt holes etc there was a small vertical shaft for a well they used a bucket to drop down & get water from the Qanats.
Then using knowledge of how we use to get down the mountain shafts as a kid ,we were able to use torch light to expose the footholds he had used to brace himself escaping down.
We then volunteered to enter all Qanats we discovered & had many CQB's killing 4 of the top Iranian trained bomb makers over the coming months & found huge stashes of bomb making material & weapons ,in particular Steyr hunting rifles Al-Qaeda had smuggled in from Pakistan (border was just a few miles away,the MOAB was dropped just a couple of valley's over & we would regularly fight our way into the bomb site compounds).
The biggest problem we had was getting access, as like the Tunnel Rats in Vietnam we would have to use knives & spade edges to gain access into the small openings,we initially just used our knives & pistols but a few of us developed a shotgun system & eventually had the MP5's approved although we never got access to suppress them which should have been approved by the REMF's from the start
Here is basically the Shotgun system we came up with ,l now use the same design as my Bear Gun when guiding Horse back hunts ,it sits in my scabbard ready for use.
'The Bear Trap' Bennelli M3 & EOTech, Slug Chukka-
https://i.imgur.com/wOqdbzF.png
The only real "injury" l brought back with me was tinnitus from gun battles inside those tunnels & shooting inside rooms on raids in the local compounds .
Our Motto was "Bringing Terror To The Terrorists " & l am very proud once we worked out these tactics we did exactly that,these scumbags were the best of their best foreign trained Jihadists smuggled in from Pakistan to lead locals & from getting the biometric system data from their bodies & that left on top end weapons & bombs we found in the tunnel, we would then reach out & touch their leadership even in foreign countries & continued on KOC missions until this day,some getting a supersonic Vasectomy courtesy of the US Military & a bladed missile sitting in their Lap.
Fucking awesome.
I loved this post, and if you had another, I would love it.
Thanks for being a bad ass and bringing justice to dirtbags.
I wouldn't minimize tintinnitus. Hearing damage is nothing you can brush off.
Thats sweet!
So Skin - Silk - fleece - puff - Gortex or other water proof material
Thank you for the tips. Does anyone have links to specific items, only a few days left to get ready.
I do a bit guiding & what l tell clients is what they equip themselves with should be the best they can afford based upon their own projected usage ie only going to use it once ? then you can probably make do with the cheaper end, going to use a lot for your own recreation get the best you can afford.
So the options are up to you ,do not forget Army Surplus stores sell less fashionable high quality gear cheap, including from counties with Arctic conditions so are a very good cheap source for quality second hand gear, otherwise the usual hiking /hunting stores will carry more expensive new gear.
If you have any questions just ask ,l will help where l can.
I'll second this. I'd like to know what are the best to buy for socks, boots, gloves, and even the different layers. I figure it's best to ask a combat veteran who knows who to manage the cold through proper gear.
I don’t have the same experience OP has, but I often work in industrial freezers. Our company buys refrigiwear gear for longs days in -20 degrees.
https://www.refrigiwear.com/
I'm bringing a t-shirt and going full retard day one. Honor my memory: don't let them make me vote Democrat after I die
Cannon fodder yayyyyy
Advice is always appreciated!
Get polypros
Great advice. I work in the elements, and I cannot state enough how important layering is. As soon as you start any physical activity, you'll begin sweating. Dont have 4 layers on to begin with. It's fairly easy to warm up, with summer exercises and another layer. It's impossible to dry your other layers of you get too hot and sweaty. You'll be miserable, and could get hypothermia. Cover your head, keep toes and hands dry, and you'll be fine. Keep extra layers in a backpack.
For freedom, we embrace the suck!
I'm a meteorologist, I just examined the 29DEC00Z GFS model run 9 days out.
morning and overnight in the mid to upper 30s, clear and calm. late morning, a light breeze, then calm. Sunny skies, High pressure over VA keeps freezing temps pushed up into NY during the day.
DC afternoon high around 50 degrees, Sunny.
Beautiful day for freedom.
How far ahead can the models accurately forecast? 50F and sunny today is quickly forgotten...
What is your definition of cold for reference
Keep calm and soldier on.