Russia in a vehicle The Good The Bad and The Scary

[Scott7022]

Staying warm, Synthetics and Au Natural.

I love tech as much as the next person. But if you want to stay warm in a van in temperatures around -40 ( we will use that number because it is bloody cold in both imperial and metric) avoid the tech fabrics. First off realize you will not ever be not cold. Second, be happy you are alive and can feel the cold. Comfortable is a condition of adaptation so you can be comfortable. Organize your space so you can do almost everything you need to from the comfort of your spot. This could be you bed or chair or...whatever works for you and your space. Shuffling blankets allow scything gusts of frigid air to penetrate your cocoon of warmth. Well, it feels like that anyway. Silk, Wool, Furs, Feathers, and the only exception polar fleece. I am allergic to wool, no it isn't a line to get you to remove your sweater. I don't die or anything but it affects me like pink fiber glass effects normal people. Fibre glass doesn't bother me at all. So I had a very thick, two inch, wool blanket that was 6'x6' square. It had a thick polar fleece cover. Real silk sheets, for a double bed, and a down sleeping bag. The issue is moisture. Bob points this out in his must have equipment review with his boots. If you get wet you stay cold. Inside moisture builds up like dew on the polar fleece but the silk moves moisture away from my skin and the open sleeping bag insulates. The heavy wool seems to cradle you and have less colds spots than just a heavy sleeping bag. In the morning under the sun open it all up and get it dry as in DRY AS A DINO BONE! I don't like to sleep in clothes, and I don't like being wrapped up in a burrito. Hard to move quick if you have to and moisture tends to be more of an issue, in the warmer areas . Being in a vehicle you shouldn't need much of an additional bottom layer as the vehicle sleeping area should be insulated, mattress or what ever. I have the wool blanket like a taco and insert silk then open sleeping bag just over the top and close the wool blanket.

This allows you to buy a cheaper sleeping bag as these are designed to be used on the ground with a thin, or not so thin, insulation pad. So, you don't have to use real down, or real good down, or fancy channels to avoid down bunching. I personally prefer real down as it seems to dry quicker in my experience but I know people on the expedition had synthetic fiber bags and they didn't die. But the bags were heavy and hard to hang easily in the wind. My only heavy bit was the wool blanket. One guy had a bear skin and I slept on it once and it was surprising comfortable. I thought the hair would bother me.

Silk sheets are expensive (Real Ones) but they dry in minutes in a warm breeze and feel very luxurious and warm. Sometimes small luxuries can make a bad day bearable.

I haven't talked about heaters as these fail. You need to be able to stay alive, perhaps not comfortably but, alive without technology. This should be the minimum if you camp in temperatures that dip down anyplace close to these numbers. Even half these numbers. Mr Buddy may be a bastard one day and it will be on this day that record low temps hit, along with snow so you can't leave safely.  It is Mr. Murphy and he is exceptional. I never used a propane heater here as CSA, et al alphabet standard certification are non existent. Tip over they work, drop a blanket on it same thing. I guess if it ran out of air it would quit, along with me. The ones at home are safe and there are even vented ones (Catalytic Type), but in the Wild Wild East not so much.

 

[Scott7022]

So I haven’t really posted anything scary.

We are staying just outside of the city of Urtusk. We were invited to a locals house by one of the executives behind the project. We arrive and are invited in for a Banya (traditional Sauna), much hotter than the Scandinavian version most are familiar with. It is a huge house and the house surrounds a large courtyard. There is plenty of food and drink and we are treated like kings. We are still sleeping in the vehicles but being out of the wind will make tonights sleep truly comfortable.

The traditional Banya is heated by a wood oven on a common wall. Twin three inch pipes run inside the wall and water is pumped in a circle from an open container through these pipes into a shower room. It is a communal style shower. The pipes continue under the ground to the outhouse. At the outhouse they emerge and circle the structure completing the hot water loop.

The pipe’s water is hot, not scalding but, hot enough you have to move out of the showers spray on occasion. It also stops the snow from accumulating on the paved path to the outhouse and kept the outhouse remarkably warm.

We all shower, enjoy the Banya, offered vodka, and change into our best expedition going out gear. The table is set and traditional toasts are made. We all enjoy a great banquet under the covered part of the courtyard. The dishes from the wall oven seem endless and after “just add water” food, our tummies are happily uncomfortable.

The libations continue and I hear the call of nature and excuse myself to go to the washroom. I walk out to the outhouse and with the Banya lights now out the path is under the two sodium vapor lights and stars but to the left and right is total blackness. The white snow simply stops as if it intersects a magicians black curtain.

I enter the outhouse and marvel at how large it is. One gold Edison style bulb illuminates the stone walls and flecks of silver white snow that float in the top openings and drift to the floor.

Returning to the party I encounter the owners massive Siberian Husky. I have seen Huskys at home but, nothing like this one. His top shoulder is close to my hip and his head is massive. His ice blue eyes lock on mine, and a low growl escapes from his chest. All dogs love me so I go to one knee and in English beckon him over. He tilts his head left and right at the strange language, stops growling and takes one tentative step. My Russian was pretty bad back then but I managed in Russian; ”Dog here, come sit good.” The massive animal moved slowly but eventually got close enough I could pet him. He pushed his nose into my shoulder and I rubbed the snow off his thick winter mane. He jumped back and looked around and then with one more glance at me ran off into the blackness.

I returned to the party and concerned that our host may not know his dog is out, asked him. It took a little translating as our host was a little drunk, and as his dog had been killed last winter, confused. I told him about the dog and as this was being translated I showed him the paw prints just off the path to the outhouse. Those big prints in the snow in front of where I had knelt down. I still had black and grey fur on my red shirt and the wet nose print near my collar bone. He blinked in disbelief and gesturing size at my hip said, “Head” in English. I corrected the measurement to the dogs head at my tummy.

“Not dog my friend. Wolf!”

He then brought me back into the gathering area and told the story to those on my team and those that had come from the city. They listened eyes wide alternating between the storyteller and me. Then a toast was raised. After, I asked what the toast was. “To lucky guests and full wolves!”

 

[Cammalu]

That's a hell of a story. I wonder though if it wasn't a hybrid due to the blue eyes. I had a pet wolf for years. Awesome animals.


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[Scott7022]

I asked about that. Husky wolf cross. Seems to get lost in translation dog is dog wolf is wolf. Dog crossbreed with wolf how, wolf eat dog. We know it happens but perhaps...lost in translation. I've been gifted a few things in this world and one of those is a freaky affinity with dogs. Horses hate me on sight. Eyes white snorting froth. But the meanest dogs all want to be my best friend. Ever since I can remember. My friends house was behind a car scrapyard and so I would cut through the yard to get to his house instead of walking half a mile down to walk half a mile back. Even those junk-yard crazy dogs played with me. Got me a good after school job too. As the owner had been bit a few times. I let them out after dinner, play with them and feed them, then in the morning before taking the bus to school I'd put them back in their pen and make sure they had water. I've seen lots of North American wolves and this boy was massive in comparison. They have a breed here called a Kavkaz Mountain dog. They are massive was well. Tend to be a little aggressive with strangers and when I found one in Georgia the owner was amazed at how quickly he warmed and wanted to play fight.

 

[John61CT]

First off realize you will not ever be not cold.

I understand and appreciate the rest, but just know a good Webasto style fuel parking heater, or Propex unit if you prefer LPG keeps things toasty very efficiently.

There are Russian-made units as well of course.

 

[rvpopeye]

Scott
I haven't read any of this thread before today when I read it the whole way through and your posts are very interesting to say the least !

There is a post waiting for you on the "You Ain't Right" club thread as I don't want to risk it being deleted as off topic.........

 

[Scott7022]

I understand and appreciate the rest, but just know a good Webasto style fuel parking heater, or Propex unit if you prefer LPG keeps things toasty very efficiently.

There are Russian-made units as well of course.

Yes there are but People here are always pulling out bar code apps to scan products. When was the last time you saw that in North America? Why?  To check if it is real or a knock off. Safety is by very definition different here. I didn't mean to give the idea I won't be using a propane heater I will. A vented Catalytic similar to Wave heaters people like.
My post was more about making it in a rig without if you had too. We all had different units Gas Diesel, and propane and sometimes a combination. People tend to panic when it gets cold and with a wool blanket and a sleeping bag if you manage the humidity it is hard to die in most of North America from freezing. Unless you light something on fire and need to abandon shelter. Or panic and decide to hike to safety. Stay in the vehicle. Always!