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Camping Equipment and all Clothing Tents, sleeping bags, stoves etc. Riding clothing, boots, helmets, what to wear when not riding, etc.
Photo by Andy Miller, UK, Taking a rest, Jokulsarlon, Iceland

I haven't been everywhere...
but it's on my list!


Photo by Andy Miller, UK,
Taking a rest,
Jokulsarlon, Iceland




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  #31  
Old 9 Oct 2008
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Strange. That's my experience too...
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  #32  
Old 9 Oct 2008
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Originally Posted by oldbmw View Post
If camping at the same spot for a few days or more, enough green biomass will start to compost and keep you warm. ( six inches thick or more, you cant have too much) In Mons (Belgium) last year, I found a campsite that had put all their grass cuttings in a big heap. by placing my tent over it, the temperature inside teh tent was over 20C with frost outside. My tent is a cheap dome type that i can pick up and position by lifting it by the top.
Last time I tried something like that I spent the night listening to the rats running around outside the tent. I've tended to stay away from rubbish heaps since.
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  #33  
Old 9 Oct 2008
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May I suggest a book by Dave Barr. He road across Siberia on a Sportster in winter.
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  #34  
Old 17 Oct 2008
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I was always taught that to sleep well at night in cold weather you had to strip off everything that you wore during the day (then find a Norwegian Princess) and put on dry clothing (that should keep you hot). The sweat that finds its way into your clothes during the day makes it colder if you leave even a slightly damp shirt on. I've been laughed at on a few occasions in cold weather as I pranced around naked in 1/2" cold weather - only to have a loyal following the next night.
I fully agree with you on that one. It makes a world of difference if you can pull some warm, dry thermals/pj's/silken shag*ing gown on.

As an addition to that tip. If before bed, you strip down to your minimum clothing, then run as fast as you can to the nearest tree and back, and then get into the warm dry stuff, then jump in your bag, you feel so much toastier.

Any people nearby will think you are a complete loon, and it takes some mustering to do it in really cold weather, but the increased circulation really gets your sleeping bag throbbing with heat.

As an aside to that - if the nearest tree happens to be more than a hundred metres away or so, you probably want to find something closer so you don't work up a sweat and then ruin all the hard work.

Mmm, the comforting morale giving properties of cuddling a warm bottle of man pi*s to sleep should never be underestimated.

Joel
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  #35  
Old 28 Oct 2008
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Bloody h*** Matt - If I didn't know better I'd say you were Norwegian! ;-)

Anyway - this is next month. That's September. Say October for good measure. You seem to have all the gear you need. Up north you may encounter some snow, but the temp isn't going to be too bad in the coastal area. Inland it may creep further down to well below zero especially at night, but you'll probably not experience anything like -20 C. That's reserved for the coldest depths of January/February, usually.

BTW: The best camping tent by far in cold weather: The Lavvo, into which you can make a fire if you need to. Here's my favourite winter lavvo, the Helsport Varanger ("best in test"). Oh, and while in the north, buy yourself a couple of reindeer skins to use as carpets in your tent. You'll never worry about the cold ground ever again.

Hi Indu - I want to come to Norway one day and visit that plateau around Telemark one day, perhaps do one of the army winter survival courses if possible. I admire so much about Norway except for your low speed limits! (and expensive ) but the girls....

Tel me - is there anywhere you know where I can buy Norway Army surplus winter jackets?

Takk skal du ha for du rådet. Norge er avkjøle!
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  #36  
Old 28 Oct 2008
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Are you still en route to Murmansk?
Its a few years since I was last there and it was January, but day time temperatures, including windchill were down to -42C and with only two hours of twilight!

I would (at this time of year) seriously consider your transport options, i.e. diesel freezing, oil in the axles turning to sludge, the inside of the vehicle being like a freezer without a dedicated heater, etc. Plus survival time with a broken down vehicle is counted in hours, not days. I'm sure you are aware, but it is not an environment to be taken lightly.

All that said it is a wonderful part of the world, especially at that time of the year. For equipment, I would go mostly for ex-army arctic survival - they're usually over specified. Have a look at:

Buy your Military Issue EXTREME COLD weather sleeping bag, Arctic sleeping bag, military sleeping bag from Surplus and Adventure UK online store
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  #37  
Old 28 Oct 2008
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Originally Posted by Fastship View Post
Hi Indu - I want to come to Norway one day and visit that plateau around Telemark one day, perhaps do one of the army winter survival courses if possible. I admire so much about Norway except for your low speed limits! (and expensive ) but the girls....

Tel me - is there anywhere you know where I can buy Norway Army surplus winter jackets?

Takk skal du ha for du rådet. Norge er avkjøle!
Hi,
Not sure where you can get decent army surplus stuff. www.forsvarsbrukt.no is a web business (Norwegian only) that sells some army surplus but the collection of winter jackets is not that great it seems. There are of course stores and web businesses selling civilian stuff that is very good - but if army surplus is what you want I have to check around a bit.
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  #38  
Old 28 Oct 2008
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Try here... Military Surplus | Miltary Clothing | Police Kit | Police surplus

or here...
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  #39  
Old 29 Oct 2008
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Last time I tried something like that I spent the night listening to the rats running around outside the tent. I've tended to stay away from rubbish heaps since.
Yes rubbish tips bad place to camp, all sorts of creepy crawlies.

I was referring to fresh cut green biomass. I learned this by accident back in 1961 when on a survival training course in the new forest. I pulled lots of young newly sprouting bracken to alleviate the cold and hardness of the ground after spending an uncomfortable first night in a makeshift tent. The first night with the bracken was much comfier, and I thought not so cold due to insulation of the ground by the bracken, Next night was much, much warmer stayed really warm for over a week.

Sadly not a lot of heat on the first night unless you pitch on finely chopped greenstuff. Not usually easily available. The coarser harder stuff takes longer to start composting. after 2-3 days though, the base will be well over 20 c possibly over 30c. Handy if you break down, or want to stop and do a couple days fishing.
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Old 29 Oct 2008
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I wouldn't buy army surplus. The army stuff is cheaper but much lower quality as the stuff you can buy for civilians. The armies can't afford the best or won't, as the they have to buy huge quantities and the soldiers get shot anyway ;o(
If its warm it very heavy.

Take a look at this link Buy your Military Issue EXTREME COLD weather sleeping bag, Arctic sleeping bag, military sleeping bag from Surplus and Adventure UK online store that "extreme" sleeping back is very flat, its air that insulates, so an "extreme" should be high even when lying flat with no one in it. My warmest sleeping bag is 12" high when empty but doesn't weigh more than 3,1kg
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