Sukunka August 2008

Exercise Sukunka Comms Aug 2008

I recently had the pleasure of taking part in a multi patrol exercise hosted by Tumbler Ridge Patrol. Being one of three patrols in the Peace River region of BC this is not the first time I’ve had the pleasure of working with the Rangers from Tumbler. This time around also saw the participation of Vanderhoof and Pouce Coupe Patrols as well as my own, Hudson’s hope.

Taking place in the Sukunka River Valley the exercise Tumbler Ridge had put together was to have Rangers practice communications skills while testing the effectiveness of the TK190 radios.

The opening day of the ex was a hot one with temps well into the 30’s. After base camp was set up a local recce was completed. The result of which had some Rangers cooling their heels and more in the river.  This was followed later by a couple of quick lessons by WO Tony Fozzard on the affect terrain can have on navigating by compass and an eye opening demonstration on establishing Arcs of observation when manning an OP.

The next day we divided into pairs and obtained grid coordinates from Ranger Shae of Tumbler, the exercise commander. We mounted our ATVs and set out to perform a Comms Exercise with the recently acquired TK 190s. This was the first opportunity I had to use these radios in the field. The hilly twisting terrain provided ample opportunity for practice as we were frequently relaying messages back and forth between base and those Rangers farther out. The mobile exercise involved each team progressing several Kms at a time. Each phase had the lead team advance with the following pair taking up the position of the pair before it. I am not a regular radio user and found the operation quite useful.

In the PM we headed off again to explore the Beautiful Sekunka Valley. While the scenery was fantastic the road was hot and dusty and while we tried to keep a two minute spacing between teams we all ate more than our share of dirt, as the fine dust, without any wind, hung in the air like an RSM’s dirty look. Apart from the dust and one quickly repaired flat tire, the recce was uneventful. We had just returned when the skies were ripped apart with lightening, and rain and hail beat the earth. It definitely cooled the air and settled the dust problem. It didn’t, however, prevent those TR Rangers from cooking up enough delicious stew to feed all present and then some. No one goes hungry on an Ex with Tumbler Ridge.

The Next morning, after letting it dry as much as possible, we organized and packed our gear and departed for our respective homes. Thanks TR and those other Rangers for a very enjoyable weekend.

Emergency Shelters by Candle light

Wednesday, October 28.

During our regular monthly meeting Rangers of Hudson's Hope Patrol headed into the trees to practice constructing emergency shelters from available materials (mostly spruce). The challenge was handed out at our previous month's meeting. Each Ranger was to research a shelter utilizing natural material and a minimum of man made material. The Ranger was then to demonstrate the construction of the shelter and provide pros and cons. I was impressed with our patrol as they provided shelters which could be constructed without any manufactured materials yet once fully built could be expected to keep a person protected from the elements.

 I won't go into the details of how to build these here as there is myriad of web sites and books that can show you how a lot better than I can. Just Google "Bushcraft" or "Wilderness Survival" Remember, there is a big difference between reading how to build a shelter and doing it yourself when you really do need it. Unfortunately the batteries in my camera died before I had the opportunity to take pictures of the completed shelters that night but I returned a couple of weeks later after a couple of snowfalls. The following pictures demonstrate how the Fallen tree shelters kept the snow at bay. Two shelters of this type were built. The smaller would keep one person protected. The other would be a cozy two person affair. The Lean-to allowed some snow inside but as protection from the wind and with a fire in front it would certainly help keep you warm.With a little more time and material it too would have kept the snow of the builder.

That was the purpose of our training session, to actually do what we had read about. We also had the challenge of darkness thrown in as our early evenings this time of year dictated that out regular meeting time would be after sunset. If we expected to need a shelter we would if possible begin construction as early as possible.

As an additional note, I would like to point out that some shelter is instantly available if you're in the right area. Spruce trees tend to have thick branches sloping downward away from the trunk. As you can see in the following two pictures this directs precipitation outward. There is a lot less snow around the trunk of said tree. If the tree is a good one ,the branches will be thick enough at the bottom to provide some protection from the wind as well. With a little work you can improve upon what nature has provided and easily boost the sheltering properties of this tree.

 

Another useful item demonstrated was a "Nechako Candle". For those of you not aware of what a Nechako Candle is let me describe it to you. A block of dry firewood is cross sectioned by three cuts from a chainsaw part way along the its length. A glop of fire jelly is then lit at the top in the centre of the wood. As the wood burns it is fed from air being sucked into the cuts in the side. This air intake actually creates a "forced air" effect and the flame shoots vertically from the top of the block. A pot can be placed on top for cooking. The neat thing is that the fire is contained within the log and you can,"with care" pick it up and move it. (To protect me from some careless person wanting to test this theory, failing and then wish to make a lawyer some money,  I want to make the following disclaimer. Don't do it. It is not safe to carry a burning log shooting flame.) It is not a great source of heat for warming as the heat is directed straight up but it does leave a minimum impact on the ground for those wishing to leave little trace but enjoy having an actual fire when in the woods.