The overnight field trip took place in Jegersberg about an hour and a half into the forest on skis. We set camp at the top of a short incline and appeared to be just off an unused ski track. With regards to the Outdoor Recreation Act (1996) we are able to camp on uncultivated land as long as we are no closer than 150 metres of housing. The act also states that we should not stay in the same area for more then two days at a time without the permission of the owner or user. As we were staying for only one night and camped no closer then 150 metres we were not infringing on any part of the Act.
Before setting off, my predetermined learning outcomes were to enable I was warm throughout the whole night by wearing the right type of clothing, and being able to successfully organise and cook a group meal between four of us with two storm kitchens and two different types of gases.
When we arrived at the camp the first thing that was done by each group was to compress the snow as much as possible before putting our tents down so as not to sink into the snow during the night. Our group decided to stay on our skis and compress the snow, but then used the shovels to dig out some of the snow to make it as flat and compressed as possible. This took longer to do then other groups, however during the night no one sank into the snow. After this, branches from pine trees were used to give us an extra insulator on the ground. Not only this but our group also brought a groundsheet and so we lay that on top of the pine branches to give us a further layer between us and the snow. I feel this was an effective method in helping us keep warm through the night. The type of tent our group had was a tunnel design which has the advantage of providing the maximum amount of floor space Langmuir (2013) .This is an advantage as we didn’t want to touch the edges of the tent when asleep as we would get damp.
While the tents were being set up, the communal camp was being organised with a toilet built with an effective method of telling someone it is occupied and a group camp fire. The type of campfire built on this particular night was called a pagode. This is where the wood is stacked on top of each other like Jenga, with smaller pieces sitting on top to form a pyramid shape. This method may take more effort to light the fire however it is well worth it as it allows the larger pieces of wood at the bottom to dry out if they are a little damp so it a useful method in the winter where wood may be damp and cold. While the fire was being set up, a communal toilet was also dug out. A long path was created with a long piece of wood put across the path when the toilet was occupied.
When cooking the luxury three course meal it was quite simple. As a group we preferred the camping gas over the red spirit as it was easier and quicker to use then the red spirit. As we were camping in low temperatures there was a chance the gas could have frozen, however we had a propane/butane mixed container which has a smaller chance of freezing. We chose food that would be quick and easy to cook, yet filling as there was limited cooking resources at camp. Therefore all food was fried, and pancake mixture for breakfast was mixed and prepared before we got to the camp to make breakfast more efficient. As there were three course and breakfast there was a lot to carry and so having a three course meal every night would be hard to accomplish, as it is weighty and a lot of litter is created afterwards. However, as we were only staying one night, the three course meal played a major factor in helping the group stay warm as all the food was served hot. There was also plenty of protein and carbohydrates in the meals we cooked giving us plenty of energy to stay warm throughout the night.
References
Government.NO (1996) Act of 28 June 1957 No.16 Relating to Outdoor Recreation [Online] Svailable from: http://www.regjeringen.no/en/doc/laws/acts/outdoor-recreation-act.html?id=172932 [Accessed 26th February 2014].
Langmuir, E. (2013) Mountain craft and Leadership. 4th edition. England, Mountain Training Scotland & Mountain Training England.