Fieldcraft Mountain Hide

[Victory]

So need ideas quickly guys. Maybe someone here has got something better than what I am coming up with.

10 days on a ridge
no trees for cover
temps over 110
overwatch during the day and move to new hide/surveillance site at night
Limited resupply total about 150lbs of gear and water.
Speed balls are a maybe

Trying to figure out a way to construct a hide to offer some relief from the sun during the daylight. Thinking a poncho with sand glued to it.

Any other Ideas? limited amount of caves and the ones present, are too hard to get to without full climbing equipment.

Remember: ounces = pounds and pounds = pain.

Hope you guys can come up with something for me or put some ideas out there that I can branch off of.

Thanks in advance!

 

[_Shay_]

Re: Mountain Hide

Glueing sand could work... maybe hit it with a little camo spray paint or using some dye (tans and browns)... or just throw the poncho in the mud for a while...

http://www.rockywoods.com/Fabrics-Kits/C...Mesh-Coyote-Tan

Maybe use a mesh with some spray paint... though it wouldnt block the sun too much, it is light weight and will not keep heat in...

 

[sinister]

Re: Mountain Hide

Been there, done that.

You're definitely going to need ground caches or speedballs. If there's no ground water and someone's not bringing it to you by foot, pack animal, or vehicle you may last ten days but not if you make contact and have to move.

Ponchos are heavy but provide shade you're not going to get with mesh or mosquito-type netting. Purpose-built light tarps made of 1.1 parachute nylon are lighter than sand and can be good for coloration but do nothing to keep off the heat nor produce shade. You can keep them tied down with bungie cords. Conventional camo nets are heavy and may not hide you.

10 days is a long time if the only water you're carrying in is on your back. It sucks when you're down to IVs and Ringers bags.

Bringing in water by helo can be good but you have to move to the LZ, surveil it, secure it, get your water while the neighboring three counties hear the bird, and then move it back to your hide site.

5 gallons (20 quarts) = 40 pounds, not counting the container.

 

[Guest]

Re: Mountain Hide

Korea-Viet/Nam issued bunk mosquito net, lightly painted to match A/O.

Hang it on/over rocks an foliage, at least 6+ inchs above you, when weighted. Provides shade, an still allows for air circulation. Place foliage/sticks ect., on top of it to stop movement from the AM/PM or normal winds. If you can place it between and behind large rocks your home free. In those temps I'd be digging out below me as well and lay on foliage an sticks to allow my body to somewhat breath.

A damp H2O towel around the neck does wonders.

 

[KHOOKS]

Re: Mountain Hide

? WHat does speedballs mean here? I think there talking about bladders with water in them. other than that the drug term comes to mind.

Ken

 

[threetrees]

Re: Mountain Hide

what kind of mountains are we walking about?

- is there still some snow available? then you have free access to water

- how stable is the weather? without shelter, you want to have a bivy or similar for a drop in weather conditions (we have snowfall even in august down to about 1800m above sea level). which, in your special case, should also serve as cover (to reduce the total amount of weight)

- how detailed are your maps? while in 'my' mountains there are no springs, i know of 3 places where rain and condensation water comes together. at least for a few hours in early morning you can refill bottles (at times, depending on the general weather the day before)


overall, i'm not concerned about something to eat. it's (in descending importance):
a) water supply
b) bad weather shelter
c) everything else

due to my duties, i have to get people often enough from the mountains in bad weather conditions. It's really strange to see how small mountains that are only 2000m above sealevel get severely underestimated.

 

[Victory]

Re: Mountain Hide

I couldn't find any mesh netting other than tearing apart a some of the new camo nets. The mesh is fairly heavy and black so a lot of paint was going to be needed to make it work.

Scrounged the MRAP bone yard and found some large khaki burlap tarps that have been bleached by the sun and are perfect.

Thanks for the ideas to those who posted and also those who PM'ed me. The ideas sent me on a scavenger hunt that lead to what we will use. I'm sure my team will be thanking you when that sun gets high!

Gunfighter: Thanks for the info bro.

Threetrees: Def no snow left and no springs or rain. Just a lot of boulders, rocks, and moon dust.
Not so worried about bad weather shelter, its the dry hot season. lol

Sinister: Some times I forget the caliber of people who posting here. I appreciate you responding because I know it's info that I can trust.

Thanks again!

 

[Mike Shoots Stuff]

Re: Mountain Hide

Canvas or mesh sheet and a large piece of chicken wire. Mold the chickwire to look like a rock/boulder that will fit your team and gear. Paint the canvas or mesh sheet rocky colors and sprayglue some sand/dirt to it. My seniors did this in Afghanistan a few times.

Hope this helped!
Mike

 

[UNCIVILIZED]

Re: Mountain Hide

Appropriately colored ripstop nylon akin to Kifaru Para Hooch, with camo to match the AO affixed to the top. And a space blanket glued to the underside to give some shade + heat deflection. Say with a urethane or silicone, or perhaps contact cement, or 3M Spray adhesive. Not sure what the temperature tolerances of said adhesives are, but easy enough to check.

 

[SierraOne1]

Re: Mountain Hide

Victory, check your PM when you have a sec...

 

[Sean the Nailer]

Re: Mountain Hide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KHOOKS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">? WHat does speedballs mean here? I think there talking about bladders with water in them. other than that the drug term comes to mind.

Ken</div></div>
I too ask whatinhell this is. Google just turned up 'the negative' so inquiring minds are let loose, here.

 

[Redmanss]

Re: Mountain Hide

<div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: Sean the Nailer</div><div class="ubbcode-body"><div class="ubbcode-block"><div class="ubbcode-header">Originally Posted By: KHOOKS</div><div class="ubbcode-body">? WHat does speedballs mean here? I think there talking about bladders with water in them. other than that the drug term comes to mind.

Ken</div></div>
I too ask whatinhell this is. Google just turned up 'the negative' so inquiring minds are let loose, here.</div></div> Look here.

 

[Stealthy]

Re: Mountain Hide

A Raven could probably get a litre right to your doorstep without being noticed if you can carry it without moving the centre of gravity.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6FH1WSKI62s&feature=player_embedded

 

[jps2]

Re: Mountain Hide

Have you got the the time to test capturing the dew during night by a plastic mesh (seems that 30° inclination is the best) and sanitize it by ceramic filter to see how much water can be produce by hour/square meter during the night ?

I know that it is weather dependent, just an idea.

 

[Victory]

Re: Mountain Hide

Well the canvas tarps worked well and we added handles to them to double as a poleless liter.

All I can say is that class 3 terrain with all that weight and no ropes sucks.

Speedballs are good if they hit your DZ and pad them correctly, otherwise kiss it good bye.

Thanks for the ideas and a nudge in the right direction.

Cheers

 

[desertrat1979]

Re: Mountain Hide

Whats the wind like up where you are at? Only reason I ask, is if your area is in a rocky area but wind is a constant, any kind or tarp/poncho/netting will be flapping away in an area where nothing is effected by wind, i.e. rocks, boulders ect...

Seems to me your best bet is as much natural shelter you can find, keeping the man made stuff at a minimum to avoid having nature give you away. Not being there and seeing what you have in store makes it hard to give a definitive answer.

Sounds like you are in A-stan. My friend just got back last month, and he said that aside from the diffrence in altitude, the terrain was exactly like here. So I figure what would work here might work there.

Rocky overhangs and crevices(sp) may be your best bet. Biggest fear I have is a tarp or whatever shelter you use blowing loose and waving around like a wind marker.

 

[Pinco Palla]

Re: Mountain Hide

if you can carry it the best choice 'd be chicken wire covered with light painted canvas backed by a space blanket , this has always been GTG for me ,

PP out

 

[mt Al]

Re: Mountain Hide

Disclaimer: I have NOT been there and done that but saw it on TV so I must be an expert. However, I've had to deal with this in a not dangerous place before. You may have it solved with tarps/handles but...

An issue with high daytime temps and tarp covers is that the tarp heats up and reflects the heat down through the tarp.

If a single tarp is pretty far above you (a few feet) this is way less of an issue because the heat escapes out the sides.

One way to deal with that is to have one upper tarp and one just below, say 6". The upper "hot" tarp reflects the heat down, but not much gets through the lower tarp. It will be way cooler below the lower tarp.

The logistics on a system like that takes up more space for your hide, requires poles, system to tie two tarps to the poles = ounces = pounds = pain = time. It's easier with small tarps. Wind can play havoc on the system, flapping and all that.

Your local rigger, once woken up, can sew webbing straps, 6" - 9" long every foot or so on the sides and a few in the middle. hold up the top tarp and let the lower one hang. The lower tarp can be poncho/ripstop/steal the fly from the new pop up tent, whatever.

3M lamination spray glue (like said above), Super 77 or such is great for gluing sand. Spray all over, let sit to tack up, then toss a bunch of sand on it, wait a few more minutes and brush it in good.

 

[threetrees]

Re: Mountain Hide

light-weight cover: take the emergency aluminia-foils for a first-aid bag (usually gold on one side, silver on the other). add colour of your preference. done.

regarding weight and size, you can't get smaller/lighter than that.

 

[Bowman]

Re: Mountain Hide

Good for a hide, hand to hand combat and a hasty shitter.

With no resupply...you will hump your own H2O. Do not plan on finding water unless you plan on putting yourself in a survival situation.

 

[bubba5132]

Re: Mountain Hide

For the hide construction, just build what ever you can outa what ever rocks etc are natural to the area and cover it with a poncho or 2. Then, take 1-3 cans of spray glue and coat the poncho and dust lightly with natural sand. Should do the trick.... I'd rehears it with your spotter (s) in camp to reduce the time and ensure every one knows what is going on.

 

[kraigWY]

Re: Mountain Hide

I've dug many of holes to hide in with nothing more then a M-7 Bayonet.