Method for keeping warm in the wild from Jeremiah Johnson

[inflames363]

So i'm sure many of you have seen the movie Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford and at one point in the movie Jeremiah and Bear Claw Chris Lapp are camping out in the woods. When night comes they build a fire and before the goto sleep they dig into the ground just a little and place coals and embers from the fire in the hole, then pile dirt on top of this to keep them warm through the night. My question is would this really work. I'm mean it seems like an ingenius idea that would work but I could easily see it being some kinda of Hollywood think up.

[Regulator]

Coals will warm the ground for a little while but will smother under the dirt. I'll sometimes make a long fire and before sleeping scrape it to one side and set my sleeping gear on the warm ground where the fire was. If you can dig into the dirt, you can bury heated rocks. I believe they stay warm longer than the coals do, although you generally have to dig a deeper hole. As far as that goes, digging holes will warm you right up too

[Cherokee John]

You talking about this bad-ass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver-Eating_Johnson

Why don't you just use rocks rather than embers? They stay warm and won't set you on fire. The river rocks might explode I've been told so choose them wisely. ( I've Never seen an exploding rock) I did the rock trick on a beach in Mexico from a cow manure fire with stones from the beach.

[Browny]

Id make a trench if possible, fill with suitable rocks, light fire on top, move fire aside and sleep on dirt over rocks/coals etc.

Camping with friends on their fathers farm years back, made a big fire one night, burned for half the night, and in the morning

the area was hot enough to produce steam when we hosed it all down.

[SeerSavant]

Also,if you do it wrong, at least you'll make a hell of a signal fire.



Bout time you joined.... (mad max avatar, it's a dead giveaway)

[Jamie]

I go winter camping a couple of times each winter in the Adirondacks, sometimes at temps well below zero...my gear is much happier when it's not getting holes burned into it, or bursting into flames...so I would avoid putting my gear (which keeps the cold from killing me) at risk form flames/coals, and work instead at keeping dry and out of the wind, which will keep me warm...

Jamie

[3echo9]

you betcha it works, but do one better. Build a teepee shelter over it and cover it with a parachute and snow, it'll keep several warm all night and into the next day. covering with dry dirt is better, or else you're sleeping on warm mud.

[Kutter_0311]

So i'm sure many of you have seen the movie Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford and at one point in the movie Jeremiah and Bear Claw Chris Lapp are camping out in the woods. When night comes they build a fire and before the goto sleep they dig into the ground just a little and place coals and embers from the fire in the hole, then pile dirt on top of this to keep them warm through the night. My question is would this really work. I'm mean it seems like an ingenius idea that would work but I could easily see it being some kinda of Hollywood think up.

I think you're talking about making a firebed. Here's some links...

How to Build a Survival Firebed By Ron Hood

How to Make a Firebed

Stay Warm in a Fire Bed

There's more to find, and a wide range of methods(or at least ideas). Try to think critically about how you are going to do this.

[azrael99]

as said before, the best way is to put rock in the fire, dig a trench, take the rock out and put them inside the trench . refill the trench with the dirt. and prepare your bed with some pine branch to keep you from been in direct contact with the ground.

[inflames363]

Thats pretty interesting I've never heard of the rock method you guys have been saying and prolly would never think bout that......pretty freakin sweet!!!!!!!

[inflames363]

Also,if you do it wrong, at least you'll make a hell of a signal fire.



Bout time you joined.... (mad max avatar, it's a dead giveaway)

of course there was a reason I was him for halloween... and Mad Max felt fitting for this kinda forum after all he survived the wasteland of Australia and took out the Lord Humungus

[azrael99]

well rock as material is a pretty good thermal radiant . that why our house were made of stone, and also our oven to cook.

rock can contain and radiant heat for longer time than most other material.

[SeerSavant]

Yeah, I've always heard of firebeds being based on stones and large rocks, the whole process takes some time, but hell, if it's that cold...

... and Mad Max felt fitting for this kinda forum after all he survived the wasteland of Australia and took out the Lord Humungus

Ohh, we are far far more than post apocalyptic junkies, to be sure....
.........But I am thinking about the assless chaps.... you know... for ventilation and whatnot...

[angelofwar]

So i'm sure many of you have seen the movie Jeremiah Johnson starring Robert Redford and at one point in the movie Jeremiah and Bear Claw Chris Lapp are camping out in the woods. When night comes they build a fire and before the goto sleep they dig into the ground just a little and place coals and embers from the fire in the hole, then pile dirt on top of this to keep them warm through the night. My question is would this really work. I'm mean it seems like an ingenius idea that would work but I could easily see it being some kinda of Hollywood think up.

I think you're talking about making a firebed. Here's some links...

How to Build a Survival Firebed By Ron Hood

How to Make a Firebed

Stay Warm in a Fire Bed

There's more to find, and a wide range of methods(or at least ideas). Try to think critically about how you are going to do this.

Awesome links cutter! Thanks for sharing!!!

[Kutter_0311]

I think you're talking about making a firebed. Here's some links...

How to Build a Survival Firebed By Ron Hood

How to Make a Firebed

Stay Warm in a Fire Bed

There's more to find, and a wide range of methods(or at least ideas). Try to think critically about how you are going to do this.

Awesome links cutter! Thanks for sharing!!!

I remembered reading about the method in a magazine, and it only took googleing a few key words to find a few places that had similar ideas on the process. In my neck of the woods, this could be a lifesaver, so it was certainly worth researching on my end. My only word of caution: if you don't take the time to train with something like this, you could end up making yourself into a tasty roast for the local wildlife, if not a signal fire for your corpse. This isn't something I'd try to put under your tent or even a sleeping bag. I'd put this in the last-ditch lost-in-the-woods skill column.

[angelofwar]

I think you're talking about making a firebed. Here's some links...

How to Build a Survival Firebed By Ron Hood

How to Make a Firebed

Stay Warm in a Fire Bed

There's more to find, and a wide range of methods(or at least ideas). Try to think critically about how you are going to do this.

Awesome links cutter! Thanks for sharing!!!

I remembered reading about the method in a magazine, and it only took googleing a few key words to find a few places that had similar ideas on the process. In my neck of the woods, this could be a lifesaver, so it was certainly worth researching on my end. My only word of caution: if you don't take the time to train with something like this, you could end up making yourself into a tasty roast for the local wildlife, if not a signal fire for your corpse. This isn't something I'd try to put under your tent or even a sleeping bag. I'd put this in the last-ditch lost-in-the-woods skill column.

Well, where I'm at now (physically, and in life...), I have to practice most of my woodskills in the back-yard. Luckily, it's kind of wild back there with tree's, etc., as I can't get a "yard" to grow with-out a $4,000 investment. SO, I'll probably expirament with this this week-end. I'll try the "butt-cheek" method first, and if it seems to go good, I'll try the body sized one. Do I plan on using it? No. But if I'm ever stranded in the winter, if I have a choise between this and the cold ground, this sounds like a rather comfortable nights sleep. When I do try this, I will post pics to share with the ZS community. I'm all about practicing these types of skills now, in the safety of my yard, so when I really need to use it, there a lot less "learning pains". So far I've been able to perfect my hobo stoves, tent/shelter building, & various other arts 15' from the house .

[Kutter_0311]

Well, where I'm at now (physically, and in life...), I have to practice most of my woodskills in the back-yard. Luckily, it's kind of wild back there with tree's, etc., as I can't get a "yard" to grow with-out a $4,000 investment. SO, I'll probably expirament with this this week-end. I'll try the "butt-cheek" method first, and if it seems to go good, I'll try the body sized one. Do I plan on using it? No. But if I'm ever stranded in the winter, if I have a choise between this and the cold ground, this sounds like a rather comfortable nights sleep. When I do try this, I will post pics to share with the ZS community. I'm all about practicing these types of skills now, in the safety of my yard, so when I really need to use it, there a lot less "learning pains". So far I've been able to perfect my hobo stoves, tent/shelter building, & various other arts 15' from the house .

I'm looking forward to learning from your practice! I don't get to play in the woods lately, mama needs my help with the babies most days.

Keep a pail of water handy. It can't hurt, right?

[bacpacjac]

I hearda rumor that MRE heaters work well like this as well. Dig a shallow hole, add the activated MRE heater and then recover with dirt. Haven't tired it myself so I can't vouche for it, just the source.

[Kutter_0311]

I hearda rumor that MRE heaters work well like this as well. Dig a shallow hole, add the activated MRE heater and then recover with dirt. Haven't tired it myself so I can't vouche for it, just the source.

Now here's something I have a bit of experience with...

In Korea, after a long, hot day of running fire & movement on Story Range, the sun set, the temps dropped, and the heavens spat upon us, so we set up poncho hooches. I had changed out of my sweaty, shit-covered cammies (rice patties are fertilized with shit, among other things) so I could crawl into my sleeping bag wearing cammies that were merely sopping wet. I don't generally use MRE heaters to heat MRE's, so I had a few in my pack to try an experiment with. Heaters get very hot when you dump water on them, so I theorized that they would get mildly warm when absorbing water from my wet cammies. I also knew that the exhaust from this reaction was toxic, so I planned to keep my face out the head hole, and vent the bag by my ears and forehead by tucking the lip under my chin. I stuck sections of heater in the pockets of my cammies and crawled into my bag, laying with my face under the overhang of a poncho hooch. I could feel the heaters warm up in my pockets, and the exhaust slowly warmed my whole sleeping bag.

Warning: MRE heater exhaust is toxic. If you warm your sleeping bag with MRE heaters, vent well, and don't expose yourself to the exhaust fumes. Wash your bag before snuggling into your bag later, as the toxic fumes may remain trapped in tour bag material.

[flsgear]

http://www.survival.com/?page_id=96

always remember the "tooferate" rule.

(TWO FOUR EIGHT)

read the link to see what it's about.

[ninja-elbow]

In the olden days, or of you lack gear, heating rocks and burying thme ot make a fire bed could be an option. I just carry the gear instead though.

[fourway]

Firebed type heating tends to be a poor choice if you are using a lot of modern synthetic gear and clothing.
If you are attempting the use of some sort of retro gear... canvas, furs, waddlework, woolens etc... any of your basic 25000BC through 1959AD kit this sort of thing makes some sense.

[TAB]

You talking about this bad-ass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver-Eating_Johnson

Why don't you just use rocks rather than embers? They stay warm and won't set you on fire. The river rocks might explode I've been told so choose them wisely. ( I've Never seen an exploding rock) I did the rock trick on a beach in Mexico from a cow manure fire with stones from the beach.

They do explode, even the very flat ones. Quite a surprise when it happens even if you are waiting for it.

[Cherokee John]

You talking about this bad-ass http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liver-Eating_Johnson

Why don't you just use rocks rather than embers? They stay warm and won't set you on fire. The river rocks might explode I've been told so choose them wisely. ( I've Never seen an exploding rock) I did the rock trick on a beach in Mexico from a cow manure fire with stones from the beach.

They do explode, even the very flat ones. Quite a surprise when it happens even if you are waiting for it.

Good to know!