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" breaking trail"
Breaking Trail
What can you mean Sir

A few forty-pounders of Bacardi amber

Hmmm, that`d sort my weekend

[/quote]
Damn good it was, and a good amount of chicken in there too...[/quote]

Theres nothing like reconstituted chicken when you're cold, wet and hungry.

T

harry hackedoff wrote:" breaking trail"
Breaking Trail
What can you mean Sir

I cannot think of one endearing quality for a 400 pound toboggan when hauling the bloody thing through knee-deep snow in forestry blocks, espcially when yours is the first in OOM. You know the troops are working their bo**ocks off when it's -20C and their sweating so hard they're down to their combat shirts. Certainly makes that Bacardi all the more welcome when it's time to gonk.

Toboggan
Pulk, if you don`t mind.

Best bit of Canadian kit we had was the single tent sheet/poncho. Rhomboid in shape, with steel buttons down the edges. Two buttoned together would make a two man ridge tent. After you joined four together a dome shape began to emerge. The best ratio, of volume to men was four men in a five man tent sheet and once the sections broke down into Charley and Delta fire teams a la SA80, (as opposed to nine men sections with GPMG/SLR,) this became the norm.
Routine for construction goes like this, feel free to chip in men, my memory, etc
Choose troop harbour area according to tactical sitch, terrain, weather, blah blah
Site the individual tent groups, approx eight in a troop sized group
Establish track plan, stand to and sentry positions
Each tent group then begins, thus,
Stamp out area of tent sheets using ski poles as guide to radius. This compacts the snow and makes digging it out easier.
Tent sheets are usually carried joined up, try doing up the buttons in the field and you`ll see why. The sheets are opened out over the stamped down snow and are fastened to handy trees, if above the tree line skis are used.
The snow inside the sheets is removed to a depth of about 750mm and chucked outside where it is used to form a wall round the structure to provide shelter from the wind and a degree of cam. Small twigs and brushwood are placed on the edge of the sheets and then snow is piled on this to weigh the edges down. The brushwood prevents the snow from freezing to the canvas.
At about this stage, someone will flash up their Peak or the Pussers` two man, for a group wet whilst final touches are made to the structure, ie,
Work on the outside, shape of the wall, remove footprints, cover with white cam-nets, ski pit, weapons pit. The wall has an opening in the down wind side and the sheets have an opening to one side of this, they should be close enough together so visitors can find the door, but far enough apart so no light shows . Work on the inside, cold trench, dish out Bergans, sleep mats etc.
During the process of building tent sheets, the most important issue, after tactical threat, is concurrent activity. As in everyone working flat out to get the thing finished. Finish one job and get right into the next. Soon as that`s done, it`s scran time, dits and zeds
Kin toboggans
I`m sure there`s loads you lot will remember, so jump right in there, Lofty

The above post is crap, not to put too fine a point on it.
The actual routine went something like.............
Flash up Gazellicopter, launch to Harstad, or as far as poss from OC Sqn; replen fuel, doughnuts andcaffeine. Pick up CO 45 or Brig 3 Cdo Bde, take out to lunch at 45s location, relax. Return to new base. Arrange for ground crew or slovenly air gunner to deliver bergen of silk undies and polo necks to pre-delivered tented accommodation.
PS Ensure driver has arranged at least 3' of straw under mat.

Toboggan = "big pulk".

Pulk = "puny toboggan".

harry hackedoff wrote: Routine for construction goes like this,

Similar here, but with a section hauling a ten-man tent and all the other gear in the "toboggan". Two guys in the traces to pull and one guy on the tiller bar to push and steer.

We'd also typically break track and double back to mount a hasty ambush prior to establishing the harbour area or LUP. In addision to the stag, we'd have someone on stove watch in the tent at all times. The routine is to top up the naptha on the stove, re-light and get a brew on for the next guy on stag. Not good for the stove to go out at -40C.

A lot of our work is done on snow shoes vice skis because of the terrain.

We had the Canadian ten man tents which are pulled on a ten man pulk( surprisingly) Dont think Pusser bought any of the stoves to go with them, though. Apart from basic AWTC I can`t say we used them that much. You must have had shit loads of Naphta if the stove never goes out.
Parry, summat tells me you`re not taking this seriously You left out the young Norge bird most helo drivers used as a hot water bottle

harry hackedoff wrote:You must have had shit loads of Naphta if the stove never goes out.

Yes and it's a pain sometimes. To be honest, it's not really necessary to have it going all the time at the temps we have around here. That's more high arctic routine. It's just practiced all the time. Truth be known, you get eight guys in a ten man tent and you're generating enough heat yourselves to keep warm. Just an arctic candle is enough to take the edge of.

The Sqn had an old 45 gall drum cut down to size, with a wooden seat. This was encircled by snow blocks to provide a modicum of privacy. EXCEPT when the members of one's tent decided to sneak after one and hurl snow at one while one was doing number twos!!!! Bastards.