How they drown in the plague, what is a frog and where you can talk on the phone in the tundra.

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The central place of the plague, of course, is the potbelly stove. There is no other source of heat in the tundra, but it can also be -50°! It is heated by polar willow. The Nenets wear traditional fur oar clothes - a yagushka. The locals obtain meat and fats for food through reindeer herding. The main occupations of the Nenets are reindeer herding, fishing,.

N'ENTS, Nenets or Khasova (self-name - "man"), Samoyeds, Yuraks (obsolete), people in, the indigenous population of the European North and the north of Western and Central Siberia. Live in Nenets autonomous region(6.4 thousand people), Leshukonsky, Mezensky and Primorsky districts of the Arkhangelsk region (0.8 thousand people), northern regions of the Komi Republic, Yamalo-Nenets (20.9 thousand people) and Khanty-Mansi Autonomous Okrug, Tyumen region, Taimyr (Dolgano-Nenets) Autonomous Okrug of the Krasnoyarsk Territory (3.5 thousand people). Number in Russian Federation 34.5 thousand people. There are two ethnographic groups: tundra and forest Nenets. Related peoples: Nganasans, Enets, Selkups.

They speak the Nenets language of the Samoyedic group of the Ural family, which is divided into 2 dialects: tundra, which is spoken by most of the Nenets, and forest (it is spoken by about 2 thousand Nenets, settled mainly in the taiga zone, along the upper and middle reaches of the Pur River, and also in the sources of the Nadym River and along some tributaries of the Middle Ob). The Russian language is also widespread. Writing based on Russian graphics.

Like other North Samoyedic peoples, the Nenets formed from several ethnic components. During the 1st millennium AD, under the pressure of the Huns, Turks and other warlike nomads, the Samoyed-speaking ancestors of the Nenets, who inhabited the forest-steppe regions of the Irtysh and Tobol, the taiga of the Middle Ob, moved north into the taiga and tundra regions of the Arctic and the Arctic and assimilated the aboriginal population - hunters for wild deer and sea hunters. Later, Ugric and Enets groups also became part of the Nenets.

Traditional activities - fur animal, wild deer, upland and waterfowl, fishing. Since the middle of the 18th century, reindeer breeding has become the leading branch of the economy.

IN former USSR economy, life and culture of the Nenets have undergone significant changes. Most of the Nenets worked at the enterprises of the fishing industry, sedentary life. Part of the Nenets grazes deer in individual farms. Families of reindeer herders wander. A significant number of families live in the cities of Naryan-Mar, Salekhard, Pechora, and others and work in industry and the service sector. The Nenets intelligentsia grew up.

Most of the Nenets led a nomadic lifestyle. Traditional dwelling - collapsible tent chum covered with deer skins in winter and birch bark in summer.

Outerwear (malitsa, sokui) and shoes (pima) were made from reindeer skins. They traveled on light wooden sleds.

Actually, the tundra, just like forest zone, very varied. There are large rocky areas, and there may be extensive swampy lowlands. However, there are very few swamps as such. Get bogged down and die in them, like in a classic quagmire middle lane, impossible. Under a layer of ordinary swampy vegetation at a depth of no more than one and a half meters - permafrost. True, you can run into fairly deep depressions called "lenses". Therefore, without extreme need, you should not rummage through the swamps in vain. Usually, all the moisture in the tundra accumulates on the surface in the form of numerous lakes and puddles of various sizes.

IN summer time Often you can find areas that are absolutely not passable. The fact is that vegetation, in the form of shrubs, sometimes reaching significant, by tundra standards, sizes, is hidden in the folds of the terrain. Their height is regulated by the depth of these same folds and ranges from a few dozen centimeters to two or more meters. The reason is that the fierce winter winds literally "shear" all the plants that stand in their way.
If you look at the tundra from the side, its surface seems almost flat. But, one has only to go on foot, the traveler inevitably gets stuck in such dense thickets, through which it is sometimes impossible to pass without an ax. The jungle with its impenetrable vines is resting...

often day crossing in such unfamiliar terrain does not exceed 4-5 kilometers. I emphasize that we are talking about unfamiliar places, because the locals have their own paths, along which they move from year to year. which will take hundreds of years. True, these roads, called by the peculiar tundra term "all-terrain vehicles", do not always go in the right direction.

Another insurmountable obstacle is lakes of the most intricate shape. Not knowing their location and configuration, the traveler often cannot move in the right direction at all and actually marks time, falling into traps from the chain of lakes.
Imagine the disappointment of an unlucky traveler who walked around the lake for an hour, finding fault with the bushes, and found that it merges with another, even larger, reservoir. Here it is necessary to warn against attempts to overcome water obstacles by swimming. The marshy, stubbly bottom and icy water, the temperature of which even in summer days does not exceed four degrees, can be deadly. But in winter, when the winds cover with snow all the hollows along with the bushes and the lakes are ice-bound, it is a pleasure to ski over the snow crust and a normal daytime transition can reach 30 or even more kilometers!

However, there are no rules without exceptions - rocky areas of the tundra and those adjacent to mountain ranges are easily passable at any time of the year. Therefore, further we will talk about such areas as the Polar Urals, the Putorana Plateau and the Byrranga Mountains in Taimyr, the coast of the northern seas.

For hiking in the summer, a suit made of dense windproof fabric and rubber boots is very suitable. Replacement shoes in the form of trekking boots will not be superfluous. Clothing should dry easily and not absorb much moisture. You understand: drying your things in the tundra can be problematic and sometimes you have to be content with only the warmth of your body. A tight windproof headgear is required. Geologists and local residents often wear fur shanks with earflaps even in summer. I must say, when the north wind blows, such an outfit, complete with a solid padded jacket, looks very good.

Contrary to popular belief, there are not very many mosquitoes and other midges in the tundra. More precisely, there is enough of it, but it does not get as much as in the forest. One has only to climb a small mound or hill, then the wind, which almost always blows in the tundra, takes away all the blood-sucking abomination. However, it still depends not only on the area, but also on which year is wet or dry. Sometimes you can’t do without repellents or mosquito nets.
Another important plus is that there are no encephalitis ticks in the Arctic, which have recently become a scourge not only in the taiga, but also in more southern and western regions. This makes me happy.

In summer, it is quite possible to do without stoves or gas burners. Local residents have been living without them for centuries, so I am ready to boldly advise travelers on the tundra to do without artificial fuel. Well, it might be worth taking some dry alcohol or plexiglass with you for kindling. There are harsh tundra dwellers who consider all this a whim, and I take my hat off to them. However, I always have something for kindling in my backpack pocket.

Along the coastline of lakes and streams, you can find dry branches of the polar willow or birch. Sometimes there are specimens as thick as a hand, so a fire is not a problem here.

In areas completely devoid of vegetation, such as high mountain tundra, it is more difficult to get fuel, but not critical. As a rule, civilization has stepped here as well. Often along the way you can find fragments of boards, old boxes and even logs, it is not known how they got into the treeless tundra. Riddles, however ... Such artifacts should always be taken with you, after cutting them to a manageable size. When it comes time to cook, they will come in very handy.

It’s not bad at all, having met thickets of dwarf birches 20-30 centimeters high, wander through them. Dry twigs the size of a pencil will definitely be there. Collect them in a bag.

Well, here is finally the long-awaited lunch halt. The place for the hearth (namely, the hearth, because you cannot call this structure a fire) must be chosen on top of a rocky hill. Having determined the direction of the wind, we lay out from the stones, parallel to its direction, two tiny walls about 10 centimeters high. To achieve a greater effect, you can do less, but this requires experience. The distance between the walls depends on the width of the bottom of the dishes in which we are going to cook.

A few words about what to cook in. Pots should be flat-bottomed, low and always with a lid. For hot drinks, a regular cone-shaped kettle is ideal.

Previously, when civilization had little touched these places, and the natives had not yet completely drunk themselves, in the tundra one could often meet a smiling flat-faced little man who went to visit a neighbor for a hundred kilometers. From the equipment he had only an enameled teapot hanging from his belt and a tiny bundle of firewood. Everything else he kept in his pockets or just in his bosom. And the distances were measured in the number of stops in order to drink tea. Before the neighbor was "five times to drink tea and one round of the sun." (“One circle of the sun” - one day on a polar day.).

Now, unfortunately, the time is not right. Local residents began to neglect national clothes and handicrafts. Mostly they settled in the villages, where they are rapidly dying from alcohol, idleness and an unhealthy lifestyle. The tundra has become a stranger for many .... However, this is a completely different, rather complex ethnic and social issue, which has nothing to do with this narrative ...

Let's go back to our hearth.

So, the saucepan and kettle are filled with water (by the way, water in the tundra can be drunk everywhere, without fear of catching intestinal diseases) and proceed directly to cooking. It's like some kind of meditation. It is necessary to sit comfortably or lie down near the fire. With a sharp knife, we cut the fuel into tiny chips and slip it under the bottom of the pot. Having covered from the wind with improvised material (a flat stone, or you can own body), gently ignite. After waiting for the light to gain the necessary strength, we gradually open the access of the wind. The thing went. It is already possible to feed the fire with larger fuel (the size of a pencil). The process of planing and laying "firewood" is continuous. We try to place the fire directly under the center and so that it is evenly distributed over the entire bottom. The tongues of flame should not burst out too much - with them, precious calories of heat fly into the atmosphere.

Pots must be under tight lids, without them the water may not boil - there is too much cooling of the side surfaces.

Sometimes it is necessary to blow on the fire, or, conversely, reduce the draft by closing it with a flat stone reverse side hearth. At very strong wind a protective stone in front will not interfere. It's all according to the circumstances.

When the hearth began to work and gained sufficient temperature, then, if necessary, raw branches of a dwarf birch can also be used. Due to the high content of essential oils, they also do not burn badly.

After 30-40 minutes of such meditation, a hot lunch is ready. For a group of 5-6 people, 2-3 kilograms of firewood will be enough. Experienced campfirers can significantly reduce the cooking time and the amount of fuel - in the tundra this is a creative process and depends on many variables: the quality of the folded hearth, the strength of the wind, the moisture content of the fuel, the shape of the dishes, and, most importantly, the skill of the “hearth keeper”.

Once, in front of my eyes, an elderly Nenets boiled a kettle in a few minutes, using only a piece of board the size of a chocolate bar. Faster than houses on gas! Skill, as they say, you can’t drink away ...

At one time, having wandered enough on the tundra, we learned to appreciate and save fuel.

A useful skill of cooking on miniature hearth fires can be useful in any latitudes and will help save energy on preparing firewood and partly save the already pretty shabby nature. It will not be superfluous to practice boiling a mug of tea for yourself on a minimum of fuel and in urban conditions. Such a skill can always be needed ....

Good luck to you, friends!

Sincerely,

A person can survive in any conditions, even in the harsh tundra. An equipped traveler is able to spend the winter in the north; it is more difficult for those who find themselves in extreme conditions unexpectedly, for example, after a plane crash. But even without special training it is possible to survive in the tundra.

You will need

  • - knife;
  • - matches;
  • - warm clothes and footwear;
  • - parachute;
  • - ropes;
  • - skiing;
  • - compass;
  • - a flask for water.

Instruction

If your plane crashed in tundra, stay near the wreckage. From parts of the fuselage, build a shelter that will protect from the wind. If you decide to seek locality to report a disaster, take everything you need with you: a supply of clothing, parachutes, fresh water, knife, matches.

Select the direction of travel. Siberian rivers flow to the north, and people live mainly in the south, so go against the current. In winter, navigate by the stars, the North Star will point you to the north or make a compass from a magnetized needle.

Walk around in winter boots made from parachute straps so you don't sink into the snow as you walk. Do not go out on the river ice in spring and autumn, walk along the shore. In summer, use a pole to check the soil for unsteadiness: the soil of the tundra is swampy.

Change clothes regularly to dry, if possible, dry wet. The jacket and trousers should protect from wind and cold, wear warm clothes underneath, and sweat-absorbing underwear on the body. Prevention of colds will allow you to survive in tundra.

In the summer, take fresh water from ponds and rivers, but be sure to boil it. Use an empty tin as a container. In winter, melt ice or snowballs. To save fuel, put a piece of ice on a dark tarp and wait for the sun to melt it, collect the water in a prepared container.

For the night, make a shelter or find shelter among the rocks. Stick sticks into the ground or snow, pull the parachute dome over the top. Do not make the hut large, because you have to warm yourself in it with the help of breathing and body heat. Build a couch from branches and moss. In winter, make a more reliable and stable shelter from snow blocks and ice, you will need a knife to craft parts. In the summer, if you don't have a parachute, build a canopy with a wall that will protect you from the wind.

Build a fire in a place protected from the wind. To do this, surround the fire with stones or dig a hole in the snow. If the fire is going to be built in an ice hut, then make a hole in the top of the roof to let the smoke out. Light the fire with dry branches and moss. If you're lucky enough to come across coal seams, stock up on them and use them to keep the fire going.

IN famous song The tundra was sung as an endless snowy wasteland, on which they move on reindeer. However, the nature of the tundra is incredibly diverse, its views are simply amazing, and with the help of watercolors you can convey its unique beauty.

You will need

  • A sheet of paper, a simple pencil, watercolors, brushes.

Instruction

Consider the landscapes of the tundra - they can be incredibly diverse. The mountain tundra is called differently alpine meadows. The Arctic tundra is very poor in vegetation - there are not even shrubs there, only mosses and lichens. In the middle (typical) tundra, mosses mainly grow, but dwarf birches and creeping willows also appear. Of the animals in the tundra, reindeer, foxes, wolves, snow sheep are common. In addition, there are many reservoirs in the tundra.

After studying the features of the tundra, come up with a landscape that you would like to depict. For example, it can be the autumn tundra - an incredibly colorful picture. First sketch out the horizon line - depict a mountainous area in the background. With a few strokes outline the mountains. Now you can either draw a landscape with a simple pencil or work with paints right away. It is very convenient to depict the tundra in watercolor. Light blue watercolor paint over the sky, typing on the brush more water. Leave white areas - clouds.

Type dark gray paint on a thin brush and mark the lines of the mountains with it. Paint the rest of the mountains in pale gray. Then, with bright colored spots, begin to paint over the flowers and yellowed leaves of shrubs. Color the moss and grass green. With dark paint, outline the lines of the cobblestones.

Another beautiful landscape of the tundra is a meadow with reindeer grazing on it. Paint over the meadow with bright spots - here are greenery, and blood-red flowers, and yellowed grass, and gray lichens. Conditionally divide the meadow into two parts - upper and lower. Rinse the top a little with water. When the background dries, draw a deer - with a powerful croup and large, thick branched horns. tail reindeer white, as is the throat area. The body and legs are much more powerful than those of an ordinary forest deer. Deer can also be depicted on a white, snowy background, which is traditionally represented with the word "tundra".

Related article

For two weeks they were in the mountains, somewhat higher than our campsite. Almost every day we went down to Apuka to see the all-terrain vehicle. But there was no all-terrain vehicle. Of the products, the shepherds had only cereals and sugar. There was no flour, no tea, berries were brewed. When it began to snow, they began to collect protruding panicles of willow-tea.

Today the reindeer herders of Kamchatka have to work as much as in former times, and the responsibility is no less. But earlier for such work they were awarded orders and awards. And now? How they will live on, no one in the village knows.

On an all-terrain vehicle, we couldn’t climb up to the herd of deer, this place was too narrow, where the river, originating in the Fat Canyon, makes a turn. Stones and a huge number of fords. We leave the next morning. We load bags of food and warm clothes onto horses - the Chukchi from the village will change shepherds from the herd - and move forward towards the pass.

Starting at the coastal sands of the Mezen River and in flabby, but still tall and dense shrubs framing the wooded banks of this river above the city of Mezen, the tundra, named after these rivers and the city, stretches like a hopeless desert to the shores of the distant Pechora.

Illustration from the archive of Peter Zverev

Too a thousand miles lay on this desert and five hundred passed from those places where the boundless plain of the Arctic Sea begins, shackled in granite shores, to those dense forests with which the southern halves of the Mezensky and Pinezhsky counties have grown and which are known under the name of taybol - lower and upper.

Beginning in the north with naked sea granite, the tundra stretched southward as a huge swamp with all its characteristic features: almost continuous quicksand, sometimes rusty from excess iron ore, in some places white from the huge amount of yagil (white deer moss) growing on it. Here and there glimpse along this quicksand those chernyins - in the native way, those water sources - simply, which always like to surround themselves (according to general laws nature) with whole groves of trees, even if they are meager and squat, as this time.

I don’t know how anyone, but personally I was not lucky with the spring goose hunting in the Moscow region this season.

Author's photo

All the surrounding meadows in the area where I usually hunt have been plowed up since autumn, although before that they had been untouched for years. Flocks of geese flew over the arable land with a cackle and, not finding a place where they could feed, flew away. Neither new "voluminous" profiles, nor decoys helped to seat a single goose. Something had to be done.

Rescued friend - aspiring passionate hunter Stanislav. “There is an opportunity,” he said, “to hunt a migratory goose in Taimyr. The hunting there is great. Departure on command. Looked at the map. Far away is the Taimyr Peninsula, but a great desire and anticipation of a good hunt won, and I began to pack a backpack.
The long-awaited departure team arrived on May 25. Four hours of flight to Norilsk by plane and almost an hour and a half more by helicopter to the north, towards Kara Sea, and we are in the Taimyr tundra. We are a small group of experienced hunters in the amount of five people, including Stanislav and me.

An animal of the tundra, the arctic fox or polar fox, is a predatory mammal belonging to the canine family. It is the only representative of the fox genus.

External Description

The Arctic fox is a relatively small animal, strongly resembling an ordinary fox. The body is 50-75 cm long, the tail is 25-30 cm, the height at the withers is 25-30 cm. The total body weight of the male reaches an average of 3.5 kg, the maximum weight is up to 9 kg. The body of the arctic fox, unlike the fox, is more squat, the muzzle is shortened, the ears are rounded, slightly protruding from under the thick winter coat - this helps to protect them from frostbite. The name of the species of arctic foxes Greek translated as "hare's paw", since the paw pads of all arctic foxes are covered with stiff hair.

At the SEMA tuning show in the United States, Japanese manufacturer Toyota introduced a concept based on the Tundra pickup truck with CrewMax cab - Tundra Ultimate Fishing. The special pickup truck is a joint development of tuning studio CS Motorsports and Britt Myers, who is a professional fisherman. It is worth noting that Myers won the championship in fishing, held in the United States - Bassmaster Elite Series.

The pickup truck is equipped with a kung, in the built-in retractable part of which there is a refrigerator and a large number of compartments that can accommodate a variety of fishing tackle.

Not everyone can afford to buy a pickup truck from a Japanese company. Such an initiative would be a great example for the Russian manufacturer UAZ, which produces SUVs that are popular in Russia.

Survival in the polar regions depends on proper clothing and shelter. If they meet the requirements of the environment, then with low temperatures, piercing winds, snow and ice can be dealt with in the same way as any other natural difficulties.

The north polar region is a frozen ocean, the Arctic Ocean, and the south polar region, or Antarctica, is land lying at an altitude of 3 to 4 km above sea level. This means that it is very cold and almost completely covered with ice, the thickness of which in some places reaches 3 km.

In the polar regions in winter, the sun can remain below the horizon for several months, so the only source of heat is the wind blowing from more low latitudes. In summer, the sun is low in the sky, warming a little, although above the Arctic Circle (66°33′ N), the sun is above the horizon all day long for several weeks. Only two species grow in Antarctica flowering plants, and the animals of the polar regions feed almost entirely on what is mined in the sea. In Antarctica, there are almost no animals that live on land, and in the Arctic lives polar bear. The birds come to the Arctic in the summer, but they actually live in the tundra. Seals can be found in both polar regions, and penguins are typical inhabitants of Antarctica.

Tundra animals

The tundra is a huge expanse in northern Asia and Canada, covered with vegetation, devoid of trees.

  • Arctic hare. These animals spend the entire winter foraging.
  • Canadian deer (caribou). It lives in northern Canada and migrates over long distances.
  • Lemming. The most common small herbivore that lives in the tundra. Lemmings migrate, and many of them die trying to overcome water barriers.
  • Musk ox. It does not migrate, spending the winter in the Arctic Circle.
  • Reindeer. Eurasian variant of the Canada deer, migrates south every winter.

Predators

  • Wolf. Hunts the Canadian deer, migrates.
  • Ermine. It feeds on lemmings, and in accordance with this, their number varies.
  • Fox. Another predatory animal common in the tundra, which, like an ermine, turns white in winter.

land animals

Usually polar bears are found near the coast, and they need to be treated with great care. You can approach them only with a good gun, because they are very dangerous animals.

In spring, seals can be seen lying on the ice near their holes. However, they are very sensitive and difficult to get close to. You will probably be able to kill the seal with a headshot before it slides into the water, because it will be very difficult to get it out of there.

Be careful not to sneak up on you polar bear, which may be attracted by the smell of the blood of a freshly killed seal.

Birds

  • Goose. Widely distributed in the polar region, where in summer it breeds chicks.
  • Tern. Arctic tern breeds in southern parts Arctic and spends the winter in the Antarctic.
  • Merlin.
  • Partridge. Lives in the Arctic all year round. Females dig shallow holes in the ground, where they lay 8-13 eggs.
  • Swan. She also breeds chicks in the summer.
  • Diving duck (including common eider). Dives to the very bottom in search of food.
  • Polar owl. Hunts partridge and black grouse.
  • Plover. Forages in shallow water.
  • Grouse. Also remains in the Arctic.
  • Gull. Often rests on the ground.
  • Chistik. Dives to great depths and feeds on fish.

Taiga animals

The taiga is the northern forest, which in the north turns into the tundra, and in the south into the deciduous forest and meadows. The taiga stretches from northeastern Europe through Russia to the Pacific Ocean and across North America from Alaska to Newfoundland. Most of the taiga is located north of polar circle, and although the winter there is as cold as in the tundra, the summer is still warmer.

  • American Moose. The largest deer in the world. The Eurasian variant is elk.
  • Squirrel. Remains active in winter
  • Shrew. In winter, it remains active.
  • Forest hedgehog. It lives in North America and winters there.
  • Forest lemming. In winter it hibernates.
  • Vole. Red-backed voles live in burrows and can climb trees well.

Predators

  • Big stoat. Turns white in winter.
  • The marten is real. These weasel-like carnivores also climb trees well.
  • Weasel. The back is brown, the belly is cream or white. The fur of the weasel, which lives in the north, acquires a white color.
  • Lynx. Night predator 80 - 100 cm long.

Birds

  • Eurasian black grouse. The largest bird of the grouse family.
  • Woodpeckers. The northern three-toed woodpecker lives in the northern subarctic hemisphere.

Plants

In the arctic and subarctic regions, smaller plants predominate than in the temperate zone. Some of the large black lichens are edible and are called "lasallia populose". Lichens were used as food by hungry explorers.

There are several types of edible plants among the tundra plants. Eskimos eat bearberries either fresh or mixed with animal fat. Europeans eat cloudberries, blueberries and cranberries. Some mushrooms are also edible.

Keep an eye on where animals and especially birds feed as this will lead you to edible plants. While walking, pluck edible plants that come your way, and gradually you will collect a sufficient amount of food.

  • Ivan tea (fireweed). It grows in the forest, near streams and on the coast in the polar regions. Tall plant with pink flowers and narrow leaves. Leaves, stems and flowers are edible, especially in spring when they are still soft.
  • Iceland moss. It grows exclusively in the Arctic, in open areas. May be grey-green, white or brownish-red. All parts of the plant are edible, but they must be soaked in water and then boiled thoroughly.
  • Marsh marigold. It grows in polar and subarctic regions in swamps, lakes and sometimes in streams. It has rounded dark green leaves on a short stem and yellow flowers. All parts of the plant are edible but must be cooked.
  • Capsule, or yellow water lily. Grows in shallow calm water. Yellow flowers turn into bottle-shaped fruits. All parts of the plant are edible. The seeds can be boiled and ground into flour. Roots can be boiled.
  • Lasallia is popular. Found on rocks and boulders. The shape of the plant is round, with twisting edges. The top of the plant is usually black in color, Bottom part- lighter. All parts of the plant are edible, but if eaten raw, irritation may occur. Therefore, it must first be soaked for a long time, changing the water, and then thoroughly boiled; after that, for taste, it can be fried over an open fire, then it will be crispy.
  • Bearberry (crowberry). It grows in the tundra of North America and Eurasia. A low growing shrub with evergreen needle-like leaves. Small black berries can be eaten fresh or dried for future use.
  • Northern willow. It grows in the tundra of North America, Europe and Asia. It has rounded leaves and yellow catkins. Contains a large amount of vitamin C, you can eat the peeled pulp of young shoots and roots.
  • Bearberry. It grows in arctic regions and in areas with a temperate climate. The plant is characterized by leaves thickened at the ends and white or pink flowers. Red berries can be eaten fresh, and tea can be brewed from the leaves.
  • Reindeer moss. Grows in open dry places. The gray stems are hollow inside, the branches resemble deer horns. All parts of the plant are edible and must be soaked for several hours before being boiled.

Trips

The decision to travel when you are in a difficult situation and you have to think about how to survive should be based on the likelihood of getting out of a dangerous situation and serve as an alternative to waiting for rescuers to be able to find you, especially if you are near a large object, such as a crashed aircraft.

Other factors are the weather and your physical condition. You must not set out during a snow storm or in the knowledge of one; you need to be aware that you will need considerable strength and large quantity food and water. In addition, during the journey you will have to build shelters. When you have to move across thin ice, lie down and crawl so that your body weight is evenly distributed. The air in the Arctic is very transparent, which, just like in the desert, makes it difficult to accurately determine the distance. There is a danger that you will underestimate the distance, as objects appear closer than they really are. Set up camp early so you have time to build a shelter. If the snow is deep, use snowshoes. They can be made from willow.

You will need to determine your location in currently, as well as the proposed route. The following may help you with this.

  • Stars. In the Northern Hemisphere, north can be determined by the constellation Ursa Major, which points to the North Star, standing above north pole. In the Southern Hemisphere, the Southern Cross indicates south. Without a sextant and tables, you will not be able to calculate the latitude from the height above the horizon of the North Star.
  • . If you know the local time exactly, the shadow cast directly worthwhile object, perpendicular to the ground at noon, will point north and south.
  • Sky map. Clouds over non-snow ground or water will appear black, while clouds over snow or ice will appear white. Pack (the most powerful multi-year drifting sea ice that forms in the polar basins. Thickness up to 3-5 meters) ice and snowdrifts create a colorful picture of clouds.
  • Birds. Seabirds usually fly out to sea in the morning and return to shore in the afternoon.
  • Flora. The moss will be thickest on the north side of rocks or trees. Alder bark is lighter on the south side. There are more lichens on the south side.

Diseases that occur in cold climates

Dehydration

Layered clothing can cause profuse sweating and therefore dehydration.

Symptoms. Urine acquires a rich yellow color, a headache appears.

Treatment. Make sure that your water intake is sufficient and the balance is maintained. You should know that when your urine becomes clearer and your head stops hurting, it means that everything is in order with you and the cells of your body are filled with water. Stay hydrated because it will affect your ability to think and plan.

Preventive action. Drink daily required amount water and don't sweat too much. Clothing must be appropriate for the weather.

Hypothermia

This means that the body temperature is below normal.

Symptoms. Reduced resistance to cold, severe trembling, lethargy of movement and thinking.

Treatment. Restore normal body temperature as soon as possible. Place the torso in warm water(37.7 - 43.3 ° C). Care must be taken in this case, since immersion in warm water of the whole body can cause shock and cardiac arrest. In terms of survival, the victim is best placed in a sleeping bag with someone who has normal temperature. Ideally, if both of them are completely naked. Take action as soon as possible and, if the person is conscious, start giving them hot sugary liquid. After the temperature of the victim has returned to normal, you do not need to immediately remove him from the heat source, because his temperature may again drop. Give him the opportunity to restore the heat in the body and, if necessary, continue to give him hot drinks.

Preventive action. Don't let long stay in the cold without food, hot drinks or other sources of heat and do not endanger yourself if you get wet and especially if you are in the wind.

If you fall into the water while in the polar region:

  • Swim quickly and vigorously towards the shore;
  • Roll in the snow, which will absorb some of the water;
  • Run quickly to cover and warm up there as soon as possible;
  • Before entering the shelter, shake off the snow;
  • Dry your clothes, eat and drink a hot drink.

frostbite

Symptoms. This is severe damage to the skin and sometimes other tissues of the body through frostbite or the formation of ice crystals in tissue cells. This usually occurs when the temperature is below -12°C, but can also occur at 0°C when the weather scaling factor is present or when the casualty is wet. Since the cold has an anesthetic effect, the victim may not immediately notice frostbite. Frostbite usually occurs on the least protected parts of the body, namely the face, nose, ears, hands and feet. The first signs are a dull, whitish color of the skin, then the formation of blisters, the death of some skin cells and subcutaneous tissue.

Treatment

  • Warm the affected area of ​​the skin and make sure that there is no frostbite again.
  • Wrap the frostbitten hands in clothes and keep them pressed to the body.
  • Put your frostbitten feet in your comrade's clothes.
  • Do not pop the blisters, but powder them with an antiseptic.
  • Cover the affected area with a surgical dressing or other clean cloth.
  • Do not immerse the affected area in hot water and do not keep near the fire. Instead, use body heat.
  • If the person is in severe pain, use morphine.
  • Serious cases of frostbite with deep tissue damage should be treated by healthcare professionals.

Prevention measures

  • Do not wear tight clothing that impedes circulation and increases the risk of frostbite.
  • Avoid exposure to wind as much as possible.
  • Do not leave the room in light clothing.
  • Keep clothes dry.
  • When in the cold, move your limbs and facial muscles.
  • Do not touch cold metal with bare hands.
  • Be especially careful if you are tired and have no energy.
  • Be careful not to get gasoline on bare skin.

trench foot

Symptoms. Long-term exposure to cold and dampness can cause the feet to become numb, cold, white, and stiff. They will begin to swell and hurt when
walking. If you do not take action, then the situation will be serious, so dry your feet and shoes as soon as possible.

Treatment. Do not rub or massage your feet. Wash them with soap and water, pat dry and keep in an elevated position. If your feet hurt, don't walk. Put on dry socks; make sure you always have a spare pair of dry socks with you.

Preventive action. Keep your shoes dry and change your socks often.

snow blindness

It is caused by bright sunlight reflected by snow or amplified by ice crystals in clouds.

Symptoms. Hypersensitivity to bright light. Reddened and watery eyes. Increased redness of the eyes and feeling as if they had sand in them. Loss of vision, sharp pain in the eyes and a red veil before the eyes.

Treatment. Immediately apply a bandage over the eyes and place the victim in a dark room. A cool, damp bandage may help relieve pain. It will take time for the condition of the eyes to normalize.

Preventive action. Wear sunglasses. If they are not available, make yourself goggles from the bark of a tree by cutting slots in it. Rubbing charcoal on the skin around the eyes will help reduce exposure to bright light. sunlight on the eyes.

Carbon monoxide poisoning

This is especially dangerous in very cold climates because shelters tend to be small, with well-filled crevices and little ventilation. Carbon monoxide, which has neither color nor smell, is emitted by any fuel from any stove.

Symptoms. They are difficult to identify, especially when it happens to you, they include headache, dizziness, drowsiness, nausea and sometimes vomiting; the victim may also suddenly lose consciousness.

Treatment

  • Take the victim to fresh air or a well-ventilated area and make sure that he breathes deeply.
  • If he is unconscious, apply artificial respiration; the place should be well ventilated.
  • If possible, give him oxygen.
  • When the victim comes to his senses, he needs to be given rest and drink warm drinks.
  • The victim should not perform heavy work until full recovery.

Preventive action. Make sure that the shelters are well ventilated - they should have at least two ventilation holes. Do not forget that the flame should not be too high. Turn off all stoves and lamps before going to bed.

Looking for water

There is no shortage of water in the polar regions, but the amount of water obtained from snow and ice will depend on the amount of fuel needed to melt them. It is better to melt ice than snow because the volume of water will be greater. You should not sacrifice water consumption for fuel economy as this will lead to serious side effects. Limit the amount of water lost through perspiration by wearing lighter clothing when you work.

In summer, water can be taken from streams, lakes and ponds. In the tundra, water can be brown due to plants, but it is drinkable. Although the water in the polar regions is comparatively less than in other regions of the world, you must purify the water for drinking and, if necessary, filter it.

In winter, water can be obtained more easily from lakes, from under snow and ice. Because the bottom surface of the ice follows the contours of the snow above it, you must dig where the snow is deepest and cut through the ice to find the least cold water.
When you heat the snow, melt it little by little and wait until it completely turns into water, and only then add the next portion of snow. Otherwise, the unmelted snow will absorb all the water, and the pot will burn.

Old sea ice produces better quality water than young sea ice, which still has salt in it. Old sea ice is more rounded and has a bluish tint.

Do not fill your flask completely with water - so that the water does not freeze again, it must overflow in the flask. Also, keep it close to your body.

Looking for food

In very cold weather, you should eat at least two hot meals a day and drink hot drinks several times. In the polar regions you will not find an abundance of food, although in summer months it is not difficult to catch fish and other inhabitants of the water element in coastal waters, in streams, rivers and lakes. In many places along the Arctic coast, you can easily find edible sea mollusks, bivalve shells, snails, saucers, chitons, sea ​​urchins and king crabs. Don't eat dead shellfish. Avoid the small black and red clams found in the North Pacific - they are poisonous.

Do not eat fish that have sunken eyes, slimy gills, flabby skin and body, or bad odor. Don't eat any jellyfish. Brown seaweed and other types of small seaweed are edible, although seaweeds with long fibers and tendrils should be avoided.

Ice fishing

The thickness of the ice can be up to 4 m, so you need to look for a suitable place to drill a hole, where the ice is not so thick that you cannot drill a hole, but thick enough to support your weight. You can hang the line from the end of a small stick with some kind of signal attached to it, such as a handkerchief or a piece of a map. Attach this stick to another one lying across the hole. When the fish grabs the hook, the flag will bounce. (More detailed information for fishing techniques, see the chapter "Setting traps, catching fish and edible wild plants".)

Personal clothing

You should have a top layer that does not allow wind and moisture to pass through - so that melting snow is not absorbed. Airtight fabric is considered ideal. Your clothing should also have an inner insulating layer.

Before traveling to areas with exceptionally cold climates, you should consult with an expert regarding clothing. Fortunately, there is now a wide range of new fabrics to choose from, including polypropylene for underwear and gore-tex for outerwear. Your jacket should have a thin hood that pulls over your head and a second fur-lined hood to keep your face warm from breathing.

If you don't have brand new clothes, then use wool as the inner layers, as it does not absorb moisture well. Do not wear tight or restrictive clothing, and keep it clean and dry. Untie your hat or remove your gloves, but don't let yourself sweat. If you sweat, your clothes will become damp, the insulation will break, and your body will lose heat.

If your socks and gloves become damp, you can dry them by tying them around your belly. Try to bring as many spare socks with you as possible. If possible, dry them over a fire in a shelter.

Waterproof canvas boots, known as Maklaks. Down you need to wear three pairs of socks, which should fit each other in size. If the clothes are or are caked, shake them out, because the air between the layers of the fabric acts as an insulator.

Before entering a shelter or other warm place Be sure to shake off the snow from your clothes. Do not climb into a sleeping bag in wet clothes. Leave a minimum of clothing on yourself, and hang the rest to ventilate and dry. Shake and dry before folding your sleeping bag.

Clothing rules:

  • clothing must be clean;
  • avoid overheating - ventilate the body;
  • wear loose clothing to keep air circulating;
  • clothing must be dry both inside and out.

Weather sharpness factor at 0°С air temperature

Shelter

First of all, you need to find a windy place. You can't be outdoors in the winter and survive if you don't move.

Shelter area

  • In winter, do not build shelters at the foot of slopes and rocks from which snow can slide and you will find yourself buried in shelter.
  • During the summer, don't camp in lowlands, as they can be damp, or in places that can be flooded.
  • Choose a spot with a cool breeze that is free from insects.
  • If you are on sea ​​ice, choose the place with the thickest ice and build a shelter on the largest ice floe. Beware of thin ice.
  • Don't use an airplane or car as a cover unless you have good insulation, as the metal absorbs heat.
  • The shelter must be well ventilated to avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, especially if the fire is built inside the shelter.
  • The shelter should be large enough to fit you, your comrades and gear, but not so big that it absorbs the heat from your bodies.
  • Shelter should be compact and comfortable.

natural hiding places

Caves and overhanging rock outcroppings can serve as dry shelters. They should have good insulation in winter and be free of insects in summer.

A natural cover in deep snow, if you dig a hole around the base of the tree, is spruce, with the lower branches forming a canopy. Depending on how long you intend to stay in the shelter, or how well the lower branches provide cover, you can build a roof with cut branches and branches, being careful not to disturb the snow on the tree you are hiding under. Insulate the hole with branches.

Fallen tree cover

Remove snow from under the tree. If necessary, chop branches under the tree to cover the floor.

Snow Shelter

Hard snow, on which shallow traces of a person remain, can be considered an ideal material for construction. The size of the blocks cut from the snow should be as follows: 45 cm wide, 50 cm long and 8 - 10 cm thick. This will provide insulation and light in the shelter.

Trench in the snow

In the trench you can take shelter from the wind and snow. You can use snow blocks for roof and door.

Draw a rectangle on the snow. When cutting blocks out of the snow, dig a trench more than 1 m deep. Cut steps in an "L" shape, 15 cm deep and 15 cm wide, starting from the top edges and sides of the trench. Leaning the blocks against each other, build a roof, starting from the edge of the trench opposite the entrance. Make sure that one edge of the block comes over the other so that the next block falls into place and has support. Close each end with a block and dig a hole on one side, as in a hole. You can build a roof in another way - by placing blocks vertically along the edges of the trench and covering them across, horizontally, with blocks for the roof.

Igloo or snow slab house

Building an igloo requires some skill and experience. In addition, you will need a special knife for dense snow. Draw a circle in the snow with a diameter of 2.5-3 m, indicating the inner area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe house. Cut the snow into about 12 slabs.

Lay the slabs in a circle, with the sides of each slab at an angle to the center of the igloo, with the top of the slabs sloping into the interior of the house. Stitch the top of the plates of this row in such a way that you get a slope to form the first ring of the spiral. Build the next row of slabs by sawing them in such a way that the spiral rows twist inward. When installing the last plate, make sure that the hole is not wide, but deep, so that the block passes through the hole and can close it. When the house is ready, sprinkle it with fine snow so that it clogs any small cracks. Eskimos sometimes insert transparent pieces of ice instead of windows.

Cut out the needle inside underground entrance, two levels - for sleeping and cooking. At the sleeping level, you will need insulation. Position your sleeping bags so that your head is closer to the entrance. As a door, use a slab of snow; during the day, the door should
be open. Don't forget to make ventilation holes.

Eskimo igloo

Instead of glass, insert a transparent piece of ice or a piece of seal gut. Near the entrance, make a hinged door of sealskin so that it does not let the wind through. As a place to sleep, put a frame of willow branches and cover it with fur skins.

Shelter with pitched roof

You can support a crossbar between two trees or posts and bend down the branches and branches of the trees, leaving enough space inside so that you can lie there and store equipment. The roof can be covered with pieces of sod, which must be laid obliquely, like tiles. Build snow walls on the sides for extra insulation. Set up a fire near the shelter, behind which you install something like a screen from logs or something else so that the heat goes into the shelter.

Shelter with a frame of willow branches

Such a shelter is constructed either from straight or curved branches. The frame can then be covered with parachute material or twigs, with turf or snow on top.

Shelter with molded domed roof

For the construction of this type of shelter, neither a lot of time nor great skill is required, as for the construction of an igloo. Fold up big pile from branches, branches and bark and cover with a poncho or other material and sketch snow on top, leaving a hole. When the snow hardens, remove the material and all branches. You will have a domed shelter. Cover the floor with freshly cut branches and make a shelter door in the same way, using small twigs, etc.

There should always be more than one vent in a shelter.
Well mark the entrance to the shelter.
The thickness of the roof of the shelter must be at least 30 cm.
Level the snow on the site well before building the shelter.
Keep shovels and others inside the cover in case you have to dig a way out.

Campfire

To build a fire, use whatever tools you have in your emergency kit, or a stove that you may be carrying with you. To build a fire, you will need to clear the site, find kindling and fuel.

Do not build a fire under a tree covered with snow, otherwise the fire may go out. The fire should be built on a solid platform made of freshly cut tree branches or stones. If this is not the case, you can dig a hole, at the bottom of which there will be solid earth. If you need to cook over a fire, build a structure to hang a pot on. If you need to heat the shelter, make a screen.

Fuel

Collect everything you find for the fire during the day. The best combustible material is dry wood, although birch logs and green branches also burn well. When there are no other trees, the Eskimos use evergreen heather as fuel. In addition, peat, manure and tufts of dry grass can be used as fuel.

Kindling a fire

Before you start lighting a fire, prepare everything in advance for this. If you have matches, take one to light a candle or a bunch of twigs to start a fire. When you manage to ignite the kindling, gradually add fuel, but do not put it too tightly. Fan the fire if necessary. For more information on how to make a fire, see the chapter Making a Fire, Making Tools and Weapons.

Literature: Survival technique in extreme conditions