I've just bought a viper special ops 45L backpack and ECWCS Cold Weather clothing as there's a good chance I'm gonna be homeless in a few weeks, I figure I can get all my essentials in the pack and the ECWCS gear will keep me lovely and warm and stave off the British winter, do you guys think I've made good choices or should I look into other, possibly better equipment?
It looks like a standard 3-day assault pack (that's what us Americans call it anyways). I would rather have more suspension. At least aluminum stays in it for weights up to 40 lbs or so. Anymore weight than that, and you need an internal frame. So, I guess my answer is "how much do you plan to carry?"
not too much, just the essentials really, change of clothing, first aid kit just in case, I have a bivvi tent I can strap to it, an arctic sleeping bag and a few other necessary items.
A couple pairs of good wool socks and a few pairs of undergarments: the first thing I change when I know I'm done working up a sweat and soon ready to settle in for the night. Being cold is okay, being wet and cold is deadly. You may want to find a raincover for your pack- you don't want all of the items in your pack getting soaked when it rains. Drybags are a good choice, but they add a lot of weight and take up more space. I guess things over there are a little more worse off than what we are led to believe. Goodspeed to you.
Winter time, wear WOOL! "Cotton kills", as they say. I use a bivytent too, for over-nighters and motorcycle camping - hate to be living out of one! No space for your gear during the night.
In that case, if you keep the weight down, you should be fine. Like the others said, wool is the old world wonder fabric. I prefer it over the new fabrics. I wear wool boots socks and old Korean war surplus wool clothing regularly. One exception- a soft shell is great for sleeting rain or bad wind. A lot Bushcraft-type dudes are making parkas out of old army wool blankets. They can be had cheap and you can make it fit anyway you want. Good luck to you.
I have found those heat pads work wonders for your hands and feet. Walmart sells the for a dollar a package.
for heat at night stick a brick in your fire and when you are ready to go to sleep wrap it in a towel and add it you your bag at your feet it will keep them warm... I wish you luck if you are ub the UK a good poncho is a must...
it aint the most comfortable... but piling loose brush up to sleep on will help keep the cold of the ground from sucking away your body heat and also keeps you off any dampness
