Cut your wood for winter right before winter????

[tfdchief]

Well, it looks like lots of you noticed. From what I can tell, it is just the culture....they have always done it that way and it has always worked just fine in their minds. I too envy their lifestyle in many ways. Those feelings are part of the reason I have always burned wood. If I had been born in a different place or a different time where this was the lifestyle, I think I would have been very happy, and I think I would have been good at it.

 

[fox9988]

"He had a small stove to cook on and for some heat but the majority of his heat came from that fireplace!!" Quote
The movie showed him building a FP initialy, I think this was his only heat source for at least one winter. Later it showed a stove/stove pipe. I guessed that he about froze to death with the FP, plus trying to keep it fed with no power tools.

 

[PapaDave]

"Remember the winters up there go from oct-may. Only roughly 5 months to do everything. Hunt, garden and gather wood."
Same as here. I don't get everything done that I'd like, but my priority is dry wood. However, I know right where I can get food....and which grocery aisles are my favorite.
I figured out REAL quick that wet wood doesn't burn very well, and I have what's considered a "smoke dragon"....I think. It's all about what you've learned. I never learned to burn wet wood as a youngster, so it didn't seem natural/normal.
I changed it.

 

[weatherguy]

Jack Straw said: ↑

They don't seem to publicize it, but that is the singer Jewel's family. I watch the show, and it seems that they are too busy trying to survive with no time left to stock up on a couple of years of wood.​

I did not know that!​

I read a review on the show in some magazine, the older brother is Jewels father and has performed on stage with her. I think hes a retired teacher, I think the other brother was a captain of a fishing boat or ferry (I dont remember)., so they didnt quite live solely off the land as I originally thought. I couldnt understand the waiting til the last minute for firewood either, nor the smoke dragons, they should team up and cut 30-35 cords and get a year ahead and get a modern stove to cut down on the wood usage. And Ill be damned if I would have an outhouse in Alaska when I could put a modern septic system in and crap in warmth reading sports illustrated.

 

[osagebow]

Yeah, I was real psyched about the show, but guys with this level of woodcraft and smarts wouldn't do some of the things shown. Gotta be staged. Feel like the guys got roped into some of this stuff :

-hook a truck to a horse for no good reason. Nobody else he knows has a pickup? My students that work with horses all said they'd kick his butt for that.
-bang a way on a giant Lincoln log shed....from the bottom.
-carry a double barrel open in a snowstorm on your back so it fills with snow
- rarely catch anything furry in a trap. Can't show that on TV. Traplines are carnage.

and the kicker....Let's go look for a Mountain Lion on horseback .Oh There he is! Go away! Bad kitty!
I do dig the show, but not as much as I had hoped.

Give a guy Like the dude in Scotty's video a contract with a big network! Heck, send Kiesel up there with him too. They can show that on NFL network instead of "Top 10 contrived stupid lists " all summer.

 

[bsj425]

You folks got to remember our burning season is nearly 9-1/2 months long not much time to "get ahead" when you factor in fishing/hunting for winters food and full time jobs

 

[bsj425]

Not to mention where that show takes place is far down south yes it still gets cold but no where near the -40 they advertise it is lucky to get below 0 down that far so it is defiantly hyped for TV.

 

[tfdchief]

You folks got to remember our burning season is nearly 9-1/2 months long not much time to "get ahead" when you factor in fishing/hunting for winters food and full time jobs

Glad to hear from true Alaskans. Thanks bsj425.

 

[TimJ]

You mean Dave is not a true Alaskan

 

[tfdchief]

You mean Dave is not a true Alaskan

Of course he is! And I was thanking him and bsj425.

 

[jebatty]

I almost fell over when I saw that they were cutting their firewood the DAY before the big snowstorm. Those characters on the show are comedians and the show is manufactured drama. Alaska is beautiful and that is the big plus for the show, along with the romance of depicting lives with drama. I hope no one gets the idea that he or she can survive in Alaska by living the way the lives of these jokers are depicted.

 

[TimJ]

Of course he is! And I was thanking him and bsj425.

This was meant as humor only

 

[clemsonfor]

I also heard on some forum that i read that the Kiltchers are not that far out of a town. They live on a road supposedly with a few other families but i think someone siad there within 10 miles of a town or something maybe even 3 miles. Now yea thats an Alaska town but heck i live 7 miles from a town and i dont consider it way out, although im in a small community (there is nothing in town other than a firestation and town bldg though).

As far as moutain men. I did say the same about the 3k$ shotgun in the snow. And them "doing what they can to chase the wolves away" ??? They just walked around, didnt chase anything? And they were just on a horse ride and talking about lions, the producers put them on a "lion hunt"! The show is edited and has a yuppie dorky guy in a huge city edit it by what the cam guys tell him and what he sees on tape and from interviews. They say Eusitces truck wont run, well truth is the trans was messed up as they later say cause when it gets to the shop its running but not driving. I assume they crank it so they dont "about run over the horses again" and have power brakes. And why cant another truck or tow truck show up, its a gravel road!! Also did you notice this old stake bed Toyota truck weighs "5 tons!!" That truck would not even weigh 5000lbs as it sits empty. Loaded it wont weigh 10,000lbs unless they can get 2 full cords in there!!

When the trapper alaska guy goes to get water whey would he go 1 mile to the river to chip out the ice to get water. Its in alaska the snow is clean, why not just fill the buckets with snow everyday and set near the stove?? I coudl see haveing to go get water for maybe a bath where lots of it at one time were needed but you can melt snow by a fire pretty fast, especially if you heat some water in a kettle on the stove and pour over it and stirr it around to bring the rest above freezing.

And they said he only made $4k for all that season of trapping. Um like they said he barely broke even after fuel etc. He should of cut his loses earlier in the season. Also WHY is he going out into the bush "unarmed" thats crazy. They keep making a big deal of being unarmed, and the bears and wolves. I dont doubt its dangerous thats why most carry a side arm at least in bear country. Id have a .454 cassuel or 44 mag or something (unless he is trapping on Gov. land and firearms are not allowed as maybe its out of season, Just thought of this. If this is the case Im sure he usually does but not when cam guys are following him). And going out into the snow by your self 10 miles away with a late 70s early 80s snowmobile is crazy. I mean i run old stuff but would have to think twice in a situation like that. Unless he figures in a case like that he can fix that one and with a new one it would be virtually impossible in the bush?

I love the show but way to many editing problems. This has been discussed on another forum im on as well.

 

[BKVP]

Yes that was a Blaze King in the old mans house. You guys got me to watch this show and I saw a rerun. It appears to be a 1970's KT.