NORTHERN LIFESTYLES &
WINTER SURVIVAL WORKSHOP
WINTER SURVIVAL WORKSHOP
January 21-23 & 28-30, 2011
Participants should plan to arrive at the field station by 7:00 p.m. Friday evening. The
workshop will begin promptly at 7:30 p.m. Coffee and snack will be available during the
evening but participants should have eaten supper BEFORE they arrive.
Please bring the following:
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towels, washcloth & personal items
flashlight
indoor footwear or slippers
warm clothing in layers plus extra clothing layers, especially long underwear, socks, mitts, scarves/neck warmers, hats.
Layers of clothing worn next to the skin (including socks) should NOT be cotton. Cotton absorbs moisture which
subsequently stays next to your skin causing discomfort at any temperature.
windproof outerwear and warm boots, rated for -35 C
insulated sleeping pad and tarp
pillow & winter sleeping bag, or 2 medium weight sleeping bags, or a sleeping bag and comforter, or 2 comforters.
Sleeping bags are best if they are the rectangular type that can be zipped open all the way like a blanket. Mummy bags
that do not lay flat when opened can be combined with a comforter for extra warmth.
shovel (small or emergency type car shovel)
Optional items: camera, sunglasses, sunscreen, water bottle
REMINDER – You will be outside all day on Saturday constructing igloos, sleeping in them overnight, and
building quinzhees outside on Sunday morning. It is important to have sufficient clothing layers to change in to
if any get wet during the weekend due to perspiration, especially those layers close to your skin.
Please DO NOT bring ANY alcoholic beverages as this is an alcohol free workshop!
NOTE: If you have any dietary restrictions, allergies or medical conditions, please indicate requirements on
your returned registration form. Please also bring enough prescribed medication to last an extra couple of
days in the event the roads are closed by the RCMP due to blizzard conditions. Each person is responsible
for their own travel arrangements to and from the Field Station.
If you have any questions, please contact Wendy Nikkel at 204-857-8637, toll free
866-770-5372, or by email; buhr@cc.umanitoba.ca
About the instructors:
Dr. Rick Riewe is a professor in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Manitoba. He has more
than thirty years experience with subsistence cultures in Newfoundland, the Northwest Territories, Greenland, Alaska,
Siberia and the Queen Charlotte Islands. He has been teaching Winter Survival courses since 1973. His students
have included biologists, business people, doctors, farmers, geologists, nurses, senior citizens, social workers,
teachers, tradesmen, park wardens and military personnel.
Dr. Jill Oakes has co-instructed this course with Dr. Riewe since 1983. She is a professor in the Department of
Environment and Geography at the University of Manitoba. Her field research on subsistence economy, Inuit skin
clothing, and Arctic lifestyles has taken her to many corners of the circumpolar north. She has also worked as a high
school teacher, pipeline welder’s assistant, commercial pilot and commercial fisher.