URI Outing Club provides tips, tricks for surviving winter expeditions

02/11/09 - Think Bear Grylls of Discovery Channel's "Man vs. Wild" is the only source of rugged survival entertainment around? Well, members of the University of Rhode Island Outing Club met in the Memorial Union last night to share their skills and knowledge of winter backpacking in the first of the club's spring workshop series. Outing Club officers split the 15 attendees into four groups. Outing Club president Bridget Griffith assigned each group one of four topics: sleeping, fire, eating and tents. Griffith instructed the groups to come up with important things to do while camping in cold weather pertaining to each assigned topic.

The groups each shared their tips with one another and compared their lists to Griffith's list. Some tips included keeping a small fire to conserve fuel, bringing meals that can be eaten out of a mug, drying yourself, eating a meal before going to sleep to keep warm and keeping a vent open in your tent to prevent condensation from accumulating inside.

Griffith listed the groups' ideas on a dry erase board. She also added her own advice like keeping a warm bottle of water on the inside of your thigh when sleeping because the heat will warm a large artery in your leg that will help to warm your entire body.

After the groups shared their knowledge, Griffith, with the help of Outing Club Vice President Joseph Attwater, demonstrated how to dress appropriately for winter backpacking.

"Why don't you want to wear your puffy North Face down jacket?" Griffith asked the groups.

She explained that hikers tend to overheat and perspire, which requires them to remove layers to control their body temperature. If hikers only wear a large down jacket, they will be less able to control their body temperature if relying on a single heavy article. She emphasized the importance of layering appropriately by dressing Attwater in a synthetic shirt, a fleece and a raincoat.

The workshop lasted for little more than a half an hour. As members left the room they talked about the workshop and their future camping plans.

"It was really interesting," Sebastien Perret, a senior exchange student from Versailles, said.

Valerie Sahakian, a senior math major and Outing Club member since last spring, said she found the information at the workshop valuable.

"I thought it was really good information because last year was my second time camping and I was really ill prepared," Sahakian said. She also she said cannot wait to attend the next Outing Club excursion.

Attwater said he thought last night's workshop was a success and it exceeded his expectations.

"I think it went really well for our first workshop. It was good to see the groups' participation. I think everyone learned something," he said.

Outing Club Treasurer Benjamin Berry said he was also satisfied with the inaugural workshop and hopes that participation will grow as word of the series spreads. Berry, one of the club's five Eagle Scouts, will be leading a workshop on knot tying in early March.

The Outing Club recently became a Level II organization. Being Level II organization means more funding and recognition as a teaching organization rather than a common interest club.

"I'm really proud of how far the Outing Club has come from a year ago," Griffith said.

She said the club's numbers have grown substantially since last spring, from six consistent members to thirty at their last meeting. She said the club has been made more accessible with a Web site and plans to hold more events soon.

Future workshop themes will include first aid, knot tying, outdoor cooking and a workshop on how to make your car more fuel-efficient.

Griffith said the Outing Club officers had the idea for the workshop last semester but it did not become a reality until now.

"We wanted to show everyone that the Outing Club is an important organization on campus and we're here to serve the entire school," Griffith said.

The Outing Club, which was founded in 1954, plans to hold the workshops each Tuesday at 6 P.M. until the end of the semester. Griffith said the club is trying to make the workshop an annual tradition at URI. The workshops are open to both students and non-students alike.