You may be right, plus the cold greatly affects your thinking. He likely laid down to rest and try to warm up, but froze to death in the process. He really needed a fire to warm his core temperature! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Good points. I have to wonder how many out there in TV land are lulled into a false sense of security from some of these survival shows. I'm sure that there are people that don't realize that these survival shows have back up plans in place in case something goes wrong.

A sad story.
I read here and on the BF wilderness forum about members testing there fire starting and shelter building skills in the backyard or close to home with companions along.
Under stressful conditions much of what is practiced is lost. Performing a technique over and over again to strengthen muscle memory and the brains synapses is what is necessary.

Practice does not make perfect. PERFECT PRACTICE makes perfect.

That sucks even though he should have known better. I can understand the desire to go out alone and testing one's skills, but doing so with "the clothes on one's back" in winter is just plain foolish.

I test my skills now and then. But yeah, I read the books. Then I DO the stuff.

Knowledge and the ability to make it happen are 2 different things.

I tried to test my skills in a snowstorm. ONCE. (and granted, it was in the woods close to home, bout a mile away)And i failed..badly.
Theres just NO FREAKIN WAY i was gonna be able to find a spot to make a shelter, and make a fire, in a nor'easter with 50-60mph gusts and thick wet snow coming down sideways.
I honestly dont see how anyone could, even if it was a real survival situation.
It was just punishing, with no escape, i couldnt see sh.. even with goggles, and i couldnt even recognize the woods that i know.
Walking was even difficult, heck..tryin to read the freakin compass was difficult. That one mile hike home was he11. My dog didnt speak to me for 3 days after that.
Nowadays during a snowstorm, i practice my drinkin skills,i'm gettin pretty good.

So I'm bettin the snowstorm did him in. If he didnt have a decent shelter and a stack of wood all ready to go to ride out the storm before it came thru he was good as dead.
But we should wait for the autopsy report before we rank on him.
After all, a friggin tree branch could have landed on his head.
I give him credit for trying

Good tools mean little if you don't know how to use them or you go panic. Snow storms are bad, frozen lakes other. When there's - 20 degree's C and wind blows, you loose rapidly your body heat. Wind is the real killer.

Its been 10 years since army, I've forgotten most things I learned in winter and wilderness survival than I remember. You should never go "practise" alone or without professional. The survival course don't cost much, are fun and might save your life. I should go one too to refresh my skills.

I can't say much. My uncle does the same crap all the time, hikes up a mountain in a blizzard just to sleep in a tent for two days while it blows by. He's a little eccentric though, but at least there's reception where he camps, lol.

This is sad. It's important to practice. But, man...