Thank you for a great piece (Spectrum, April 5) on the Norwegian trainers teaching Nato soldiers how to fight in the Arctic. It brought back fond memories of my own military service.
However, I believe the most important lesson was left out. What we were taught is that when you creep into your sleeping bag always bring your boots with you. If not, they will freeze. If they freeze, you either won’t be able to get them on in the morning — bad for soldiering — or if you do manage to squeeze your feet in, you will find you have blisters after a few miles.
As to kit, the tip I remember was you need something to isolate your sleeping bag from the snow. I had thrown my backpack inside the tent and had crept in after it. In the darkness, I put my hand on what felt like warm fur. O Boy, I thought, do we have an animal sharing our quarters? It turned out it was the furry side of the reindeer pelt we were all issued with to put under our sleeping bags. It provided excellent insulation. I am sure they have something different today, but I doubt it is more effective.
Aage Figenschou
Oslo, Norway
