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Posted: 11/16/2016 10:32:03 AM EDT
Never been winter camping, or camping where the temps reach below 32deg. This year I finally completed my regular 3-season backpacking gear list, and personal/scheduling circumstances happened so that I never got a chance to use it this Fall. I'd like to try to go out this winter, possibly after Thanksgiving, and do a packpacking trip. What do I need during these times, and what can I bring over from my regular kit? Right now I'm thinking the most important is clothing.
For reference, I'm talking mid-South winters, East Tennessee area, where the temps can be mild, but with the humidity, the cold can seep into your bones. |
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Winter camp pad - frozen ground will suck the life out of you stat.
Good sleeping bag Dry clothes to sleep in - even if you have only sweated a tiny bit, this makes a big difference Personal items that will keep you warm enough even sitting still, and layered enough that you can prevent sweating when active. Head, feet and hands are places to really focus. ETA - also take a moment to understand cold air drainage and put your sleeping spot in an appropriate location. Ten feet can make a huge difference. |
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I really hate being cold. Two things were major game changers for me: Winter sleeping pad Down socks for sleeping in A down beanie makes a lot of difference at night too, at least for me. I've used the pad in the tent several times, but this year went to a hammock. I haven't had the chance to try cold weather hammock camping yet, though I hope to this winter. Keeping my feet dry and warm is my biggest struggle, especially if there's snow on the ground. I don't have a good answer for this yet, but I do carry extra wool socks. I'm sure there's cheaper alternatives for some of this stuff (don't skimp on a pad though). I've spent quite a lot of cash taking weight out of my pack. if you don't mind a few more ounces there's a lot of choices. Find a way to stay dry no matter what. |
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Cot, insulated bed roll, 0 degree rated bag, queen sheet off of a standard bed. Sleep in underwear TShirt and wrap in sheet. Bring a fluffy fleece blanket as a pillow.
Tent, lil buddy propane heater, CO detector, lots of soup food. Burner and boiling vessels. Extra tarp to drape over the entire tent. |
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if you are car camping, get one of those huge foam like this
I also like a mask like this baclava if I am going to be in really cold weather as it keeps me from getting lung burn in the cold there are also down quilts that pack up pretty small and are nice on top. If you are not car camping I would recommend a foam pad. If you already have an air pad, get a foam yoga mat and put it under. ETA also a tarp as a windbreak up wind from your tent could help significantly if you are not camping in cover. |
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Quoted: Cot, insulated bed roll, 0 degree rated bag, queen sheet off of a standard bed. Sleep in underwear TShirt and wrap in sheet. Bring a fluffy fleece blanket as a pillow. Tent, lil buddy propane heater, CO detector, lots of soup food. Burner and boiling vessels. Extra tarp to drape over the entire tent. View Quote |
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Quoted: Empty Gatoraid bottle for takin a leak without leaving tent. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Cot, insulated bed roll, 0 degree rated bag, queen sheet off of a standard bed. Sleep in underwear TShirt and wrap in sheet. Bring a fluffy fleece blanket as a pillow. Tent, lil buddy propane heater, CO detector, lots of soup food. Burner and boiling vessels. Extra tarp to drape over the entire tent. |
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Warmer clothes, warmer pad, warmer sleeping bag is about the only thing that changes between my warm weather and cold weather pack list. Also, a bigger pack to carry it with. Usually won't need much more for clothing during they day while you're moving, but with longer nights (more time at camp), and for staying warm during breaks, a good puffy comes in handy. Keep clothes, water filter, and water bottle in the bottom of your sleeping bag at night to keep them warm and thawed out for the next day. During the day keep your filter close to your body to keep from freezing (freezing will damage most filters). Also goes for anything with batteries (phone, camera, light), cold will drain the batteries quick, although if you use lithiums it won't affect it as much. Depending on the actual weather, extra fuel might also be needed to melt snow for water.
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training.
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. View Quote Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. |
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Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site |
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remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. |
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Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. Just pick a decent weekend and don't be afraid to cancel. Don't set up right on the peak or ridgeline. I live in the area at 3500' and it is 70 degrees out right now. Other times it is brutally windy and fucking dangerously cold as a result if you are exposed. The highest peaks are actually boreal, not arctic, but if the wind breaks 100mph it isn't going to matter what temperature it is. Many winter days and nights here the wind literally sounds like waves breaking on the ridges. eta - I've had colder days in the arctic in the summer than an average winter day is here. Also, love my moonwalk stove for being invertable, light, and it scales up with the green bottle adapter for canoe/car camping nicely. But you can just get a cheap alcohol burner and bring some solid fuel to put in it, or use a fire. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o_s3-A7SJ3g |
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Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. I think 17F is the magic number where winter mix propane stoves that are upright are entirely useless. If you sleep with the can and then boil water and sit the can in it you can usually get it to work out. Don't forget your wind shield. It's pretty neccesary in the winter |
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Quoted: I think 17F is the magic number where winter mix propane stoves that are upright are entirely useless. If you sleep with the can and then boil water and sit the can in it you can usually get it to work out. Don't forget your wind shield. It's pretty neccesary in the winter View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: Quoted: At altitude you will likely experience arctic conditions. At the very least, go to REI and ask for gear list and advice for winter hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park. Before you wing it, get some training. Good idea. I know a guy who got lost in March up in the mountains and ended up losing two middle fingers. He shows everyone he sees by doing the rocker hand gesture, but that's beside the point. remember that you stove may not work well if its a normal upright propane stove. Have to get one that flips the bottle upside down. heres a little bit of common sense advice from your friendly communist camping site Ahh crap I completely forgot about that, thanks for the heads up. I think I pretty much have all the gear except for clothing. That said, I think I'll just stick to day-hiking this season before going out and actually doing an over-nighter. If I do decide to, there's a few spots up here that are only 2mi from civilization so the risk is not devastating. I think 17F is the magic number where winter mix propane stoves that are upright are entirely useless. If you sleep with the can and then boil water and sit the can in it you can usually get it to work out. Don't forget your wind shield. It's pretty neccesary in the winter I own and can recommend the Kovea Spider remote canister stove. I also have the propane adapter so I can run it off 1lb. propane bottles, useful when you're car camping. I didn't need to do so in the above pic, but it can run with the canister inverted. Get a folding windscreen like the one above, it makes a big difference. |
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Just did 25 degrees last night in the hammock. Pad and 20 degree bag. I was fine. Make sure you wear layers to sleep too. I will say that when it's cold my feet always are chilly around 5am. I decided I'm gonna start taking a hand warmer and throwing it down in my sleeping bag about 5 so my feet will stay warm.
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+1 on the hand warmer! Put one in the foot of the sleeping bag, one midway (kidneys/lower back) and one next to your chest. We've also wrapped our sleeping bags with a space blanket.
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If your feet do get cold and you don't have any down booties and your sleeping bag isn't cutting it, I've shoved my feet into the trash bag I line my pack with. Helped quite a bit. I tried shoving my feet and sleeping bag into my pack...it was warmer, but was a bit uncomfortable so I removed it. Get creative to stay woke.
And like the Norwegians (or whoever) say, "If you feet are cold, put on a hat!" Good advice. |
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If your feet do get cold and you don't have any down booties and your sleeping bag isn't cutting it, I've shoved my feet into the trash bag I line my pack with. Helped quite a bit. I tried shoving my feet and sleeping bag into my pack...it was warmer, but was a bit uncomfortable so I removed it. Get creative to stay woke. And like the Norwegians (or whoever) say, "If you feet are cold, put on a hat!" Good advice. View Quote You wouldn't believe how many different situations there are where "put on a hat" becomes good advice. |
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The hot hands advice made me remember that we use the
I keep a loose pair of wool socks in the pouch on my hammock so that if my feet get cold I can just put on another pair. OP don't forget to review your winter bike for us when ya get back ETA Evidently mre heater is bad mmmkay |
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The hot hands advice made me remember that we use the MRE heater in the foot of the bag if it's super cold. It gets the bag warm but doesn't last too long. Also gotta make sure it doesn't leak water, so wring it out I keep a loose pair of wool socks in the pouch on my hammock so that if my feet get cold I can just put on another pair. OP don't forget to review your winter bike for us when ya get back View Quote Will do. Unfortunately, the best hiking has been put on hold down here due to a wildfire. January might be a good time to do it. |
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Cot, insulated bed roll, 0 degree rated bag, queen sheet off of a standard bed. Sleep in underwear TShirt and wrap in sheet. Bring a fluffy fleece blanket as a pillow. Tent, lil buddy propane heater, CO detector, lots of soup food. Burner and boiling vessels. Extra tarp to drape over the entire tent. Yellow Nalgene 32oz/1L water bottle. |
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Cot, insulated bed roll, 0 degree rated bag, queen sheet off of a standard bed. Sleep in underwear TShirt and wrap in sheet. Bring a fluffy fleece blanket as a pillow. Tent, lil buddy propane heater, CO detector, lots of soup food. Burner and boiling vessels. Extra tarp to drape over the entire tent. View Quote The light fleece blankie or poncho liner inside your bag up around your neck and shoulders does wonders to cut down the drafts. When you roll over in your sleep and readjust and you will because tha half inch pad doesn't compete with a Sealy, anyways the rolling and turning will pump out your heated air and let cold air in. A loose stocking cap worn to bed helps. I have a the army sleeping bag hat. It works. |
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Wouldn't that be harder to tell the difference betwe.....you know what, nevermind.... View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Quoted:
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Yellow Nalgene 32oz/1L water bottle. Wouldn't that be harder to tell the difference betwe.....you know what, nevermind.... I think you only have one yellow bottle and only use that one to piss in, but personally I just use a gatorade wide mouth and peel the label off. No label, no drinky. Then I can throw it away instead of dumping it out and potentially spilling piss everywhere. |
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I think you only have one yellow bottle and only use that one to piss in, but personally I just use a gatorade wide mouth and peel the label off. No label, no drinky. Then I can throw it away instead of dumping it out and potentially spilling piss everywhere. View Quote This is Winter, so I'm guessing I'd be good with either wide mouth or 20oz |
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Good winter sleeping pad Good winter bag Piss bottle A wicking base layer if you're going to be doing any kind of moving Eat something right before you go to sleep Hand warmers to put in your boots first thing in the morning |
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You lose a ton of heat through your head. A knit watch cap will do a lot to keep you warm at night. |
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You lose a ton of heat through your head. A knit watch cap will do a lot to keep you warm at night. View Quote Interesting side story: Did you know that ancient battlefield medics originally thought the brain was some form of heat radiator? They were familiar with squiggly lines of other types of heat dissipation devices, which the brain looks like, and their personal observations of soldiers with their helmets off steaming on cold days led to this thought. Pretty interesting to me, anyways, and I could totally see how they thought that. |
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Interesting side story: Did you know that ancient battlefield medics originally thought the brain was some form of heat radiator? They were familiar with squiggly lines of other types of heat dissipation devices, which the brain looks like, and their personal observations of soldiers with their helmets off steaming on cold days led to this thought. Pretty interesting to me, anyways, and I could totally see how they thought that. View Quote Good thing Galen didn't try to figure out how to treat heat stroke |
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Interesting side story: Did you know that ancient battlefield medics originally thought the brain was some form of heat radiator? They were familiar with squiggly lines of other types of heat dissipation devices, which the brain looks like, and their personal observations of soldiers with their helmets off steaming on cold days led to this thought. Pretty interesting to me, anyways, and I could totally see how they thought that. View Quote There are some out there that dispute how much heat you actually lose through your head, however it's the one area that's poking out of your sleeping bag and it's normally uncovered. Imagine doing that with your feet on a freezing night. |
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I picked the Thermarest LuxuryLite Cot and love it. It sure beats sleeping on the ground/mat any day. I had it out last month, it dropped down to 25 degrees and I was comfortable. Also have the Cot Warmer as well. It works pretty good.
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Lots of good suggestions
Staying warm is your battle in winter camping. Everyone is different, my nose and feet always get cold first I suggest some tight fitting smart wool socks, with an additional pair of deep cold rated wool socks over them Winter camps is awesome if you are prepared, and miserable if you arent Have fun, be prepd |
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There are some out there that dispute how much heat you actually lose through your head, however it's the one area that's poking out of your sleeping bag and it's normally uncovered. Imagine doing that with your feet on a freezing night. View Quote I was sleeping double with the wife in a hammock one night that it got down to 34. We slept with our heads at opposite ends with her laying between my legs. She was like a little furnace, so I stuck my feet out of the hammock to cool off, and I fell asleep. When I woke up my toes were quite cold and so I pulled them back in and I have never heard the wife squeal quite so loudly. She still talks of my toecicles. That was a fun little camping trip though. |
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I was sleeping double with the wife in a hammock one night that it got down to 34. We slept with our heads at opposite ends with her laying between my legs. She was like a little furnace, so I stuck my feet out of the hammock to cool off, and I fell asleep. When I woke up my toes were quite cold and so I pulled them back in and I have never heard the wife squeal quite so loudly. She still talks of my toecicles. That was a fun little camping trip though. View Quote Toecicles...lulz. |
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I was sleeping double with the wife in a hammock one night that it got down to 34. We slept with our heads at opposite ends with her laying between my legs. She was like a little furnace, so I stuck my feet out of the hammock to cool off, and I fell asleep. When I woke up my toes were quite cold and so I pulled them back in and I have never heard the wife squeal quite so loudly. She still talks of my toecicles. That was a fun little camping trip though. Toecicles...lulz. There's a member in GD (maybe he was banned, haven't heard of him in a while) that would absolutely LOVE that story |
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I was sleeping double with the wife in a hammock one night that it got down to 34. We slept with our heads at opposite ends with her laying between my legs. She was like a little furnace, so I stuck my feet out of the hammock to cool off, and I fell asleep. When I woke up my toes were quite cold and so I pulled them back in and I have never heard the wife squeal quite so loudly. She still talks of my toecicles. That was a fun little camping trip though. View Quote Sounds like any (and every) night I spend in the same bed as my girlfriend.... doesn't matter if it's friggin July, she's got ice cubes for toes. |
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The hot hands advice made me remember that we use the MRE heater in the foot of the bag if it's super cold. It gets the bag warm but doesn't last too long. Also gotta make sure it doesn't leak water, so wring it out I keep a loose pair of wool socks in the pouch on my hammock so that if my feet get cold I can just put on another pair. OP don't forget to review your winter bike for us when ya get back View Quote Great way to be a friggen dead person. MRE heaters create hydrogen and displace O2. I have seen people damn near die from what you just suggested |
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Great way to be a friggen dead person. MRE heaters create hydrogen and displace O2. I have seen people damn near die from what you just suggested View Quote Hmm. Well I guess it's good that I don't pull my head into my bag and that I sleep in a hammock. Thank you. I can see how that could be a terrible idea in a tent or if you pull your head into the bag. I will just go with hot hands from now on |
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Hmm. Well I guess it's good that I don't pull my head into my bag and that I sleep in a hammock. Thank you. I can see how that could be a terrible idea in a tent or if you pull your head into the bag. I will just go with hot hands from now on View Quote I came off a little aggressive on that post. Apologies for that. It's a sore subject for me due to fact that no matter how many times you tell Marines something there is always one who was too busy eatin crayons to listen and results in the rest of us having to be woken up in the middle of the night and put in formation to make sure we didn't die. |
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I came off a little aggressive on that post. Apologies for that. It's a sore subject for me due to fact that no matter how many times you tell Marines something there is always one who was too busy eatin crayons to listen and results in the rest of us having to be woken up in the middle of the night and put in formation to make sure we didn't die. View Quote No, seriously. Thank you for telling me. I'd hate to recommend something that wasn't safe. It's good to know. Are your marines in a bivy? That would definitely make it worse. |
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Seek Outside Cimarron tipi https://seekoutside.com/cimarron Portable wood stove for above http://www.liteoutdoors.com/product/liteoutdoors-titanium-stove/ |
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I sleep with two pairs of socks as mentioned earlier - one tight pair with a looser wool sock on the outside, and place a hand warmer between the two layers.
i mentioned in another post that Hot Hands makes larger body warmer pads as well. |
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