Emergency Survival Tips – How to Survive Outside In Winter
Winter survival is not a joking matter, you can get away with some things in other seasons that can get you killed in a winter emergency. One of the main concerns is the winter weather’s ability to knock out power and communications services. Heavy snowfall and extreme cold can immobilize entire regions for long periods. Stranded or lost in winter conditions, either in the wilderness or beside a road, can pose a dangerous set of problems if you are not prepared.
To help you survive the challenges of winter, here are a few things to consider:
Clothing: Covering up is one thing, but covering the right way is another. A common mistake is to bundle up, as you get more active you’ll begin to sweat. Wet clothing will remove heat from your body much faster than dry clothing. It is easier to stay warm and dry than it is to get warm and dry. Undergarments make the perfect base layer, but they shouldn’t be too tight because body heat needs to circulate close to the skin, wool or polypropylene are excellent for insulating layers, and your outer-layer should be made of a breathable, weather-resistant material. As your body temperature increases, you can remove the insulating layers, or add them as you cool. Bring an extra pair of gloves or two. This will help to prevent frostbite and ensuring your hands continue to work properly. Wear sunglasses to prevent snow blindness. In a snow covered environment your eyes are subjected to the sun’s UV rays from above as well as those reflected off the snow.
Shelter: When there is snow, you have additional building materials. You can build snow caves, snow trenches, and igloos. Snow can also be packed on the outside of a lean-to or debris shelter as added insulation and a wind block. Tree wells also provide excellent shelters from storms and cold. Snow is an excellent insulator, but keep yourself from getting wet. The main point of a shelter is to keep the weather off and allow you to maintain your body heat, so don’t make it any bigger than you have to.
Fire: Have several ways to start a fire. A lighter and matches in separate waterproof containers is a must. Road flares work great. Another simple tool is a spark striker such as a magnesium block with a Ferrocerium rod striker or a BlastMatch@ fire starter. They are almost impossible to break and will work when wet. Tinder is another nice item to have. Dryer lint, Vaseline soaked cotton balls or wood slivers can be packed in a container or bag with your fire starters. There are also a variety of commercial tinders available.
Water and Food: Dehydration is accelerated in cold weather because the air we breath is drier. Your body has to work harder to humidify the air you breathe and to warm it up, meaning that you need to drink more water. Store your water bottles upside down. The surface water will freeze first, leaving the top easier to open and free of ice. Aluminum water bottles are sturdier than plastic and can be directly heated if the contents are frozen. Do not eat snow for water. It will cool your body and force you to burn more calories to maintain your temperature, melt it first. Your body will burn more calories trying to stay warm, and you’ll need more water to process the additional food required. Foods with higher fat content are a good way to take in the calories you need. Proteins and carbohydrates have 4 calories per gram while fats have over 9 calories per gram.
Hypothermia: Hypothermia is the number one killer of people in the outdoors. This is when the body’s core temperature drops below 95 degrees. People who died of hypothermia may have had enough time to recognize the situation and do something about it if they had only realized what the symptoms meant. Learn how to identify and treat hypothermia. The extremities of your body, hands and feet, will tend to cool and freeze first. At the first signs of numbness, you need to stop and get the blood circulating again, or you will risk frostbite and permanent damage from freezing. Warning signs of hypothermia can be shivering, the inability to think clearly, sleepiness and decreased awareness. Frostbite shows up as a bright white patch of skin, usually surrounded by pinkish colored flesh. It is caused by freezing of the flesh and actual frost crystals will start forming on the skin’s surface. If this starts to happen, it is critical that the core temperature be raised as soon as possible.
Winter weather can be highly volatile. Be aware of local weather forecasts and plan for the unexpected.
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