Winter Wilderness Survival Guide

As beautiful as the winter can be, it can also be your worst enemy. Below 95 degrees, the body can begin to suffer from hypothermia which can negatively affect the nervous system and lead to respiratory and heart failure. With careful preparation, a calm mind, knowledge of skills and the ability to put them to use effectively you can save your life during the coldest winter days.

  1. Preparation

    • Prepare yourself before departure by wearing the proper clothes. A three-layer system will provide the protection you need while allowing you to remove garments as necessary to retain proper body temperature. Remember, sweating is your adversary and can lead to hypothermia or frostbite. It is better to remain a little cold instead of too hot. If you must be active, pace yourself.

      Begin with a base layer. Base layers are your underwear essentially, and should be loose fitting and made of a moisture-wicking material to keep the sweat from your body. Thin socks and cap should be included. Middle layers trap your body heat. Include wool pants, socks, gloves, cap and a fleece. Outer layers obstruct water and wind. These include nylon pants, a Gortex parka with hood, leather gloves and insulated, waterproof boots.

      Keep inside your parka pocket a fire source, a whistle and mirror for signaling, a knife and something to eat such as peanuts, whose natural oil will help keep you warm.

    Shelter

    • Think of a winter shelter as your fourth layer of clothing. Keep it as close to the soil as possible--even better if it is below. Your goal is to make a space just large enough to sleep in to better trap heat. Don't wait until in a survival situation to make a shelter. Practice beforehand and you will add to your chances of survival.

      Clear a rectangular space. Line the bottom with boughs liberally. Use two branches to form an opening an inverted V shape. A ridgepole will span the length and connect to two more poles at the back. Cover everything with more boughs. Afterwards, cover the entire structure in snow. You will need to crawl in feet first. A door created by weaving thin branches covered in snow can further protect you.

    Fire

    • Keep a magnesium fire starter with you whenever you head into the cold. Along with shelter, fire is critical to your survival and doubles as a beacon to those searching for you. Fire starters make this process easy but just in case, bring a lighter and matches too. Fires can also be used to dry clothing, melt ice and heat stones for a fire bed.

      Heat your bed with buried hot stones. Once you have a fire started you can further your chances of survival by placing grapefruit sized rocks in the edge of the fire. Once they are hot, roll them into a small trench that you've dug. Bury them with soil and then begin building your shelter as mentioned above.