Winter Survival Tips, Part Three©

 

 

You never know when a late winter storm is going to blow in, don’t forget Punxsutawney Phil is only right 39% of the time¹ and February is a great time for winter snow!  

 

So, here is the final installment of our winter survival tips, which didn’t make it into earlier articles.  In Part One and Two we talked about dressing for winter weather and taking shelter, and this week we’ll talk about staying hydrated to prevent hypothermia and some general survival tips.

 

Dehydration...

 

“Staying hydrated?!”, you exclaim, “Boring!”  But before you turn the page, did you know that most people are walking around chronically dehydrated, and that when you are thirsty you are already 1% dehydrated, or a quart (almost a liter) of water low²!  Feeling thirsty yet?

 

 “But people only get dehydrated when it’s hot”, you suppose “right” ?  Wrong!  The air is the dryest when it is cold, because when the temperature is cold, the ability of air to hold water vapor decreases and it becomes dry. 

“Sure, but with all this snow, I’ll just eat some if I’m thirsty”, you guess.  Bad idea, can we say hello, to death by hypothermia!

 

Winter Survival Tips...

 

The same general survival tips that the experts recommend are the same survival tips that you need to pay attention to during the winter; stay dry, stay warm, always have a buddy.

 

Always have a way to create a fire and know how to build one in any weather.  Carry a candle, it makes it easier to light a fire in wetweather and you can use it to warm up a snow shelter.  Don’t forget that survival is a mental attitude, and 90% of survival is controlling your fear and panic.  Keep a positive, can do attitude, and don’t give into useless negative what-if conjecture.

 

Let’s hope you never get lost in a winter storm, but if you do, maybe these tips will help you to survive the snow and cold.

 

I hope that you continue to enjoy The Woodsman’s Journal Online and look for me on YouTube at BandanaMan Productions for other related videos, HERE.  Don’t forget to follow me on both The Woodsman’s Journal Online, HERE, and subscribe to BandanaMan Productions on YouTube.  If you have questions, as always, feel free to leave a comment on either site.  I announce new articles on Facebook at Eric Reynolds, on Instagram at bandanamanaproductions, and on VK at Eric Reynolds, so watch for me.

 

That is all for now, and as always, until next time, Happy Trails!

 

 

Notes

 

¹ From “How accurate is Punxsutawney Phil?”, HERE

 

² By the time you notice you are thirsty you’re already 1% dehydrated.  For a 150 pound (68 kg) person, this means you have already lost about 1-½ pounds (.7 kg), or almost a quart (almost a liter) of water.

 

 

Sources

 

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Flemens, Norm, Maj.; “Hot Info About Cold Weather”, Combat Crew, Volume 34, January 1984, page 19 to 20, https://books.google.com/books?id=KgMQ17xpzVMC&pg=PA18&dq=winter+survival+tips&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiqtLWtxO-DAxUBFVkFHfIBAx04HhDoAXoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=winter%20survival%20tips&f=false, accessed January 27, 2024

 

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Livermore, Beth; “Survival School”, Snow Country, January 1997, page 99 to 102, https://books.google.com/books?id=Q8k-kqIvS-YC&pg=PA99&dq=arctic+survival+tips&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj9meSOzO-DAxUOF1kFHXz4C8o4ChDoAXoECAMQAg#v=onepage&q=arctic%20survival%20tips&f=false, accessed January 27, 2024

 

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United States Immigration and Naturalization Service; Safety and Health Guidebook, page 77-95, [MA-502, May 2000], https://books.google.com/books?id=JR-lqAaTZGAC&pg=PA95&dq=winter+survival+tips&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiw-8G_m--DAxWUFzQIHUnTC144ChDoAXoECA0QAg#v=onepage&q=winter%20survival%20tips&f=false, accessed January 27, 2024

 

United States Air Force; “Survival in the Snow”, Driver, Volume 11, Issue 7, page 15 to19, https://books.google.com/books?id=ljEaTOOMPZYC&pg=PA16&dq=fire+starting+survive&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi45pys6YyEAxUHkIkEHZxrCts4HhDoAXoECAwQAg#v=onepage&q=fire%20starting%20survive&f=false, accessed February 2, 2024

 

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