Winter Survival for Tommy...Part One©

 

 

I promised my friend Tommy, that I would write a winter survival article for him.  The thing is that Tommy’s a Marine and was trained in winter survival and since I didn’t want to repeat things that he already knows, here are some tips that aren’t in the Marine Corp Winter Survival Course Handbook, 2002, HERE.  I hope they help, Tommy!  This is Part One of a four part series– Author’s Note.

 

An excerpt from Polar Manual, Fourth Edition, by Captain Hedblom.  This is an exceptional survival manual and can be found, HERE.  For other great resources, check out the bibliography for the links to them.

You were minding your own business , when WHAM! suddenly you’re in a winter survival situation.  Maybe your car slid off a country road into a ravine, maybe your plane crashed onto a mountainside.  Doesn’t matter, what matters is that it is cold, really cold, and you must make decisions NOW that will affect the rest of your life.  Do you know what you should do now to survive?  Here are some survival tips from the Air Force, the FAA, and other sources, which hopefully will help you if you are ever in this situation. 

The most likely reasons for finding yourself thrust into an arctic or winter survival situation, is some form of vehicle crash, so that will be our assumption.

 

First things first, in today’s modern world of cellular and radio communications, with its helicopters and snowmobiles, an accident followed by a lengthy period of isolation requiring wilderness survival is unlikely, although still possible.  Today, it is more likely that you will be found and rescued within the first 12 to 24 hours, and at the worst within 72 hours, so hang on!  However, the first hours, and in fact the first few seconds and minutes, can be critical to your survival, particularly if you are injured, or the weather is extreme. 

 

For more on this read “Should I Stay, or Should I Go, and the 72-Hour Rule©”, HERE.

 

In the case of a plane crash

An airplane crash near Saskatoon, Saskatchewan; from CBC News, Canada, HERE.

 

First, STAY CALM!  It is okay to be afraid, anyone would be afraid, just don’t let your fear take over and cause you to panic.  Panic makes people do dumb things and dumb things will kill!

 

Second, follow the flight crew's instructions on how to evacuate the wreckage and on what to do next.  If no crew members survive, or can give instructions, find the nearest exit, and get out!  

 

It is important to get out of the plane, IMMEDIATELY!  You might only have 90 seconds before the plane catches fire.  According to the FAA only about 8% of plane crashes resulted in fires, due ruptured fuel lines or tanks, however since the fatality rate in the case of fires, due to burns and smoke inhalation is so high, you can’t delay – GET OUT NOW! 

 

Leave all your belongings on the plane, grabbing them will only slow you down.

 

Third, move to a safe distance away from the wreck, at least 500 feet (150 meters) away, until you are certain that there is no fuel leaking or any electrical arcing which might ignite any vaporized fuel, or the plane has burnt out (this might take an hour or so).  Find any other survivors, and if possible, get behind a tree, rock, or other large object in case the plane explodes.

 

In the case of a car accident

 

Obviously, car accidents are different than plane crashes, but mostly, because fires after a car accident are 60% less likely to occur than after a plane crash, with only 3% of car crashes resulting in fires, according to the NFPA's statistics².  Monitor the situation to see if you need to retreat from the scene of the wreck.

 

Sequence of tasks

 

After the crash, the order in which survival tasks should be done depends on the weather and the circumstances that you find yourself in.  In general, the sequence of tasks should be as follows, but remember if there are more than one survivor on the scene, more than one survival task can be completed at the same time.

 

First, as soon as you are safely away from the wreckage or there is no more chance of fire, provide first aid to anyone that is sick, injured or distressed.  Since medical supplies might be limited, it is important that any minor injuries are cared for immediately to avoid further complications.  In many cases, all that can be done for someone who is injured is to keep them reassured and as warm and comfortable as possible.

 

Second, build a temporary shelter, even if it is only a wind break, while you care for the sick and injured and wait for the wreckage to be safe to approach. 

 

It is very important to provide some amount of shelter from the wind, especially for those for those who are suffering from injuries and/or shock. 

 

Choose a spot protected from drifting snow or wind, and near timber, for fuel and building material, if any timber is nearby.  Stay away from the bases of cliffs where snow might collect and avalanche down upon you.  Temporary shelters just need to protect you from the wind, they don’t have to be fancy to be effective.

 

A snow wall, an excerpt from U.S. Marine Corps’ Winter Survival Course Handbook, 2002

A half-circle dug out of the snow, with the debris piled on the windward side, thirteen feet (4 meters) wide in diameter on the widest side, should be enough to shelter five people.  For less than five people, subtract 1 foot (.3 meters) from the diameter, for each person less than five.³

 

For more information on windbreaks read “...Seeking Shelter Against the Wind©”, HERE.

 

Note how hard it is to see a wrecked plan from the air, by Marcel Siegenthaler, for CBC News, November 3, 2017, HERE.

Tip 1: Remember, the survivors should always stay together and
near the wreckage, because is easier to see a car or a plane from the air than it is to see a single person. 

 

Survival Training Edition, AF Manual 64-3, 1969, page 2-5.  An excellent PDF copy of the Department Of The Air Force, Survival Training Edition, AF Manual 64-3, 1969 edition, can be found HERE. 

And more important than anything else, you must try to stay as warm as possible.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Winter Survival for Tommy, Part Two ©”, where we will talk about winter wilderness survival and how to stay warm and get rescued.

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 “6.5 Million Cars Are Catching Fire – Is Yours One of Them?” by Way.com

 

² Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) for the Arctic Ocean, First Edition, by Defense Mapping Agency, page 290

 

 

Sources

 

Air Safety Institute, AOPA; “Survive: Beyond the Forced Landing”, [Frederick, Maryland], http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=57&ved=0ahUKEwjjpoab-eTYAhWMp5QKHYYIA0o4MhAWCEswBg&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.aopa.org%2F-%2Fmedia%2Ffiles%2Faopa%2Fhome%2Fpilot%2520resources%2Fasi%2Fsafety%2520advisors%2Fsa31.pdf&usg=AOvVaw0MXBFxEgfsS5ow6y80vbbv, accessed September 1, 2021

 

Airscoop; “Winter Survival”, Approach, Jan 1974, Volume 19, Issue 7, page 12 – 14, https://books.google.com/books?id=CJlUaA0_rtMC&pg=PP14&dq=snow+survival&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimj8jA-Lb8AhU0MVkFHY-YBG8Q6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=snow%20survival&f=false, accessed January 10, 2023

 

American Council on Exercise; “Fit Facts: Exercising in the Cold”, [©American Council on Exercise], https://acewebcontent.azureedge.net/assets/education-resources/lifestyle/fitfacts/pdfs/fitfacts/itemid_24.pdf, accessed January 12, 2023

 

Black, Marina; and Jonescu, Kaitlyn; “How to Survive a Plane Crash in the Arctic”, May 20, 2014, [© 2023 Prezi Inc], https://prezi.com/ceo1kdavlin0/how-to-survive-a-plane-crash-in-the-arctic/, accessed January 12, 2023

 

Calvert, John H., Jr. Colonel; “Frostbite”, Flying Safety, October 1992, Publication 127-2, Vol. 48, No. 10, [United States Airforce, 1992], pages 14 - 15, https://books.google.com/books?id=W2PU4Rad3JMC&pg=RA21-PA26&dq=survival+pamphlet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim-sLv-cT8AhWMKFkFHf9FA184PBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20pamphlet&f=false, accessed January 13, 2023

 

Coast Guard, Department of Transportation, A Pocket Guide to Cold Water Survival, CG 473, September 1975, https://books.googleusercontent.com/books/content?req=AKW5QafxNJBmiIml6O4jiudRpr2rz8pLfodQOiq-4gZNh4xa5uIN_rq05C2yAes1AYw67Ziq189QaQaFDHBHE0SJivfCxjMW1DReANLjFqw1qX6jEl2mz1HPKXj4BRQJv8zAOcO6oDE70Dcv__VE2uPh4tEqLSzMxDRiWOv3p6ssyQjE2bevJMX7-Ol2KDtIPQVcVuaJudJMLaOOuSUVs8qYS1Nlaxnm47GVOCXLR79KzL6nV3R0zZG4DxRt9hoYrIRGugXm6RVfbU2gxeix7JLKbxpvQsNB9w, accessed May 1, 2022

 

Combat Crew Training Wing; “Obtaining Water”, Flying Safety, October 1992, Publication 127-2, Vol. 48, No. 10, [United States Airforce, 1992], pages 26, https://books.google.com/books?id=W2PU4Rad3JMC&pg=RA21-PA26&dq=survival+pamphlet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim-sLv-cT8AhWMKFkFHf9FA184PBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20pamphlet&f=false, accessed January 13, 2023

 

Defense Mapping Agency; Sailing Directions (Planning Guide) for the Arctic Ocean, First Edition, [Defense Mapping Agency Hydrographic/Topographic Agency, 1983], page 286 - 293, https://books.google.com/books?id=dpUn0tHp7VMC&pg=PA291&dq=winter+survival+melting+snow+for+water&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjVjZ2T86n8AhUEp3IEHcZyAvY4KBDoAXoECAUQAg#v=onepage&q=winter%20survival%20melting%20snow%20for%20water&f=false, accessed January 10, 2023

 

Department Of The Air Force, Survival Training Edition, AF Manual 64-3, [Air Training Command, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C., August 15, 1969], page 2-7 to 2-10

 

Federal Aviation Administration; “At Home in The Snow”, FAA General Aviation News , November-December, 1983,Volume 22, Issue 6, page 11 – 12, https://books.google.com/books?id=BWX3xkpPHFUC&pg=PA11&dq=crashed+plane+winter&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjHn4jlr8D8AhXMGVkFHYOiCYcQ6AF6BAgIEAI#v=onepage&q=crashed%20plane%20winter&f=false, accessed January 13, 2023

 

Federal Aviation Administration; Basic Survival Skills for Aviation, [FAA, Oklahoma City, OK], page 44-51, https://www.faa.gov/pilots/training/airman_education/media/CAMISurvivalManual.pdf, accessed January 12, 2023

 

Federal Aviation Administration; “Post Crash Survival”, FAA General Aviation News , November-December, 1979,Volume 22, Issue 6, page 8 – 10, https://books.google.com/books?id=Y0YPi63uDIcC&pg=RA5-PA8&dq=survival+snow&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwiu8IfVu7n8AhW8EVkFHfW2BbY4MhDoAXoECAcQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20snow&f=false, Accessed January 10, 2023

 

Hedblom, Captain Earland E., MC, USN; Polar Manual, Fourth Edition, [National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, MD, 1965], p. 37, https://ia800305.us.archive.org/33/items/PolarManual4thEd1965/Polar%20Manual%204th%20ed%20%281965%29.pdf, accessed 12/07/2019

 

Nelson, Morlan W.; “Cold Weather Survival”, Popular Science, November 1971, pages 123-126, https://books.google.com/books?id=PQEAAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA123&dq=snow+survival&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwimj8jA-Lb8AhU0MVkFHY-YBG8Q6AF6BAgGEAI#v=onepage&q=snow%20survival&f=false, accessed January 12, 2023

 

Pinkerton, Paul; “Surviving A Plane Crash Pt3 – Using aircraft parts in survival”, December 16, 2016, [© 2023 Outdoor Revival], https://www.outdoorrevival.com/instant-articles/surviving-plane-crash-pt3-using-aircraft-parts-survival.html, accessed January 12, 2023

 

Schul, Dorothy; “Trapped in Hell’s Canyon”, Flying Safety, October 1992, Publication 127-2, Vol. 48, No. 10, [United States Airforce, 1992], pages 2 - 6, https://books.google.com/books?id=W2PU4Rad3JMC&pg=RA21-PA26&dq=survival+pamphlet&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwim-sLv-cT8AhWMKFkFHf9FA184PBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20pamphlet&f=false, accessed January 13, 2023

 

The Air Ministry, Arctic Survival PAM (Air) 226, 1953, https://ia801909.us.archive.org/2/items/ArcticSurvival/Arctic%20Survival%20and%20Jungle%20Survival%20combined.pdf, accessed January 12, 2023

 

United States Marine Corps; Winter Survival Course Handbook, 2002, [Mountain Warfare Training Center, Bridgeport, CA, 2002], https://ia802602.us.archive.org/22/items/milmanual-us-marine-corps---mwtc-winter-survival-course-handbook/us_marine_corps_-_mwtc_winter_survival_course_handbook.pdf, accessed January 9, 2023

 

Way.com; “6.5 Million Cars Are Catching Fire – Is Yours One of Them?”, [© 2023 WAY.COM], https://www.way.com/blog/millions-of-cars-are-catching-fire-is-yours-one-of-them/#:~:text=How%20often%20do%20cars%20catch,according%20to%20the%20NFPA's%20statistics.,

Pilot Biscuits...the Real Deal, Original Recipe ©

 

A pilot biscuit from one of the Titanic’s lifeboats, saved as a souvenir by James and Mabel Fenwick, who were passengers on the RMS Carpathia.

 Updated 1/24/23 – Author’s Note

Pilot Biscuits, Pilot Bread, and Captain’s Biscuits are all the same thing, but they are not hard tack.   Now, I make hardtack, I enjoy hardtack, but pilot biscuits are not hardtack, because you can bite through them!

 

Hardtack according to the Forest & Stream, 1899, “is harder, and, while less palatable, is more durable”¹, than pilot biscuits.

 

Now, the only difference between hardtack and pilot biscuits, besides the fact that hardtack has been described as “sheet iron”, and will last forever if it is kept dry, is the addition of a little bit of shortening, like lard!  Apparently, a little bit of shortening goes a long way, because it makes the biscuit flakier and easier to eat, but a biscuit with shortening in it (or sugar, which is hygroscopic and adsorbs water from its surroundings) will not last as long as hardtack, as the shortening will eventually become rancid and inedible.

 

An excerpt from the Portsmouth Journal of Literature and Politics, Portsmouth, New Hampshire, June 17, 1876, page 2, HERE

John Pearson, of Newburyport, Massachusetts, is credited with creating pilot biscuits in 1792.  In 1898 Pearson’s bakery, which was the first commercial bakery in America, was absorbed into the National Biscuit Company, today known as Nabisco.  Nabisco became a leading producer of pilot biscuits, which it sold under the Crown Pilot brand throughout New England.  Unfortunately, Nabisco discontinued Crown Pilot biscuits in 2008, and while other bakeries continue to make pilot biscuits, they have become more difficult to find.

 

Future Essentials pilot biscuits, vacuum sealed in a can, HERE.

So, if you are from Hawaii or Alaska, where pilot biscuits are common snacks², or if you are into homesteading, prepping, experimental archeology, or if maybe you just like the taste of pilot biscuits, you have probably tried to find a recipe for making this delicious trail food.  I know I have, and if you are like me, you have been frustrated with the results.  Oh sure, there are recipes out there that content creators say are for making pilot biscuits, but I am pretty certain they are not the original recipe.

 

I was frustrated with the recipes that I found on the internet, they had sugar and lots of butter and sometimes milk or baking soda, and they all seemed to be more of a modern guess as to what an original pilot biscuit was.  So, I did what I always do, and I did some research and here is what I found.

 

The real deal, original recipe...

 

I found an original recipe for making pilot biscuits in the “The Art of Making Water Crackers”, Bakers Review, 1916, but it called for one barrel, or 196 pounds (89 kilograms), of flour, and since this was more flour than I had laying around, I cut the recipe down to something a bit more manageable, like four cups.

 

 

Top left #1, cutting the lard into the flour, top right #2 clean and clear dough ready to be turned out onto a floured surface, bottom left # 3 the first roll out of dough, and bottom right # 4 pricking the biscuits with a fork to let the steam out, photographs by the Author.

The nutritional value of pilot biscuits made with this recipe are as follows:

Nutritional Value of Pilot Biscuits

                             Per batch of                           Per biscuit          

                             16 biscuits                                                                              

Calories               2,275                                      127            

Net Carbs            460 grams                              23 grams

Fiber                    17 grams                                0.85 grams

Total Carbs         477 grams                              23.85 grams

Proteins               64.5 grams                             3.20 grams

Fats                      6 grams                                   0.30 grams

 

I hope you enjoy making and eating your pilot biscuits, Bon Appetit!

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Winter Survival for Tommy ©”, where we will talk about tips that might not have been included in the U. S. Marine Corp Winter Survival training.

 

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 Professor Charles H. Snow, “Equipment of Camps and Expeditions”, Forest & Stream, August 12, 1899, page 125

 

² Pilot biscuits are an Alaskan treat and are considered to be rural, soul food, and Diamond Bakery’s Saloon pilot crackers have been made in Hawaii for more than 100 years.

 

Sources

 

Berry, Melissa Davenport; “Nabisco: An American Story”, November 5, 2020, https://blog.genealogybank.com/nabisco-an-american-story.html, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Braun, Emil; The Baker’s Book, [Emil Braun, Bath Beach, New York City, 1901], page 231, https://books.google.com/books?id=AuYpAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA231&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjn2YymnLP7AhXPpIkEHQhtABA4WhDoAXoECAwQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Gluto; “The Art of Making Water Crackers”, Bakers Review, Vol. XXXIII, No. 4, July 1916, [Wm. R. Gregory Co., New York], page 95-96, https://books.google.com/books?id=R6UTAAAAYAAJ&pg=RA3-PA95&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwia_7GZlrP7AhUOhIkEHYfnAD04FBDoAXoECAkQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Platt, William; “Biscuit and Cake Manufacture”, Chemical Age, Vol. 30, No. 4, [New York, New York, April 1922], https://books.google.com/books?id=qSBDAQAAMAAJ&pg=RA2-PA158&dq=pilot+bread&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwid3P2-m7P7AhX7j4kEHfabCow4UBDoAXoECAYQAg#v=onepage&q=pilot%20bread&f=false, accessed January 4, 2022

 

Snow, Charles H. Professor; “Equipment of Camps and Expeditions”, Forest & Stream, August 12, 1899, page 125, https://books.google.com/books?id=RtowAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA125&dq=%22is+harder,+and,+while+less+palatable,+is+more+durable%22&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwisuY_3va78AhWBFlkFHW0GAvMQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22is%20harder%2C%20and%2C%20while%20less%20palatable%2C%20is%20more%20durable%22&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

W.T.R.; “Dog Biscuit”, Bakers’ Helper, Vol. XXXVIII, No. 458, September 1, 1922, page 516, https://books.google.com/books?id=x7c2AQAAMAAJ&pg=PA516&dq=%22pilot+bread%22+oven+temperature&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjDrYn05Kz8AhU1FVkFHVxqBBgQ6AF6BAgHEAI#v=onepage&q=%22pilot%20bread%22%20oven%20temperature&f=false, accessed January 4, 2023

 

Winter Storms...the Deceptive Killers! ©

 

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, NOAA and the American Red Cross, HERE.

This week I was planning on writing a survival article about winter shelters and the 18^th century, for my friend Tom, but winter storm Elliott blew in, and since I live near Buffalo, plans changed.  And while the storm is over now, the cleanup continues, and unfortunately the body count continues to creep up, so let’s talk about what to do next time a winter storm blows in!

Winter storm Elliott raged from December 21^st to the 26^th, killing at least 89 people, causing vehicle pileups, road closures and cancelling or delaying more than 10,000 flights during the busy Christmas travel time.  It was a historic extratropical cyclone which brought blizzard conditions and winter storm to much of the United States and Canada.  Now, most of us in North America experienced this storm in one way or another, but what exactly is an extratropical cyclone anyways?

 

Extratropical cyclones are sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones, or wave cyclones, and are large low-pressure areas, which, along with large high-pressure areas, known as anticyclones, drive much of Earth’s weather.  Cyclones are large, low-pressure weather systems, that spread over at least 620 miles or 1,000 kilometers.  These weather systems can cause anything from general cloudiness and mild showers to severe gales, thunderstorms, blizzards, and tornadoes.  In contrast with tropical cyclones, extratropical cyclones produce rapid changes in temperature and dew point along broad lines, called weather fronts, about the center of the cyclone.

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55.

Winter storms bring snow, sleet, or freezing rain, and they are all dangerous in their own way!  Snow can simply be scattered flurries with no accumulation, or a squall or blizzard with high winds and several feet or more of accumulation.  Sleet, which is frozen rain pellets, is usually more of an inconvenience than anything else, but if it accumulates it can make for treacherous travel.  Freezing rain can lead to treacherous travelling conditions, and because of the weight of the ice on power lines and branches, it can cause power outages.  And the high winds usually associated with severe winter storms, can blow down branches and trees, making travel dangerous and difficult, and making power outages even more likely.

 

Walking or driving...

 

A wreck due to snowy and slippery road conditions, from Freepik.com, HERE.

During severe winter storm conditions, i.e., heavy snow, high winds, or freezing rain, it doesn’t matter if you are walking or driving, travelling is a bad idea.  The roads and the walkways are likely to be slippery and you might fall or have a car accident.  So, unless it is life or death, and if you go out into the storm it might be, stay put and shelter in place!

 

An excerpt from "Historia de gentibus septentrionalibus", 1555, by Olaus Magnus, from Wikimedia, HERE.

But the real problem with winter storms is the wind.  Wind can cause power outages, downed trees, and the blowing snow it carries along can reduce visibility and make travelling difficult, however the biggest problem with wind is windchill!

 

Windchill

 

Wind chill makes already cold temperatures FEEL even colder!  That is because the wind steals away your body heat through convection.  When there is little to no wind, a layer of warm remains around your body to help you stay warm.  When it's windy, or breezy, the moving air blows away that insulating, warm layer, quickening your heat loss, and making you feel colder.

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, NOAA, and the American Red Cross.

So, next time there is a winter storm what should you do?

 

Be prepared...

 

First study these guides, starting with the first one, and then make some plans.

 

·       Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, HERE.

·       Winter Survival In Your Car, HERE.

·       “Winter can be Hazardous to your Health”, HERE.

·       “13 Essentials for your winter emergency car kit (+Checklist)”, HERE.

 

Stay tuned in

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, NOAA, and the American Red Cross.

Remember, a “warning” is more severe than a “watch”.  A watch means that the conditions exist for bad weather, but you still have time to prepare.  A warning means you need to seek shelter, NOW!

 

Dress in layers

 

If you must go out, or even if you are sheltering in place in your home, dress in several layers of lightweight clothes.  Always wear a hat because you lose most of your heat from your head.  And don’t forget your feet, wear waterproof, insulated boots to keep your feet dry and warm, and to help you keep your footing the snow and ice.

 

For more on layering read “Comfortably Cold, What’s That?©”, HERE.

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, NOAA, and the American Red Cross

Don’t overdo

 

If you overdo and get hurt, because of the storm, the EMTs will have a hard time getting to you and they might be to late.  And as Les Stroud, the Survivorman says, if “You Sweat You Die”!  So, if you must be out, remember to always stay “comfortably cold”!

 

10 Essentials of winter storm survival

There are two, possibly three, areas where you will want to keep some winter survival supplies, in your car, and possibly at your workplace if you use mass transit, and at your home.  In your car, you should keep your critical survival supplies in the passenger compartment, close at hand, and the larger and bulkier items in your car’s trunk.

 

Unfortunately, the list to the right, is generally a very good list, but it is older, being first published in 1995, and gasoline antifreeze is no longer so important, as today, gasoline is made with up to 10% ethanol, and alcohol has a much lower freezing point than water.  Additionally, gasoline by itself has a low freezing point, so it isn’t necessary.  If you do have problems with frozen gas lines, you have water in your gas tank, and that is an entirely different problem.

 

This is a list of items that you should keep in the passenger compartment of your car.  On this list, in my opinion, the garbage bag is one of the more important items.  In fact, personally I recommend that you include two construction grade trash bags for every adult in the car and one for each child.  This way if you are stuck in your car, everyone can make a trash bag emergency shelter, to help stay warm.  For more on how to do this read, “Using your poncho or a trash bag as an Emergency Shelter ©”, HERE.

 

Some people keep GORP, some people keep pull-top cans of ready to eat foods, like canned peaches, some keep Pop-Tarts®, but I like Nutrilite™ Body-Key food bars the best.  These bars are light, at only 1.8 ounces (50 grams), they are gluten free and have 150 calories, as well as being packed with protein and vitamins.  Even better they taste great!  For more on Nutrilite™ Body-Key food bars, read “A Survival Meal that Actually Tastes Good! ©”, HERE.

 

At home, you should always make sure that you have plenty of easy to eat foods, that don’t require cooking and just like in your car, at least a gallon of water per person, per day.

 

What to do

 

From Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, NOAA, and the American Red Cross

The best thing that you can do is stay PUT and shelter in place!  Don’t try to travel during a storm, what with the low temperatures, windchill, and slippery conditions, it is just asking to be included on a list of storm casualties.

 

If you are outside, or trapped in your car, don’t forget the garbage bags that you brought with you in your survival pack, they can stop the wind from stealing your precious heat and help you stay warm.

 

An illustration by Jim Cobb, from “Winter Storm: Camp Inside to Survive Power Outages During Winter Storms”, HERE.

If you are at home and there is no power and you have a tent, put it up inside one of the least drafty rooms, so that you a have smaller space to warm up with your body heat.  If you don’t have a tent prop up two mattresses (not box springs) like a pup tent and crawl inside the resulting shelter, the mattress are good insulators.

 

Don’t forget to come back next week and read “Pilot Biscuits...the Real, Deal Recipe ©”, where we will talk about how to make that Alaskan and wilderness adventure’s favorite hard bread, the Pilot Biscuit.

 

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!

 

 

Sources

 

Minnesota Department of Public Safety; “Winter Survival In Your Car”, https://dps.mn.gov/divisions/ots/educational-materials/Documents/Winter-Survival-Brochure.pdf, accessed December 29, 2022

 

NOAA and the American Red Cross, Winter Storms-- the Deceptive Killers: A Guide to Survival, Volume 55, https://books.google.com/books?id=lcVZGb_S6WQC&printsec=frontcover&dq=survival+winter&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjEiYWhxYj8AhXtgnIEHRJnC0kQ6AF6BAgCEAI#v=onepage&q=survival%20winter&f=false, accessed December 29, 2022

 

Pantenberg, Leon; “Winter Storm: Camp Inside to Survive Power Outages During Winter Storms”, https://survivalcommonsense.com/camp-inside-2/, accessed December 29, 2022

 

Perry, Karl; “Winter can be Hazardous to your Health”, The Mobility Forum: The Journal of the Air Mobility Command, Jan/Feb 1995, pages 16 to 18, https://books.google.com/books?id=_cM_5pFKkDUC&pg=PA17&dq=survival+winter&hl=en&newbks=1&newbks_redir=0&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjt_PDFkZv8AhWKEFkFHTf5Bf04FBDoAXoECAIQAg#v=onepage&q=survival%20winter&f=false, accessed December29, 2022

 

The Zebra; “13 Essentials for your winter emergency car kit (+Checklist)”, [© 2022 Insurance Zebra], https://www.thezebra.com/resources/driving/winter-car-emergency-kit/, accessed December 29, 2022