Post by COB on May 27, 2012 19:11:13 GMT -7
Cold and snow present several challenges.
1. Staying as dry as possible is one thing that would be crucial. Wet clothing cools your body faster than anything else. If wet, getting a fire going, drying your clothes, and keeping your body "moving" are all good ideas.
2. Eat so you can keep your body running as cold weather zaps you so much. Foods with the most calories possible are the best if you can acquire them in your new BOL.
3. Staying hydrated is important in cold weather just as it is in the hot weather. Staying hydrated can help prevent hypothermia.
4. Shelter yourself out of the wind if possible. Build a snow shelter if snow is all you have to work with at the time. Snow traps air, and is actually a pretty good insulator as funny as it sounds. Keep your shelter as small as possible no matter what it is made of. The larger the shelter, the harder to heat. If you build something just small enough for you to sit, sleep, and eat in, you will stay warmer. Ventilate your snow shelter if you are using a camping stove, wood, etc.
5. Never sit, or sleep directly on the snow, use pine or moss, a trash bag, anything you can to keep your body directly off the snow as body heat will go right out of you and into the ground.
6. Finding fuel in a snowy place like driftwood, mosses, animal waste, etc. will help you make a fire in snowy conditions.
7. Melting snow to drink is not a great idea unless you are warm inside your shelter, but can help you stay hydrated if you are warm enough that you do not bring your core temp down. interesting fact about melting snow to get water to drink. Snow is 10% water 90% air melt it down sometime you see what I say. Ice on the other hand is just reversed 90% water 10% air. Both of course need to be heated to melt so if you have the choice between the 2 go with ice for larger yield of water.
8. For "getting around" in the snow, make your own snowshoes if you can. With some tree branches, cordage, and a little patience you can come up with snowshoes good enough to get you around.
9. Learn how to identify animal tracks, which is one advantage you will have in these conditions as they are obvious a good amount of the time. Know how to track rabbits, squirrels, and anything else that is tracking around in your area.
10. If you are near a frozen pond or lake, know how to ice fish, and also know when to walk on frozen bodies of water, and when not to. This is a dangerous thing to do, make sure the ice is solid.
11. Another thought is to trap more in the winter to lower you calorie loss from stalking hunting, if you do hunt try using a stand of some sort rather than stalking.
12. A couple of good ways to stay warm while sleeping is hot coal bed, debris shelter, snow shelter, another one that works well is a hammock with small fire underneath (I use a trench style fire) and a tarp strung over the hammock to contain the heat. If you want to take it up another notch put a emergency blanket facing you strung under the tarp you will be amazed at how much heat will reflect back down. The hammock keeps you off the damp ground, the tarp protects from the wind and the emergency blanket reflects the heat, It does work well
13. Even if your not mountaineering these skills can considerably make travelling in snow climates easier and more times then not keep you safer.
14. Before setting out as a group, make sure everyone understands that you are all now a part of a team that needs to work together as one. Being a headstrong all be it fool hardy "individual" in harsh snow climates is an easy way to get injured/killed.
15. Other things to consider when traveling in the snow is snow blindess, wind burn, sun burn. Although it is considerably colder, the wind and sun can still do major damage to an unwary person. Because the snow acts as a mirror reflecting back at you.
16. When travelling as a party near/on glaciers, where crevasses can swallow you up, always make sure to rope together in sets of two's or three's if you are properly equipped with ice axes. Strongest person in the rear, weaker person up front. Learning to self arrest, kicking steps, front pointing, are all very import things to learn even if your not a mountaineer.
17. Instructing others in the party including yourself to watch for signs of hypothermia, dehydration, major fatigue.
18. Learning the "Rest Step" has been a basic way to climb uphill by experienced mountaineers for a long time and will save you calories, fluids, muscle fatigue, endurance.
19. Make sure everyone does a basic warm up before starting out by stretching properly and do the same when your done for the day.
20. Rest frequently, snack often, drink plenty of fluids, learn to watch weather patterns.
1. Staying as dry as possible is one thing that would be crucial. Wet clothing cools your body faster than anything else. If wet, getting a fire going, drying your clothes, and keeping your body "moving" are all good ideas.
2. Eat so you can keep your body running as cold weather zaps you so much. Foods with the most calories possible are the best if you can acquire them in your new BOL.
3. Staying hydrated is important in cold weather just as it is in the hot weather. Staying hydrated can help prevent hypothermia.
4. Shelter yourself out of the wind if possible. Build a snow shelter if snow is all you have to work with at the time. Snow traps air, and is actually a pretty good insulator as funny as it sounds. Keep your shelter as small as possible no matter what it is made of. The larger the shelter, the harder to heat. If you build something just small enough for you to sit, sleep, and eat in, you will stay warmer. Ventilate your snow shelter if you are using a camping stove, wood, etc.
5. Never sit, or sleep directly on the snow, use pine or moss, a trash bag, anything you can to keep your body directly off the snow as body heat will go right out of you and into the ground.
6. Finding fuel in a snowy place like driftwood, mosses, animal waste, etc. will help you make a fire in snowy conditions.
7. Melting snow to drink is not a great idea unless you are warm inside your shelter, but can help you stay hydrated if you are warm enough that you do not bring your core temp down. interesting fact about melting snow to get water to drink. Snow is 10% water 90% air melt it down sometime you see what I say. Ice on the other hand is just reversed 90% water 10% air. Both of course need to be heated to melt so if you have the choice between the 2 go with ice for larger yield of water.
8. For "getting around" in the snow, make your own snowshoes if you can. With some tree branches, cordage, and a little patience you can come up with snowshoes good enough to get you around.
9. Learn how to identify animal tracks, which is one advantage you will have in these conditions as they are obvious a good amount of the time. Know how to track rabbits, squirrels, and anything else that is tracking around in your area.
10. If you are near a frozen pond or lake, know how to ice fish, and also know when to walk on frozen bodies of water, and when not to. This is a dangerous thing to do, make sure the ice is solid.
11. Another thought is to trap more in the winter to lower you calorie loss from stalking hunting, if you do hunt try using a stand of some sort rather than stalking.
12. A couple of good ways to stay warm while sleeping is hot coal bed, debris shelter, snow shelter, another one that works well is a hammock with small fire underneath (I use a trench style fire) and a tarp strung over the hammock to contain the heat. If you want to take it up another notch put a emergency blanket facing you strung under the tarp you will be amazed at how much heat will reflect back down. The hammock keeps you off the damp ground, the tarp protects from the wind and the emergency blanket reflects the heat, It does work well
13. Even if your not mountaineering these skills can considerably make travelling in snow climates easier and more times then not keep you safer.
14. Before setting out as a group, make sure everyone understands that you are all now a part of a team that needs to work together as one. Being a headstrong all be it fool hardy "individual" in harsh snow climates is an easy way to get injured/killed.
15. Other things to consider when traveling in the snow is snow blindess, wind burn, sun burn. Although it is considerably colder, the wind and sun can still do major damage to an unwary person. Because the snow acts as a mirror reflecting back at you.
16. When travelling as a party near/on glaciers, where crevasses can swallow you up, always make sure to rope together in sets of two's or three's if you are properly equipped with ice axes. Strongest person in the rear, weaker person up front. Learning to self arrest, kicking steps, front pointing, are all very import things to learn even if your not a mountaineer.
17. Instructing others in the party including yourself to watch for signs of hypothermia, dehydration, major fatigue.
18. Learning the "Rest Step" has been a basic way to climb uphill by experienced mountaineers for a long time and will save you calories, fluids, muscle fatigue, endurance.
19. Make sure everyone does a basic warm up before starting out by stretching properly and do the same when your done for the day.
20. Rest frequently, snack often, drink plenty of fluids, learn to watch weather patterns.