Reader Case Study: Making Your Family More Self Reliant

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I recently received an email from a reader with an inspiring and educational story about how he helps prepare his family. I thought it would make a great case study in applying the preparedness mindset to everyday life.

We live in upstate New York and just North of us are a series of 3 poorly maintained dams that have been in the news from time to time due to neglect and mismanagement problems. Most of us who live on the downhill side of these dams are always waiting for one to spring a leak in a big way. Since they are all in a row along the same river if the top one goes the others don’t stand a chance. Neither do those of us who live in the probable path.

Great work! Bill has looked around at his environment and assessed threats that are likely to affect him and his family. He can now plan how to mitigate these and prepare more effectively.

We have had bug out bags ready and stored in our front hall closet, right near the front door, for years now. We use PVC waterproof packs made for canoe and rafting trips. I make sure the gear is rotated several times a year with respect to seasons and since we have 3 kids, I need to make sure clothes still fit. I also stick in some playing cards and a book or 2 for each of us.

Bill has done a good job here helping his family prepare. He has:

Packed bug out bags for all members
He periodically checks and updates each kit for seasonal changes and growing kids
He has packed items to make an evacuation less traumatizing for his kids
He has packed the survival gear in a waterproof container to protect everything from the elements

At this point Bill shares a very personal anecdote of his preparedness journey with us as well as shares some practical tips for choosing and archiving important documents.

But what takes work and thought are the important documents and family photos that we would not want to lose. Call me a sentimental fool (my kids leave out the sentimental part) but childhood memories are important to me and can never be replaced. I looked into keeping family photo albums and important documents with a relative but decided against it. I also looked into a safety deposit box in a bank but that was expensive. The cheapest one I found was over $40.00 a month.

The solution I settled on was scanning each page of photos from all of the albums into our computer than burning them onto C.D.’s and flash drives and keeping a copy in each of the bug out packs. It was very time consuming and frustrating because I am not an expert at this. It really was in the truest sense of the word, a labor of love. We must have 6 thick photo albums made up of years of vacations, birthday parties, Halloween photos and much more. We even caught my son’s very first unassisted steps! I’d hate to lose this stuff. In addition to the photos, I have been writing letters to each of my children since months before they were even born.

I wrote about boring things mostly. How the garden was doing and what we planted. What the weather was like or what we were doing at work. But I also wrote about how we both looked forward to meeting them for the first time and hearing their first words. How we wanted to go hiking and canoeing with them, and how much we hoped they quickly found a job. (I think I’m funny). Before I even knew their gender, I did know I was going to cherish them everyday, and I have. I still do, even though my oldest son who just turned 15 is now 6 feet tall already.

So, after I figured out the technical details on how to scan things onto my PC, then burn them onto C.D.’s, the work started in earnest. Several long days it took me to do this and more than a little trial and error, with the emphasis on error. Still, I doggedly persevered. I scanned about 200 pages with photos on each page. Then I opened and scanned each letter I have written over the years.

Bill has put a lot of effort in to keep his family’s memories together. If things go badly and the dams he mentioned above break or there is another disaster his family can evacuate to safety knowing they will have their history and important memories with them. The story of how Bill writes letters to his children and wants to preserve these for them until they are old enough to appreciate them was particularly impactful for me. We often think of survival as a checklist of gear to buy or skills to master. I think this anecdote really shows the human side of surviving that is often overlooked. If a disaster does occur having these tidbits of their former lives will provide great strength and morale to Bill’s family.

On top of that I scanned things like health, life, homeowners and car insurance policies. Some of these need to be updated a few times a year, so I scanned them individually so when I need to put a more recent document in I didn’t have to scan 6 other things as well. I also included:
Wills
Health care proxies
Property surveys
Paperwork dealing with the purchase of the house
Birth certificates
Social security cards
Marriage license
Professional certificates
Resumes
Medical documentation
Blood types
Fingerprints
Recent family photos to assist searching for separated members

Bill has moved on to the practical stuff to archive here, things that will help his family rebuild in the aftermath of a disaster. He has a great tip in there as well of scanning documents that tend to be refreshed periodically as individual items that can be updated in a modular fashion, rather than having to re-scan the whole list just to update one page. This is practical advice from someone who has done the task themself. Thanks Bill, once again your efforts are an inspiration.

But even the most well stocked bags are not much good unless you have a plan your family knows about and maybe even practices. That is a critical part of being prepared. Anyone can throw some stuff in a bag but to be really ready you all need to be on the same page and know what to do and when to do it. That will make or break your survival sometimes. Knowing what skills your family members have and being able to rely on them to do what was agreed on ahead of time is a huge part of preparedness, at least to my way of thinking. It’s also the hard part. Not everyone will see your point of view or agree on the need to plan ahead. I face that all the time with my wife, but after a few tough situations over the years we have come to trust and rely on each other. That is also when you realize you have a great relationship that needs to be cherished and never taken for granted. Ever.

Bill has wisely looked beyond just buying a bunch of survival gear to get prepared. He recognizes the importance of having a simple, realistic plan to follow if disaster strikes. He has also involved his wife in the decision making process and gotten her buy in to the plan. Having the commitment of all the adults in your Bug Out Party is so critical as it allows you to work as a team. As Bill points out this can be a challenge if your spouse is not on the same page as you. Luckily he was able to persevere and gotten her on board.

It is a wonderful thing to have neighbors who look out for each other. Super Storm Sandy tore up our property and ripped over 10 large trees down, some on our roof. We bought a 650 gallon food grade water cistern years ago and had fresh water to share. Some shared gasoline (which was almost non existent) but just having someone to knock on your door to see how you were was a real blessing.

Preparing is great, but it is also vital to communicate your plans with family, friends and neighbors. I thought my neighbors would think me nuts for telling them our plans and suggesting they make plans of their own, but no one did. They were great and offered suggestions.

Bill is once again showing how a proactive mindset pays off in survival situations. In this anecdote he:

Demonstrates the usefulness of proactively preparing his home by setting up a cistern. This can apply to many things, from upgrading your home like Bill did to going out and learning some additional survival skills. The quick win that will help you survive is adopting a PROACTIVE mindset rather than a REACTIVE one. Look around you right now, what can you change, adapt, or develop to make yourself better prepared?
Bill talks about his relationships with his neighbors and how they looked out for each other in the recovery after Super Storm Sandy. If you have good relationships with the people around you, it can act as a force multiplier in your recovery or survival efforts. In this case Bill was able to share some of his water. Ask yourself, if there were a disaster in your area what would you be able to offer your community? Food? Firewood? Knowledge? Try to become an expert in something and you will have the ability to help others and in turn barter your skill/resource/advantage for whatever you need.

I hope this was of use to some folks. We had to learn most of the lessons the hard way, but learn we did. Not to share our lessons with others would be wrong. Be well my friends.

-Bill in New York.

Thanks for being so generous with your experiences and knowledge, Bill!

So, what can we take away from this case study?

The fact that you read this blog is a strong indication that you already have a proactive mindset. If not, adapt to it as quickly as possible. Being proactive instead of reactive is one of the most fundamental aspects of survival. If you have to rely on yourself to survive waiting for things to happen will not get you very far.
Help your family with prepping by doing things for them if need be. This may mean building bug out bags for everyone, scanning documents, and more as Bill has done.
…But you can’t do it all yourself. Things like making your family’s Bug Out Plan simply cannot be done in a vacuum. Involve your spouse as early as you can. If you simply are not on the same page as far as the importance of preparedness consider doing as much as you can for them and then demonstrate the utility of your actions and how it helps the family.
Involve your kids as well, teaching them skills will pay dividends for the rest of their lives. Additionally educating them about preparedness will make it less scary if you ever do need to actually rely on these skills as we mentioned in our article, Bugging Out With Kids.
Communicate, communicate, communicate with your family. Let them know why you are preparing in addition to how to survive. Don’t get distant and do everything in isolation, show them that your actions come from the heart.

Reader Case Study Conclusion

I hope this case study was useful to you and gave you some ideas to help you along your preparedness journey. A big thank you again to Bill and his family for being so open and honest about the challenges and experiences they have faced so far.

If you have a story about your own path to preparedness or self-sufficiency please let us know in the Comments Section below or email Chris directly at info@thebugoutbagguide.com.

Always remember, chance favors the well prepared.

Learn These Map Reading Skills To Never Get Lost Again

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If you’re navigating through unfamiliar terrain, a map is as valuable as gold dust. You may have planned your routes by them and will be relying on them throughout the course of your expedition or bug out. However, a map is next to worthless if you don’t know how to decipher it. Map reading and land navigation is are vital skills that can be applied to many survival situations. This article will outline the basics to help you sharpen up your map reading skills.

Map Reading Skills: Using A Map’s Scale

First, your map should be at a scale which is useful. For instance, having a small-scale, detailed map will be of no use to you if you simply plan to drive through an area. In the same way, if you are on foot, then having a less detailed map can be next to useless. It is also important to understand the scale bar. This bar will show the size at which a kilometer or mile is shown on the map and is usually expressed as a ratio. For instance, 1:50,000 means that each measure on the map is 50,000 times smaller than the true distance. This will allow you to use the map to determine distances for land navigation.

Map Reading Skills

Map Reading Skills: Reading Contour Lines

A thorough understanding of reading contour lines is an extremely useful tool to add to your arsenal of map reading skills. Because a map is 2D, different heights of terrain must be indicated using contour lines. These show the altitudes of the land and are recorded at regular intervals – usually 50ft (15m). Each point on a contour line’s ring is hypothetically at the same height, which is indicated with a number (in feet or meters). This tells you how high above sea level the terrain is. In general, contour lines which are closer together indicate a steeper gradient. However, it’s important to bear in mind the scale of your map so that you don’t over or underestimate the gradient.

Map Reading Skills

Map Reading Skills: Reading A Map’s Key

The key will explain what the symbols used on the map refer to. These will represent a range of manmade and natural structures, types of land (woodland, swaps or beaches, for example), rivers and water. There are some features which are not depicted to scale. For instance, roads, paths and waterways will often have a standard width which may not represent their exact measurements.

Map Reading Skills

Map Reading Skills: Understanding Map Grids

Maps will have horizontal and vertical grid lines which divide the map into squares. This division is either based on longitude and latitude or may be individual to the particular mapping authority. Grids will allow you to more quickly determine distances, since they are usually at a comprehensive scale (for example, the distance from left to right is often 1 kilometer). These grids will also allow you to explain to other exactly.

Map Reading Skills: Orientating Your Map

Important to remember is that the grids on a map do not necessarily indicate north and south, though they may provide a rough indication of this. You will need to also be aware that your compass does not point to true north, but to magnetic north. Most maps will also indicate magnetic north. The deviations between these can help you map-read your way across a landscape, as can taking note of your surroundings in relation to features on the map.

Map Reading Skills: Conclusion

Hopefully our crash course has helped you sharpen up your map reading skills. If you ever have to execute your bug out plan or evacuate unexpectedly knowing how to use a map and compass will greatly increase your chances to make it to your rally point or bug out location. As with any basic survival skill it is important to practice using your map reading and land navigation skills to find your way. Master these and you will never be lost.

Author Bio

Roman is a former EMT living in NYC and co-founder of Ready To Go Survival. When he’s not working on the next big thing for preppers; he likes to go camping, shoot stuff at the range, archery, and ride his bicycle excruciating distances.

Inspirational Survival Quotes To Motivate Your Prepping

Winning Survival Quotes To Keep You Motivated

1. The only easy day was yesterday

Who said it?

Basically every Navy SEAL ever. This is their motto.

Meaning

Every day is a new challenge and the only easy things are ones that are already completed. If it was easy, they wouldn’t be sending The SEALs to take care of it. Survival is the most difficult thing anyone can be called upon to do. We are not accustomed to thinking about this because we are so far removed from day-to-day surviving in our modern world. Being able to go to the grocery store and pick out a multitude of tasty foods that have travelled hundreds (or thousands) of miles without any effort from the consumer is truly a mind boggling thing. However take this away and the unprepared person will turn desperate after missing 2 meals or less. When you are relying on your own skills and wit to eke out your existence truly the only easy day was yesterday. Every day in a survival situation is a battle for life itself. Think of this when you are prepping, self preservation is the most motivating thing there is.

2. The guy on the street is sitting on his couch right now watching TV!

Who said it?

Emilio Garcia – Head instructor of the Mixed Martial Art Combat Fighting Systems

Meaning

This is a personal one for me as I trained with Emilio for 5 fantastic years. He would yell this at us when we were face down on a dirty gym floor, too exhausted to do any more pushups or when you were sparring and someone wanted to quit. Comparing what we were doing – pushing ourselves to our personal breaking points – to what our potential adversaries in a street fighting scenario were likely doing at that moment – sitting on the couch watching TV – was extremely motivating. We knew that the more we sweated in the gym to prepare, the less likely we would be to bleed in the street. In survival prepping the comparison is obvious. You are investing your time now on weekends and nights after putting the kids to bed so that when you need to survive, you will be prepared. Are you the person in the gym or the guy on the street?

3. I have not yet begun to fight

Who Said It?

John Paul Jones – Revolutionary War Naval Officer

Meaning

John Paul Jones is one of the most celebrated Naval officers of the American revolution and with good reason. In addition to capturing multiple enemy vessels and leading daring raids on both British Controlled Nova Scotia and England’s home shores he drew enough animosity from the King to be labeled a pirate with the likes of Blackbeard! Jones gave us this quote during a battle off the Scottish coast in September of 1779. Although his ship, the Bonhomme Richard was burning AND sinking when told to surrender by the British commander he replied that he had not yet begun to fight! He proceeded to whip the British fleet and accept their surrender within 3 hours of his response. Moral of the story: when faced with dire odds dig deep and trust in your own abilities and skills. You have prepared long and hard for the challenges ahead and you CAN overcome them.

4. Chance Favors The Well Prepared

Who said it?

Unknown, surely they were a prepper though.

Meaning

With all the chaos and uncertainty in the modern world it is impossible to predict what may come. However if there is a terrorist attack or natural disaster in your area, it is the people who have prepared for it who will fare best. Prepping is an investment in your future. When you need to survive that investment pays off big time.

5. Nuts!

Who said it?

General Anthony C. McAuliffe, in response to the ultimatum of surrender from the German commander during the WWII Battle Of The Bulge

Meaning

On December 22, 1944 the American troops fighting around the town of Bastogne were encircled by German infantry and armor. Recognizing his advantage the German commander of these forces sent a polite but forceful request to the American commander, General McAuliffe demanding that he surrender honorably or face annhilation. General McAuliffe’s response was as terse as it was defiant, “NUTS!”.

The American troops managed to hold out under the brutal onslaught that followed until the 4th Armored Division arrived on December 26th to provide reinforcement.

This act of defiance can be a lesson to us all that even when all hope is lost there is still a way to survive. Remember this when preparing your survival plan and developing your skills, it may be that your strength of will alone carries you and your loved ones through your next ordeal.

6. If

Who said it?

The Ephors (Leadership council) of ancient Sparta

Meaning

When King Philip II of neighboring Macedonia was preparing to invade Sparta he sent the following message, “You are advised to submit without further delay, for if I bring my army into your land, I will destroy your farms, slay your people, and raze your city”. The Spartans responded with the gusto of the fearless with a simple, “If”. King Philip ultimately chose not to test the Spartan’s will and moved on to easier conquests.

We could look to the Spartans for many inspirational survival quotes. Although lesser known than the infamous “Molon Labe” (Come and take them – referring to his army’s weapons) Spoken by King Leonidas (of 300 fame) “If” equally demonstrates the Spartan’s both willingness to fight and confidence in their preparation and training. We should all strive to reach this mindset in our prepping. No matter what the threat – terrorism, home invasion, earthquake, or whatever else – IF it happens we are prepared to survive.

7. It’s not whether you get knocked down, it’s whether you get up.

Who said it?

Legendary football coach Vince Lombardi

Meaning

Coach Lombardi would say this to his players as a means of inspiring toughness and resilience in their mindsets. It is a fantastic approach to disaster preparedness planning and many other aspects of life. A survival scenario is dynamic and unpredictable by nature, there are going to be setbacks. Set up your bug out plan to overcome these setbacks. Develop your survival skills to be able to solve any problems that may be thrown your way. You are likely to get knocked down in a survival situation mentally and possibly literally. Be prepared to get back on and keep moving forward.

8. Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t even be there, eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them, for they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will bring the others back.

Who said it?

Heraclitus, Greek philosopher and historian, 500 BC

Meaning

While one of the lengthier survival quotes it is also a personal favorite of mine. While Heraclitus made the statement in reference to an army it is applicable to many situations. Next time you are in a crowd look around and think about this quote. How many of the people present are ready to survive should an emergency occur? How many will panic? How many will not know what to do? Are you the 1-in-100 that will survive and thrive when the time comes or are you one of the 80 targets? Your prepping and learning of survival skills should turn you into the warrior that brings your loved ones back.

Conclusion

I hope you liked our survival quotes. If you are motivated to start building your Bug Out Bag click thru to our Custom BOB List Building Tool below! This will let you pick what you want in your BOB from a list of survival gear, check the estimated weight, and then email the checklist to your inbox, all for FREE! Click on the button below to give it a try:

Your Thoughts?

What do you think of these survival quotes? Do you have any survival quotes that you would like to share? Please let us know in the Comments Section below.

Cold Weather Survival Gear

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Having a survival kit packed full of bug out bag essentials is a good start towards coming out alive in any situation. However if you are likely to have to face a cold weather survival scenario you should consider adding specific cold weather survival gear to your kit to maximize your chances. If you live in a cold weather climate you may have these items in your BOB at all times. However if you live somewhere that has seasonal changes in temperature, you should include the addition of supplemental cold weather survival gear into your regular bug out bag updates.

Cold Weather Survival Gear

There are many essential BOB items that are helpful in a winter survival scenario. The best of these can serve to greatly increase your chances of survival when the mercury is dropping and snow is on the way. Here are our picks of the best cold weather survival gear that should be a part of any bug out bag in a cold climate:

Shovel

This will greatly help you when breaking trail through the wilderness, digging a fire pit, or when shelter building. If you are going to be shoveling snow a flat shovel blade is suggested. If you will have to be digging into frozen ground a spade or pick end will serve you better.

Broad blade for moving snow	Spade tip for digging in frozen ground

Saw or Hatchet

This is a personal choice but bringing one or the other is a smart move. These tools will help you build a shelter and gather firewood as well as many other important tasks. A hatchet will be better at smashing ice and splitting wood but a saw generally weighs less and is better at cutting dead wood for fires.

High quality basic hatchet	Survival Chain Saw	Compact Folding Saw	Hatchet/Saw Combo

High energy/low weight foods

Maximize the space in your BOB by using compact rations that have high calorie values such as MREs, granola or powerbars, energy gels, or nuts. You will be burning more calories than normal so you need to up your intake to keep pace.

High energy gel - high energy, little weight	High calories, take up little space	Keep hydrated, just add water
	<br />

Fire starting equipment and tinder

Having a fire is a key to keeping warm in a cold weather survival situation, make sure you have a high quality fire starting set. A magnesium fire starter will last longer than matches and will work better in wet or windy conditions. Invest in a good one to maximize your odds.

Compact and reliable	One handed firestarter	Military grade firestarting gel. Better than any tinder.

Container for boiling snow

A metal water bottle or canteen is a great multipurpose survival tool in this regard. It will serve as a storage container for the water after you have boiled it and will not crack if the water freezes, like a plastic bottle would.

Wide mouth makes it easy to stuff snow inside	Classic style, comes with an integrated cup and carry case	Insulated to keep liquids warm
<br />

Emergency blanket

This is another great piece of multipurpose cold weather survival gear. Emergency blankets are relatively inexpensive and in a cold weather survival situation they can be used for wrapping up yourself up to keep in warmth, as a ground cloth to keep you from losing heat to the cold ground and to keep moisture from being absorbed by your clothes, or as a shelter building material.

Compact and inexpensive	Upgraded, heavy duty version of a space blanket with integrated hood	Bivvy sack made of emergency blanket material. Put your sleeping bag inside for extra warmth.

Quality waterproof boots

Taking care of your feet is one of the core elements of survival. Wet shoes from walking through snow can quickly lead to frostbite. Being immobilized due to this can quickly lead to death. Having a good pair of warm, waterproof boots will eliminate any issues with your mobility and allow you to survive longer.

High quality warm, waterproof men's boot	High quality warm, waterproof women's boot	Add on to your boots to give you traction on ice

Brightly colored bandana

Something brightly colored, preferably fluorescent will be visible from great distances against a snowy background. This can be used for signaling passing cars or planes. As mentioned in our multipurpose survival gear article, a bandana has many uses and this applies to cold weather survival as well. As a cold weather survival gear item a bandana can be used for:

Collecting and melting snow and ice
A Layer of head cover under a hat
Wrapping extremities to prevent frostbite
Signaling

Bright orange and printed with helpful survival information	Bright red and printed with 1st aid infromation

Quality sleeping bag

Having a quality sleeping bag rated to sub-zero temperatures is one of the most important pieces of cold weather survival gear you can have. It will allow you to rest when you need to in order to recover your energy. Additionally, keeping warm at night will cause you to burn less calories that would otherwise be spent keeping your temperature up. We suggest one that is rated to -20 degrees F (about -30 degrees C) for starters. If you live in a very cold region get one that is rated for even colder to ensure your safety.

High quality bag rated to -20	Extreme bag rated down to -40

Snowshoes

If you are in an area that usually receives a lot of snow these are a good thing to have. They will make traversing snow covered ground far easier than breaking trail through snow banks. Snowshoes can be purchased in many places or you can learn how to make them in the video below:

Basic snowshoes	Midrange snowshoes	High quality top of the range snowshoes

Conclusion

As we have discussed in the past tailoring your bug out bag to your survival scenario is a key to having it be as useful as possible when you need it. Adding cold weather survival gear to your kit will greatly increase your chances of succeeding in a winter survival situation. Be sure to pick quality gear, you will not be happy that you saved a few dollars when you are out in the wilderness freezing. As with any survival tools make sure you take any items you select out and familiarize yourself with using them. You don’t want a life or death situation to be when you are taking an item out of its original packaging. Practice your cold weather survival skills and hone the techniques of using your cold weather survival gear for the best results.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have a piece of cold weather survival gear that you would recommend? Do you have an innovative use for one of the cold weather survival gear items that we mentioned above? Please let us know in the Comments Section below.

Cold Weather Survival Tips and Skills

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Surviving when you are cut off from the support net of society is extremely difficult under even optimal conditions. Cold weather survival situations add significant additional challenges which must be trained and planned for. These challenges can be overcome by gaining cold weather survival knowledge and experience as well as tailoring your bug out bag as we mentioned in our recent article covering cold weather survival gear. In this article we will review the most essential cold weather survival tips to practice and employ when beating the cold.

Keeping Warm During Cold Weather Survival

A key to cold weather survival is keeping your core temperature warm. A combination of shorter days (less sunlight), wind chill, lower temperatures, and ice and snow will conspire to steal body heat and energy away from you. Your body will have to work harder and consume more calories to keep you warm. In order to stay warm practice the following cold weather survival tips:

Dress in layers

This is the best way to regulate your body temperature while surviving in the cold. Multiple layers are better than one thick layer because they trap air between them. This air is then warmed by your body and acts as an insulator against the cold. Start off with a light wicking layer to keep perspiration away from your skin and build up from there. Three to five layers are good for most adults. The outer layer should always be wind and waterproof to minimize heat exchange and keep water out. Layers are additionally excellent at regulating temperature because you can add or remove them if you find yourself to be cold or hot. If you are travelling with children a good rule of thumb is to dress them in one more layer than you have on to keep them warm.

Keep active

Keeping yourself active will keep your heart rate up and maintain a good flow of warm blood to your extremities. It is important to not overexert yourself however. If you become drenched in sweat this moisture will sap heat away from you. Keep a moderate pace for your activities whether hiking or building a shelter. Maintain your temperature by removing clothing layers to keep warm but not hot. Slow down or stop to rest periodically to avoid burning yourself out.

Keep fuel in the tank

As you will be burning a lot of energy keeping active and keeping your temperature up you will need to consume extra calories and drink extra liquids to keep your body going. It is important to pack extra high calorie/low weight rations in your bug out bag. This may include nuts, granola bars, energy gels, or powerbar type foods. To keep hydrated pack gatorade powder, which can be mixed with water or melted snow. This will keep you hydrated far better than water alone.

Cover Your Head

Up to 90% of the heat you lose will be through your head if you do not keep it covered. Keeping a hood up or hat on will keep this heat in as well as keep your head dry if you are working in snow. Also this is the easiest layer to remove if you find yourself getting hot. Keep your head covered to keep that precious heat in!

Cold Weather Survival Tips

Surviving in cold weather requires the same basic survival skills as in any other environment. It is necessary however to add to your skill set as some tasks become more difficult under cold weather survival conditions.

Cold Weather Shelter Building

Building a survival shelter should be a top priority during cold weather survival. A good shelter will keep out the wind and damp as well as keep heat in. Cold weather survival provides some additional challenges as well as benefits to survival shelter building.

A basic A-frame or Lean-to shelter works well using branches and piling snow on top. Snow is an excellent insulator and makes a great outer layer of a shelter. If you have chosen to include an emergency blanket, poncho, or tarp in your bug out bag essentials, any of these items can be used to form the roof of your shelter if laid upon the frame of branches. Using one of the items as a ground cloth will additionally insulate a shelter against cold and damp. An important thing to consider when building a cold weather survival shelter is that if you are going to build a fire in a shelter be sure it is ventilated with a chimney to avoid suffocation. Check out the below videos for instructions on building a winter survival shelter.

Fire

Fire is essential in a cold weather survival scenario for two reasons:

Keeping Warm – this is obvious but its importance cannot be overstated. Having a fire will raise your morale and keep the spectre of freezing related medical problems out of your mind.
Melting Snow – This will give you a nearly limitless water supply while surviving. Boil the water from melted snow to ensure any pathogens are killed.

When gathering wood in a winter survival situation be it is preferable to collect branches that are not lying in the snow as the moisture from snowbound wood will make it harder to burn. Look for dead branches in the lower parts of trees in the area. For more tips on fire building check out our article on Basic Survival Skills.

Cold Weather First Aid

The two biggest medical problems found in cold weather survival are hypothermia and frostbite. Both of these are very dangerous and need to be watched out for at all times. Familiarize yourself with the symptoms and treatments for these two conditions:

Hypothermia

A condition where one’s body temperature drops below the ability to self-regulate. This typically begins when the core temperature goes below 95F degrees. It can happen easily if someone falls into a cold stream or frozen lake and must be addressed quickly to increase a person’s chances for survival.

Symptoms

Shivering
Loss of coordination
Weak pulse
Drowsiness
Slow speech
Confusion or memory loss

Treatment

If possible seek emergency medical attention
Remove any wet clothes and replace them with dry ones or a dry blanket/sleeping bag, etc
Protection from wind or anything else that may cause further heat loss
Seek shelter
Warm the person up by putting them in a shelter, bringing them near a fire or using your own body heat
Drinking warm liquids can also be used to bring a person’s temperature back up

Frostbite

This occurs when a body part (usually an extremity or an exposed ear or nose) becomes so cold that ice crystals begin to form in the tissues. It should be treated immediately and can lead to the loss of the frostbitten body part!

Symptoms

Numbness in the affected area
White patches on skin, these will turn black in severe frostbite
Hardening of the affected area

Treatment

Seek emergency medical attention if possible
The affected area should be gradually warmed up by moving to a warmer area such as a shelter or near a fire and covering it from the elements
Warm water can also be used
Care needs to be take to not place anything hot on the affected area as this can cause burns that are not felt due to numbness
Try not to walk on frostbitten toes or feet as this can cause additional damage
You should NEVER rub the affected area to warm it up

Conclusion

Cold weather survival can be a brutal and trying circumstance. However with some planning and the addition of some carefully chosen cold weather survival gear you can greatly increase your chances of success. There is no replacement however for experience and knowledge. If you live in a cold weather area try going out in the woods for a weekend with your bug out bag and cold weather survival gear to practice making a shelter and fire with the contents you have with you. This will test your abilities and show you where you need to expand your knowledge or if your gear (including your cold weather clothing) is up to the task. Remember, chance favors the well prepared.

Your Thoughts?

Do you have any cold weather survival tips that you want to share? Have you had to survive in freezing conditions yourself? Please let us know in the Comments Section below.