Winter Survival Tips

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I learned the following winter survival tips while serving in the Marine Corps and have practiced them. I know they work so listen up.

Winter weather can be dangerous even if you recognize its dangers and are prepared. Caution should be used at all times during the winter. Weather and temperature can change rapidly and catch you by surprise. Accidents can happen, you can get lost or recent snow and rainfall can make it too dangerous to for you to travel back to safety.

In a survival situation, meeting your basic needs of food, water and shelter is more difficult in winter then in warmer months. Carrying a personal survival kit and knife will help you meet those needs. If you are stranded and did not bring adequate emergency supplies and camping equipment you will have to improvise.

If you find yourself in a winter survival situation the first rule to follow is DON'T PANIC! Panicking is one of the leading causes of death in an outdoor environment. DO whatever you have to do to stop yourself from panicking. Stop for a minute, think about the reasons you have to survive, what equipment you have available and what you need to do to get out of the situation. That brings me to the second rule, prioritize. Think of your basic needs first before anything else. In a winter outdoor environment shelter (warmth) is your top priority. Then water, food and making it back to safety in that order are next.

Shelter

If you are above the tree line and you are able to, move down to a lower elevation. If the tree line is too far away, you can't see where you are going or you are injured then try and find a spot sheltered from the wind and away from water. If you are carrying a tent then go ahead and set it up and you are done looking for shelter. But just in case your tent gets damaged have a backup shelter plan in place. If you don't have a tent then you need to make an improvised shelter. A Snow Tree Pit Shelter is one of the easiest improvised shelters to make and is very effective. This is how you make one:

• Find a tree with thick overhead branches
• Dig out the snow around the trunk until it is big enough for you to lay down inside and give you a little room to move
• Pack the snow around the top and on the sides so it doesn't collapse on you
• Place branches or grass on the bottom of the shelter
• Place bushy branches on the top of the hole to provide even more protection from the cold

If the snow is not of sufficient depth. You can pile up the snow around the base of the tree trunk. If there isn't any snow use a Lean-To Shelter. How to make a Lean-To Shelter:

• Find a long sturdy branch and prop or tie one end up on a tree or large rock on the side the wind is blowing from
• Place other sturdy branches at a 45 degree angle leading from the long branch to the ground
• Place bushy branches, grass and leaves along the windward side of the long branch starting from the bottom and working your way up
• Line the floor of the shelter with leaves and bushy branches to keep you from laying on the cold ground
• Make a wind screen/ heat reflector on the open side by piling up more branches make sure to leave enough room to build a fire without burning your structure down

Water

In a winter outdoor environment there are many sources of water available including streams, ice and snow. If you are going to use ice and snow make sure to melt it first. Eating snow or ice directly can rob your body of its internal body heat and may cause cold injuries. If you are able to make a fire put the ice and snow in a water container and place it near the fire to melt it. If you don't have a fire available you can place the snow or ice next to your body to melt it. This technique is only recommended if you are going to be active so it doesn't effect your body heat retention. Before drinking the water you should treat it chemically, boil it or use a water filter in case the water is contaminated.

Food

Finding food in any outdoor environment is difficult and requires a lot of energy. In a winter outdoor environment food is even more critical because your body requires food to obtain energy and regulate warmth. The best way to take care of food is to bring emergency food with you inside of your survival kit any time you go out in the winter. Just about any high calorie food will do. Most people that spend a lot of time outdoors bring energy bars because they are high in calories and are compact so they are easy to carry.If you didn't bring food with you, fishing, hunting or trapping small animals is the safest way to go. Make sure your emergency survival kit includes snares, fishing line and hooks and you know how to use them. Cook all animals before eating. So you get rid of any disease or sickness the animal might be carrying. If you can't cook the animal cut them into small strips and dry them in the sun if it is shining.

Plant gathering during the winter months is difficult because almost all edible plants are out of their growing season and are scarce. It is a good idea to learn about what plants are able to be eaten in the area you are visiting. However, some edible plants look just like poisonous ones and it could be hard to tell them apart. There is a way to test if a plant is edible but it takes 24 hours for each part of the plant (stem, leaves, root...) and the exact way it is prepared (raw, boiled, fried....) for eating.

Rescue

I put rescue last in the order of priorities. But in reality getting rescued should be a consideration during the whole time you are lost or stranded. But the reason why I consider it last of all the priorities is because you can't be rescued if you are dead. Also depending on the weather and visibilities rescuers might not be able to get to you right away. One item you can buy that will almost guarantee you will be rescued is a personal locator beacon . Personal locator beacons can alert the authorities if you are lost or in danger and will lead them right to you. Make sure whatever device you buy has internal GPS receiver  which will transmit your coordinates within 100 meters of your location. But even if you have one you still want to follow these tips just in case. First thing you want to do is make yourself visible.

Many searches are conducted with both aircraft and ground search and rescuers. The fastest way to get rescued is to alert an aircraft of your need for help. Find a clearing near your position. Place a large "V" (Require Assistance) or "X" (Require Medical Assistance) on the ground, at least several body lengths long, using materials that contrast with the color of the ground. If there is snow on the ground you can place dark branches to contrast with the snow. Use bright rocks or extra clothing when there isn't any snow against a dark background.

Generally if you are lost or stranded it is best to stay where you are and wait for rescue. If you have to move for any reason place a large arrow on the ground pointing in the direction you are going to be traveling. This way the rescuers will know where you have been and which direction you are traveling.

If you hear an aircraft approaching go to the clearing you found earlier. If you can see the aircraft try to signal the aircraft with a signal mirror from your emergency survival kit to get the pilots attention. If you think the pilot sees you stand with your feet shoulder width apart and put both hands up in the air. This will signal the pilot you need to be picked up. Whatever you do do not just put one hand up in the air because this means "All OK, do not wait". If the pilot is not looking for you he might interpret this as such. If the pilot rocks (wiggles) his wings up and down this means "Message Received And Understood." If the pilot flies the plane in a circle this means, "Message Received And Not Understood" so continue to signal.

In the quiet wilderness sound travels far and can alert the searchers of your position. In the outdoors generally anything in 3 means you need help. If you think Search and Rescue is looking for you, periodically throughout the day bang two objects together 3 times. Two medal objects objects are best to use because the sound is distinctive and will carry the farthest. But anything will do including banging two rocks together or striking a sturdy branch against a tree.

No matter what you hear on the news or are told by other people emergencies rarely happen in the wilderness. But being prepared before you go out into the wilderness is the best way to survive an emergency situation if one occurs. This article was about how to survive an emergency during the winter but most of this information can be used year round. There are many other survival techniques specific to each season you can learn but this article should give you the basics of what to do if you end up in an outdoor survival situation no matter what season you are in. Memorize these survival techniques and teach them to other members of your family or camping party so they will know what to do also. You never know. What you teach them may save their life or your own life one day.