Staying Warm

Now that winter has returned to most of the country I thought I would spend some time on various situations you may encounter. One of the biggest problems in winter situations obviously is staying warm. Whether you are stranded in your car, out in the wilderness or even in your house during a power outage. Staving off hypothermia and frostbite can be the difference between life and death in any type of survival situation. Over the next few posts, I will be concentrating on staying warm to stay alive!

Stranded in your car:

If you live in an area where the winter comes on hard and is utterly relentless staying warm while stranded is a must. The first rule is being prepared. You should have with you at all times a winter driving kit. You may refer back to an earlier post as to what should be included in your kit. The first rule to winter driving is to keep a full gas tank. The second rule is to NOT go out in bad weather. (we all know this one but never really grasp it I don't think). To avoid carbon monoxide poisoning, make sure that the tail pipe is clear of snow and ice. Remember that your car is essentially one big metal box thus becoming a freezer in the winter when the heater is not running. It will not hold heat very well once it is shut off. Pick a time schedule and stick to it! Only run the cars engine for 3 minutes out of every half hour to conserve gas. Here is another thing to keep in mind, if you are able keep your feet off of the floor. We all know that cold air drops to the lowest point, so keeping your feet off the floor will keep them warmer while the engine is not running. If you do happen to run out of water, cut the top off a plastic bottle and fill with snow. When your running your heater melt some of the snow to drink. Another thing you may do is fill 2 different bottles and let one become fully melted. Leave it on the heat as much as possible. As the water gets warm, you can drink the warm water during the times when your car is off to help maintain body heat.

As always, I hope that you find this post helpful. Till next time!!