Winter & Cold Weather Survival

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Winter Travel ~ Snowshoes & Toboggans: To the moose hunter snow-shoes are often an absolute necessity, and trapping in many cases would be impossible without them. They are thus brought fully within the scope of our volume, and we give a few simple directions for their manufacture. For winter traffic over deep snows there is no better sled in the world than the Indian toboggan. Our illustration gives a very clear idea of the sled, and it can be made in the following way...

COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS ~ SUSTAINING HEALTH & PERFORMANCE: US Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, TECHNICAL NOTE NO. TN/02-2, October, 2001

Winter Camping and Hypothermia [WINTER CAMPING] By Hiker: This is what I pass out to my Scouts about a month before our winter camporee. That gives us a couple of meetings or more to discuss cold weather survival skills, and a chance to inform parents of the dangers of cold weather camping when one is not fully prepared.

How to Build an Igloo by Susan Witmore: During the winter season, a companion and I spent two nights in an igloo near Carson Pass, California. At 8,570 feet the snow was too deep for hiking without snowshoes, and night temperatures dipped to minus five degrees Fahrenheit. Despite the cold, we kept relatively warm in our igloo. I learned to make igloos from Kim Grandfield's Snow and Igloo classes at Sunrise Mountain Sports, not from an Inuit elder. If you have an opportunity to watch and participate in building an igloo with someone who knows the process, that is the best way to learn...

A brief reflection on surviving blizzards - Something to think about survival in blizzards.

Snow Sense. by J. Fredston and D. Fesler How to deal with travel in avalanche terrain.

Tech Tips - Building Snow Shelters. by H. Weiss. An overview of snow shelters.

Winter Survival Skills by Arthur Montague; Last January a friend and I decided to spend a weekend dog sledding in a wilderness area normally untraveled during winter. In early afternoon of the first day we stopped for a tea break. The dogs may have smelled a rabbit or they may just have been bored with our company. Whatever the reason, both teams upped and took off into the bush, taking the sleds and most of our supplies with them... (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Welsh Winter survival guide By Simon Gwyn Roberts, North Wales: IT is something of a cliché to describe the Welsh hills in winter as 'beautiful but treacherous'. Beauty, it is true, is in the eye of the beholder - but few beholders could ever enjoy the typical Welsh winters of recent years, characterized by claggy grey clouds and drizzly misery

Cold Weather Survival 101 How to keep yourself, your loved ones, and your neighbors (even your pets) safe and warm -- both outdoors and indoors. By Jeanie Lerche Davis. WebMD Feature: Every year, a cold snap makes parts of the nation snap to attention, seemingly caught off guard. Every year, people complain that it's never been colder. And every year, the cold leaves someone injured, or worse. But this year, there's something you can do about it (if you follow a little good advice).

ENVIRONMENTAL STRESS DURING COLD WEATHER OPERATIONS History is filled with examples of the significant impact of cold on military operations. Among U.S. Army and Army Air Corps troops, there were over 90,000 cold injuries requiring medical treatment during World War II, and another 10,000 during the Korean War, accounting for 10% of all casualties experienced during these conflicts. Given that the average air temperature recorded when cold injuries were experienced during World War II was 30°F (-1°C), and that temperatures this low are experienced over about 60% of the earth’s surface, leaders must appreciate cold weather effects on soldier health and performance. Prevention of cold injuries is the responsibility of commanders at all levels. (PDF) [Links recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!] INTERNAL LINKS: How Cold Affects the Body | Minimizing Effects of Cold on the Body | Understanding the Problems | Coping with the Problems | Food and Water During Cold Weather Operations | Coping with Food and Water Problems | Wounds, Disease and Non-battle Injuries | Sustaining Performance During Cold Weather | Cold Weather NBC Operations | Leadership Challenges During Cold Weather Operations | Appendix A: Wind Chill Chart | Appendix B: Cold Weather Training Guidelines

MAKE YOUR OWN COLD-WEATHER CLOTHING Mother Earth News Issue # 91- January/February 1985: If you love the feel of winter wind on your cheeks but don't want to spend your last cold dime... Making cozy-in-the-cold clothing like Jim's is both easy and inexpensive. You need no special tools or sewing skills for the job. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Medical Aspects of Cold Weather Operations: A Handbook for Medical Officers, USARIEM (PDF) [Link updated 4/9/11]

Sustaining Health & Performance in The Cold: Environmental Medicine Guidance for Cold Weather Operations, USARIEM [Link updated 4/9/11]

Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments - Volume 1, US Army [Link updated 4/9/11]

COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL. [PDF] A Way of Life. by Frank Heyl with Harley Sachs (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Tips on Winter Survival from a Minnesotan All Things Considered, February 3, 2005 · Storyteller Kevin Kling grew up in Minnesota, and has a few "don't try this at home" remedies for cabin fever and cold winters.

Cold weather survival [Excerpt from FM21-76] Cold is a far greater threat to survival than it appears. It decreases your ability to think and weakens your will to do anything except to get warm. Cold is an insidious enemy; as it numbs the mind and body, it subdues the will to survive. Also available HERE (You might have to scroll down if it doesn't load right) and HERE and HERE and HERE and HERE and a comically animated version HERE or download the PDF or HERE

US Army Field Manual FM 3-05.70 - Cold Weather Survival This is the Army's "updated" version of the above.

Cold Weather Issues Revamped and heavily edited, but basically the same as above.

FM 31-70 Basic Cold Weather Manual Very nice presentation by BackcountrySurvival.com

Outdoor Action Guide to Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries. Traveling in cold weather conditions can be life threatening. The information provided here is designed for educational use only and is not a substitute for specific training or experience.

Warm Winter Camping Tips and Techniques. Thinking of turning your winter jaunt into an overnight? Could be a lot of fun, if you know how to stay warm. Use the following tips as your guide to nocturnal heat generation and retention . . .

Reynaud's An Allergy To the Cold ~ I've got an allergy to the cold. No, really! But that doesn't mean I spent more time warming the couch in the winter. Once I understood my "allergy," I learned how to dress and what to do to stay with it.

Ski Patrol Web

Being Prepared to Survive by Norman MacLeod ~ The most important part of the survival game is being prepared to survive for an extended period of time whenever you leave the comforts of civilization and the nearness of traveled roads. This is not something that is limited to Scouting activities and expeditions, either. Many of you either are - or will be - involved in back-country activities of one kind or another, whether as part of your profession or as recreation. Survival preparation is just as - if not more - important when you are flying from one place to another and your flight plan takes you over untracked wilderness. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Wilderness Emergency Preparedness ~ As has been discussed in other posts [to the Scouts-L Youth Groups Discussion List], preparation for and ANTICIPATION of potential problems is absolutely imperative. It is my experience and observation that many of the tragedies that are experienced are often a result of insufficient preparation or education about risk factors on the part of leaders and youth. So many things can go wrong as a result of natural hazards (such as lightning, rock fall, whitewater, floods, etc.). Add to that the physiological impacts of sudden illness, injury, etc., that create an adverse "domino effect" resulting in tragic consequences we often read and hear about. Naturally, when it is a Scouting event, it gets far more press than non-Scouting events which suffer a tragedy, might receive. Statistically, Scouting trips still have one of the best safety records of any youth organization in the world, but risks are always present. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Systematic Hypothermia ("X-Y" Chart) by Kevin Hamilton (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Some Advice on Keeping the Tent Dry by Tony Wesley ~ Some tips for the novice. Veterans of camping will have learned these and probably have a few ideas of their own. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Hypothermia (General Description) by Michael R.Schmehl ~ Hypothermia, sometimes mistakenly referred to simply as "expo- sure", is a lowering of the body's core temperature caused by over-exposure to cool or cold air or water. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Hypothermia -- The Silent Killer by Gary Ross, EMT-D ~ Hypothermia is condition of general body cooling (in contrast to frostbite which is localized). It can kill you. But do not let the introduction mislead you. Hypothermia generally occurs during cold weather, but it can occur at any temperature (but generally below 60 degrees). (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Physical Symptoms of Hypothermia by Smokey Sturtevant ~ a chart to indicate the physical symptoms of hypothermia. It is provided to assist in showing the various stages of hypothermia that are readily apparent. It has no copyright and is to be used and distributed as you see fit. I hope that it will help in the recognition and prevention and treatment of hypothermia. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Some Snow Camp Rules by Gene Haning (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

General Information on Winter Camping by Brian J. Murrey ~ Most of this information can be found in the Boy Scout Handbook. If you are going to be doing a lot of outdoor activities, this book is an invaluable source of know-how and advice. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Rules and Instructions for Keeping Warm in the Sack by Chris Haggerty ~ It is always best to stay dry when camping in the snow, but you can expect to get wet and should be prepared. Boots or other shoes which are not waterproof will normally start getting the feet wet and cold after less than 15 minutes in the snow (depending on temperature, the colder it is, the longer the feet stay dry). (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

Hypothermia by the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia, sarbc@sarbc.org, and Mike Doyle, mdoyle@sarbc.org

Snow-Forecast.com has daily snowfall and temperature forecasts for the worlds mountainous regions for periods ranging from 6 hours to 72 hours.

Cold Weather Camping & Hypothermia. Excellent little pamphlet from the US Scouting Project. [Link updated 4/9/11]

Recognizing Avalanche Terrain Article provided by: The Colorado Division of Emergency Management. Nearly all avalanches that involve people are triggered by the victims themselves or a member of their party. This amounts to about 95%. This also means if we know how to recognize avalanche danger, we can avoid it.

Exposure & Hypothermia. Excellent page of info provided by Ron Hood.

Insulators. article provided by: Doug Latimer, Rocky Mountain Hiking This article rates insulators from the most efficient and effective to the least effective of the bunch. No one material is suitable for all conditions, each has its advantages. Excellent read. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

FM 31-71 Table of Contents "Northern Operations" This manual provides doctrinal guidance to commanders and staffs for operation and administration of combat, combat support, and combat service support units in the northern regions of the world. The material contained in this manual is directed primarily toward operations below division level. Operations at division level and above will be essentially the same as those in other areas of the world. It is the forward elements of divisions or task forces that must overcome the many summer and winter problems inherent in northern operations. Commanders and staff officers at all levels must understand and appreciate the effects of the northern environment on the operations of these forward units and carefully consider them when planning each operation. The reader should refer to FM 31-70 and FM 31-72 and to other manuals of the arms and services for further information concerning northern operations

FM 31-70 Table of Contents " Basic Cold Weather Manual" This manual is designed to prepare the individual soldier and small unit commander to conduct military operations for extended periods of time under the most severe and varying cold weather climatic conditions. The doctrine and techniques in the manual are applicable in any area that has cold weather and snow with their accompanying operational problems. Troops properly trained in this doctrine and these techniques will be able to fight; live; and move in any cold weather area of the world.

I Survived Three Days in the Arctic! And, So Can You! © 2003 by Gary L. Benton. Those of us who enjoy big game hunting very rarely consider the real dangers associated with the sport. We frequently hunt in the extreme cold and snowy country of the far north. As a result, we often find ourselves miles from any one or any place as we search for game. While the day may start out nicely, it only takes a short period of time for the weather to turn bad, and we will be forced to seek shelter quickly. But, do you really know how to construct a shelter in arctic like conditions? Could you survive until the weather clears, or help arrives? I do, thanks to the United States Air Force Arctic Survival Course. (PDF) [Link recovered 4/9/11 - now hosted on site!]

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