| Why do you need survival tips for winter | | | | This can mean setting your sleeping bag on a pile of |
| backpacking? Because even with the most careful | | | | leaves, or sleeping under a pile of dried grass. You |
| planning there is always a greater risk with winter | | | | might even stuff your jacket (if it is loose) with the |
| camping. Of course, getting lost or having an accident | | | | fluff from cattail or milkweed plants, in order to |
| is always a possibility, but cold weather makes either | | | | increase the insulation value. |
| of these a more serious matter. | | | | More Winter Backpacking Survival Tips |
| Winter Survival Tip Number One | | | | - Check the weather report before you go, and plan |
| Stay warm! This is obvious. Hypothermia is the single | | | | accordingly. |
| biggest danger for backpackers, killing far more | | | | - Be careful when it is near or just above freezing. It |
| people than accidents or wild animals. What isn't | | | | is easier to get wet than when it is really cold. |
| always so obvious is how poor planning and not | | | | - Drink enough fluids. Dehydration can cause a drop in |
| thinking on the trail leads to getting cold. | | | | body temperature. |
| One cold autumn day, a friend of mine fell in a | | | | - Down coats are great - if you can keep them dry. |
| stream while we were backpacking. He was soon | | | | They are almost worthless when wet. |
| chilled pretty severely. He naturally thought this was | | | | - Avoid sweating, to avoid getting chilled from the |
| just an accident, but looking back on it now, it is clear | | | | moisture later. |
| that we didn't have a proper survival mind set. | | | | - Don't use cotton clothes in winter, because they |
| Streams have to be crossed, of course, but we | | | | get wet easily and then don't insulate well. |
| were crossing this one as evening approached. A | | | | - Have more than one way to start a fire (matches, |
| better plan would have been to get the hiking done | | | | lighter, fire starter, skills). |
| earlier in the day. Why? Because it leaves time to | | | | - Learn to make a fire in cold wet conditions, and |
| deal with accidents like this. It may have been sunny | | | | practice. |
| enough to get his clothes dried before nightfall, and it | | | | In 2006, I was trying to climb Crestone Peak here in |
| is always easier to find fuel for a fire in the daylight. | | | | Colorado, after an early snow. I gave up at about |
| In addition, we knew the rocks were slippery, yet | | | | 13,000 in four feet of snow. I was in running shoes, |
| we crossed as we were. Seeing the potential for a | | | | and was soaked from the knees down. It would be |
| fall, we could have removed our coats and put them | | | | below freezing that night, and I had just a tarp and |
| in a plastic bag until we were across. Had we taken | | | | 17-ounce sleeping bag. Does that sound risky? I was |
| this simple precaution, my friend would have at least | | | | actually well prepared. |
| had a dry coat to put on later. | | | | First of all, it was clear and sunny, and forecast to |
| Had this happened in colder weather (it was above | | | | remain so for days. Back down near the lakes the |
| freezing) it could have been very serious. You have | | | | snow was patchy, with many areas of dry grass. I |
| to stay warm to survive. To stay warm it helps to | | | | quickly made a thick mattress of dry grass and |
| stay dry. To stay dry, you have to think. | | | | thistle stalks to sleep on. I had quit early, so I had |
| Insulation | | | | many hours to dry my shoes, socks and pants in the |
| Staying warm is about staying insulated. The value of | | | | sun. They were completely dry long before dark. |
| insulation is determined by the thickness of the air | | | | As a back-up plan, I had a small fire laid, with a piece |
| around you that isn't moving. This is the air trapped in | | | | of bark covering it in case of rain or snow (I never |
| your down coat, and between layers of clothing. | | | | needed to light it). I drank plenty of water and had |
| Always think in terms of insulation thickness. In | | | | fatty foods, which create heat as they digest. I also |
| planning, this means you need more "loft"in your | | | | had more dry socks, and other necessary supplies, |
| sleeping bag in winter, and more (or thicker) layers of | | | | despite my 11-pound total pack weight. As you can |
| clothing. | | | | see, survival when winter backpacking is as much |
| In a survival situation, this means you should | | | | about planning and thinking as it is about good gear. |
| immediately look for a way to create more insulation. | | | | |