For those who have been training for survival for a long time, you might think that you have all the information and skills that you need to survive just about anything. However, the tactics that you use in the moderate temperature seasons can be very different than those that you use in winter. You might have the skills for warmer weather, but that doesn’t mean that you are fully aware of winter tactics.
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Hiking and traveling in the heat can present some challenges, like staying hydrated, and keeping yourself from overheating in extreme weather, but these things are still issues in the winter months. So, read on if you want to know more about how to protect yourself, and prepare yourself, for survival during the winter months so that you can be ready for anything.
Drink Plenty of Water
Thinking of drinking water when it is cold outside doesn’t sound very appealing. It may seem like a much better idea to drink hot chocolate or tea, but staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as in the summer heat. Your body needs lots of water to function at its optimal rate, so giving your body what it needs will help your body regulate sweating so that you don’t overheat. Yes, it can happen in the winter.
So, keeping enough water with you, or taking a canteen to melt snow in to drink can help save you from getting into a bad situation. Luckily, unlike in the hot months, you can melt snow to get water if you run out. However, you should not eat it directly. The body uses more energy to heat it inside your body, so make sure that you warm it up outside of your body.
Stay Warm
When you are in freezing weather, like most of the winter brings, then you need to be able to make a fire and stay warm during your trip. If you are stranded someone, then you will need to be able to build a fire to signal for help. So, knowing how to stay warm in the worst conditions can help you survive any situation.
If you are able to build a fire, then you will be able to help yourself in a few different ways. A fire will help keep your body warm by staying close to the flame, but it will also allow you to heat the snow for water so that you can drink it and stay hydrated. Having an item that will allow you to start a fire easily is the best way to be prepared. Having a lighter or some matches when traveling is recommended.
Stay Put
This survival tactic may not seem like a useful tactic, but it is shown to help more people get found in situations where they are traveling and end up separating from the group and getting lost or stranded. Your first instinct may be to travel to where you think you can find help, but it can actually be worsening your chances of survival.
Now, this depends on each person’s situation, but if you in a place where you are likely to be seen and rescued, then you don’t want to leave unless you absolutely have to. However, if you are in an area where rescue teams may not be able to see you clearly, then you will want to get to a space where you can be seen. Either way, you want to make sure to conserve your energy and heat as much as possible.
Moving too much can also cause you to need more food and water, which is not always available. If you have been stranded somewhere, then you might not have very much food or water and will need to ration what you do have until you get help. If you continue to keep traveling then you will burn calories and strengthen your appetite. This will cause you to feel hungry sooner, which could cause you to eat more.
This could lead to a number of problems, but the worst of them is the fact that you may run out of food before you are reached by rescue teams. If you run out, then your chances of survival are lessened significantly. However, if you stay put in a place where you can be seen, and ration your food so that it lasts a long time, then you increase your chances of getting found and rescued.
Conclusion
Even those who know how to survive in moderate to extremely high temperatures don’t always know what the best survival tactics are for when the weather is dangerously cold. However, everyone should know the basics of what to do if you end up in a survival situation so that you can give yourself the best chance of getting rescued.
