Winter & Cold Weather Survival

Found a good "Winter & Cold Weather Survival" link? Let Us Know!

Back to: Antarctic Survival | Arctic Survival

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.

Winter survival in the wilderness How to survive sub zero winter temperatures in the wilderness, whether waiting for rescuers or having a weekend getaway.

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...

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).

Adverse Effects of Cold: GTA 6-8-12, US Army - also in PDF

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.

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.

Medical Aspects of Cold Weather Operations: A Handbook for Medical Officers, USARIEM (PDF)

Sustaining Health & Performance in The Cold: Environmental Medicine Guidance for Cold Weather Operations, USARIEM - Overview - also in PDF

Textbook of Military Medicine: Medical Aspects of Harsh Environments - Volume 1, US Army

COLD WEATHER SURVIVAL. [PDF] A Way of Life. by Frank Heyl with Harley Sachs

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.

A guide to Cold weather survival Freezing climate safety is important. How to stay safe and prevent hypothermia when in colder conditions.

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

Outdoor Action Guide to Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries

Warm Winter Camping Tips and Techniques

Reynaud's An Allergy To the Cold

Ski Patrol Web

Being Prepared to Survive by Norman MacLeod

Wilderness Survival Preparedness

Systematic Hypothermia ("X-Y" Chart) by Kevin Hamilton

Some Advice on Keeping the Tent Dry by Tony Wesley

Hypothermia (General Description) by Michael R.Schmehl

Hypothermia -- The Silent Killer by Gary Ross, EMT-D

Physical Symptoms of Hypothermia by Smokey Sturtevant

Some Snow Camp Rules by Gene Haning

General Information on Winter Camping by Brian J. Murrey

Rules and Instructions for Keeping Warm in the Sack by Chris Haggerty

Hypothermia by the Search and Rescue Society of British Columbia, [email protected], and Mike Doyle, [email protected]

Cold Injuries
Hypothermia - Physiology, Signs, Symptoms and Treatment considerations
Hypothermia & Cold Weather Injuries Workshop
Hypothermia Treatment Devices, Protocols & Articles
Hypothermia risks
Safety And Survival Hypothermia
Section four - Hypothermia
Special Report On Cold Stress (Hypothermia) And Heat Stress
W~L 7/94 Scenario: Hypothermia Sets in Fast

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.

Recognizing Avalanche Terrain Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association Dangerous avalanches are most common between 30 degrees and 45 degrees, ideal skiing, boarding or snowmobiling slopes.

Could the Snow Slide? Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association Most people are caught in slab avalanches.

Nature's Billboards Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association Do not ignore Nature's billboards. It's Nature's way of telling you when conditions are unstable.

The Human Factor in Avalanches Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association

When Traveling In Avalanche Terrain Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association Avoid large steep, lee bowls, gullies and cornices. Choose safer routes: ridge tops, valley floors, dense timber and low angle slopes.

Avalanche Rescue - What to Do Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association

The Avalanche Danger Scale Article provided by: The Canadian Ski Patrol Association

Dressing For The Cold. The secret to staying warm lies in keeping dry and being properly insulated. Each person has different requirements. Therefore, it requires experience and being in tune with your body so that you can select the appropriate clothing for given conditions. Until you have had sufficient practice, you will probably overdress or under dress. This excellent article will help keep you warm.

Sleeping in the Cold. After a hard day in the cold everyone deserves a good night's sleep. Many a person (including ourselves) have spent some less than comfortable nights in the cold. Sleeping comfortably outdoors in cold weather requires the proper equipment, proper clothing, and learning a few tricks about staying warm. This fantastic article will help you learn to sleep well in the cold.

Sustaining Health & Performance in the Cold. This is an authorized hypertext adaptation of Sustaining Health & Performance in the Cold: Environmental Medicine Guidance for Cold-Weather Operations. The original version, published in 1992, is one of an extraordinary series of booklets (Technical Notes) prepared by the scientific staff of the U. S. Army Institute of Environmental Medicine to support our Armed Forces in the field.

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

Avalanche Information - Introduction. Short article explains the conditions necessary for an avalanche.

"Snow" Short article describes the formation of snow packs in producing avalanche slabs.

"Slopes" Short article describes the terrain slopes common and the degree of probability that a particular slope type will produce an avalanche.

Avalanche: Stability & Hazard Evaluation Excellent article on determining the danger and probability of avalanche.

"Safe Cross-Country Travel in Mountainous Terrain" Excellent tips on traveling in avalanche country.

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.

Heat Loss & Anatomy. Short but informative article on heat loss.

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.

"Arctic & Cold Weather Survival" article covers more on the topography & geographic location than anything else. Some additional links. Looks like a work in process.

"Winter Camping" Good info from a Scoutmaster.

Severe Cold Weather Survival Tips Pasco County Office of Emergency Management Emergency Information. Very brief, and basically for the homeowner.

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.

Please Read The Website Disclaimer!
Copyright 1986-2009, The Survival & Self-Reliance Studies Institute (SSRsi), All Rights Reserved
Site conceptualized, designed, created & maintained by MEG Raven
Snail Mail: SSRsi, PO Box 2572 Dillon, CO. 80435-2572