Winter Backpacking Survival Tips

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