Posts: 1,134
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2003
Reputation:
0
Surviving in a winter environment is not really difficult IF you are prepared before you go out. Those of us who ice fish know how cold you can get by just sitting there and not being dressed for the weather.
1st tip dress appropriately for where you are going and bring a change of clothing because you will need it.
2nd Let people know were you are going and do not deviate from your plan. Leave someone a map with your trail drawn out. Take a radio or cell phone with you. Take a little mirror with you, anything really that you can use to signal someone.
3rd Be physically fit and prepared for the worst that could happen to you. Once you are lost, realize you are lost and then stop and stay where you are. Smoke is a really good attention drawer so make a smoky fire. Or take a signal light with you, one of those little blinking lights they issue you in the military are great and you can pick them up at an Army surplus store. They are designed for hazardous conditions and they will not die unless you did not check the battery before you left.
4th and last for now. Be safe and do not do anything to endanger yourself or your fellow sports people. I will get laughed at this but when you are out on the ice towing your sled with everything you own in it you are heavy! Wear a life jacket so that if you fall through the ice you will float and maybe give yourself a few minutes to drag yourself out instead of sinking to the bottom and becoming fish food.
[signature]
Posts: 2,968
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2001
Reputation:
0
Great tips Daniel! Here's a couple things I do just in case I end up stuck in a blizzard or snow-filled ditch on the side of the road while driving.
- Carry extra clothes in the car. If you start to get too cold, you can always layer them on. If your clothes get wet, you'll have something dry to change into.
- Have at least one, preferably more, blankets and/or sleeping bags with you. It's another thing that will help you layer to keep you warm.
- Carry along several "hand warmer" and "foot warmer" packets. They will help your limbs stay warm. I've also found that ThermaCare Heat Wraps are wonderful for helping keep your torso warm. Plus, they will probably help in thawing out ice so you'll have something to drink.
- Keep some non-perishable food items with you. I have some trail mix in the vehicle 365 days a year. Especially during the winter, if you're stuck, you'll need something like this to keep your strength up and help keep your internal heater going.
Now for the one thing that I don't have an answer to. Water supply. How do you keep the water from freezing and becoming undrinkable? The heat wrap idea sounds good to me in theory but I haven't tested it out. Anybody else have an answer to this?
[signature]
Posts: 1,134
Threads: 0
Joined: Nov 2003
Reputation:
0
You have some good points also DDR, now to answer your questions and give you a few more Ideas:
Food:
I always keep some in my truck and what i have found that lasts forever is MRE's. Tons of calories and they do not taste too bad. You can get them at a Army/Navy store or you can go on base and buy some if you are military or retired.
Water:
keep a water jug in the front of your vehicle or keep a bota bag next to your skin. I use a insulated camelback while ice fishing and have never had it freeze.
Always keep a sleeping bag in your vehicle and the way to keep it dry is to put it into a vaccum sealing bag, Colman makes them. I made the mistake last year of keeping my water in back of my truck, I have a topper and carpet kit with storage space, and it froze and busted the container and my cloths froze also. Not very warm or smart on my side.
[signature]
Posts: 931
Threads: 6
Joined: May 2012
Reputation:
0
[quote DrownedDesertRat]Great tips Daniel! Here's a couple things I do just in case I end up stuck in a blizzard or snow-filled ditch on the side of the road while driving.
...
(My response is to this one.)
Now for the one thing that I don't have an answer to. Water supply. How do you keep the water from freezing and becoming undrinkable? The heat wrap idea sounds good to me in theory but I haven't tested it out. Anybody else have an answer to this?[/quote]
If you need water, there's the possibly it can be urgent as many things go wrong at once compounding the problems into a survival situation, so it's better have water ready instead of relying upon more things that can go wrong or fail or cause delays by needing to melt ice or snow.
But, fortunately, for those with a preparedness mindset, it's easy.
For trouble free handy water that isn't freezing in harsh cold conditions, do what I do when I'm ice fishing and the whole winter, too. I carry my favorite stainless steel Thermos bottles. They are the 61 ounce and the wide mouth (great for foods and soups and great in the summer for those who need to keep medications cold) 48 ounce Thermos bottles and that water can start out hot.
But, there is an expedient and low cost alternative that I also do which can take the place of the more expensive Thermos bottles for those just starting out in preparedness and not having the budget for expensive new equipment and you likely already have what's needed for summer use that you should also use for winter.
I use my 40 quart ice chest synergistically with my five gallon rectangular five gallon water jug as both fresh water and thermal mass. It also protects it from getting punctured. It fits perfect with some space for a small box which I put with it to prevent it from shifting and making mashed bananas. That space is freeze protected, so that's where you might put additional thermal mass like canned foods, fruits and vegetables and even the worms you are inviting fishing and want to keep from freezing. Depending upon expectations, you can even start out with warm water in the jug and keep the worms elsewhere.
I put the jug in the ice box valve down, so as ice forms on top, the liquid water remains available at the valve to refill Thermos bottles without trouble.
When packing that ice chest into your vehicle and especially if it's just a backup to other water and food that you will pack with you to carry, pack it with extra clothing and blankets under, around and on top of it to add even more insulation. Then take your old or extra sleeping bags even if you don't plan on using them to spread out over the top. This is also a fine use for your older lower quality sleeping bags or ones with damaged zippers and it might be needed for you or others (falling through the ice or trauma, etcetera).
Even in the summer time, consider leaving this full time even in a hot trunk of a car. The large thermal mass of the water will maintain close to an average daily temperature, so the peak high temperature inside a car in the hot afternoon sun won't reach canned and other foods you keep for emergencies. The water is a backup for drinking or the radiator should something go wrong and your trip becomes longer or you otherwise don't have enough with just the water you will keep more readily available to carry with you.
For those of us with trucks, you might change the shape of the same concept. Build a box with a shape to fit behind the seat instead of using an ice chest. It can be as simple as cardboard cut to size and taped and glued. Then use many well rinsed two litre soda bottles filled with water as both emergency water and thermal mass. Put emergency food storage with them to keep them from getting excessive afternoon heat by packing extra clothing all around them.
Related feature:
This is also a good use for some old clothes which I carry just in case I will get dirty doing an expediant automotive repair.
Mechanical failures:
Prevention is best. Of course, it's best that isn't necessary to do expedient repairs, so consider replacing your still good belts and hoses with new ones long before they fail. These relatively low cost items cause a high share of mechanical failures that can become high cost in delays and troubles. Still, even new, they can fail, so I take the still good, tested and proven, used ones and bag them and wrap in tape and label and zip tie them under the vehicle. It hardly adds any weight and it's a free solution to having to get one and particularly if it is uncommon it will be trouble on some Sunday holiday on your way back from a fun adventure and needing to be at work Monday morning.
[signature]
Posts: 23
Threads: 0
Joined: Oct 2018
Reputation:
0
Great tips. Better be prepared than sorry!
[signature]
