Winter Survival Tips
Winter Survival (and Dressing for Success in the Snow!)
With the upcoming Troop 604 Snow activities, this article is offered to provide our scouts with a basic understanding of how to survive the challenges offered by cold and snowy conditions. As a rule of thumb, remember that it is far easier to stay warm to begin with than to try and get yourself warm again after becoming cold and/or wet!
- Conserve Body heat. The goal in cold weather activities is not to keep cold out, but to keep your own body heat in! (Tip:Eating higher calorie foods helps provide the body with more calories to burn for heat and energy.)
- Maintain Thermal Equilibrium. You do not want to become too cold, nor do you want to become too hot, overheat and begin to perspire. (Tip: Drink plenty of fluids to stay hydrated and compensate for perspiration loss.)
- Protect your head and trunk. While we do not want to leave any area unprotected, we are especially concerned with protecting the head and trunk. When the body core is warm, blood circulates out to the extremities much better, warming them too. If the core is cool, it is very difficult to warm the extremities short of immersion in a hot bath. (Tip:Keeping the core warm with dry, insulating clothing, warm and high-energy foods and liquids, and a combination of exercising with adequate rest works best.)
- Strive for Versatility.Your wardrobe should be versatile, allowing you to adjust it and adapt it to a variety of conditions over the course of the day and night. (Tip: think layers!)
- Layering. This includes:
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Long underwear - ideally made of polyester, polypropylene, wool-poly blend, silk, or a wool-cotton blend.
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Insulating layer - synthetic fiber pile, wool, or wool blend is best.
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Outer shell - Gore-Tex and its clones are best as they allow water vapor to escape, while keeping rain and melted snow out. This should be a wind breaker/ water repellant layer with a hood.
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Rain suit or poncho - to keep out heavy snow and rain.
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Accessories - sunglasses or ski goggles, wool or polyester "beanie" or balaclava, stocking cap with full face coverage, polyester glove liners and insulated gloves with water repellant shell, polyester sock liners with polyester-nylon- wool blend insulated socks, rubberized, insulated leather boots or rubber galoshes.
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Packing for Snow Camping — Checklist
When packing for snow camping, the goal, as with packing for any camping is to be sure you have everything you need. Generally, you do not want to pack more than you will need. However, a special goal of winter camping will be to stay warm, so it’s recommended to pack a few extra pair of socks, extra gloves, extra hat, etc.
Individual Winter Equipment Checklist:
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Backpack (to pack your stuff in)
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Day pack(for day hiking; Camelback OK)
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Four-season tent (three-season tent with extra cover tarp is okay... Or provided by troop; one for every two people)
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Ground cloth (extra tarps available from Troop)
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Ensolite foam pad or Therm-a-lite-type Pad
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Insulated sleeping bag (Thinsulate, Holofil, or Foam)
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Sleeping bag liner (optional BUT provides extra 10 degree warmth!)
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Rain poncho or rain suit (good for snow, too!)
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Spare socks (polyester liners and wool/polyester/nylon outer; one pair per day)
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Extra set polyester long underwear
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One extra pair wool or polyester fleece trousers
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One extra wool or polyester fleece shirt
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One extra wool or polyester fleece sweater
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Extra wool or polyester fleece cap or beanie (also for sleeping!)
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Stocking cap with full face coverage
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Personal mess kit including
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Pocket knife (Scouting approved i.e. 3-inch blade or shorter)
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Two-quart personal water bottle (with water) or Camelbacks
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Personal first aid kit
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Flashlight w/ extra batteries (& bulb) or headlight
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Watch
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Plastic whistle
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Compass & map of area
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Sunglasses and ski goggles
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50-ft 1/8-inch or ¼-inch nylon cord
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Trail snacks
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| Attachment | Size |
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| Snow Camping Packing List.pdf | 73.84 KB |
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