Winter Emergency Survival

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Cold Weather Survival Kits

Now that the cold weather is back, it is important to prepare yourself for the winter months. Winter survival preparedness can be achieved using the same tools and survival kits you may already have.

Winter emergency survival can be achieved by simply adding cold weather survival supplies to your winter kit. Below is a list of winter survival supplies you can add to your regular survival kit to be prepared for cold temperature survival-

Body/hand warmers
Extra matches/fire starters
Coat
Gloves
Hat
Socks
Small shovel
High calorie survival food
Winter survival guidebook
Flares
Plastic bags

Add items such as these to your emergency survival kit to customize it for the cold. Remove all survival gear items to pack them into plastic bags and put them back into your survival bag. Make sure your survival backpack is waterproof so that the snow will not damage your kit's contents.

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Winter Survival Skills

Many of the emergency survival skills that could keep you alive in warm weather can save you in cold weather as well. Often if you will just tweak your warm weather survival skills, they can be used in cold weather.

In this article I will give you a couple of tips on survival skills and how they must be adapted to be used during the winter months. Hopefully you will not have to use my advice this winter but if you do find yourself in a survival situation, I hope that the information in this article will come in handy.

Remember that everything can and probably will get wet in a winter emergency survival situation. Hypothermia can set in very rapidly especially when you are wet. Extra clothes and extra matches are an absolute must for this reason. Also it is a good idea to have a couple of different kinds of fire-starting tools in your survival kit so you have options in cold and wet weather.

Find some shelter if you are stuck in cold weather, somewhere out of the wind and falling snow. Build a fire or use body warmers to keep your body warm. If you brought extra clothes put them on. If you become too warm and begin to sweat at all immediately take off your gloves or some small article of clothing to release heat. Your sweat will turn cold very quickly making you even more cold than you were before you started sweating. Stay warm and dry. My advice on this subject can go on and on. There will be more articles on this survival topic later

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Winter brings seasonal hazards for which you need to make extra preparations. Cold weather, snow, sleet, blizzards and ice all require extra survival preparedness. In this article we will discuss a list of survival supplies that you can add to your winter survival kit and keep in your car to be better prepared for the winter months.

Wool blankets-Having enough layers will keep you warm and comfortable.
Body warmers-get a bulk package of body warmers and keep them in your car and survival kits.
Hats and gloves-You lose a lot of body heat through your head and your hands. Keep them covered to conserve heat.
Extra survival food-Your body will burn lots of calories in cold weather. Keep extra survival food handy.
Extra water packs-It is easy to ignore that you are dehydrated in cold weather.
Extra fire-starters-Know how to start a fire in more ways than 1 and have the right survival tools to do so.
Change of clothes and socks-There is a good chance you will get wet during a winter emergency survival situation.

These are an example of some winter survival gear you should add to your survival preparedness supply. Do not count on your warm-weather survival preparations to take care of your during the winter. Get prepared for winter today.

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Keeping warm and dry in an emergency situation is essential to emergency survival. Warmth and shelter is often overlooked as many emergency survival enthusiasts use all their efforts on food, water, and first aid. Hypothermia has the same importance as other emergency survival topics, if not more.

A person has hypothermia when their core body temperature has fallen below the temperature required to sustain normal body functions and metabolism, around 35.0 °C (95 °F). Normally, the human body keeps almost a consistent body temperature of 36.5-37.5 °C through biologic processes. However, the body cannot keep its temperature consistent when it is exposed to cold surroundings. When body temperature falls and hypothermia sets in, the nervous system, heart, and organs cannot work properly and begin to shutdown.

Hypothermia occurs in three stages. For purposes of this article however, only the collective symptoms of hypothermia will be discussed. The symptoms range from mild to strong and can increase in severity very rapidly, thus earning its importance in emergency survival planning. Below is a list of a list of hypothermia symptoms to be aware of-

• Mild to strong shivering Clumsiness due to cold/numb hands and feet
• Breathing is quick and shallow
• Goosebumps
• Sick to the stomach
• Tiredness
• Warm sensation but nothing was done to warm person up and external conditions are the same
• Muscle shutdown (try touching thumb to little finger to test muscle status)
• Trouble seeing
• Slow and labored movements
• Confusion though person may appear more alert
• Person is pale
• Lips, ears, fingers and toes become blue
• Difficulty speaking and thinking
• Amnesia
The severity of the symptoms listed above is an indication of the severity of the hypothermia condition a person has. If hyperthermia goes unnoticed and untreated, frostbite, frostnip, chilblains, respiratory system and heart failure and death result.

Hypothermia can be treated effectively if it is noticed early and you know how to treat it. First and foremost, dial 911 if possible to alert emergency response personnel of the situation and your location. Emergency response personnel will give you proper instructions to carry out until help arrives. If you are not able to contact emergency response personnel, below is a list of options you can use to treat hypothermia-

• Do NOT rub the person to warm them up. Handle the person gently.
• Move person out of cold. Insulate person from cold ground and cover the head.
• Remove wet clothing. Replace with dry clothing if possible or dry blanket.
• If outdoors, build a fire. Do not put person too close to fire as numb body parts can be burned
• Use your own body heat to warm the person.
• Do NOT apply direct heat. Apply warm compresses to neck, groin and chest wall.
• Do NOT give the person alcohol. Do give them warm nonalcoholic drinks.
• Use HELP (heat escape lessening position). Hold knees together and into chest using arms.
• Use your own body heat to warm the person.
• Do not attempt to warm the arms and legs. Focus on warming the body.

The first and simplest step to preventing hypothermia for emergency survival planning is to wear appropriate clothing. Research weather conditions and other related factors for any activity and plan to wear clothing appropriate for that activity. For emergency survival, keep a change of clothes, hats, gloves, a coat, and a blanket in your car for emergencies.

Wool (fleece) and synthetic fabrics provide the best insulation even when wet and dry quickly as well. Keep an emergency blanket and survival sleeping bag in your emergency survival kit. Body warmers are also a good addition to a emergency survival kit as they can provide quick and easy heat.

Shelter is also essential for emergency survival as it provides protection from the elements and can keep you warm and dry. Keep a survival tent in your emergency survival kit. Be sure it is water proof and durable. Put up the tent a couple of times so you are familiar with how to set it up and the space and protection it will provide.

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Winter complicates survival situations because of the cold and the snow. Additional preparedness precautions need to be taken to ensure emergency survival in the winter.

So how can you prepare yourself and your family for winter emergencies? Below is a list of 5 steps you can take to prepare you and your family for emergencies during winter.

1. Survival kits and for the car-The best and most important step to prepare yourself and your family for winter is to acquire survival kits to keep in your home and in your car. Buy survival kits for each member of the family. Do not rely on more people sharing the survival kit than the kit is intended for. Keep the emergency kits in a safe and dry place near the exits of your home.

Survival kits for the car are also essential to winter emergency survival because your chances of getting in a car accident or becoming stranded is much greater during winter. If this occurs, you may need your survival kit inside of your car to keep you alive.

2. Food that doesn’t need cooking-You may want to eat quickly if you are cold. All survival food should be ready to eat. The best survival food are high-calorie survival food bars as they don’t require cooking and last for years.

3. Warmth-Keeping warm in winter survival situations may be your top concern. Be sure to acquire blankets, sleeping bags and body warmers to store in the house and in the car.

4. Waterproof gear-You will probably be dealing with snow during a winter survival situation. This means that your gear needs to be waterproof. Make sure you have the right survival supplies such as waterproof matches, waterproof survival backpack and extra clothing.

5. Know how to treat hypothermia- Hypothermia is a silent killer that must be prepared for. Learn how to treat hypothermia. There is an article on how to recognize and treat hypothermia on this website. Be sure you are familiar with these life-saving techniques.

The basis for emergency survival is you cannot leave anything to chance. Take the necessary emergency preparedness precautions to stay safe and healthy this winter.

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Emergency survival is a topic that should be given attention year round, but it should be given extra attention for the winter months.

Winter holds two primary dangers that summer does not-cold and snow. These two winter elements increase the difficulty of surviving emergency situations. In this article we will discuss some tips about how to take more precautions for winter emergency survival.

Check your survival kit often to make sure that no food has spoiled or any other emergency supplies have been damaged. The cold weather can render some emergency supplies useless and also freeze water. Snow can get your emergency supplies wet. Make sure the emergency supplies in your survival kit are kept inside of a waterproof bag to keep them dry and useful.

The snow can make any emergency situation more dangerous and it causes everything to become wet and slippery. Use caution when driving in snow or just merely walking in the snow. Customize your survival kit by adding a pair of boots, extra socks and gloves. Your summer survival kit is not sufficient to keep you warm and dry during the winter months.

Make sure your car is prepared for the winter by having the right winter survival supplies inside your car at all times. Store them in a place where they will be accessible without having to get out of the car. Make your car into a potential emergency shelter.

Prepare your home for the winter months as well. If you own a fireplace stock up on firewood. Keep plenty of blankets and emergency lights in your home in case of power shortages or if there is problems with your gas- powered furnace. The main point to make here is that winter emergency survival is very different than warm weather emergency survival. Understand that it is much more difficult to survival the winter months and that your warm weather survival supplies will not enable you to overcome a winter survival situation. Take the extra precautions needed to achieve emergency preparedness for the winter to you can have peace of mind this cold season knowing you are prepared.

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Many steps can be taken to ensure emergency survival for you and your family. Also, knowing what to do during an emergency can save your life and the life of others. It is important to study different potential emergency situations and know what is the best action to take during these emergencies.

In this article, we will discuss the importance of staying dry in an emergency situation. A good rule of thumb for any survival situation is that you must stay dry no matter what! Listed below are 4 reasons to stay dry during emergencies.

1. Hypothermia-Wet clothes and cold water both quicken the onset of hypothermia. If you do get wet, make a fire immediately to dry your clothes and warm yourself. Do not attempt to survive in wet clothes. You must get dry, and in some cases, dry quickly.

2. Wet clothes weigh more-Conserving calories is an essential part of emergency survival. Wet clothes weigh much more than dry clothes causing you to use more calories as you move around and try to keep warm.

3. Morale-Being wet will affect your morale and give you feelings of despair during emergencies. Avoid getting wet so you can focus on survival and keep your morale high.

4. Likeliness to get sick increases-If you become wet and cold, your body becomes more susceptible to sicknesses such as the common cold. Sicknesses will complicate survival situations and will greatly reduce your odds of survival. Staying dry or getting dry as quickly as possible will reduce the chances of getting sick.

So how can you increase your ability to stay dry in emergency situations? The answer is emergency preparedness with the right survival tools. Get the necessary survival supplies and have them close by to keep you safe in dry in emergencies.

Keep ponchos, fire-starting tools and body warmers in your survival kit so you know how to keep dry or make yourself dry if you get wet. Also know some quick techniques for building shelters. Keeping dry may save your life.

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Emergency Survival in Cold Weather

Emergency survival preparedness changes with the seasons. Survival in warm weather is easier than survival in cold weather and it requires less emergency supplies. As winter approaches, emergency preparedness should be kicked up a notch.

One of the greatest dangers you will face in a cold weather survival situations is hypothermia. As your body temperature drops, you lose your ability to focus, use good judgment and your coordination worsens. You need to burn more calories in bad weather to keep warm and move around. Buy the best survival supplies to help you in cold weather.

Another problem you will face in cold weather is starting a fire. It will be more difficult to start a fire in cold weather when the fuel is cold or wet from the snow. Keep a couple of different kinds of fire starting tools in your survival kit so if one doesn’t work you have a backup.

Your survival kit should be customized for bad weather. Add extra clothes, a thermal blanket and extra body warmers to your survival backpack. You should also add some extra survival food since you will need more calories in cold weather.

Also keep in mind that snow and ice not only make using survival techniques more difficult, they also make survival situations more dangerous. Snow and ice make things slippery. You could fall and hurt yourself or a survival knife could slip in your hand, cutting yourself or others. Be careful in snow and ice and avoid injuries.

Keeping dry in cold weather is also difficult as cold weather brings snow, hail and sleet. A simple solution to this is to wear a plastic poncho over your winter clothes. This keeps you dry and is very lightweight and easy to fit into your survival kit. Also be careful when you are using a lot of energy in cold weather. Sweating is more difficult to notice on cold days, but once the sweat cools it will make you colder than you were before you exerted that energy.

Remember that cold weather requires different survival preparations than warm weather. Do not wait until the cold weather sets in before you winterize your survival gear. Get the right emergency equipment today so you will be prepared for bad weather tomorrow.

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If you live in an area that gets a lot of snow in the winter, winter emergency survival will depend on how prepared you are for snow storms. In this article we will give you a few tips about some easy and affordable emergency tools to add to your emergency kit to customize it for the winter season.

1. An extra change of clothes-Chances are that in an emergency situation you will get wet, and getting wet can mean hypothermia. Have an extra set of clothes in your emergency survival kit so that you can change out of your wet clothes.

2. A plastic or waterproof poncho-If you have to walk around outside when it is snowing then a simple poncho will help keep you dry. Think about what you would wear in the rain and it will work for when it is snowing too. Even just a cheap plastic poncho will help keep you dry.

3. Extra waterproof matches-If it has been snowing the fuel for your fire might be wet, causing you to use a lot of matches trying to start it on fire. Be sure to have plenty of waterproof matches in your emergency kit.

4. Emergency thermal sleeping bag-Get a waterproof emergency sleeping bag or a “space blanket”. A regular sleeping bag may not be sufficient to keep you warm and dry if you have to spend the night outside during the winter.

5. A tarp-You may have to build a shelter, sleep on the ground or keep your emergency gear dry. A tarp will work great for helping you stay dry. Get a tarp with ring holes in the corners so you can tie it as needed.

6. Snow gloves and a wool hat-You may need to go out into the cold and snow to do some tasks such as get your car unstuck or walk for help. Having some good gloves and a wool hat will help you stay warm since a lot of heat can be lost through your hands and head if they are uncovered.

Do not assume that your regular emergency kit is sufficient to save you during the winter months. A winterized emergency kit is necessary for emergency survival in a cold emergency.

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If you have looked for winter survival kits, you know there are many types and they come with a full range of prices. Despite this, winter emergency kits are an essential part of your winter emergency supply. So what can you do to get affordable emergency kit to take care of you and your family this winter?

The answer is simple. Get an emergency kit and customize it for the winter months by adding winter emergency supplies you think you may need in the cold. Most emergency kits that are sold online come in emergency backpacks which contain extra space for you to add some winter emergency gear.

Buy an emergency kit on sale that comes with a complete supply of basic emergency survival tools. Winter survival kits on sale can be easily found online. After you buy such a kit, add winter emergency supplies such as winter emergency blankets, emergency clothing, winter boots, winter gloves, extra body warmers, winter hats and multiple emergency tools that can be used to start a fire.

Remember that your winter emergency survival kit should be waterproof. Keep all emergency supplies in ziplock bags inside of your emergency bag. If your emergency bag is not waterproof, spray the bag with a water-proofing solution. Winter emergency survival food should be ready to eat since you may be cold and wet in an emergency and need to eat quickly.

Winter emergency survival is as easy as adding some winter emergency supplies to your survival kit and learning a few extra emergency survival techniques that can help you survive in the cold and snow. Get prepared today so you will be prepared to survive this winter.

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With winter rapidly approaching, you may be thinking what you can do to be better prepared for emergencies. There is much you can do for winter emergency survival that is cheap and easy. In this article we will give you some survival suggestions for winter survival preparedness.

First, get emergency kits for you and your family. These kits should contain the best survival supplies and gear so that you will be well protected in emergencies. Emergency survival kits are available online and are very affordable. Get a kit for each member of your family in case you need to leave your home in an emergency.

Next, stock up on emergency food and water by getting food storage. Have enough food and water to last your entire family through the winter months.

Find ways to heat your home in survival circumstances such as a wood-burning stove or fireplace. Have enough firewood to last for the entire winter. Also keep plenty of blankets and warm clothing inside the house for extra warmth.

Emergency survival tools such as lanterns, emergency flashlights, radios and other communication devices are also important in case of a power outage. Check your survival supply often to make sure it is reliable and you know how to use all survival items properly.

Winter brings many dangerous hazards but these hazards can easily be prepared for with the right survival tools and equipment. Here at EmergencyMadeEasy.com, we hope you and your family will be safe and well this winter season.