Outdoor Survival Info

You might have the warmest jacket around, but if you don’t layer your clothes, it may not be enough. Stacking your clothes in layers around your body is the best way to retain body heat when you are out in the elements.

As body heat escapes, your layers act as barriers to that escape. One layer will only retain so much body heat (the amount of retention varies), and the rest will escape. If you have two layers, the first will capture some of the heat and the rest will pass through. But that heat isn’t all going to get away from you. Another portion of it will be retained by your second layer, increasing your total percentage of heat retention. The more layers you add, the higher your retention will be.

There is something else to consider, too. Since your layers let some heat out, they are also capable of letting the cold in. You have to wear enough layers to not only retain body heat, but also to fight against the invading cold. An easy way to do this is to make sure your outer layer is thick and solid.

Many materials will work, but you need to make sure it is solid. Your grandmother’s knitted shawl might be pretty, but it won’t be very effective keeping out the biting wind. All those holes knitted in for looks will let the cold straight through!

Everyone is different, and everyone has varying levels of cold tolerance. For example, my wife says it’s freezing when I think it’s comfortable. Some people are just different. Take what you know about yourself and create a layer system that works for you. It can get really cold in some parts of the world, and you need to be prepared to deal with whatever weather nature throws at you.

Layer up and stay warm!

What is the most important survival tool? What does everyone need to have in their survival pack? In this episode of the OSI Podcast, I answer those questions and discuss the hows and the whys.

Download the episode here: OSI Podcast #3.

Don’t forget to subscribe to the newsletter so you can get announcements about new episodes as they come out!

 

 OSI #3: The Most Important Survival Tool [17:18m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (2396)

Winter Backpacking Survival Tips
By Steven Gillman

Why do you need survival tips for winter backpacking? Because even with the most careful planning there is always a greater risk with winter camping. Of course, getting lost or having an accident is always a possibility, but cold weather makes either of these a more serious matter.

Winter Survival Tip Number One

Stay warm! This is obvious. Hypothermia is the single biggest danger for backpackers, killing far more people than accidents or wild animals. What isn’t always so obvious is how poor planning and not thinking on the trail leads to getting cold.

One cold autumn day, a friend of mine fell in a stream while we were backpacking. He was soon chilled pretty severely. He naturally thought this was just an accident, but looking back on it now, it is clear that we didn’t have a proper survival mind set.

Streams have to be crossed, of course, but we were crossing this one as evening approached. A better plan would have been to get the hiking done earlier in the day. Why? Because it leaves time to deal with accidents like this. It may have been sunny enough to get his clothes dried before nightfall, and it is always easier to find fuel for a fire in the daylight.

In addition, we knew the rocks were slippery, yet we crossed as we were. Seeing the potential for a fall, we could have removed our coats and put them in a plastic bag until we were across. Had we taken this simple precaution, my friend would have at least had a dry coat to put on later.

Had this happened in colder weather (it was above freezing) it could have been very serious. You have to stay warm to survive. To stay warm it helps to stay dry. To stay dry, you have to think.

Insulation

Staying warm is about staying insulated. The value of insulation is determined by the thickness of the air around you that isn’t moving. This is the air trapped in your down coat, and between layers of clothing. Always think in terms of insulation thickness. In planning, this means you need more “loft”in your sleeping bag in winter, and more (or thicker) layers of clothing.

In a survival situation, this means you should immediately look for a way to create more insulation. This can mean setting your sleeping bag on a pile of leaves, or sleeping under a pile of dried grass. You might even stuff your jacket (if it is loose) with the fluff from cattail or milkweed plants, in order to increase the insulation value.

More Winter Backpacking Survival Tips

- Check the weather report before you go, and plan accordingly.

- Be careful when it is near or just above freezing. It is easier to get wet than when it is really cold.

- Drink enough fluids. Dehydration can cause a drop in body temperature.

- Down coats are great – if you can keep them dry. They are almost worthless when wet.

- Avoid sweating, to avoid getting chilled from the moisture later.

- Don’t use cotton clothes in winter, because they get wet easily and then don’t insulate well.

- Have more than one way to start a fire (matches, lighter, fire starter, skills).

- Learn to make a fire in cold wet conditions, and practice.

In 2006, I was trying to climb Crestone Peak here in Colorado, after an early snow. I gave up at about 13,000 in four feet of snow. I was in running shoes, and was soaked from the knees down. It would be below freezing that night, and I had just a tarp and 17-ounce sleeping bag. Does that sound risky? I was actually well prepared.

First of all, it was clear and sunny, and forecast to remain so for days. Back down near the lakes the snow was patchy, with many areas of dry grass. I quickly made a thick mattress of dry grass and thistle stalks to sleep on. I had quit early, so I had many hours to dry my shoes, socks and pants in the sun. They were completely dry long before dark.

As a back-up plan, I had a small fire laid, with a piece of bark covering it in case of rain or snow (I never needed to light it). I drank plenty of water and had fatty foods, which create heat as they digest. I also had more dry socks, and other necessary supplies, despite my 11-pound total pack weight. As you can see, survival when winter backpacking is as much about planning and thinking as it is about good gear.

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

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Steven_Gillman
Winter Backpacking Survival Tips

If you are in the market for a new multi-tool, check out the Gerber 600. I’ve got one and it’s pretty good. Here’s a little video review of it — more of a run-down of it’s details, really.

Interested? You can pick one up at BDR Gear: Gerber Multi-Plier 600

It’s important to think of “Sustainable Living” as a valuable survival skill. Think of it more like a self-sustaining lifestyle. These skills can help you both survive a crisis and improve your day to day life.

In this episode, I talk about why sustainable living skills are important, and then talk about which ones I think are the most important. If you have anything to add, feel free to leave a comment with your ideas.

You can either listen to the episode below, or download it to listen whenever you want.

Download: OSI #2: Sustainable Living

 

 OSI #2: Sustainable Living [11:29m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (291)

Don’t worry, the next episode of the OSI Podcast is going online in a day or two. It’s been a pretty busy week. Keep in mind that I haven’t decided on a production schedule yet, so it’s not actually late.

The ducks are coming! According to the recent satellite tracking, the ducks are finally starting to make it down from the North. Maybe I’ll be able to get a few this weekend. Keep your eyes peeled for the Podcast!

In this episode of the OSI Podcast, I talk about the importance of the “survival mindset.” I also go on to give you tips for maintaining the proper mindset during a crisis. This is practical information that should benefit everyone.

Download the episode here: OSI Episode 1

 

 OSI #1: The Survival Mindset [17:07m]: Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (250)

I went duck hunting this morning — opening day here in Arkansas. Apparently, not enough ducks have made it down from the North yet…because I only saw one flock anywhere near shooting range. Well, they were out of shooting range by just a bit, and they flat out refused to be called in.

I might have been the only one out there who was “unlucky.” Apparenlty, if I had a boat, I would have been shooting a lot. I heard a bunch of shots in the distance, over toward the main lake in the Wildlife Management Area I was on — Henry Gray Hurricane Lake outside of Bald Knob, AR. Someone was getting some ducks. There just weren’t any in my area.

When I got back, I checked the Mallard Satellite Tracking Program, and it looks like there are still a lot of ducks in the North. Hopefully they’ll hurry down.

On a related note, I got some waders so that I don’t get hypothermia and die. No boat, but I can walk in the water. I didn’t get the neoprene-style waders, mainly because I needed two pairs (one for me and one for my oldest kid), and my wife would have chewed me out for spending $200 on waders. So I spent $80 and got two pairs of Hodgman’s heavy-duty rubber chest waders. These are the kind that have the steel-shank boots on them. Picked up mine at Wal-Mart. Here’s what they look like: Rubber Chest Waders.

If you get these, or something like them, make sure that you wear enough warm stuff. These waders are not insulated at all. I had on thermal underwear, bdu pants, a pair of running socks, and then my thermal boot socks. My legs were OK, but my toes got cold. Of course, I was standing in ice water. Maybe tomorrow I’ll try putting one of those pocket warmers in the toe of each boot. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Keep an eye out for those ducks! And I need to get a boat…

Since it’s deer season, I was skimming over the venison section of my copy of Basic Butchering of Livestock & Game, by By John Mettler, Jr., DVM. If you are interested in sustainable living, hunting, or ranch life, you need to read this book.

It covers killing, skinning, quartering, and butchering of several popular livestock and game animals. It does this with detailed instructions and illustrations. Here are some of the meats you can learn to butcher from this book:

• Beef
• Veal
• Pork
• Lamb
• Poultry
• Venison

There’s even a section for less popular (in America) meats such as goat, and over 30 recipes at the end of the book. Basically, this book walks you through taking the animal from the field to the table. This book is a must-have reference for anyone looking to take care of their own meat.

Pick up a copy at Amazon.com:

Don’t get enough outdoor and survival content from the blog alone? Your wait and your searching will soon be at an end!

OK, enough with the melodrama. I’m going to be putting together an outdoor and survival themed podcast. If you are a newsletter subscriber, you already know this. If not…now you know. Keep an eye on site (or just subscribe to the newsletter — on the left) to find out when the first episode is launched.