How Do Survival Techniques Change During the Winter?
Those who have been practicing survival skills for a long time may assume they have all of the knowledge and skills need to survive practically anything. The tactics you use throughout the milder seasons, on the other hand, may differ dramatically from those you use during the winter. You may be ready for warmer weather, but that doesn't mean you're ready for winter.
Hiking and traveling in hot weather might provide certain challenges, such as staying hydrated and avoiding overheating, but the same difficulties exist in cold weather. So, if you want to learn more about how to defend yourself and prepare for winter survival so that you are prepared for anything, keep reading.
Keep Yourself Hydrated
It doesn't sound tempting to drink water while it's cold outside. While sipping hot cocoa or tea may appear to be a much better option, staying hydrated in the winter is just as important as staying hydrated in the summer heat. Your body requires a lot of water to function correctly, so giving it what it needs will help it control sweating so that you don't overheat. Yes, it is possible to do so in the winter.
Having enough water on hand or taking a canteen to melt snow in can help you avoid getting into a perilous situation. Fortunately, unlike in the summer, you can collect water via melting snow. However, you should not eat it directly. Because your body expends more energy heating it up inside your body, make sure you warm it up outside of your body as well.
Keep Warm
When traveling in cold weather, like most of the winter does, you'll need to be able to create a fire and stay warm. If you become stuck, you must be able to build a fire to signal for help. So knowing how to stay warm in adverse conditions will assist you in surviving any catastrophe.
You will be able to benefit yourself in a variety of ways if you can start a fire. Because you're close to a heat source, a fire will keep your body warm, but it will also allow you to heat the snow for water, which you may drink to stay hydrated. The best way to be prepared is to have something that allows you to easily start a fire. It is a good idea to pack a lighter or some matches when traveling.
Stay Right Where You Are
This may not appear to be a smart survival tactic, but it has been shown to assist more people in locating themselves in situations where they are traveling and end up breaking away from the group and being lost or stranded. Your first instinct may be to travel to an area where you assume you will be able to seek help, but this may actually diminish your chances of survival.
This depends on each person's situation; however, if you are in an area where you are likely to be seen and rescued, you should not leave unless absolutely essential. However, if you are in an area where rescue teams may not be able to see you well, you should relocate to a spot where you can be seen. In any case, you want to save as much energy and heat as you can.
Moving too much may also increase the need for food and drink, both of which are not always readily available. If you've been stranded somewhere, you might not have much food or water, and you might have to ration what you do have until help arrives. You will burn calories and boost your hunger if you continue to travel. This will cause you to feel hungry sooner, which may cause you to eat more.
This could result in a variety of problems, the most significant of which is that you may run out of food before rescue teams arrive. If you run out, your chances of survival are greatly diminished. However, if you stay in a visible area and ration your food such that it lasts a long time, your chances of being discovered and saved increase.
Takeaways
Even professionals who know how to survive in temperatures ranging from moderate to extremely high don't always know what the best survival methods are when it's dangerously freezing outside. However, everyone should be aware of the basics of what to do if they find themselves in a survival situation in order to have the best chance of being rescued.