The first thing you must do in any blizzard is find a place out of the wind. In order to survive, you have to keep your body from going into hypothermia. Unfortunately for you, especially if you’re not wearing adequate clothing, the wind and blowing heavy snow will quickly rob you of your core body temperature. Planning ahead and taking some additional cold weather survival gear increases your survival chances exponentially!
Cold weather can be deceptive in its effects on your body, environment, and even gear. If you are not prepared and do not have the knowledge to deal with cold weather, then by the time you realize you are in trouble could be too late to take steps to survive. There are a few fundamental keys to surviving a blizzard when you are caught out in the wilderness.
How To Survive Being Caught In A Wilderness Blizzard
Many people who have underestimated the powerful forces of nature have not lived to tell their tale. One of the most frightening events to witness in any wilderness situation is how quickly the weather can change, often without warning. High winds and whiteout conditions can make it challenging to navigate your way around.
There are only two ways to survive a blizzard in the wilderness. The first is not to get caught in the blizzard in the first place, and the second is to be prepared should extreme conditions catch you unawares.
If you are planning a winter trip to the wilderness, one of the first aspects you should check before your trip is the weather forecast and avalanche reports with the national weather service.
If there is a winter storm in the forecast, it is not worth risking your life or the lives of others to tempt fate, bury your head in the sand or the snow in this case, and think, “it will never happen to me.”
Common sense dictates it is a wise choice to postpone the trip till the forecast clears up. It’s better to suffer some temporary disappointment than run the risk of being caught out in the wilderness during a snow storm.
The second way to survive a blizzard out in the wilderness, or at least increase your chances of surviving, is thinking ahead and being prepared. This involves learning some skills, taking the right clothing, and having the right gear. We will investigate this option to see how we can prepare ourselves to survive this situation!
There are 3 main problems with being caught out in the wilderness during a blizzard which could snuff you out just like a candle in the wind.
- Freezing temperatures.
- Icy wind.
- Dehydration
While 3 factors are a broad summary of the trouble you are in during a blizzard, and there could be other circumstances that also pose threats, if you can resolve these 3 issues, you stand a good chance of surviving the ordeal.
Dehydration is a problem that can jeopardize your survival in the cold as easily as in hot weather. You need to be conscious about staying hydrated, even in cold weather. Eating snow is not a good idea since this will lower your core body temperature and complicate the task of staying warm.
The best option is to melt snow to drink, but your will need to get the rest of your survival plan in place before making a fire!
Find Or Make Shelter To Survive A Blizzard
Finding or making a shelter should be a top priority when you find yourself in a blizzard. The strong winds can drop the already freezing cold temperatures to the point that it is impossible to function.
A shelter is important because without it, the wind will strip away your body heat, and you will not be able to make a fire. Windy conditions make it difficult to start a fire,
There are two ways to get shelter from the storm; find a place to shelter or build one. Some good places to find shelter are as follows.
- A cave. A cave is the best thing because it gets you out of the wind and the cold air and provides a safe place to continue your survival strategy out of the weather.
- A rocky outcrop. Large rocks or boulders can act as a windbreak. Shelter on the lee side of the rocks, or choose that location to build a shelter.
- A group of trees. A forest or even a small copse of trees can break the wind enough to provide shelter or present a good location to build a shelter with the trees as raw material.
If the terrain is not conducive to finding shelter, you may need to resort to your shelter-building skills to get you out of the wind and cold.
Here are some of the shelters you can consider making to get out of the storm.
Build a Snow Cave To Shelter In A Ground Blizzard
The best way to start a snow shelter is with some of the structure already in place. A snowdrift or a bank at least 6 feet high is a good place to start.
Pack the snow down well above your intended snow cave location to make the structure more solid and sturdy. You can do this by stomping on the snow above with snowshoes or even your boots.
The entrance should be a tunnel that slopes up to the main chamber. This prevents warm air from escaping from the entrance. Close the entrance to your shelter with anything that is available around you, like sticks but still allow some ventilation to minimize the risk of carbon monoxide poisoning. A snow cave takes time to build, and most experts agree that it is best done with an ax or a snow shovel. Attempting to dig a snow cave with hands should be an emergency tactic only.
A snow cave to house 2 to 3 people can take between 3 to 4 hours to excavate, which means you should not leave it too late before taking steps to build your shelter to get out of the weather.
The temperature in a snow cave can be 32-Fahrenheit or warmer, while the outside temperature is as low as -40-Fahrenheit. This temperature difference can be life-saving.
Build A Quinzee To Shelter From The Blizzard
A quinzee is a Canada snow survival shelter where loose snow is piled up, shaped into a 6.6-foot high dome, and the inside hollowed out to create a space inside to shelter.
This type of shelter can take longer to build than a snow cave with most of the structure already in place, but a quinzee can last longer than a snow cave.
To make a quinzee, take your survival shovel and push up a mound of about 7 to 8 feet of snow, mixing different temperatures of snow, which will cause it to harden. Shape it into a dome and let it sinter for an hour or more before hollowing it out. Poke some sticks of 1 to 2 feet through the dome to give yourself a guide to know when to stop hollowing it out. On the downhill side of the dome, start digging a small entrance and then precede forward and smooth out the ceiling and walls until you can see the end of your measuring sticks. Poke a small hole at the top of the dome for ventilation.
These structures should not be used at a temperature of 25-Fahrenheit or warmer because the structure will not hold its form and may collapse.
Ways To Get Warm In A Wilderness Blizzard
Sometimes building a snow cave or a quinzee is not an option because of the time and manpower it takes to build these structures. Even if you cannot build a shelter, you will need to find a way to get warm.
You can add more clothing layers to help you keep warm, or if you are not alone, you can huddle together to share body heat. These ways of staying warm are appropriate for inside and outside a snow cave.
Building a fire is another way to stay warm, but you cannot build a fire in a snow cave without taking additional precautions to vent some of the fire’s heat. The heat will cause the snow to collapse.
You will also have to get out of the wind and make your fire in a location where you can reflect heat off a snowbank or rocks to try and maximize the warmth from the fire.
How To Build A Fire In A Blizzard
To build a fire in a blizzard, you will need to get out of the wind. Starting a fire in extreme wind conditions is a difficult task.
Clear away some snow down to the ground level, then place some tree shavings or twigs on the ground. This will be the base for your fire. Build your kindling in a conical shape on top of the base. Use your tinder kit to light the fire.
Keep feeding the fire larger and larger dry sticks or dead wood to get the fire large enough to generate enough heat.
What Gear You Should Take To Prepare For A Blizzard In The Wilderness
If you are venturing into the wilderness in the winter months, an important thing is to be prepared for the worst-case scenario, even if the weather report indicates no chance of blizzard conditions or bad weather.
Taking the time to pack some extra gear and carrying it around, even if you may never need it, is a survival principle in cold weather.
Here is some additional gear you should consider taking along.
- Additional warm clothing – Extra layers will help when the cold starts to bite!
- A tent – A light, cold weather hiking tent can make all the difference to get you out of the wind!
- A metal cup – A cup can be used to melt snow to remain hydrated. Many people mistakenly think you cannot become dehydrated in cold weather. Don’t let this condition sneak up on you! It is important to get enough water to stay hydrated.
- A fire starting kit – This should include weatherproof matches, a Ferro rod and striker, and some appropriate tinder. Do not rely on butane lighters; if the weather gets cold enough, they will not work. Steel striker kits are more reliable.
- Some energy bars – While you can survive for a long period without food, your body will need fuel to fight the cold. A few good-quality energy bars are lightweight and would be useful in an emergency.
- Signaling equipment. Some form of signaling gear should be part of your kit. This could be a flare gun, a whistle, or a strobe light.
- A headlamp – A headlamp with spare batteries can be an invaluable tool if you need to survive in the dark. It may be impossible to perform some survival tasks without this simple device. Be sure to pack an extra set of batteries!
- Sleeping bag
- First Aid Kit
- Cell phone – You might be going somewhere where cell service is spotty or nonexistent, Satellite phones don’t need cell tower coverage, but you do need an open sky. Modern satellite phone antennas are powerful enough to work during heavy cloud cover.
- Survival knife
Conclusion
An outdoor adventure ceases to be an adventure when it becomes a fight against the elements to survive.
The best strategy is preparation, which includes gear and personal bushcraft survival skills. Survival knowledge is only theory until you have practiced it. Many people think it is easy to light a fire with a Ferro rod until they must perform this task in an emergency.
Practice your survival skills and always over-prepare, and your excursion into the wilderness will be an adventure despite the weather!
