What is your plan/gear for surviving and unplanned sub sero night in the woods?

[sardog1]

When I was hiking in California, I also carried a lightweight shovel, for digging a snow cave or a trench. This seems less useful in New England - any one have thoughts on that?

A trench will work. But you'd need to be above treeline in the Presidential Range or similar terrain in VT or ME before a snow cave is feasible. I've dug a lot of them in other places; it's a futile exercise most of the time in New England because the snow doesn't accumulate and/or drift enough.

 

[Woody]

If some people want to plan for the possibility of getting injured while hiking, it's OK with me. I plan for losing my way while descending a poorly-marked trail.

I prefer to have good route finding skills along with map, compass and gps so that I don't lose my way.

Additionally, enough extra clothes for the conditions including a down parka and a bivy bag. Firestarter, extra food as well as proper footwear including traction, ice axe if needed. I've even carried a stove and sleeping bag on a couple of occasions. Oh ya...chemical foot and hand warmers come in real handy.

 

[jfb]

I prefer to have good route finding skills along with map, compass and gps so that I don't lose my way.

Ditto AND being prepared for the unlikely. Does that sound like a Ford commercial?

 

[Stan]

I'm an old fart and try to avoid situations which could benight me in subzero temps but I'd say my number one strategy would be a fire and try to maintain sufficient skills to start one in difficult conditions. Where one hunkers down has a lot to do with starting a fire. The fire may warm you, dry out clothes, treat water and signal your location if a rescue is needed.

Secondly, though traveling light on dayhikes, I carry various layers and spares of certain items ... some of which has been in my pack unused for months and years. My biggest fear is hands so cold as to lose manual dexterity so I carry chemical heating pads ... which I've never used except once to try out at home while digging out from a snowstorm ... but be careful, they do lose their ability to generate heat over time (shelf life) so keep either a fresh supply or test out your old ones. If your hands do get that cold, a looped lanyard on your zipper pulls, including the zippers on the pack, will be most welcome.

I agree a bivy of some sort is important, especially to those taking longer or more risky hikes ... but, regretably, don't personally carry one since I prefer shorter hikes and less weight. A large heavy bag wears me out sooner and causes more prespiration than I can wick, even with minimal layers, so my winter pack is only modestly heavier than the summer one. Building a shelter is not that difficult and sandwiching yourself between layers of balsam boughs can provide as much insulation as some bivvies. I've used an emergency space "blanket" to separate those layers. A good SHARP knife makes easy work of cutting the small boughs needed.

 

[dug]

I don't think I see the difference in what I would bring if injured vs. lost. Meaning, my goal is to survive, and weigh the comfort of that survival with the comfort of carrying a heavy pack all day. If what I have will get me to survive a night injuried, it will be enough when healthy. And, if I am able to move around some, I would be able to make myself more comfortable as well.

A closed cell foam pad, down parka, bivvy, and a complete change of clothes. I do bring a stove for all trips, as I do like a hot lunch or tea normally.

==>>

I'll edit to add that when I did bring too much extra gear (for me) it certainly saved my ass. I couldn't get to where I wanted to go, and found I was turning back quicker. So, I was less likely to get in over my head.

 

[RoySwkr]

I don't think I see the difference in what I would bring if injured vs. lost.

If you choose to hunker down, you have some choice in where to do it and can select a place with firewood, spruce boughs, snow cave, etc.

Depending on your injury, you may have to settle in right where you are. You may not have the ability to do much of anything. That requires a lot more gear and it should be foolproof. A lot of situations you could just sit and wait for help in summer can become life-threatening in winter.

 

[cushetunk]

There's a lot of good advice in this thread already, but here's my two cents:

I pack layer upon layer of clothing. Pound for pound in your pack this is probably the best strategy for surviving a bitter cold night. There is no substitute. Consider how cold you can get during a 30 minute lunch break in winter, and how many layers you are wearing, then pack more. For the most part, layers need to go on without removing other layers -- if I am stuck with a broken leg I will probably not be taking off my wind pants, pulling on fleece pants, and putting wind pants back on. However, I could put full side-zip insulated pants over whatever layers I am wearing.

I question the value of a sleeping bag because it adds weight and bulk to my pack and only serves one purpose. Puffy jackets and pants serve the same function but are much more versatile.

Handwarmers are probably the next best emergency gear but I don't carry them. I think I will start adding them, though, as they would provide easy and quick heat for little weight. Aside from warming hands, they could be used inside layers (but not directly on the skin!) at the armpits or groin to help generate core heat.

A stove would probably be almost invaluable but I can't justify the weight and bulk of a reliable winter stove. A light pack is more important because I can move fast and be less likely to get injured or benighted in the first place.

Building a fire would be tremendously useful in many situations. I am a very competent fire builder (if I do say so) but I sure don't count on a fire. If I find myself in the right circumstances, you bet I'd be sitting next to a nice warm fire, with some kind of heat reflector behind my back. It is equally likely, however, that I'd be stuck in the spruce-fir zone, surrounded by snow ghosts and spruce traps, with little practical hope of sustaining a fire.

 

[mirabela]

Cushetunk, this is a thoughtful and well-reasoned summation. Two things that will make this strategy go much further are an insulating pad and some type of tarp or plastic sheet. These will greatly extend the insulating value of the extra layers of puffy clothing, at well under a pound each.

 

[Dehydrator]

What's the internal temperature of a tauntaun? Give up?

Luke warm

 

[Dehydrator]

But seriously, I carry a bivy sack, a sleeping pad, extra socks, hat, and sweater. I also carry lots of food including sour patch kids and other sugary snacks that are known to help stave off hypothermia. The other thing is that I try to avoid hiking alone in the winter and stick to popular well populated trails. As much as I try to stay in prepared I truly dread the idea of finding myself in that kind of situation.

 

[DayTrip]

I also carry lots of food including sour patch kids and other sugary snacks that are known to help stave off hypothermia.

Really? Why is that - because you burn the simple sugars right away and generate body heat?

 

[DougPaul]

Really? Why is that - because you burn the simple sugars right away and generate body heat?

Simple sugars alone are not very good survival food. A mixture of fats, carbs, and protein is better. (Nuts are a very simple way of meeting the need.) See my first post in http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?51766-Food-When-Winter-Hiking for more info.

In general good (non-cooked) winter hiking food is good bivy food. There is more info in the linked thread.

Doug

 

[Dehydrator]

Sugar is recommended for combatting hypothermia and specifically warm sugar water because it is quickly and readily absorbed. To be clear, I am talking about as a first-aid measure. I don't munch on sour patch kids all day long on my hikes. I do carry trailmix of nuts and dried fruit and eat sandwhiches of peanut butter or cheese, etc... I have received wilderness first aid training and having sugar as part of a first-aid kit is one of the things I learned in the course. See here for more information: http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml

 

[DougPaul]

Sugar is recommended for combatting hypothermia and specifically warm sugar water because it is quickly and readily absorbed. To be clear, I am talking about as a first-aid measure. I don't munch on sour patch kids all day long on my hikes. I do carry trailmix of nuts and dried fruit and eat sandwhiches of peanut butter or cheese, etc... I have received wilderness first aid training and having sugar as part of a first-aid kit is one of the things I learned in the course. See here for more information: http://www.princeton.edu/~oa/safety/hypocold.shtml

Sugar comes on line quickly, but also gets burned up quickly. This makes it good for rescue of a hypothermic victim but not good for staying warm all night during a bivy. Fats and proteins are slower to come on line, but last longer.

Also, to high a concentration of sugar will give one a stomach ache and pull water into the gut so it is not a good way to deliver a large number of calories.

Doug

 

[DayTrip]

Simple sugars alone are not very good survival food. A mixture of fats, carbs, and protein is better. (Nuts are a very simple way of meeting the need.) See my first post in http://www.vftt.org/forums/showthread.php?51766-Food-When-Winter-Hiking for more info.

Doug

I recall that post and understand the nutrition implications in normal situations. I was specifically drawn to the mention of sugar. After reading this post last week I had come across some articles that mentioned hypothermic patients often have very high blood glucose and insulin issues. It would seem cramming more sugar into the body would not be a good idea. But the article referenced by dehydrator conflicts with that. Just struck me as odd. If it's covered in first aid courses than it must be a valid course of action. I guess I wanted to understand why in more detail. I couldn't find any articles that listed getting sugar into the body as treatment.

 

[mirabela]

The way it's been presented in the wilderness med courses I've had is that the quick-burning sugar can be helpful in kick-starting the metabolism, and you follow with more substantial stuff. Sweets = kindling, wheat tortilla with cheese & salami = big fire logs.

Naturally, though, it's better to properly feed, hydrate, and manage moisture & temperature in the first place so as not to end up needing emergency measures at all.

 

[DougPaul]

I recall that post and understand the nutrition implications in normal situations. I was specifically drawn to the mention of sugar. After reading this post last week I had come across some articles that mentioned hypothermic patients often have very high blood glucose and insulin issues. It would seem cramming more sugar into the body would not be a good idea. But the article referenced by dehydrator conflicts with that. Just struck me as odd. If it's covered in first aid courses than it must be a valid course of action. I guess I wanted to understand why in more detail. I couldn't find any articles that listed getting sugar into the body as treatment.

Don't forget that there are degrees (pun not intended) of hypothermia. The victim still has to be able to drink the sugary liquid which suggests that the hypothermia is not too far advanced (ie his body temp is not too far below normal). It may be that the high blood glucose and insulin issues tend to occur at lower body temps.

I don't have time to research it right now, but the above is a possible explanation.

Doug