Winter Backpacking Survival Skills

Winter backpacking puts you in a very hazardous position. You will be very far away from anything that resembles civilization. Often you will be the only one out there and you will only have yourself to rely on. However the experience of enjoying the winter wilderness causes many people to believe that it is well worth the danger. The most important thing you can do is learn how to survive the emergency situations that may occur while you are out winter backpacking.

Fire Making

Fire making is one of the most important winter survival skills that you can have. Almost any emergency situation in the winter wilderness will require you to make a fire. Consider , for instance, of what you would have to do if you fall into freezing water. The first thing you would have to do is start a fire.

To start a fire you should always contain water proof matches. You should practice out in the cold before you go on your winter backpacking trip so that you wsill be properly prepared for what ever might happen. You also have to be prepared for what might happen if you run out of matches. Learning what plants burn in your area can be highly useful for your winter survival.

Shelter

No doubt you will bring a tent with you on your winter backpacking trip. However you will still want to learn shelter building with snow blocks if you are stuck in a rotten situation where you won't have the chance to get to your tent. There are times when you can stomp out blocks with out the use of tools. You have to play around in your back yard until you get the hang of it. There are times when knowing how to build snow shelters may do more just to make you more comfortable and won't necessarily have to do with any emergency situation. For example, if you can build a snow wall that will protect you from wind you will be able to have a much more comfortable experience.Another way to build warmth is building shelters for warmth out of piles of dry leaves, grass, and broken ferns. It can be easy to get enough plant matter to keep you warm. What you collect should go between you and your jacket.

Staying Dry

Being dry is one of the most important parts of staying alive in the winter wilderness. If you are wet , make sure to get dry before you fall asleep. You need to keep moving while trying not to break a sweat. The moment you stop moving is the moment your body heat starts to drop.

Source:
http://www.backpacking.net/winter.html, Backpacking.net