Getting caught in a blizzard outside is one of the worst scenarios imaginable. It doesn’t matter what you’re doing, whether it’s going for a quick walk, enjoying a relaxing hike, or trying to make your way back to civilization after getting lost.
Either way, having the snow blow all over your face is not a good sign for things to come. For one, it’s already cold enough outside as is. Now imagine getting all your layers and potential equipment that you’re carrying being blown by gusty and freezing winds. As if moving around in the snow without wind wasn’t hard enough already!
For people who aren’t too far away from their homes, they can simply make a break for it and warm up inside once they enter the front doors. But what about people who get caught while in the middle of, say, a trail, with no end or beginning in sight?
You will not have the luxury of your own home to protect you, and you will probably be cursing yourself for not checking the weather reports before you left, but right now, time is of essence to ensure that you do not freeze to death, so what do you do to save yourself? Read on, as these tips may actually save your life if you get stranded outside.
Shelter is your biggest priority
When the winds strike and you have no foundation or walls to protect you, find shelter as soon as possible. The powerful and chilling winds are lowering your body temperature for every second that you are stranded outside, and hypothermia or frostbite can set in very fast and easy if you don’t do something about it.
At this point, any shelter that has walls and a roof will do, such as a cave. However, don’t try to wander off too far, especially if you don’t know the area you are currently in. If you are unsure if a path leads to a cave or an abandoned house-like structure, don’t try to force your way through the wind.
For starters, it’s hard enough to move on the snow without the wind trying to blow you away, but now you have to deal with strong winds that might knock you off-balance and disorient your sense direction. Oh, and did I mention that your visibility drops heavily during a blizzard?
In a situation like this, it’s best to be prepared. If you can sense a blizzard coming and you know that can’t get back to safety in time, scan the area for suitable materials to build your shelter.
You can build an igloo-like structure using a shovel or another digging tool (even a stick would work, if need be). Just make sure to cut a small hole in the roof to prevent carbon monoxide build-up. Make sure you build a door with some branches too, and never sleep on the snow floor. A snow structure like this mostly relies on the snow, which you would likely have plenty of anyways.
But what if there isn’t enough snow on the ground to make an igloo? Then you can rely on the classic shelters. You can’t go wrong with a lean-to, though obviously that means that it might be a littler colder than if you were to have an entire roof and walls blocking the wind from all sides, but it’s easy enough to build from large branches that are laying around. Simply gather a good number of branches and lean them at a 45-degree angle on a tree or large rock. You can even add some leaves to make the branch “roof” thicker if you wish.
Deep snow can be a lifesaver
But let’s say that you got caught off-guard, and you need a shelter right now, and you don’t have enough time to build one. What do you do, then?
Dive into the snow.
No, really. It might seem odd to want to dive in snow, especially when you actually want to get out of the cold rather douse yourself in it, but if the snow is deep enough, it will actually provide insulation against the wind and the cold temperatures from simply standing outside and getting blasted on all directions. Even if the walls are cold, they’re still walls, and at this point, the only thing that you need is a proper roof, but otherwise, it’s better than nothing.
If the snow has piled on quite enough, you can even consider building a snow cave. It will help provide you a lot of insulation and even give you a roof over your head!
Otherwise, there are still other ways you can use this snow. For instance, digging a hole in the middle of a tree. You will know that the snow is deep enough if the leaves of the tree are not too close to the ground, as these leaves will be your “roof”. The deep snow, meanwhile, will act as the “walls”, which can be enough to protect you from the elements outside.
Build a fire to warm yourself up
This part assumes that you have already a suitable form of shelter to protect you from the elements. DO NOT build a fire if you haven’t found or made one yet, the fire will do nothing and will likely go out instead, wasting your effort and energy.
You will want to warm yourself up to raise your core body temperature. Hypothermia and frostbite are especially dangerous injuries that one can easily catch in such harsh weather, and the best thing you can do is avoid it by warming yourself up.
This goes double for people that have gotten wet for one reason or another, make sure you dry yourself and your clothes as soon as possible by warming up.
Stay hydrated: Melt snow for sustenance
Staying hydrated is important, but consuming snow as they are might not be such a good idea, especially in a survival situation. While it’s true that snow is made out of water, your body needs to melt the snow to consume it. If you do so, that means your body will have to use the heat that should be given to you instead.
If you insist on “drinking” snow, melt it first. The fire that you used to warm yourself up can do the trick for you, but you can also heat snow up with some equipment that might be warm, or your clothes that were warmed by your own body heat. Just don’t use your own body!
Wrapping up
Ideally, you would not be going out hiking during such harsh weather conditions, or if a weather forecast calls for it sometime soon. Instead, you would be preparing to hunker down at home to keep yourself warm and cozy while waiting for the storm to pass.
But sometimes, we might make mistakes, such as forgetting to check the weather report, or maybe the weather report itself is wrong in saying that the skies will be clear. The only thing you can do is to arm yourself with knowledge and prepare yourself for such a scenario to ensure that you don’t get buried in the snow.