We continue our series on winter emergency preparedness by covering procedures that should be followed if you find yourself trapped in your car during a blizzard. A blizzard is a severe winter storm with heavy snow and high winds, creating very low visibility and lasting several hours to several days.

Before the temperatures drop and the snow starts to fall, make time to properly prepare your vehicles for winter driving. Check the level of antifreeze in each car. The mixture should be about 50/50 antifreeze to water. Install new wiper blades and fill the windshield washer reservoir. Check the oil level and the charge on the battery. You should have good, all-weather tires or studded tires on your car, along with a set of traction chains on hand.

Pack a survival kit for your car that includes high calorie snack food, water and other supplies that will help you endure if trapped. See a complete list here. If you do get stuck in your car during a blizzard, follow these rules:

• Do not panic. Remain calm and remember that you prepared for this.
• Stay in your car unless you see help within 100 yards of your vehicle. It is too easy to become disoriented and lost in the snow.
• Attach a bright flag to your antenna to let others know that you need help.
• Keep your survival kit in the passenger compartment of your car, in case the trunk is inaccessible.
• Occasionally run the engine to keep warm. Turn the heater on, and use the dome light to attract attention. Ensure that the tailpipe stays unobstructed to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning. Open a window slightly, down wind, for fresh air.
• Stay dry. Wet clothes will make it more difficult to keep warm.
• If there is more than one person in the car, huddle together for warmth. Take turns sleeping so that one of you can turn on the car and watch for help.
• Stay hydrated and snack on high calorie food to keep boosting your metabolism.
• Move your arms and legs to keep blood circulating.

Watch for signs of frostbite and hypothermia. Frostbite symptoms include a loss of feeling and a white or pale appearance of the skin. Fingers, toes, ears and your nose are the most susceptible. Hypothermia is when the body’s temperature drops below 90 degrees. Uncontrollable shivering, slow speech, and drowsiness are all signs of hypothermia.

If either of these conditions are suspected, warm the person slowly, starting with the trunk of the body. Use your own body heat, blankets, newspapers, floor mats or anything else that is available to cover the person. Do not give them drinks that contain caffeine or alcohol, as these hasten the body’s cooling. Seek medical attention as soon as possible.

If you do have to travel in winter weather, be sure to communicate your trip plan to friends and family. Let them know when you plan to arrive at your destination and which roads you will drive. That way they know when and where to look for you if you don’t show up. Make sure you have a full tank of gas, whether the distance requires it or not, and a fully charged cell phone, along with a car charger.

Foresight and emergency preparedness are key to surviving hostile winter weather, so don’t put it off another day.

-Gary Jenkins-

Gary Jenkins is a father and husband living in Oregon who is a wildlife rehabilitation and outdoor adventure enthusiast.

The best tip we can share is probably the most fun; find an empty, open parking lot after the first big snow of the year and spin some donuts!  While this doesn’t sound like the type of thing you would tell your teenage driver to do, it can be very helpful to learn how your car handles in the snow.  Learning how to spin the car and recover from spins is one of the best ways to be prepared while driving on the road.  Still use caution while you are practicing and be aware of light poles, hidden objects, or curbs.

Now, when driving on icy or snowy roads, remember the following tips and best practices:

1. Slow Down – Be very cognizant of your speeds on the road and keep three times the normal distance between you and the car in front of you.
2. Brake Gently – Never slam on the brakes, if you can avoid it.  If your wheels lock up, ease up on the brake
3. Lights On – Make sure that you have your lights on so that others are aware of you
4. Low Gears – Use the lower gears, they help to gain and keep traction, especially on hills or steep roads
5. No Cruise Control – Don’t be lazy, it isn’t worth the risk.
6. Stay Behind the Plows – Don’t pass in front of plows or sanding trucks.  The drivers of these vehicles have limited visibility and the road in front of them is much worse than behind them.
7. 4×4 Myth – Just because you have a 4×4 or AWD, you vehicle cannot handle all conditions.  Be extremely careful thinking you can go anywhere or do anything in your big, off-road truck!

If your wheels skid…

1. Let Off the Gas – Take you foot off of the accelerator.
2. Turn Into the Slide – If you are sliding left, turn left. As you recover, you may start to slide to the other side, so make sure that you know steer the new directions.  You may go back and forth a couple of times before you can get back under control.
3. Brake! – If you have standard brakes, gently pump them.  If your car has anti-lock brakes (ABS), don’t pump the brakes.  Apply steady pressure and realize that it is normal to feel the brakes pulse.

If you get stuck…

1. Don’t Spin the Wheels – This only digs you in deeper and makes is harder to get out. Lightly touch on the gas and ease your way out.
2. Turn the Wheels – Turn the wheels back and forth to get snow out of the way. Also, consider using a shovel to dig out some of the snow.
3. Rock the Boat – Sometimes, it can help to rock back and forth to gain a little momentum.
4. Sand the Ground – A little sand, gravel, salt, even kitty litter, can help your wheels gain some traction.

Winter Emergency Preparedness comes in all forms, and being ready for the winter road conditions counts.  The above information comes from the National Safety Council and Weather.com, so please listen to it.  We hope that no one has any issues this year on the winter roads.  Please be extra careful and remember so of these basic tips to keep safe. Emergency Preparedness tips need to be shared, so please pass this along to your friends, family, and neighbors so that we all can have a fantastic winter.

There are several scenarios in which you might find yourself relying on your emergency preparedness skills during the winter months. Whether you get lost during a hunting expedition, your car dies, you misjudge how long your hike will take, or you get in a bug out situation, keeping warm and protected from the elements is essential to surviving until help arrives.

The three priorities that must be addressed before nightfall are finding a water source, building a fire, and creating a shelter. If there is snow on the ground, your water problem is handled and you should have fire-making materials in your gear. Learning how to construct an emergency shelter using natural resources should certainly be a part of your emergency preparedness planning.

Carry survival basics if venturing into the wilderness in winter. This includes water, emergency food, a 50 gallon drum liner bag, two mylar and foil blankets, paracord, fire-making supplies, a candle and waterproof matches, signaling whistle, metal cup and a brightly colored bandana. Some of these supplies will be helpful in constructing a shelter.

Deciding Where and How to Position Your Shelter

If it is snowing or nightfall is approaching, building a simple design is better than structures like a quinzhee or igloo which require greater physical exertion and more time. Conserve as much energy as possible to help maintain your body heat. Find a spot for your shelter that is somewhat level and is not in the path of a potential avalanche. Look overhead for any deadfall dangers from trees. Some features to consider for the shelter are making it small to hold in body heat but big enough for you to fit in and roll over without touching the sides. Face the entry away from the wind as this will aid in heat retention.

Building the Shelter

1. Prepare the ground. Dig out the snow in a 3 foot by 8 foot rectangle. Clear it all the way to the ground if possible because bare earth will radiate some warmth.
2. Find two poles at least five feet in length. Lay the poles side by side and tie them together about a quarter of the way from one end. Splay them apart to form an “X” and this will form the frame for the opening. The top of the opening should be about waist high.
3. Locate a pole that is at least 8 or 9 feet in length for the ridge pole. Strap one end of the pole into the top of the “X” with the other end resting on the ground, forming a long tripod. Other options include finding a tree with a “Y” to lay the long pole in, using a fallen log or boulder as a base.
4. Gather sticks to form the “ribs” of the shelter and place them 10 to 12 inches apart down each side of the ridge pole, resting one end on the pole and sticking the other end into the ground. These sticks should not protrude too far above the main pole.
5. Place a mylar blanket from your emergency preparedness kit over the framework with the shiny side facing in to reflect heat. Then layer evergreen boughs, leaves or other vegetation over the blanket.
6. Spread a thick layer of vegetation or evergreen boughs over the ground in the shelter for insulation. The more coverage the better.
7. Snow is an excellent insulator, and the next step is to cover the entire outside of the shelter with a thick layer of snow, building it up to a depth of at least 12 inches.
8. Fill the 50 gallon bag with snow and fit it in the opening of the shelter to seal it from the elements. In lieu of a bag, use boughs or your pack to close off the opening.

Keeping Warm

Your well insulated sanctuary will hold in your body heat, but you can add more warmth by lighting the candle, which has some inherent risks. You might opt for placing rocks that have been heated by the fire inside the shelter before sealing yourself in.

Remember that your goal is to be rescued. Your shelter will be camouflaged, especially if the snow continues to fall. The snow will muffle outside noises, making it difficult to hear people calling out. Tie the bright bandana to a stick and place it on top of the structure to alert rescue personnel to your location. Consider hanging other belongings in nearby trees to help mark your whereabouts.

There is no substitution for emergency preparedness. Study and practice building this shelter so that you are ready for survival if you ever find yourself stranded in winter conditions.

– Gary Jenkins is a father and husband living in Oregon who is a wildlife rehabilitation and outdoor adventure enthusiast.

You may find yourself in the middle of an emergency without warning, and it is important to prioritize your efforts in those circumstances. You may not have access to your emergency food storage or other survival supplies, but you should find a water source first, then find or create shelter, and then build a fire if the conditions warrant. Only then should you consider what to do about food. One of your options might be edible plants, meaning plants that are safe for humans to eat, regardless of palatability.

This article is not meant to be a complete source of information on edible plants. Eating plants without positive identification is dangerous, as many plants are toxic and poisonous if ingested. Some poisonous plants look very similar to edible plants, for instance hemlock looks and smells like wild carrots. We strongly recommend that you obtain a complete field guide on edible plants in your area and learn as much as you can before finding yourself in an emergency.

Plants have several distinguishing features for identification such as leaves, flowers, roots, and seeds. There are some general guidelines as to which plant is toxic. If leaves are glossy, or grow in groups of threes, the plant is probably poisonous. Stay away from plants that have milky sap, thorns, or hairs. The exception to this is the dandelion, of which all parts are edible. Avoid plants that have an almond-like aroma, as these usually contain dangerous cyanide compounds. Fruit that has started to decay, has mold or mildew might contain unhealthy toxins and should not be eaten. If growing near contaminated water, then the plants themselves may also be contaminated and should be boiled for at least ten minutes before eating.

Some plants have both edible and poisonous parts. The leaves may be safe, while the roots are toxic or vice versa. It is important to learn about the entire plant. Certain plants may just not be palatable due to tannin compounds or acidic content. Boiling or baking these will remove the bitterness. Learn how to prepare plants that have these traits to make them more appealing. Do not eat wild mushrooms unless you are absolutely certain that you have identified the species. Some mushrooms can make you very ill or even cause death. Symptoms can take days to show up after eating toxic mushrooms, and by then the nervous system has been compromised, possibly beyond repair.

If a field guide is not available to you and if you are not well versed in which plants are safe, there is a test that you can conduct to see if a plant is edible. The test is very time consuming, so make sure there is plenty of that type of plant to eat afterward. It is important that you perform the test after having not eaten for at least eight hours and drinking only purified water. First, rub the plant on the inside of your elbow and wait fifteen minutes to see if you have a reaction. Next, prepare the plant as you would to eat it and touch it to your lip and wait for swelling or itching. Then hold it on your tongue and wait fifteen minutes for a reaction. You can then chew it and hold it in your mouth without swallowing your saliva. If all of these tests show no indication of toxicity, chew about a teaspoon of the plant and swallow it. Now wait about eight hours to see if you have a reaction. If you feel sick or nauseous, induce vomiting and drink plenty of water.

Hunting is not for everyone, but everyone should know how to hunt to some extent. If you end up in a survival situation without food, knowing how to find and catch prey will mean the difference between life and death. Learning several different hunting techniques using only items that you would find in nature or have in your survival gear will give you one more advantage when it comes to emergency preparedness.

The most important aspect of hunting is knowing what animals are in your survival area and how to find them. Look for signs that would indicate which animals are moving through and where. Search for trails that they have formed, evidence of bedding down, dens or burrows, markings on the vegetation and scat. Once the types of animals have been determined, think about how and when they eat, drink, sleep, and move. Knowing your prey’s behaviors will greatly increase your odds of capturing them.

Several hunting methods will be mentioned here. Some require more skill and technique than others. Pick the ones that seem feasible to you and research them. There are vast resources online that cover these methods extensively, including videos that demonstrate how to construct and use them.

• Gun: You may carry a firearm in your survival kit. If so, you have undoubtedly been trained in the safe operation of the weapon and have practiced its use by shooting at a target. This is clearly the most effective method of hunting in a survival situation.
• Rocks and Sticks: A heavy object that can be thrown at prey is a very simple method of hunting. It does require getting relatively close to the animal, good aim and the ability to throw quick and hard.
• Spear: One of the oldest forms of hunting with weapons, spears are versatile and readily available. Spears can be used for thrusting, stabbing, or throwing and can be used to hunt birds, mammals, and fish. They can be as simple as a sharpened stick, or a spearhead can be attached that was fashioned from stone, bone, wood or steel.
• Throwing stick: Resembling a boomerang, this hard stick has a bend of about 45 degrees in it and is carved on opposite sides of the legs to enable lift. This method requires a great deal of skill and practice and may not be the most practical in a survival situation.
• Bow and Arrow: Also an effective choice for hunting, this weapon can be fashioned from hardwood saplings, such as oak, maple or ash, and paracord that should be in your survival kit. Boot strings would work in a pinch. Again, this method requires some practice before your survival is dependent on it.
• Snare: There are many styles of snares with varying degrees of difficulty. They require some research, but can be well suited to hunting in most situations for a variety of animals. Snares need to be set in natural trails and funnels built on both sides so that the prey is forced to walk into the trap.

Hygiene is often times an afterthought when preparing for a disaster situation. But, lack of hygiene and sanitary conditions can greatly affect your health and chance of survival. Lack of hygiene and lack of sanitary conditions are responsible for millions of deaths per year in regions that have been struck by disaster or that lack clean water and resources.

Water is a necessary item for keeping clean. Many emergency preparation lists contain the amount of water needed to stay hydrated per person for a calculated amount of time. These lists need to also include water for brushing teeth, washing hands before cooking and cleaning wounds (even minor wounds).

In regions where there is not a large amount of water, it is used solely for hydration. But, this can have a strong and detrimental counter effect. Without enough water to maintain clean cooking conditions, one can easily be exposed to diarrhea. This will further deplete a water supply for rehydrating the ill and cleaning their bodies. It is important to note that diarrhea caused by unsanitary food preparation can easily lead to more serious problems in children, elderly and those with weakened immune systems.

Sanitary, antibacterial napkins can be used in emergency survival gear. These should be checked and swapped out regularly because the moistened versions tend to dry up quickly. A seasonal check of items in emergency kits is recommended. This is strongly urged for any cleaning solutions or materials that may leak when stored.

Plastic or latex gloves are also a recommended item for emergency survival gear. These items could be necessary for touching animal carcasses or other unforeseen and unsanitary items. While water and a strong soap are always recommended, an extra layer of protection is always a good idea.

Staying clean and healthy is crucial to survival. This should be stressed for everyone, but especially those with small children, aging parents or those with illnesses that contribute to a susceptibility to disease. In addition to storing water and cleaning items, a strong knowledge of how to sanitize water is essential. Disaster situations can last much longer than you have prepared for.

In a survival situation, you want to conserve as much as possible: conserve energy, conserve water and conserve your emergency food storage. Use your freeze dried food when you don’t have access to other nutritious food. One of the most nutritious foods you can eat is fish, and if you are near a body of water that has fish in it, you can trap them for meals. Whether you are near a pond, lake, stream or river, making a fish trap can be relatively simple without expending a lot of energy.

Funnel Trap: This trap should be built in shallow water close to the shore. Gather a bunch of sticks that are long enough to be pushed into the soil and stick out of the top surface of the water. Push the sticks into the soil to form a funnel shape, with the wide end of the funnel pointing into deeper water. Form a circle with sticks so that the narrow end of the funnel is pointing into the middle of the circle. Space the sticks close enough so that a fish cannot swim between them. Cut a slit down the length of a stick on the end about two inches long. Spread the slit and wedge some bait in the stick, using a bug, worm or small fry you caught and then wedge the stick into the soil toward the back of the circle. A fish will swim through the funnel and into the circle to get the bait, and will not be able to turn around and swim out.

Stakeout: Tie a piece of cord between two sticks stuck in the ground under water several feet apart. Tie two short cords to the main line a couple of feet apart and attach hooks to the free ends. The short cords should not be able to slip along the main cord. Bait the hooks with worms or bugs. Hooks can be made from a piece of wire, a thorny branch, or by carving wood or bone, and the smaller the hook, the better. Notch the blunt end so that the hook doesn’t slip off the cord when bitten by a fish.

Gill Net: Using perforated material, such as the lining from a jacket or the mesh from a hat, form a net and attach it to a handle to scoop fish from above. You can also make a net with some small cord. Tie a piece of cord between two trees, and then double over some lengths of cord and tie them to the main line. Space them so that a fish cannot swim through the gaps. Then starting at one end and down about two inches, tie the second and third pieces together, then the fourth and fifth together and so on. Alternate on the next row to start forming the diamond pattern of the net. Tie another main line across the bottom once you have the desired length of the net. String your net across the current of a stream or river so that the flow of water brings the fish into the pocket of the net.

Finding ways to supplement your emergency food storage with fresh food will help support your health in a survival situation. Be prepared with skills that allow you to find and trap animals that may be available in various environments.

-Gary Jenkins-

Gary Jenkins is a father and husband in Oregon, and is a wildlife rehabilitation and outdoor adventure enthusiast.

You’ve done a good job on emergency preparedness. You have your survival kit packed, your emergency food storage organized, your clothing set aside, and the rest of your survival supplies arranged. But have you also considered a selection of knives for your survival kit and how you might use them?

If you have to evacuate and rely on your survival supplies and skills or any length of time, you are going to want high quality knives at your disposal that you can count on. Hunting, cooking, self-defense, slicing and carving are a few of the tasks that you may need a good knife for. Will you want a kitchen, bowie, pocket or tactical knife? You don’t need a whole collection, but a few well thought out tools may make a world of difference when you’re in survival mode.

The first consideration when purchasing a knife for emergency preparedness is purpose. A fixed blade bowie that you can carry in a sturdy sheath on your belt, with a cutting length of seven to nine inches and a partial serrated edge, is a useful general purpose knife.  For cooking and eating it’s a good idea to keep a chef’s knife with your emergency food storage. And finally, a  high quality multipurpose tool with a sharp folding knife will prove invaluable during an evacuation.

The next consideration should be the construction of the knife. Thick, high-carbon, stainless steel with a thin cutting edge will provide the strongest, most maintenance free blade that will hold a sharp edge. It will be rust-resistant and bend under pressure without breaking. The knife should feel well balanced when holding it, and the handle should fit comfortably in your hand with a non-slip grip. Consider a handle made of a composite material, as a wood handle is flammable. You may also want a hollow handle where you can store matches and other small supplies, but beware that many hollow handle knives are cheaply made. Also look for a handle with a stainless steel butt cap that can be used as a hammer.

Think about safety when packing, both for the knife AND for you. Protect the cutting edge of the knife with a sheath, and vacuum pack the knife to avoid corrosion.  Keep the knives stored where you might need them and where you can easily see them.

Finally, remember to pack a sharpening stone and a honing steel with your emergency preparedness kit so that you can maintain the cutting edge on your knives.  As with any survival skill, practice sharpening your knives before you are in an emergency situation. Paying extra for high quality knives now will pay off immensely when you need to depend on them for your safety and comfort.

-Gary Jenkins-

I’m a Boy Scout. We’ll, not anymore, but I was a long time ago. Although there were definitely moments when I didn’t want to be a scout I never really had a choice because my father was always, always involved with scouting programs in one way or another.

I mention this not to tell you about my adventures from summer camp or how many merit badges I earned (a lot), but to emphasize how my dad’s involvement in scouting carried over into the home. The end result of his dedication to the principles of the BSA was a family of four kids who, although weren’t always excited about stocking a survival kit, learning how to tie a sheep shank of making a flotation device out of a pair of jeans, all acquired the foundation for a set of skills that carried into adulthood–even after there was no threat of being grounded.

There are a lot of resources out there that identify five basic survival skills, and I can say from my own personal experience that being taught these technique while I was young made a lasting impression on me.

Starting a Fire-Perhaps the best, most important survival skill a person can have. Stay warm, keep animals away, cook food and boil water.

Food and Water Management-Teach the importance of rationing food and water, and perhaps identifying some natural, edible plants in your area. It’s also a good idea to reinforce the importance of filtering water, boiling it or both when collecting from an open source.

Building a Basic Shelter-No engineering degree required, but it’s important to be able to construct a basic shelter like a lean-to or hut made of debris in order to protect yourself from severe weather.

Basic First Aid-Basic skills paired with calm nerves can go a long way when it comes to treating an injury. First aid is not only an important survival skill, but can be potentially useful in every day life.

Signaling for Help-If your young ones are better at producing smoke than flames it’s not a total loss (but keep working on it). Smoke is a great way to signal for help, and it’s also a good idea to keep a whistle and a small mirror in your survival kit to help identify your location to rescue teams.

My Bonus Skill:

Tying Useful Knots-Of course this is only useful in a survival situation if you have a rope with you, but knowing a basic selection of knots and hitches can be useful in a variety of situations, both practical and precarious.

Thanks to the lessons of my youth and the influence of my father I’m not only comfortable in the outdoors, but I know that if it were required I would be able to perform any of these tasks in a survival situation. Besides, it’s still important to teach your family skills that will pertain to the natural environment, even if we do live in a digital world.

Because water is vital to anyone’s survival, learning how to filter your water in emergency situations is crucial.  There are many different methods out there but we are going to focus on three of them, water purifiers, outdoor water filters, and water bottles with filters.

Water purifiers come in different varieties.  There are UV wands that emit UV light to kill the micro organisms, but this does not get rid of the grit and grim that you could also have in your water.  There are also tablets that you can use to kill the microorganisms but these have a shelf life and once they have been opened they must be used quickly.  The tablets usually use iodine or chlorine to kill the organisms but check into both before you choose one because some people may be allergic to iodine.

Outdoor water filters are usually water pumps that will pump your water through a filter to remove all sediment and debris you might have in your water.  Some water filters will also filter for microorganisms.  These water pumps don’t always catch all the smaller organisms so check to see what the filter on the pump is good for, and know what organisms are common in your area so you can treat your water accordingly.

Water bottles with filters are easy to carry and fairly light weight; with this option you are just carrying your water bottle and do not need anything else to purify the water.  These water bottles have filters inside them to remove microorganisms and sediment.  Make sure that the water bottle you choose protects from the different microorganisms in your area.  This is a great option to reduce equipment and weight and most of these water bottles can filter up to 50 gallons of water.

Make sure you always have back up options to clean your water like boiling it in case your other methods don’t work.  It is always better to make sure your drinking water is safe to drink even if that means purifying it more than once.