The tent: Arctic Oven http://www.alaskatent.com/sales/arctic_oven_brochure1.pdf
Cold weather camping as defined by BSA is "camping in weather where the
average daily temperature is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit and conditions are
cold, wet or windy."
The most important thing to remember about cold weather camping is to KEEP
DRY. Moisture will reduce the insulating properties of almost everything. To
keep yourself warm, remember the word COLD.
C keep yourself and your clothes Clean. O avoid Overheating. L wear clothes Loose and in Layers. D keep Dry.
The hints listed below are in a random manner. There is no order of
importance to the list, just some suggestions that have proven true for me over
the years.
CLOTHING
Layer your clothing. Wear several layers of lighter clothing instead of one
heavy layer. This way you can better regulate the amount of insulation.
Keep yourself dry, both from the weather and perspiration.
Wear loose fitting clothing to optimize insulation.
Remember when buying clothes for cold weather that wool retains most of its
insulation properties when wet, while cotton loose most of its.
There are also excellent man-made fibers and insulation's that retain their
insulation properties as good as or better than wool. Other benefits include
light weight, wide design options & wind-blocking.
Remember your rain gear is water proof and will not allow perspiration to
exit. If possible, during rainy weather change your clothing several times a day.
Athletic shoes and nylon hiking boots do not provide enough insulation. You
should wear either mukluks, water-proofed leather hiking boots, rubber overshoes
or rubberized boots.
Waterproof your leather hiking boots with the appropriate commercial
treatment. Be sure to use only silicon-based products on leathers which require
it. Check the care tag that came with the boots.
If you choose to wear rubberized boots, remember they do not allow for
ventilation, therefore you will need to change your socks several times a day.
Also, felt inserts for insulation is an inexpensive boost.
Wear both cotton and a pair of wool socks to increase insulation and wick perspiration from your feet.
Pull trouser legs over top of shoes to keep out snow. You may want to use
nylon gaiters (leggings), or tie or tape them to make sure of the seal.
Wear mittens instead of fingered gloves when you do not need their independent use. This will allow the fingers to help keep each other warm.
Use a pair of socks to cover hands if mittens get wet. Remember: DRY is key!
Most heat is lost through the head. Wearing a stocking cap or other warm hat -one that covers the ears and neck
area is particularly effective- warms the rest of your body, too.
Wear a scarf to reduce heat loss around the neck. Use a "ski mask" or scarf
over your face for protection from the cold and wind.
In an emergency, use your neckerchief to cover your ears.
If you need a fire to keep you warm you're not dressed properly. If
heat can get to your body, so can cold.
Paper is a good insulator and can be wrapped around the body (under your
clothes) to add insulation.
BEDDING DOWN
Natural fiber sleeping bags (including down) do not maintain their insulation properties when
damp. A 3 to 4 pound synthetic bag will take care of
most of your needs.
A mummy style bag is warmer than a rectangular as there is less space for
your body to heat and the mummy style traps heat effectively. Also, most mummy bags have a hood to help protect your head.
If you only have a rectangular sleeping bag, bring an extra blanket to pack
around your shoulders to keep air from getting in around the opening.
Do not sleep with your head under the covers. Doing so will increase the
humidity in the bag which will increase the dampness in the bag and reduce its insulation properties..
Remember to air out your sleeping bag and tent when weather permits.
Perspiration and breath condense in the tent at night and the water will reduce
insulating properties of your bag.
Wear a stocking cap to bed in order to reduce heat loss.
Wear a loose fitting hooded pull over type sweatshirt to sleep in.
Make a loose fitting bag from an old blanket or carpet padding to put both
feet in when in your sleeping bag.
A bag liner made from an old blanket, preferably wool, will greatly enhance
the bags warmth.
Insulate yourself from the ground as much as possible to avoid cold spots at
the shoulders and hips.
Use a sleeping pad of closed cell foam instead of an air mattress.
A good rule of thumb is that you want 2 to 3 times the insulation below you
as you have over you.
Use a ground cloth to keep ground moisture from your bag. Your body will
warm up frozen ground to a point were moisture can become important.
Space blankets, if used as a ground cloth, will not reflect the body heat.
Instead it will conduct the cold from the ground to your body.
Cold air will be above and below you if you sleep on a cot.
Put a hand warmer (in a sock) at the foot of your sleeping bag before
getting into it.
Fill a canteen with hot water (not boiling) and place at foot of bag to keep
warm. Be careful with plastic canteens.
Exercise before bedding down to increase body heat. This will help to warm
your bag quicker. Be careful not to start perspiring.
Remove the clothes you are wearing before bedding down if they are damp with
perspiration. Put on dry clothing or pajamas before entering the sleeping bag.
Build a wind break outside your tent by piling up snow or leaves to a height
sufficient to protect you when laying down.
Hang your sleeping bag up or just lay it out, between trips, so the filling
will not compress and lose its insulating properties.
Before you get out of bed bring the clothes you plan to wear inside your bag
and warm them up some before dressing.
Place an empty capped plastic bottle outside your tent door for "night
calls." This will reduce your exposure when you have to answer that call. Think
twice before using it inside the tent, you do have a tent mate. Remember to
empty the bottle away from the camp in the morning.
ODDS AND ENDS.
If at night you get cold, take immediate action before injury from cold weather health problems occur.
Organization and proper preparation is very important in cold weather
camping. Good meals, proper shelter and comfortable sleeping arrangements make
for an enjoyable outing.
Drink 2 quarts of fluids per day besides what you drink at meals.
Learn to recognize and treat cold weather health problems. These include
frostbite, hypothermia, dehydration, chilblains, trench foot, snow blindness and
carbon monoxide poisoning.
Use the buddy system to check each other for cold weather health problems.
If you feel cold gather some wood or do some other type of physical labor. Working
will help warm you.
Avoid eating ice or snow as it will reduce your body temperature and it is not pure.
Snow and ice can be used for drinking water but only after boiling (10 minutes safe for any altitude).
No open flames (candles, matches, etc.) inside the tents. Wiggling your toes
inside your boots will help keep feet warm. If your feet get cold put on a
stocking cap.
Take and wear dark sunglasses if snow is in the forecast. The glare of the
sun off the snow could lead to snow blindness. The sunglasses will reduce the
glare.
The solid fuel hand warmers tend to have a flair up of heat after burning
for a while and then they start to cool down. Placing them in an old sock will
help to protect you from this "hot spot".
Keep off ice on steams, lakes and ponds.
It takes longer to cook food in cold weather, so plan accordingly. Before
going to bed pour enough water for breakfast into a pot. It is easier to heat
the pot than a plastic water can.
Keep your matches in a metal match safe as plastic can freeze and break if
dropped.
Gather twice as much fuel as you think you'll need for fires.
Gather tinder whenever you see it and it is possible to do so.
Prepare for morning fires in the evening.
Space blankets make good wind shields only. The metallic properties take
over the insulation properties in cold weather and become cold conductors.
Carry extra plastic bags in cold weather. They can be used as personal wind
shields and ponchos by slitting a hole in the top for your head to go through.
Whenever possible, carry more matches then you think you will need.
Flashlight batteries are effected by cold- can revive a dead battery by
warming it up near the fire or rubbing between palms.
You may want to take a bottle of propane into your tent with you at night.
This will keep it warmer and make it easier to light your stove for breakfast.
Heaters inside your tent can lead to carbon monoxide poisoning.
LAYERED CLOTHING SYSTEM
Select the proper type and amount of clothing. Regulate your clothing
according to your activity rate. This is the most effective way to ensure
comfort. Pay attention to your bodies' signals. Don't wait until you are cold to
put on more clothing. Act when you first begin to feel cooler.
Clothing layers:
Long, thermal underwear. polypropylene
Shirt or inner layer
Sweater, light jacket
Wind or rain gear
Long, thermal underwear. polypropylene
Inner pants wool, wool blend
Wind or rain pants
Wicking inner socks polypropylene
Insulating socks wool or wool blend
Boot liners insulated insoles
Footwear, boots waterproof, loose-fitting, mukluks or snow boots
Head coverings
Gloves and mittens
TYPES OF COLD:
Wet cold: 50� F to 14� F
The most dangerous. Wide temperature variations from melting during the day
to freezing at night makes proper dressing difficult, and important. Damp
conditions from melting snow or rain makes keeping dry difficult.
Dry cold: 14� F to -20� F
Ground is frozen and snow is dry and crystallized. Strong winds cause the
most concern with keeping warm. Extra clothing layers and wind-proof outer
garments should be added.
Arctic cold: below -20� F
Requires the most insulation and wind-proofing. Many materials change
physical properties, becoming brittle. Only for the most experienced
campers.
LOSS OF BODY HEAT
Homeostasis:
The body's process for maintaining an even temperature. The arms and legs are
used as a radiator to remove excess heat from the body. This process dilates the
blood vessels, allowing more blood to flow to the skin surfaces. When the body
temperature drops, these blood vessels constrict, decreasing blood flow, and
thereby, heat loss. This is why hands and feet get numb when cold, and why
they're particularly vulnerable to frostbite.
Since your brain needs oxygen to function, your body can't cut off the flow
of blood to your head in order to conserve heat. Consequently, much of your body
head can be lost through an uncovered head and neck.
Radiation. (55%) A major source of heat loss. Heat is lost directly from
exposed skin and the head. The head may lose up to one-half of the body's total
heat production at 40 degrees F, and up to three-quarters at 5 degrees F.
Conduction. (15% w/convection) Heat is lost through skin contact with cold
objects, primarily the hands, and wet or tight clothing. Handling gasoline, and
other super-cooled liquids, at low temperatures is especially dangerous.
Convection. Heat is lost from the wind carrying away heat from the surface of
the skin. This includes wind-chill effects.
Evaporation. (21%) Loss from evaporation of sweat, moisture from the skin and
lungs produces substantial heat loss. This is little that can be done about
this. We need to allow for this by using breathable fabrics to allow this
moisture to pass out freely.
Respiration. (2-9%) Heat lost from inhaling cold air and exhaling warm
air.
COLD WEATHER FIRST AID
Dehydration
Excessive loss of body water. Impairs the ability to reason, so the victim
may not react properly.
Prevention:
Drink at least 2 quarts of water a day.
Avoid dehydrating foods (high protein) and fluids (coffee, caffeine).
Increase fluid intake at first signs of darker yellow urine.
Symptoms:
1 to 5 % deficiency
Increased pulse rate
Nausea and loss of appetite
Dark urine or constipation
Irritability, fatigue
Thirst
6 to 10 % deficiency
Headache, dizziness
Labored breathing
Tingling
Absence of salivation
Inability to walk
Cyanosis (bluish or grayish skin color)
11 to 20 % deficiency
Swollen tongue, inability to swallow
Dim vision, deafness
Shriveled, numb skin
Painful urination
Delirium, unconsciousness and death
Treatment:
Mild cases - drink liquids, keep warm.
More severe cases require professional medical treatment.
Hypothermia
Lowering of the inner core temperature of the body. Can and usually does
happen above freezing. The victim may not recognize the symptoms and may not be
able to think clearly enough to react. Injury or death may result.
Predisposing Conditions:
Poor physical condition.
Inadequate nutrition and water intake.
Thin build.
Nonprotective clothing.
Getting wet.
Inadequate protection from wind, rain and snow.
Exhaustion.
Symptoms:
Loss of ability to reason.
Shivering.
Slowing, drowsiness, fatigue.
Stumbling.
Thickness of speech.
Amnesia.
Irrationality, poor judgment.
Hallucinations.
Cyanosis (blueness of skin).
Dilation of pupils of eyes.
Decreased heart and respiration rate.
Stupor.
Treatment:
Shelter the victim from wind and weather.
Insulate the victim from the ground.
Change wet clothing.
Put on windproof, waterproof gear.
Increase exercise, if possible.
Put in a prewarmed sleeping bag.
Give hot drinks, followed by candy or other high-sugar foods.
Apply external heat; hot stones, hot canteens.
Huddle for body heat from others.
Place victim in a tub of 105� F water. Never above 110� F.
Prevention:
Keep rested, maintain good nutrition.
Consume plenty of high-energy food.
Use proper clothing.
Make camp early if tired, injured or lost.
Get plenty of exercise. Don't sit around much.
Appoint an experienced person to watch the group for signs.
Take immediate corrective action for any signs.
Frostbite
Tissue injury involving the actual freezing of the skin and underlying
tissues. Recovery is slow, severe frostbite can lead to gangrene. Once exposed
the victim will be predisposed toward frostbite in the future.
Predisposing Conditions:
Prolonged exposure to temperatures 32� F or below.
Brief exposure at extremely low temperatures, -25� F and below.
Redness, pain, burning, stinging or prickly sensation.
Pain disappears and there is a sudden blanching of the skin.
The skin may look mottled.
Skin is firm to the touch, but resilient underneath.
On thawing, there is aching pain or brownness. The skin may peel off, and
the part may remain cold for some time.
Second Degree (Superficial Frostbite, Frostbite)
No pain, the part may feel dead.
Numbness, hard to move the part.
Tissue and layers underneath are hard to the touch.
After thawing (takes 3 to 20 days) pain, large blisters, sweating.
Black or discolored skin sloughs off, leaving tender new skin.
Third degree (Severe Frostbite)
Full thickness of the skin is involved.
After thawing, pain continues for 2 to 5 weeks.
Fourth degree (Severe Frostbite)
Skin and bone are frozen.
Swelling and sweating occur.
Gangrene may develop, amputation may be necessary.
Treatment:
Do not rub affected area with snow. Hold it over fire, or use cold water to
thaw it.
Exercise the affected area to promote blood circulation.
Use any warmth available to thaw area.
Do not attempt to thaw frostbitten limbs in the field. It is less harmful
for the victim to walk out on a frostbitten limb than to thaw it in the field.
Thawing only risks additional injury and the victim will be in too much pain to
walk.
Check for hypothermia.
For more severe cases refer to more complete instructions.
Prevention:
Proper clothing.
Good nutrition, drink water, maintain core temperature.
Use buddy system to check face, nose, and ears.
Immediate treatment of minor symptoms.
Snow Blindness
Inflammation of the eye caused by exposure to reflected ultraviolet rays when
the sun is shining brightly on an expanse of snow.
Symptoms:
Sensation of grit in the eyes, made worse by eye movement, watering, redness,
headache, and increased pain on exposure to light.
Treatment:
Blindfold the victim and get rest. Further exposure should be avoided. If
unavoidable, the eyes should be protected with dark bandages or the darkest
sunglasses. The condition heals in a few days without permanent damage once
exposure is stopped.
Prevention:
Wear sunglasses when any danger is present. Do not wait for discomfort to
begin.
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