Guide · Weather and nature

Surviving extreme cold

Cold weather drains your energy faster than almost anything else. Staying dry, insulated and fed helps you stay safe, and spotting the early signs of cold injury lets you act before it becomes serious.

Stay warm, stay dry

1. Layer up. Wear several thin layers rather than one thick one. Add a layer before you get cold and remove one before you sweat.
2. Keep dry. Wet clothing loses most of its warmth. Change out of damp clothes as soon as you can and keep spares in a waterproof bag.
3. Block the wind. A windproof outer layer makes a big difference. Wind strips heat from your body quickly.
4. Cover your head, hands and feet. Wear a hat, gloves and warm socks, and keep spares dry.
5. Insulate from the ground. Sit or lie on a mat, rucksack, branches or anything dry. The ground draws heat out of you.

Fuel and water

• Eat regularly. Your body burns extra energy to keep warm. Snacks before sleep help you stay warm overnight.
• Keep drinking. Dehydration is common in cold weather because you feel less thirsty.
• Melt snow before drinking it. Eating snow cools you down.
• Avoid alcohol. It makes you feel warm while your body loses heat faster.

Shelter

• Get out of the wind first. Use walls, rocks, dense trees or a snow bank.
• Small shelters are warmer than large ones.
• Huddle together with others and share body heat.

Hypothermia: know the signs

Hypothermia is when your body temperature drops too low. Look out for:

• shivering, cold and pale skin
• clumsiness, stumbling and fumbling with zips
• slurred speech, confusion or unusual behaviour

As it gets worse, shivering may stop and the person may become drowsy. This is serious.

Helping someone with hypothermia

1. Get them out of the wind and wet. Put them on an insulating layer.
2. Replace wet clothing with dry if possible. Wrap them in sleeping bags, blankets or a survival bag, and cover their head.
3. Give warm, sweet drinks if they're fully alert and can swallow.
4. Warm them gradually. Don't rub their skin or use very hot water.
5. Handle them gently and keep them lying flat if they're very cold.
6. Call your local emergency number (112 in Europe and many other countries, 911 in North America) if they are confused, drowsy or no longer shivering.

Frostbite

Fingers, toes, ears, nose and cheeks are most at risk. Skin may look white, grey or waxy and feel numb or hard.

• Warm the area against your body, such as in an armpit.
• Don't rub it, and don't use direct heat from a fire.
• Only fully rewarm if it won't freeze again. Refreezing causes more damage.
• Seek medical help as soon as you can.

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