Warning: the author of this essay is not a native English speaker

„Cold is a far greater threat to survival than it appears. It decreases your ability to think and weakens your will to do anything except to get warm. Cold is an insidious enemy; as it numbs the mind and body, it subdues the will to survive.“

FM 21-76, US Army Survival Manual

Cold is your enemy. It threats your life and decreases your ability to think. So how to survive cold weather camping? The following answers and notes come from US Army Survival Manual.

Cold weather environments

You may face two types of cold weather environments – wet or dry. These types of environments will affect your survival strategy.

If the average temperature in a 24-hour period is above -10 degrees C, you face wet cold weather conditions. You must protect yourself from the wet ground, freezing rain and wet snow.

If the average temperature in a 24-hour period is below -10 degrees C, you face dry cold weather conditions. Then you will need more layers of inner clothing.

The temperature on your thermometer need not correspond to the real temperature. Windchill increases the effect of cold weather conditions. If the a temperature is -10 degrees C and if there is a 27.8 – kph wind, then the equivalent windchill temperature is -23 degrees C. Skiing and running have the equivalent effect.

Basic principles of cold weather survival

Always keep your head covered. An unprotected head is able to lose up to 50 percent of body heat because there is much blood circulation in the head. Then you have to protect your neck, wrist, and ankles.

Always keep clothing clean, avoid overheating, wear clothes loose and in layers, and keep clothing dry.

Dirty and greasy clothes are not good insulating material. If you sweat, your clothing absorbs the moisture and loses its insulation value. Several layers of clothing have dead-air space between them and this space provides good insulation.

Snow melts by your body heat and if you do not have water repellent, you must brush off the snow and frost before entering a heated shelter. Sometimes you cannot keep your clothing dry, then hang your clothing inside the tent near the top (or improvise before an open fire, etc.).

Use a heavy, down-lined sleeping bag. The down must remain dry.

Hygiene

Wash yourself daily. Mainly wash your body where sweat and moisture accumulate – under the arms, between the legs – and then wipe yourself dry. Daily change your socks and underwear. Check your body and clothing for lice each night. Try to shave before going to bed.

Try to avoid to become constipated. Relieve yourself when needed. Increase your fluid intake to at least 2 liters daily and eat fruit.

Frostbite

Your feet, hands, and exposed facial areas are vulnerable to frostbite. Periodically cover your nose and lower part of your face with your mittened hand. Maintain blood circulation by twitching and wrinkling the skin on your face. Move your ears. Move your hands inside your gloves. Move your feet and wiggle your toes inside your boots. Warm your body parts with your hands and place your hands into gloves or armpits.

Tent

Your tent should not be larger than needed because it reduces the amount of space to heat. Keep tent space small. Don’t sleep directly on the ground. Lay down some insulating material.

If you have an open flame in your tent, your tent must be ventilated. In other case incomplete combustion can cause carbon monoxide poisoning.