Hot answers tagged cold-weather
13
Yes, it is definitely doable. -20°C is only -4°F. The real question is whether it is doable by you at the level of discomfort and hassle you are willing to put up with. Only you can answer that. At best we can point out what the hassles and discomforts will be.
First, your fear of dying of cold in your sleep is silly. You'd have to do something ...
13
I'm answering my own question to share some knowledge.
First, cold toes/fingers is serious. You start feeling discomfort, then a little pain, then you stop feeling them and forget about them, then you get them amputated. So you should constantly check if you can still feel toes and fingers, and if not, start to warm them up.
Second, I find most effective ...
12
I think capacitive gloves are your best bet. Basically, they are gloves with something that allows the screen to close a circuit with your body (your hands) and that makes the screen work. I've provided some links to reviews, but the bottom line is this: at the temperature you're describing (around 0 degrees Celsius) they will probably do the job reasonably ...
11
I cannot answer directly if you are risking your life or not, however, it is quite possible to tent in -20C weather, given appropriate preparations and gear. Condensation, possible wind and snow-load are a few of the environmental factors to consider in your preparations and gear selection. The condensation one is critical, as damp gear (in general) loses ...
11
I hadn't seen any of these but a quick Google does indeed seem to bring up a few!
From a quick glance around, though this isn't an authoritative answer, it seems that 5 season tents are specifically designed for the harshness of Arctic-like climates, rather than a 4 season tent being designed more for your average winter in non-arctic conditions. I guess in ...
10
You could do a lot worse than strip them and get in a sleeping bag with them, and indeed this used to be instructed as standard first aid for hypothermia. However, as far as I'm aware this has now changed and the recommended approach is to construct a 1 person thermal burrito / hyper-wrap.
It's done as follows (content taken from the alpine institute blog!)
...
10
I think you mean "light" the fuel. "Lighten" means to reduce it's weight. It seems you want to ignite it.
The basic problem is that the vapor pressure of ethanol goes down significantly with cold. Keep in mind that liquid doesn't actually burn, it's the gas the liquid gives off combining with atmospheric oxygen that actually burns. If you have a fuel ...
10
I am not a doctor, so I can only repeat what I think I understood from lectures by those that do have medical training.
I'm pretty sure I remember Dr Murray Hamlett (I highly recommend attending one of his lectures, if he's still doing them. He is not only a leader and pioneer in cold weather medicine, but also a very good and engaging speaker.) saying to ...
9
Myth::Busted: http://dsc.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/alcohol-warms-up.htm
Turns out, just one alcoholic drink could make you feel warmer,
but it actually lowers your core body temperature.
How does alcohol employ this rule of opposites? Alcohol may make
your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat wave is deceptive. A
nip or ...
8
Overshoes
When the boots' warmth is not enough, you can use overshoes.
Basically, it's nothing more than a sack made of cloth , which you put over your boot and fasten somehow:
This helps you in two ways:
It creates an air pocket around your boot, reducing heat loss.
The snow now melts not on your boot, but on the overshoe, drastically increasing the ...
8
Please don't drink alcohol to stay warm. It may make you feel slightly warmer temporarily, but it isn't actually helping you.
According to my favourite volume on Wilderness Medicine (page 156), a small nip won't hurt you if you already have a cold-induced injury. However, it is strongly correlated with cold-induced injury, due to the cognitive impairment ...
7
My experience tell me this: sleep naked always if there's no sign of a possible avalanche.
I've been in many high altitude expeditions in three Continents and have explored many vertical and horizontal caves and underground systems. Sleeping bags are best when they're good. Don't try to get a cheap offer and trade it for your safety or comfort.
In ...
6
Make sure your fuel container is not in direct contact with the ground. It'll suck the heat right out of your fuel, reducing vapors.
Warm your fuel first (armpits work, closed container obviously)
If you are using actual alcohol, you're going to have trouble below freezing. As Olin mentioned, the vapors are what burn, and alcohol just doesn't produce ...
6
It's not clear what you think the layer principle, is but you don't have to dress in layers. It's the performance of the complete stackup that matters. In cold weather, this could be achieved, for example, by a polypro sweater then wool sweater then wind breaker, or with a single "winter" jacket. Both can be made to keep you warm equally well, and the ...
6
Get a Lavvu with a stove!
Photo from Wikimedia Commons
The Sami population of Lapland have lived for centuries in Lavvus in a climate with temperatures down to -40°C. They did decide about a hundred years ago or so to live in houses, because it is a tad more comfortable. As the Sami still exist, this proves that it's not immediately lethal to live at ...
6
I have found sleeping with my boots inside the bag is the ONLY way to go when it is really cold out. Moderately cold, sure you can tough out the re-thaw in the morning - but real cold... forget it.
It is tough to get over the psychological barrier of putting boots in your bag - but it will make a difference. A few points to consider:
During the day, sweat ...
6
Adding to Steeds self-answer. Other ways to warm up fingers and toes:
Wiggle your fingers and toes vigorously (while walking, while sitting) - circulation is aided by muscle movement.
Sprint (if you have the extra energy)
When not using them, ball your hands up inside your gloves (remove your fingers from the glove fingers and make a fist inside the ...
5
At my local army shop they sell neoprene gloves with detachable finger ends for the index and middle finger ends. Something like the picture below, but without the thumb, and the ends are not cut out but foldable.
I have ones without this feature. They are not too warm (good maybe down to -5C), but are very comfortable - I cant type and call on the phone ...
5
Two suggestions. You can get fingerless gloves that also are mittens. Here's a child version so you can see how they work:
Second, you can try to get a touchscreen that works with gloves. For example the Nokia Lumia made quite a big deal out of this at their launch.
It makes sense that people in Finland would consider cold weather use for their ...
5
If you get that sort of snowfall, the correct safety procedures include clearing snow every couple of hours. Set your alarm and get out to clear snow - especially from the entrance, but all round if it looks like the tent will get covered.
The tents used in the Antarctic are shaped like steep pyramids to help avoid the problem of snow buildup - dome tents ...
5
I usually stomp the area with snowshoes until it's reasonably packed, and that's good enough. If it's windy and very cold I may dig down 3-4 feet for protection from the wind. (If you're in the mountains you should have a snow shovel for safety.)
A thicker sleeping pad (or two pads) will definitely keep you warmer. When you pack up in the morning, you can ...
5
I would take two things into consideration, or rather mention two things that are in consideration:
1: Providing a pleasant, agreeable, and accommodating-as-possible response to someone who is suffering.
2: Doing what will provide the best chances of saving a person's life.
American culture at least is squeamish about violating principle #1, enough so ...
5
One option is to take them with you into the sleeping bag, just as anything else that needs to keep from freezing (like gas or batteries). I feel like my sleeping bag already takes enough beating as it is, so the boots stay outside. I just make sure they’re wide open, so that I can get them on my feet in the morning even if they’re frozen. Running a few ...
4
I had a pair of Yaktracks for a couple of winters, and they turned out not to be what I really wanted. They do work very well on packed snow and you can walk inside most places without having to take them off.
However, they work poorly on hard ice, which make them less than ideal for walking around town in the winter. The hard metal coil spring doesn't ...
4
I have slept in freezing temps and sub zero. All I will say is most sleeping bags will not even keep you comfortable to half their rating. Get a good bag, add a thick blanket or two, and wear plenty of layers.
Do not forget a head and face covering. A few days ago I slept outdoors in -12F and I used a triple layer extreme cold military bag inside a ...
4
A snow shovel will make your life a lot easier, yes - it gives you the option to dig out snow to use as a windbreak, and to lower the tent a little into the snow, reducing the wind.
Digging down a little also lets you reach more packed snow, which makes it easier to provide a flat surface.
You shouldn't need any extra insulation under the floor - although ...
4
I would like to add to berry120's answer with my own. I thought of suggesting this as an edit but thought adding an answer was more appropriate.
What he said is correct, however I think it is important to mention a few things. If you are treating someone in this fashion, they most likely have severe hypothermia where they are no longer shivering and are ...
4
Each fuel has a flash point. Below that point, the fumes are not dense enough to sustain a flame.
You can find a table here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flash_point
And a nice video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83UfBD92DfI&feature=fvwrel
Ethanol : 16.6 °C (61.9 °F)
Gasoline : −43 °C (−45 °F)
Diesel : >62 °C (144 °F)
Below that temperature, the ...
4
I did this trek in early April (of 2004), flying to Lukla and walking to Kala Patar and the base camp. However, I didn't sleep at Gorakshep (the highest point at which it was possible to sleep in a lodge) but at Lobuche (4900 m). I purchased a -10 degrees Celsius (14F) sleeping bag in Kathmandu, which was fine for me. At Lobuche my water bottle froze during ...
4
theJollySin is right. Your body adjusts to seasons by changing the viscosity of your blood. Thicker in winter to help stay warm, thinner in summer to help stay cool. Essentially, alcohol thins your blood, simulating what your body does to drop its temperature. Drink your whiskey, but sit close to the fire.
Edit:
The warming effect is not psychological. ...
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