The winter season is definitely something to look forward to every year. People get to enjoy the cold weather, play in the snow, and, perhaps most importantly, celebrate Christmas. However, everyone should still be wary of the potential dangers brought about by extremely cold weather. Hypothermia, frostbite, car accidents, and slipping on icy roads are just some of the bad things brought by winter that pop into mind. That’s why you should have your winter survival kit ready while also brushing up on some winter preparedness tips.
Food and Water
When you’re at home when a snowstorm strikes, it’s in your best interest that you stay put. Never take the risk of going out in extremely cold weather. Prepare yourself and the family for such a scenario by stocking up on food and drinking water. In fact, you should have a well-stocked pantry at all times so you can sustain yourselves in any kind of disaster or emergency.
Canned goods are prepper pantry must-haves. They’re a great alternative to fresh meat and come with long shelf lives. Fill your pantry with canned food such as Survival Cave Food Mixed 12 Ready to Eat Canned Meat. Each mixed case comes with 12 28-ounce cans of meat, particularly 3 each of beef and chicken and 2 each of turkey, pork, and ground beef.
Don’t forget to include food and water in your other emergency kits. Pack lightweight yet nutritious food in your bug out bags, get home bags, and car emergency kits.
The Food + Water Replacement Bundle by Redfora consists of 12 4.25-ounce emergency water pouches and 3,600-calorie Emergency Food Ration. These should be enough to last one person for three days. Aside from this set, you can also include energy bars, nuts, and other long-lasting ready-to-eat foods.
Warm Clothes and Winter Gear
In extremely cold weather, you will need more than the clothes on your back. Make sure to pack extra layers of warm clothes in your bug out bag and winter survival kit. Aside from pants, jackets, and coats, you will also need extra socks, long underwear, gloves, hats, and scarves.
Wool Face Mask
Human beings survived this long because they continuously adapt to their environment. The coronavirus is a good example of our resiliency. While more than a million people have sadly passed away because of the pandemic, those who are left behind are doing what they can to adjust to the new normal. Part of that new normal is wearing face masks.
Since COVID-19 is not too keen on letting up even if it’s the Christmas season, it’s up to us to adjust once more. This time, we can wear face masks made of wool. The Protective Wool Face Mask by Redfora not only helps curb the spread of the coronavirus, but it also helps keep you warm.
Wool Blanket
Wool blankets offer protection from both cold and heat. Wool is naturally resistant to fire so it will come in handy when you are trying to escape a burning building or forest fire. It also regulates temperature. It prevents the heat released by your body from escaping. That allows you to stay warm in a cold environment.
Redfora Fire Resistant Wool Blanket is 60% wool, which is what is commonly used for disaster relief efforts around the world. Make sure you have at least one in your winter survival kit.
Thermal Blanket
One factor to consider when you’re building your winter survival kit or any emergency kit for that matter is weight. Anything too heavy may become more troublesome than helpful, especially if you have to carry your kit on your back. You can invest in heavy survival items if you’re keeping them in your home or bug out shelter. For your bug out bag, you need survival gear that is light and takes as little space as possible.
Few can be more lightweight than a thermal blanket. The Emergency Survival Blanket (ESB) Blanket by Frog & CO weighs just a few grams. It measures 7 x 5 feet but folds into the size of your hand. Most importantly, the space blanket is made of reflective polyester film that reflects as much as 90% of your body heat back to you.
Hand and Body Warmers
When it comes to winter survival kit essentials, anything that will help you stay warm and avoid hypothermia is a must. Fortunately, there are survival tools such as the QuickHeat Rechargeable Hand Warmer. This small device from Frog & CO provides up to 140 degrees Fahrenheit of heat for 2 to 4 hours.
The QuickHeat Hand Warmer also doubles as a powerbank. Use it to charge your phone so you can call for help. It’s certainly a good thing to have in case you’re trapped in your during a blizzard.
Another winter survival kit must-have, the Heat Pax Disposable 20-Hour Body Warmers delivers up to 155 degrees Fahrenheit of heat for as long as 20 hours. Heat Pax only needs oxygen to work so there’s basically nothing worrisome about it. They’re also pretty compact so you can pack as many as you can fit in your kit.
Fire Starting Tools
In the old days, ancient humans survived the cold by staying close to fire. That’s still done today. Make sure you have fire-starting tools in your winter emergency kit. Whether you’re indoors or outdoors, your capacity to start a fire may spell the difference between surviving and freezing to death.
Pack some waterproof matches in your winter survival kit. Frog & CO’s Safety Weatherproof Matches w/ Waterproof Case is small (3.1 x 1.1 inches) and light (0.7 ounces) so there’s no reason why you shouldn’t include it in your winter survival kit. One case includes 20 waterproof and windproof matches, each of which burns for up to 15 seconds. The strike pad is located on the lid.
You need more than just waterproof matches. Include lighters and magnesium rod fire starters in your winter emergency kit. The more fire-starting tools you have, the better your chances of having a fire when you need it.
The Elements Magnesium Fire Starter Fire Rod, also from Frog & CO, is a 3-in-1 survival tool that deserves a spot in any emergency kit. The magnesium fire starter does its job even in wet and windy conditions. It also has a built-in 150-decibel whistle and a compass. The 4.75-inch long Elements fire starter has a lifespan of 15,000 strikes.
You also need tinder. This will help turn the spark made by your fire starter into flame. You can find tinder in your surroundings. Dried leaves, wood shavings (you’ll need a pocket knife for this), and cattails are examples of tinder.
It’s not a good idea to just depend on your environment for your tinder. It would be better if you have tinder in your winter survival pack. Cotton balls burn easily and make good tinder. The interior of a paracord is also highly flammable. Don’t forget to pack paracord in your survival kit since it has tons of uses aside from starting a fire.
For cooking and bonfires, use Milpack Fuel Gel. The environment-friendly fuel gel is made of Diethylene Glycol, which produces smoke and odor-free fire. Each pouch burns for as long as 15 minutes. The Milpack Fuel Gel has no expiration date, which basically means your great, great-grandson can probably still use it to make fire.
Portable Stove and Cookset
Having a fire to stay warm is great but it would be better if you can make hot meals and drinks. Include a portable stove and cookset in your winter survival kit. This way, you can make soup or boil water for coffee or hot chocolate.
Pocket Stove Folding Camping Stove with Hex Fuel Tablets by Frog & CO is another survival tool that barely takes up space in your emergency kit. Staying true to its name, the Pocket Stove folds into a 0.8 x 3.9 x 3-inch rectangle that’s almost as big as a regular pocket. The portable camping stove, made from aircraft-grade aluminum, comes with 6 fuel tablets. Each one burns for up to 10 minutes.
The BioLite CampStove 2 is another portable stove that should be on the camping and survival gear checklist. The stove only needs small pieces of wood such as twigs and branches to produce smokeless flames. The camping stove is equipped with an integrated 2600mAh battery that helps convert heat from the fire into electricity. Use this energy to charge your phone and other small devices.
Portable Light Sources
Winter storms can cause power failure. If that happens, you’ll need your portable lantern, LED flashlights, and headlamps to see in the dark. Don’t settle for just one of these lighting tools. Each one offers its own advantages over the others.
The headlamp, for example, is the favored light source if you need to use both hands. This is why hikers, mountain climbers, and emergency responders use headlamps. The TIKKINA Headlamp provides 250 lumens of a bright and wide beam of light. It runs on 3 AAA batteries or the CORE rechargeable battery. The IPX$ weather-resistant TIKKINA Headlamp is available in black, red, and blue colors.
Portable Shovel
Since snow is inevitable in most states in the country, a shovel is a vital survival tool. At home, you can use an actual snow shovel. It’s the one designed for moving snow. Snow shovels have large blades, which may take up too much space in your car. Of course, you can’t carry a snow shovel when you’re out in the wild.
The better option is a portable or folding shovel. The Stealth Tact Shovel from Frog & CO is a multi-purpose tool. It has a total of 12 functions, making it one of the most useful survival tools around. You can use the Stealth Tact Shovel as a hatchet, saw, knife, or hoe. It also acts as a fire starter, glass breaker, wrench, screwdriver, bottle opener, and fish scaler. The handle doubles as a watertight container.
Weather Radio
Since snowstorms are common during winter, you need to stay on your toes so you can be ready in case one hits your area. You need a weather radio to stay up-to-date. It will also notify you of any announcements or warnings so you’ll be better prepared when the winter storm approaches.
The Motorola MWR800C 3-in-1 Hand Crank Weather Radio lets you listen in on 10 NOAA weather radio channels to go with AM/FM stations. The weatherproof radio can be powered by electricity, solar energy, or via hand crank. A true survival tool, the Motorola weather radio doubles as a powerbank capable of charging small devices. It also has a built-in LED flashlight.
As always, your safety is our utmost concern. This is why we are serious about sharing survival tips, including how to build your own winter survival kit. Follow Gentleman Pirate Club to read up on more ways to survive blizzards and extreme cold temperatures. You will also find other survival gear checklists that can help you with your bug out bags and other emergency kits.
