Winter Survival from someone thats been standed

A little story first......
I once woked in a small Central Minnesota town and on one winters night got off work early. I started my car and head the 12 miles home. Next thing I know, the car dies. Anyone that lives out in the "boonies" knows what nights are on a deserted highway, dead, no one around for miles. Well it was 25 degrees out, a decent night for Mid January in Minnesota. I decided to wait a while, for help. Nothing came. Well I started to get cold, so I thought, I'm not to far from home, only a few miles. So I started to walk, the road back. Wrong idea..what I thought was a few miles was actualy 10 miles. I got home 5 hours later then I would've on a normal night at work. All the way home not seeing a singal veichle. When I finaly made it to my folks place, I was living at, my mom was worried. I was litteraly blue, like the Smurfs. My temp was 94.5. Took 8 hours to get back to normal.. We went back for my car later that night, not even a little "inspection" ticket from a officer was on it. Last time an officer patrolled that road was 2 days prior, to this incident. I was one of the few lucky ones to survive an incident like that. And it was only 25 degrees out. Imagine if it was colder. Well I learned my lesson and have invested in a few survial items....and yes I have broken down or gotten stuck since then, but these items have helped me out. So here's my list.

1: A red or orange bandana to tie to your attena as a sign of trouble.
2: Clothing: extra jacket (preferbly bright color, not white), wind pants, wool socks (wool keeps water off the feet, helping keep you warmer), mittens (not gloves, for mittens keep your fingers close to eachother and thus warmer), a stocking hat, face mask, long johns, boots.
3: Sleeping bag or blanket to wrap up in.
4: Food: Something high energy and non-perishable or freezable (IE: nuts, soup) Calories produce energy wich in turn produces heat.
5: Flashlight with extra batteries: Used for light or as a signaling device (for if you can see the rescue parties light, they can see yours)
6: A mini propane camp stove. (used for heat and cooking. Just remember to open your window a crack for fresh oxygen or risk dieing of co2 poisoning) They'll actualy keep a day cab decently warm.
7: A tin cup to melt snow, for drinking water (water helps regulate body temp.)
8: A 100 Ft length of rope. (if you leave your veichle, tie one end of it to your wrist and the other to your veichle, so you can find your way back, cause in a blinding snow storm you can get lost, in just feets)
9: A good book, or puzzle book (IE cosswords, word search). this will help keep your mind occupied, till help comes.
10: First aid kit. Should have one no matter if it's winter or not.
This is a good starter list.

For these are the facts on Hypothermia......
Depending on the outside temp you can start to get get signs of Hypotermia in a few minutes to a few hours. Wind and if your wet does play a big part in this.
The following is a listing of the effects of various drops in body temperature.
one degree drop: speech becomes slurred
two degree drop: fingers become clumsy, numb and weak. Shivering.
three degree drop: feet lose strength and become clumsy.
four degree drop: brain is affected - difficulty thinking clearly.
nine degree drop: muscle rigidity sets in.
fourteen degree drop: loss of consciousness and irregular heartbeat.
twenty-three degree drop: death from heart failure.
Main point retain heat to begin with.

Do's/Don'ts
1: Do start to dress and bundle up as soon as you break down. Do not wait till you get chilled, for this defeats the purpose of retaining body heat. This does prolong the onset of Hypothermia up to hours on hours.
2: If you have to take an alternate route for some reason, do let someone know. For if you break down and can't call for help, your dispatch may expect you to be on I-90, and send someone there to look for you and your really on some county highway 10 miles away, freezing to death.
3: Stay with your veichle. It's alot warmer in it then out in the wind and elements. Plus a car or a truck is easier to spot, then a "little' person walking around.
4: Keep as dry as posible. If you get wet, get dry clothes on A.S.A.P.
5: Expect for a long time of being stranded. Posibly a day or 2, maybe more.
6: Most importantly.... DON"T PANIC!!!! For panic leads to "stupid" thinking, and that leads to "stupid" ideas and actions.
7: Seek medical help imediately upon rescue. If medical help is not readily available, slowly raise body temp, with blankets, WARM not hot water. Do not rub frost bitten areas, or apply heat pads.
8: Last but not least...Be Prepared!!!!!!! For you may have the newest Ford Pickup or Kenworth, but as the saying goes, **** Happens"

For that above list of survival items may seem like a pain to lug around, but between freezing to death or possible survival...well take your pick.

Stay safe out there on the highways,

Reverend Matthew "The White Dragon" Koscielski
Proud Driver of America's Trucking Industry

 

Back then I didn't. Now I carry 2, my personal and a backup. Cause 911 still works on a disconected cell. So if one is dead, the other should work. Or at least thats the plan.

 

Good question. I have no idea if the elevation changes will effect those cans. I have an old liquid stove, that worked excellent. Now my employer bought us new propane canister types.
I do know that the liquid can stink for a while if you spill any on you stove while filling it or if you don't get the valve closed tight enough on the burner. With the cans wou can detach them to prevent this, plus if you run out while broke down, you can easily change it out with out having to pour liquid into the thing and spilling it in you rig.
I would say the best people who would know, work at a sporting store (Cabellas, ETC). Check with them before you by one.