As most of you know, it’s officially winter on Dec 21st. Seems like the perfect time to learn wintertime survival tips. A little more than a week and we’ll be into the coldest season of the year.
Part of the reason I first got into prepping was because of my worries about winter time disasters.
See, I hated the idea of my car getting stuck in a snow storm and becoming my icy tomb.
I’ve also lived through some momentary power outages at my house which made me think twice about not having some prep items with me.
And one of my biggest fears, the one that made me shiver in July?
I feared what would happen in a total societal meltdown during the winter months. Images of people freezing in bread lines that stretched for miles during January made be go pale with fright.
That’s why I started prepping and it’s why I’m writing to you right now.
In the next few seconds, I’ll show you unusual but useful wintertime survival tips.
Now I could write an entire book on the subject, but these unique tips aren’t usually covered by other people.
Fortunately, if you start doing this stuff now it’ll actually help you get prepared for a summertime crisis too. So take a look at some of these survival tips and see which ones you can start using today
Unexpected Wintertime Survival Tips
Take a Vitamin D Supplement
You’ve probably heard your doctor tell you about the importance of vitamin D. What you might not realize is how important it is for survival.
What you might not know is your body actively converts sunlight into vitamin D. During the winter months the sun’s rays are much weaker than they are in the summer. Because the winter sun’s rays are so much weaker, it means you become deficient in this essential nutrient very quickly
That’s why doctors are always recommending Americans taking vitamin D supplements.
Now you’re probably wondering why this matters for survival.
There are two reasons actually. The first is vitamin D is essential for strong bones. Because of how icy winter weather can be, falls resulting in broken bones are much more common in the winter. Taking vitamin D helps create strong bones which will help prevent injuries when you fall.
The second reason is because you need vitamin D for mental health.
You’ve probably heard of winter time blues. These blues are the result of a lack of vitamin D. When you take vitamin D as a supplement it lifts your mood and literally makes you happier.
Truth is you need a healthy mind if you want to outlast a crisis. That’s why survival experts always talk about increasing morale. If you’re down in the dumps it can quickly turn fatal. Especially in the winter.
Once you start taking vitamin D you probably shouldn’t stop either. Unless you get tons of sunshine spring through fall it’s one of the few vitamins you should take all the time. This is one of those wintertime survival tips that’s perfect for the summer too.
Always Have Extra Socks On Hand
I like to help volunteer with the homeless. It helps me know I’m doing my part to make this world a better place. Plus I know a lot of them are veterans with mental issues and they desperately need the attention.
You learn a lot by working with the homeless.
And my #1 winter survival lesson learned from them is understanding how important socks are. Whenever I ask what they need almost all of them ask for more socks. When it’s cold outside they stuff their bags full of them.
Considering what homeless people know about living on the streets I think you should follow their lead. Only for you, you’ll find even more uses for them.
Let me show you a few reasons why socks are added to my wintertime survival tips blog post.
- Keep tube socks in your car. You can place them on windshield wipers at night to prevent them from getting frozen
- Keep a pair in your glove box. You never know when you might need to push your car in the snow. Extra socks wrapped around your shoes will give you extra grip to get out. This is also true if you just need some for walking on icy surfaces.
- Keep them in a bag or coat pocket. Not only are socks great for feet, they’re perfect for hands too. If you’re ever in need a pair of socks on your hands or over gloves will keep your fingers nice and warm
- Turn them into a mini survival-kit. You can use socks to carry all kinds of survival gear. Place items like knives, hand warmers, pocket stoves and fuel, water filtration tabs and more in a sock. Then tie them off at the top so your gear is all together in one place.
- Cut the toes off: If you want to stay extra warm you can cut the toes off socks to keep your arms extra warm. This is a classic survival tip that’s long forgotten.
Be Ready To Pitch A Tent
I’m sure most of you reading this don’t like the idea of winter and camping in the same sentence. If you’re the kind of person who likes to camp in the winter, well you might be a glutton for punishment.
Suffice to say if you want to be really prepared for a winter time crisis I recommend getting camping gear for the winter. Yes, even a tent. Consider this one of the more crucial wintertime survival tips.
The reason I recommend this is because if the power ever goes out you can use all that gear to better survive a winter time crisis.
Think about it. If all you have in your house right now are a few blankets to keep warm during a wintertime power outage you’re asking for trouble.
This is why it pays to have camping items stored in your car or at home.
I recommend having:
- A sleeping bag rated for low temps 0-20 degrees
- A tent
- An emergency survival blanket
- A week’s worth of easy-make survival food
- A portable stove with plenty of fuel
- A knife or a multitool
- Handwarmers of some sort
- A portable power pack to jump a car and electronics
- A water filter or water purification device
Of course, you can add more, but these tools will be perfect for winter and summer weather.
Ideally, you’d keep them in a small backpack. That way you could transport it from the trunk of your car into your home any time you want.
I hope you learned a few things reading about these wintertime survival tips. I know this winter’s going to be cold, so make sure to get ready now.
Have any wintertime survival tips to share? Tell me in the comments.
P.S. One of the easiest ways to get prepped for winter is getting emergency survival blankets. My buddy accidentally ordered more than he can fit in his warehouse and is giving some away for free. Get your free one today for your car or bug out bag.