We have all seen fascinating adventure films from the category of Robinson, when a person has to survive in harsh conditions of nature, relying solely on his experience, ingenuity and a bit of luck. In life, nature does not turn out to be so supportive of a hiking enthusiast or a simple traveler.
Winter, around the forest, snow crunches under your feet, and you are all alone. Romance? Not at all, because getting lost in a snow-white landscape, the trails and landmarks of which are constantly swept with snow, is very simple. Watching an adventure movie does not save you, high technologies do not help (GPS or mobile communications may just not work in the places where you are lost). But what if a few days' journey to the nearest settlement, with a successful combination of circumstances? How do people survive in emergency conditions (for example, crashed or strayed from a camping trip group)? And the school of life and special training helps them before going to the forest.
We insist that in case of planning an “excursion” to the winter forest you should familiarize yourself with 10 rules of survival in it.
10. Do not overcool
This is the first, important and true advice that can be given to a lost traveler. Hypothermia leads to a loss of energy (the body spends it on the internal heating of its systems), which weakens a person, leads to a decrease in immunity and a deterioration in overall well-being. Going to the forest in winter, you should have two sets of clothes at least. The first is intended for parking, should include insulated and well-protected clothing from weather and rain. The second is used during transitions and should be facilitated. When driving with a backpack, frost is weak, and from a feeling of comfort and warmth you may want to take off your hat and scarf and mittens for a while. It is strictly forbidden to do this, because the risk of latent hypothermia, a violation of heat transfer in the body increases.
9. Do not waste energy
Energy is your main resource that will help you survive and get to the village. A person can live without firewood, food and water for several days, but if he does not move from his place and head towards the exit from the forest, he risks simply freezing or being attacked by predators. Once in the parking lot, learn how to save valuable strength. For example, for a firebox do not take thick logs that need to be intensively chopped. When crossing, do not break through ravines, hills, ridges and other "bulges" of the region - leave this extreme for summer trips in the company of other tourists. Overcoming obstacles takes a lot of energy.
8. Do not go from the wide path to the narrow
Even in fairy tales we are warned that changing the main path is fraught with troubles and dangerous obstacles. If you have found a wide path while moving, then try to adhere to it at all costs, not tempted to descend on adjacent clearings and narrow paths, even if they are supposed to shorten your path. In a crisis situation, along the large and well-trodden paths, the rescue team will be able to find you faster.
7. Analyze your path
If you are lost in the forest, strayed from the road or behind the group, then do not rush to park immediately and wait for help - this is a missing path that can lead to severe hypothermia, frostbite, and a quick drain of valuable resources. The first thing you need to do is to follow your own tracks back to the place where you started the "wrong" path. Movement, as in a labyrinth (for example, only on the right turns), or just moving forward without knowing the terrain, can wander you even more and complicate the work of the rescue expedition. Along the way, mark landmarks that theoretically can lead you out into the open from the forest (lakes, rivers, railroad rails, etc.). Always note your movement relative to the moon and the sun. Listen to the sounds - the roar of the tractor can be heard 3 km to the village, the noise of trains - 10 km, barking - a couple of km.
6. You can’t do without protein
A berry-herbal diet romanticized by films does not make any sense in life practice and will lead to death of a person. If you get lost, and help is in no hurry for a long time, then it is vital for you to get proteins at all costs. Protein contains meat of any animals (including small rodents), birds, fish. Before the winter hike, learn how to put at least elementary snares and traps for catching game on special literature. In the forest, wounded animals may well be observed. In the most extreme case, in the absence of food, even fresh animal corpses will come up for several days - frost slows down decomposition, so it is quite possible to find pieces more or less suitable for food. What you won’t do in order to survive!
5. Shelter type plague
You are unlikely to catch rain in winter, so a regular screen (reflector) will not work as a shelter. From strong squalls of wind and blizzard, you should be able to form a shelter in the form of a "plague". Or at least put 4 classic reflectors in a square in the center of which you can wait for help for several days. At the same time, do not forget to pre-prepare a sufficient amount of firewood so that night darkness and frost do not catch you without a fire.
4. Do not eat berries if you are not sure about them.
And yet, with a complete protein diet, complex carbohydrates should not be ignored. They contribute to the slow breakdown of glucose and the portioned injection of energy into the body, which is valuable for maintaining life in a critical situation. You can’t count on vegetables and fruits in the winter forest, but it’s quite possible to find some berries. Just before the trip, do not forget to read or grab a page with information about berries growing in local regions. Poisoned or immature fruits can, at best, cause indigestion, and at worst, severe intoxication, which will lead to vomiting (loss of nutrients), dehydration (loss of fluid) and weakening of the body (loss of energy and time to save).
3. Do not sit in the snow, even if you want to sleep
Fatigue from long walks and a desire to sleep can tempt a traveler to sit down (lie down) in the snow. This can not be done, since the risk of total hypothermia and frostbite increases sharply. And if you really fall asleep in the snow, then your chances of escape in the winter forest will tend to zero. If fatigue takes over, and there is no strength to form a fire and shelter, then force yourself to be strong-willed. Come up with any motivation - fight for your life.
2. Have spare gloves and socks.
In addition to an additional set of clothes, which takes up a lot of space in a backpack, you can pick up several pairs of gloves and socks. They are important insulators for your main work areas - the hands that shelter and feed, as well as the legs that will lead out of the forest. Do not forget that in conditions of high humidity and the need to touch the snow, the gloves get wet quickly, and it will take some time to dry them even over a fire. Wet legs at low temperatures are a high chance of severe freezing and colds, which will take the strength and resources necessary for survival.
1. Do not drink cold water or eat snow
Extraction of drinking water in the forest at low temperatures is a difficult task. Drinking ice water or eating snow is strictly prohibited - you have a good throat and upper respiratory tract disease, followed by fever and freezing. Before going to the winter forest, read a series of articles on how to properly find, collect, purify and heat drinking water.
Surviving in the woods in winter is a very difficult and dangerous task, especially if you have no successful experience in tourism at low temperatures, hunting in the taiga or other similar events. Competent preparation, mastering some of the tricks and gaining the necessary skills for survival are necessary before the start of your winter hike.