How Long Could You Survive In This Blizzard?

[Justin Case]

If for whatever reason, you were on foot in this blizzard (12" of snow, temp 15 to 30 degrees, with winds 30-40 mph) in the middle of the Hoosier National Forest, or some similar wilderness area in Indiana, with only the clothes on your back (including winter coat and boots) and whatever gear you have this moment in your BOB, GHB, INCH Bag, etc, how long could you survive? What would your strategy be? Would you try to walk out? Would you build a shelter and wait out the storm? Could you make a fire in this weather? Is the gear you have sufficient?

I'm hoping that you will share your thoughts so we can all be better prepared.

 

[shibumiseeker]

I'll hunker down in shelter until the storm is over, walk out. Nowhere in the HNF is so far away from anything as to not be able to be exited in a couple of hours, and this is childs play winter survival (literally: I was practicing these skills when I was 14).

This weather is not that hard to survive. The real killer is 35f and rain, or subzero sustained weather.

 

[Kmcinnes]

Me personally, knowing Indiana weather....I would probably build a shelter, build a fire and wait it out because it won't last too long. But things might change depending on what the weather continues to do. I have on Wool socks, boots, jeans, long sleeve sort and short sleeve shirt on top of that and cart-hart bibs and jacket along with my cart-hart wool Sock hat, In my Pockets are my iPhone, Knife, Glock 19 and Keltec .380, Zippo Lighter (Full of fluid), keys, wallet.....oh and my Get Home Bag with food, blankets, med supplies, heat warmers, flash lights, extra set of clothes, Matches and two other methods of fire starting, water purification tabs and filter and so on is right next to me.

 

[ISP 5353]

If I can get to my GHB, I would feel pretty good for at least a week. I would probably shelter in place until the storm blew itself out. Then improve shelter and store up more wood for fuel. I can get a fire going in just about any weather and that would be a priority in the cold.

Ration your food supplies and make plans to walk out and effect a self rescue unless you are SURE that SAR is looking for you in the correct area.

My wife and I spend a lot of time outdoors in all types of weather and we are pretty adept at taking care of ourselves. It will not be pleasant or comfortable, but with a few skills and a good mindset, you will be okay.

Get out and challenge yourself. It is one thing to believe that you can get a fire going in tough conditions, but it is better to know that you can. It is also good to test your equipment too.

 

[Justin Case]

Would you be able to gather enough dry tender and firewood in this weather? What is the best way to start a fire in heavy snow?

 

[shibumiseeker]

Would you be able to gather enough dry tender and firewood in this weather? What is the best way to start a fire in heavy snow?

Sure, there's always dry material available like sassafras twigs which can be fuzzed, mouse nests inside hollow logs, dead pine/cedar twigs on the trunk, etc.

Personally, I'll start a fire with one of the several butane lighters that I have distributed on my person and in my packs, but if somehow all 4-5 of them fail, I have a cerium (flint) stick and have started fires using a bow drill (and know and have practiced a bunch of other methods).

This type of snow is great because it tends to make all sorts of snow caves from bent over trees/shrubs, and lots of dry material can be found underneath, so shelter and fire are much less work than under other conditions.

 

[WETSU]

As I sit right now, ready to head out the door for a short 6 minute drive, I could survive until spring. But then again, I carry a lot in my head.

I did a deep snow, winter survival exercise a couple years back where I snowshoed into the woods in Michigan with just the contents of my pockets. It got into the single digits at night. I did all right.

Right now, on me: LL Bean boots with wool felt insoles
Smartwool heavy hiking socks
Jeans
Heavy horse harness leather belt
G19 in bladetech IW holster
Underoos
Loose gear UA T
heavy cotton thermal long T
Carhart jacket with hood
Pocket blow out kit (USGI dressing, TK4)- in jacket pocket
Steel gel ball pen-in jacket pocket
OC-outer jacket pocket
Shemagh
Fleece cap
Lined leather gloves
Casio G shock and wedding band
Spare G19 mag
keys (w/LED light, peanut lighter, ferorod, brass wire), wallet w/ cash, ID, litter
4Sevens Quark light
Kershaw folder
Bic mini lighter
A few coins in spare change
Droid X
In my hands I have an empty peanut butter jar I used as a shaker bottle for a protien drink, taking it home to be washed. I suppose I could use that to melt snow, since technically I actually have it on me.

Thats it. I think I could do very well indeed. I'd have a shelter up, fire going, wood stockpiled, water simmering for pine needle tea, a large browse bed of white pine and listening to Miles Davis on my Droid. Now what DID I do with that Monte Cristo?

 

[Justin Case]

Great feedback guys! When it comes to wilderness survival I've got a lot to learn! I think I would do pretty well bugging in, but if I had to bug out on foot during the winter, I'd be in real trouble. So, I appreciate your comments!

 

[WETSU]

Yeah, if I had my GHB, let alone my BOB, it almost wouldnt be fair. I could live like a king.

 

[1988-4551]

Blizzard aside the special late season anterless deer season is going on atm and will find me in the woods this coming weekend. No overnighters though because of some family responsibilities

 

[tocaman]

Great feedback guys! When it comes to wilderness survival I've got a lot to learn! I think I would do pretty well bugging in, but if I had to bug out on foot during the winter, I'd be in real trouble. So, I appreciate your comments!

Get out there now and try to start a fire. Better to practice now and have the significant other think you've lost it than struggling when it counts. I just got in showing my 9 year old daughter what to use and where to find it, even in this weather. I had a lighter on me, but I showed her how to use the ferro rod and ESEE 4. When we came in, the wife had hot chocolate waiting...

 

[K_W]

I may be a city boy, but...

I know how to build a basic shelter, both in and of snow, and of forest floor litter.
I know how to find firewood.
I know how to make and use a bowdrill to start fires.
I know how to make a spear out of a pocketknife (fish, rabbits, birds)
I know a little about plants, but there is not many I can identify in winter.
I twice spent a week in the Kentucky woods with an former Army Ranger and I payed attention.

I had on today; a quality two layer winter coat with a goose down liner upgrade, long johns, jeans, and ski pants, Sorel boots, a Toq hat, aviator sunglasses, and ski gloves.

In all honesty I could make it a week.

EDIT: nevermind, I had a cellphone with GPS and map apps.... I'd just call for a chopper.

 

[findingZzero]

I would die of lyme disease the first night, but then I would rise and walk funny until I found something to eat, preferably something fresh.

 

[bdybdall]

I did have to get out and walk today after getting my car stuck in the cemetery where they plowed the roads so poorly. Not far, but I was glad I had on my tall Redwing boots and wool hiking socks, Carharrt bibs, long undies, hooded sweatshirt under Carharrt jacket, wool stocking cap, and excellent hunting gloves. Had my Chiefs Special, Spyderco, and Streamlight penlight with me also but of course I didn't need them. I was comfortable but I shouldn't have gone to the cemetery today, that was stupid. If I were to change anything, I would have worn my woolen undies rather than cotton, a wool sweater and a wool scarf or shemagh. I should have been carrying my cellphone and something with which to make a fire, also. I didn't expect to need anything like that and so I wasn't prepared. I was fine but it made me realize that we don't always know when we are going to need this stuff.

 

[The Bubba Effect]

If you have not camped out in weather like this it is really easy to underestimate how much cold takes out of you. I have several nights in the woods under my belt and bar none the cold nights were the hardest.

I could survive long enough out there to make it out.

 

[TheDude]

I gotta shotgun, rifle and a four wheel drive. Ill be alright

 

[churchmouse]

I have been dressing for Indiana winters my whole life. Lions share of my work is outside and mainly on the roofs. If outfitted as you say with my BOB I could hunker down in a comfortable enough shelter for 3 or more days without suffering more than just the discomfort of being out in this weather. My BOB is 72 hrs for 2 adults.
Might be kind of fun actually.

Now if it were 35 deg. and rain....not so much fun.

 

[Survivalcookie]

I would look at the weather before I went out in the forest.

 

[Zoub]

Would you be able to gather enough dry tender and firewood in this weather? What is the best way to start a fire in heavy snow?

The question is do you know how to make shelters and all kinds of shelters in all kinds of winter situations.

Just a few classic bottle top candles, the ones made in 1970's era metal bottle tops can raise the temp in an igloo or shelter to the point you are taking layers off. Candles plus body heat = you will be just fine.

Wet, wind and cold = you are dead. The weather is more of a danger than not having a fire. Not properly dressed and no shelter, the question is will you live long enough to go to the ER to have your frostbitten parts removed.

I have spent days in temps where the high was zero and we never had a fire of any kind. Just a small pack stove or an esbit stove.

When it comes to shelter building, year round I want a small saw first, paracord next, anything I can tie with third, then in winter a long blade to cut snow blocks with is a nice plus but there are other ways to accomplish that.

I am not saying fire skills are not important, I am just trying to imagine not having fire skills AND shelter making skills AND an understating of weather and human biology. They all go to together if you really want to understand survival and solving that problem as it relates to your body.


I have a sheath that carries a Silky Saw, Hori-Hori Knife and an anvil pruner. With that I could a build a fort big enough for F Troop and have all the fires we wanted. I use that kit year round.

 

[Indy60]

When I was younger, a lot younger, my brother in laws and myself would hike out in the middle of nowhere in the middle of winter back packing and spend 3 or 4 days on our own. We had the State Police track us one New Years eve in the Harrison Crawford State Forest to our campsite. They arrived about 2AM in street clothes and freezing to death. What we did not know one of our dogs had cut a paw on the side of the road as we left the car. The SP came by and saw a blood trail in the snow and figured something was up. The snow was coming down about an inch an hour so they lost our trail early on in the evening. As we started seeing flashlights out on a distant ridge and then another ridge we got concerned and 2 of us took up vantage points away from the fire as one stayed by the fire. We were unarmed but had a Navy Seal with us who took the hatchet and stayed hidden and said he would handle the first one into the campsite if things went bad.. To our surprise it was the State Police! They told us how concerned they were and how they even tracked the car and went to my Sisters house from the car registration but she was at my Mom's.

Long story short, the State Police said they would have arrested us for not camping in a designated campground but we had hiked out of Govt property and we were on private land.

So I guess I could stay out for a few days, we did these kind of trips too with out tents and built our shelters from what we could find.

Just curious if anyone has thought about a bug out shelter like Sullivan's cave or Buckner's here in Indiana? Did a lot of spelunking in my youth and have to say I could hide from the world forever with what I know about local Southern Indiana caves.