Overnight, many places here in the US are going to drop to "bone-chilling" temps and some of those who go out will NOT make it home due to accidents, ice, snow and the cold.
SO... I wanted to talk briefly about Hypothermia and how you can beat it if you come face-to-face with it.
First off, "Hypothermia" is simply defined as a condition where your body temperature drops below the point where it can self-regulate.
And it doesn't take much!
Hypothermia begins when your body's core temperature falls below 95 degrees Fahrenheit.
The easiest way for this to happen is when someone falls into a body of frozen water or simply a cold stream... or during the filming of an "ice bucket challenge" video ;)
In all seriousness.... Hypothermia could kill you (not the ice bucket thing) if you don't know the symptoms an how to treat yourself and/or others quickly!
A few of the tell-tale signs that you are entering a state of Hypothermia are:
- Shivering
- Drowsiness
- Confusion
- Loss of Coordination
- Slurred/Slow Speech
- Weak Pulse
- And Memory Loss
If you exhibit these signs in yourself or others, here are a few actions that you'll want to take:
- Remove any wet clothes and replace them with dry ones
- Drinking warm liquids to warn the person's core temp
- Be in close proximity to a fire or heat source, even another person's body heat
- Seek shelter from the wind or other element that could cause further heat loss
- Of course seeking emergency medical attention should you have that option
Yesterday, I shared a link with you to get a free emergency survival "Space Blanket"... and I hope you did!
That is a temporary solution and should be an item in every smart preppers bag. Here's something a little more permanent...
Building a proper Shelter.
Now, I'm not talking about tree brush and branches in the wilderness here, but a structurally sound solution.
Having the basic knowledge of shed construction is a skill that you can take anywhere with you and is one in which won't take up any space or add weight to your bag.
Ryan has a great resource for shed building plans... in fact, his resource has over 12,000 plans for building many things that you could need.
With his easy to follow plans, you can build ANY shed in a weekend... even sheds like these:
You don't need to live in a primitive lean-to shelter... these can be easily converted into functional "tiny homes!"
If you're into woodworking or always wanted to learn how to build things that don't end up looking like experiments made by a 7th grader like some of my own, then check this out.
You can grab these 5 FREE shed plans here in PDF. They are full-blow with step by step instructions.
Stay Warm, Stay Safe and Stay Survivalist Strong!