Hypothermia

Winter has finally gotten serious in my part of Michigan. The first “pretty” snow is on the ground. You know the kind- it’s fluffy and soft and looks slightly shimmery, and it’s not too cold to go out and enjoy it. It won’t last; the bitter cold always follows the not-so-cold. A little cold or a lot cold, it’s all relative to me. I seem to be consistently cold. Some days there just doesn’t seem to be anything I can do to warm up. Let’s suppose for a minute that I got brave and decided to go out with the … Continue reading

Warm Sleepers and Cold Sleepers

I was looking over a camping website and found a discussion going about “warm sleepers” and “cold sleepers”. A warm sleeper is the type of person who doesn’t need blankets and can sleep comfortably outside without zipping up the sleeping bag. A cold sleeper will shiver through a night that a warm sleeper wouldn’t even notice. Some of what makes you a warm sleeper or cold sleeper isn’t stuff you can affect easily. Your metabolism and body size play a large part in determining what kind of sleeper you are. But there are some things you can do to make … Continue reading

Auto Emergency Kits

Some of the most tragic stories of vacations gone wrong are often those where a person or family experiences a situation where they are lost or stranded in their automobiles. While the risk of life and death situations are far more common with winter driving trips, no matter the season families can suffer great peril when traveling by car. The truth is that most of the tragic stories we hear on the evening news may have been avoided had families considered and prepared for the worst possible situations they might face along their journeys. When we jump in the car … Continue reading

Preparing Your Family for Winter Weather

As winter weather descends on the United States you should be prepared to handle adverse weather in your area. Here are five areas of preparedness and planning that you may not have thought about. It is important to have a plan in place so in the event of a serious storm you will know what to do. 1) If you have children in school have you considered what you will do if school is cancelled? If you work full-time you will need to have child care arrangements available or you will need to be able to take time off of … Continue reading

Preparing for Winter Storms

As the cold weather begins to set in for the year, it is time to prepare for winter storms. The severity and frequency of winter storms will vary from place to place. It is important to consider the area you are living in when making plans. In certain parts of the country, they will shut everything down for an inch or two of snow. In other areas it takes a foot or two to shut down. You will need to plan according to how people react in your area, because they may not have the tools necessary to make the … Continue reading

Five Ways to Prepare Your Emergency Kits for Cold Weather

It is the time of year to transition your emergency kits from summer to winter kits. This is important since there are different survival requirements for cold weather. It is also a great opportunity to rotate out your supplies and make sure that you keep your food fresh and ready to eat. 1) You should switch out your clothes from summer clothes to winter clothes. Be sure to include several pairs of heavy socks, a heavy sweatshirt, warm pants and a coat. It is easier to stay warm if you dress in several layers of clothing, so you may want … Continue reading