We would all like to hope that an emergency or survival Situation would only hit us when the weather is tolerable. In fact, when planning our bug out bags and gear, we aren’t usually thinking about harsh winter weather. The fact is, however, that an emergency can happen at any time and it is always best to be prepared for anything.

A storm can knock our power out at any time, during any season. It most often happens in the spring, when windstorms are often the case. However, winter storms can do the same thing. The problems are intensified however, as there are more problems.

With any power outage, we have to be careful about food we have in freezers and having a method to cook without electricity. In the winter months, however, we have all that plus the problem of staying warm. Additionally, spring storms usually only leave us without power for a matter of hours. In the winter, snow and ice can leave us without power for days or weeks, making the situation even more dire.

To start with, make sure you wear warm clothes. While this might sound like a no-brainer, it can often be so simple that it is often left off until it’s too late. Wearing the right clothes is even more important if you will have to be doing any traveling or work outside in the cold weather.

If you have to venture out, make sure your attire is thick and windproof, above all else. Packing extra if you have very far to go is another good idea, as you never know when or if you might become stuck or stranded. While the body is capable of withstanding some extreme circumstances, you certainly don’t want to underestimate winter’s harsh reality.

Next, you will want to make sure to wear the right kind of boots. Tennis shoes or other types of footwear might work for a short time, but if you have to be outside for such things as clearing away snow from doors and windows or splitting and carrying firewood, you will be miserable much quicker with the wrong shoes. Boots should be insulated well and rated for cold weather.

Staying dry is one of the most important things to remember if you have to be out in the weather. You can become damp or even wet if you have to do any strenuous activity that makes you sweat, or if you have to deal with melting snow and ice. In either situation, this dampness can quickly lead to hypothermia, which is a deadly situation in which to find yourself. If you find that you have become sweaty or wet, make sure to change your clothes as soon as possible. Otherwise, wrap yourself in a blanket and stay out of the direct wind as much as you can.

In order to deal with the stress of colder temperatures, your body will use a lot more energy in order to produce heat from the inside out. Because of this, you will need to make sure that you have plenty of food to keep yourself nourished, as well as ample amounts of good, clean drinking water for proper hydration. Eating can also hasten the warming process as your body goes about the business of digestion.

In situations where you run out of water, never eat ice or unmelted snow. Doing so will only cause your internal body temperature to fall that much quicker. If you must resort to eating snow or ice, make sure to heat it, preferably to boiling to make sure it’s safe, before ingesting it.

When you get cold, you may want to just sit down and stay as still as possible, but that is one of the worst things you could do. As your body temperature drops, your heart rate does as well. This is dangerous because the slower the blood flows through your veins, the slower heat is passed through the body.

A good way to deal with this situation is to do take part in some simple exercises that will get your heart pumping faster. For instance, jogging in place, swinging your arms or doing jumping jacks should get your heart pumping again. Just make sure not to exercise so hard that you start sweating because remember – you want to stay dry.

Above all, do not waste the time and energy in a state of panic. During all emergencies, a level head is one of the most precious possessions to have, and never more so than when the weather is treacherously cold. Instead of stressing, adapt to your environment. As a prepper, you should at least be somewhat aware of the precautions needed in a cold weather situation.

If you have not yet thought to learn about cold weather emergencies or survival skills, it’s never too late to start learning! Read books, blogs, guides or anything else you can get your hands on to learn as many tactics as possible to deal with an emergency in harsh winters.

You might want to learn different ways to start a fire, and different techniques on which fires work best for particular situations. An example would be, knowing the difference between starting a fire for the most heat as quickly as possible and starting a fire that will burn longer at a steady cooking temperature.

It is also a good idea to familiarize yourself with first aid techniques that are needed for weather related illnesses such as frostbite or hypothermia. Not knowing how to treat these very common problems can be disastrous when they are really needed!