By Creek Stewart
Hypothermia is the number one killer in outdoors settings. By definition, hypothermia is when a person’s core body temperature drops dangerously low. Hypothermia sets in with exposure to cold weather and is intensified by wind and water. Hypothermia leads to heart and respiratory failure and eventually death. Low temperatures, wind, and moisture make a lethal combination for the ill-prepared.
The exact opposite, hyperthermia also ranks high as an outdoor killer. Hyperthermia occurs when someone’s core body temperature rises dangerously high. When left untreated for even a short period of time, hyperthermia is debilitating and lethal.
Proper clothing is your first line of defense against overexposure to the elements—hot or cold. You’re especially at risk of exposure when traveling by foot in the aftermath of a disaster. Consequently, clothing is a very important survival gear category. It’s not very exciting but it’s important. Children and the elderly are even more susceptible to exposure, so pay special attention to ensure their clothing needs are met.
If you live in northern Minnesota, your clothing needs are going to be vastly different from someone who lives in southern Florida. Because there are so many different weather regions all over the world, clothing is a somewhat personalized supply category. Common sense is required. I conduct a biannual review of my Bug Out Bag and change out my clothing items every November for the onset of winter and every May for the onset of spring and summer. If you live in an area with distinct seasons, I suggest you follow a similar clothing review/replacement schedule. You will not have time to think about what clothing items to take when a disaster strikes.
Whether you are selecting survival clothing for a Bug-Out Bag or dressing for an outdoor activity such as hiking, hunting or boating, remember rule number one: Stay away from cotton. On the scale of available fabrics, cotton is probably the worst for survival. Cotton is like a sponge—it retains moisture and is slow to dry. It’s also bulky.
In survival situations, you need fabrics that wick moisture away and that are fast drying. In cold temperatures, these are especially important qualities. The best survival fabrics are wool and wool blends, fleeces, nylons, and polyesters.
Following is a quick list of attributes your survival wardrobe should possess:
Light-Weight Long-Sleeve Shirt: Regardless of the season, full coverage protects from weather exposure and insects.
Mid-Weight Fleece: Fleece is light-weight and very packable and its good practice to carry one in any weather condition. Even in warm climates, a mid-weight fleece can be useful on chilly nights.
Moisture-Wicking Short Sleeve Undershirt: The word “wicking” refers to a fabric’s ability to draw moisture away from your body to evaporate more quickly. Wicking fabrics are light-weight and fast drying. They help regulate your body temperature more efficiently.
Nonrestrictive Long Pants: No jeans allowed! Cotton-denim jeans are your worst enemy when wet. When selecting a fabric for pants, my favorites are light-weight wool blends or polyester-nylon blends.
Light-weight Crushable Brimmed Hat: This style hat can be a lifesaver in protecting your head and face from elements, such as sun, wind, and rain. A severe sunburn can turn into a serious medical crisis without proper care. I recently planned a 120-mile canoe trip through the state of Indiana. One of the guys had to cut the trip short because of an extreme blistering sunburn on his face. A “Boonie” style hat could have prevented this.
I can’t stress enough how important it is to have proper foot protection. If you are Bugging Out on foot, your feet are your only means of transportation. If your feet give out and you can’t walk, your bug out is over. You’re stuck where you are. Take care of your feet and they will take care of you.
To ensure my feet are properly taken care of, I pack three extra pairs of wool hiking socks. Don’t pack socks made from any other material! Wool is naturally breathable. This allows for better airflow, which helps to prevent blisters. Prolonged hiking can really give your socks a workout. Wool excels in hard-use environments because of it’s durability and resiliency. I prefer the brand SmartWool. They are a little expensive but worth every penny. Below are some specific features/benefits of SmartWool socks:
When you have extra socks, you can switch them out regularly if your feet are damp or wet (whether it’s sweat or outside moisture). You can dry used socks by keeping them close to your body or by hanging them off your pack. I keep an extra carabiner clipped to the outside of my BOB for just this purpose.
Wool is a natural fiber fabric made primarily from sheep fur. It performs best in cold weather environments due to its insulation properties.
Get a pair of durable, waterproof, ankle-high hiking boots. There are many different styles and brands that will work just fine. These don’t need to be packed inside your BOB but should be kept very close to it as you will be wearing these boots in the event of a Bug Out. Break them in! Don’t plan on wearing a new pair of hiking boots in a disaster Bug Out. You could potentially be walking for several days with a twenty- to thirty-pound backpack. Your BOB boots need to be broken in, tested, proven, and comfortable.
Bugging Out in cold weather adds to the severity of any disaster. The 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami in Japan forced thousands of people to Bug Out in freezing conditions. Many of these people fled into the mountains with only what they could carry.
Ideally, you will be wearing most of the items listed below in a cold weather Bug Out.
These are items that don’t necessarily need to be kept in your BOB year-round.
The key to warmth is layering, not one bulky parka or snowsuit. Layering is incredibly effective because it creates dead air space between the layers of clothing. Heat stays trapped within that air space. Layering also lets you to control your body temperature by adding and shedding clothing items as necessary. I’ve spent days at a time in temperatures below 10 degrees F with the following layering system.
Your outermost layer is the outer shell. An outer shell is critical to any cold weather layering system. It has two primary functions:
Wind and rain can turn even moderately cold weather into a hypothermic situation. Protecting your core from these elements is critical and that’s what your outer shell will do. It is a protection layer, not an insulating layer, so your shell should not be big and bulky. This shell could be a waterproof rain jacket. Be sure it has a hood. In most conditions, you will only need a shell for your upper body. In extreme conditions, outer shell pants would be a great idea. This depends on where you live.
Outer Shell
Beneath the outer shell is a rated 300-weight fleece. This is an upper-body warmth layer that is especially important in low temperatures. The structure of fleece fabric allows for trapped air within the fibers. It has excellent insulation properties. A heavy wool sweater is also an excellent choice. Wool is hands down the best survival fabric on the planet. Wool’s biggest drawback is that it can be bulky.
Beneath the rated 300-weight fleece is a rated 200-weight fleece. This, too, is an upper-body warmth layer. A mid-weight fleece is the most popular weight. It can easily be used as an outer layer in moderate temperatures, but is very well suited for layering. This is the layer I shed most often while adventuring in cold weather environments. If you are starting to sweat, then you need to shed layers or reduce your physical exertion. Sweating moisture into your clothing can kill you. Cold temperatures and damp clothing is the perfect recipe for hypothermia.
The base layer is the layer of clothing against your skin. In cold temperatures, I wear both upper- and lower-body base layers. The function is to hold and trap warmth. Choose a base layer made from a wicking fabric designed to draw moisture away from your body. It should be breathable, stretchy, and very comfortable. No itchy base layers allowed. For this reason, wool is a not a recommended base layer fabric. These garments should also be form fitting—not loose and baggy.
Up to 30 percent of your body heat can be lost through your head. Warm head protection is critical. In extreme conditions, a balaclava is an excellent alternative that provides face and neck protection.
Don’t risk frostbite to your extremities. A pair of cold-weather gloves should be in your pack or on your person if Bugging Out during the winter season. In a survival situation, the ability to use your fingers and hands is imperative. Almost every survival function requires good hand dexterity—using a knife, lighting a fire, tying knots, preparing food, administering first aid, etc. Nothing will cripple your hands like cold weather—pack gloves! The pair I pack is a very simple set of 100 percent wool gloves I bought at an Army/Navy surplus store for $5.99.
Balaclava Face Mask
Pronounced schmahhg, the shemagh is a large square scarf worn primarily in the desert regions of the world to protect one’s face from sun, wind, and sand. It’s an item widely used by American and British troops serving in the Middle East. The shemagh is much more than just a head and face wrap. It’s probably the most multifunctional survival item I have ever owned with literally hundreds of uses. It makes an excellent BOB addition. It can be purchased at many Army/Navy surplus stores and we also carry several different colorways at www.willowhavenoutdoor.com.
This large square scarf is similar to a bandana but much larger—typically around 40" × 40". It can be used for hundreds of different survival applications. A few are photographed here.
Cordage for Tripod
Face and Head Protection
First Aid Arm Sling
Through a series of folds and rolls, a shemagh can also function as a makeshift sling-pack to tote additional supplies.
Makeshift Sling Pack: Step 1
Makeshift Sling Pack: Step 2
Makeshift Sling Pack: Step 3
A light-weight military-style poncho will prove to be one of your most valuable Bug Out items. I would probably put this on my top ten list of Bug-Out items. While there are many different makes and models of ponchos, the most popular are constructed from sealed rip-stop nylon. This makes them very light-weight and crushable—perfect for a BOB. They come with a drawstring hood and also with metal grommets in key points around the edge. The grommets add versatility and multifunctional uses. Using these grommets, some cordage, and a little creativity, you can use the military poncho as a quick and effective survival shelter.
Thoughtful preparation and planning is absolutely necessary if you expect to survive the extreme elements. Use common sense when choosing clothing for your immediate environment. If you have distinct seasons where you live, be sure to change out the clothing in your BOB at least once a year.
Find more survival clothing packing instructions in Build the Perfect Bug Out Bag by Creek Stewart, available at store.livingreadyonline.com.
The military-style rain poncho can also be used as an emergency survival shelter. Here are three different configurations that I’ve used.
Poncho Ridge Line Lean-To
Poncho Tent
Poncho Diagonal Lean-To