In the great outdoors, the cold can become your worst enemy. Without proper protection, body temperature drops quickly, which can lead to hypothermia and serious injuries.
In this article, discover simple and effective techniques to stay warm, even without technical clothing or specific equipment.
1. Overlay layers with available resources
In the absence of suitable clothing, you need to layer up. The more layers there are, the more the air trapped between them acts as an insulator.
Use loose clothing, plastic bags, dry fabrics, or even leaves slipped between two garments.
Avoid wet or too tight clothes, which prevent air circulation and accelerate heat loss.
2. Protect sensitive areas where heat escapes
The body loses a lot of heat through the head, the neck, the wrists, the ankles and the torso.
If you have nothing, improvise: a wrapped cloth around the head, a t-shirt sleeve tied around the neck, a sock on the hand.
Even simple solutions help retain heat longer.
3. Strengthen insulation with natural materials
Nature offers many insulating resources. Foam, dead leaves, dry grass, feathers or bark can be slipped into clothes or between two layers of fabric.
You can also wrap these materials around the torso or use them to make arm warmers and improvised leggings.
4. Insulate yourself from the cold ground to sleep
Direct contact with the ground causes a lot of heat loss during rest. It is necessary to move away from it as much as possible.
Install an insulating layer: branches, dry clothes, bags, dead leaves or makeshift mats.
If possible, raise your bedding or create a thick mattress with natural elements.
Conclusion
Protecting yourself from the cold in survival is not improvised: it requires responsiveness, observation, and a bit of resourcefulness.
With some well-applied techniques, it is possible to retain body heat and avoid risky situations, even without suitable equipment.
