Cold Weather Survival
Cold weather survival skills can be lifesaving, even in a normally warm climate like Florida’s. Hypothermia and other temperature related threats can present themselves in any climate, sometimes to deadly effect.
Of course, you might travel a bit for business or pleasure and, in a cold climate, these skills can help you survive a vehicle breakdown, blizzard or other dangerous situation.
Our cold weather survival course is broken into three levels. Two parts are taught in the classroom and the final part is taught in the field.
Complete all three and you can head off to Alaska with us to apply your skills in real life!
The Curriculum
Our three-level course design allows you to develop the basic skill set you’ll need for cold weather survival and to expand upon it as you complete the rest of the training.
Cold Weather Survival Level 1
Our Level 1 course will introduce you to the foundational skills necessary to survive in a remote setting in cold weather conditions. The topics covered include:
- Pre-trip planning and preparation
- Equipment and clothing
- Survival kits
- Hypothermia: Prevention, recognition and treatment
- Frostbite: Prevention, recognition and treatment
- Prioritizing in emergency situations
- Food and hydration needs
- Selecting safe shelter sites
- The basics of snow shelters
- Fire skills for deep snow pack
- Rescue signaling
- Water procurement in sub-freezing temperatures
Cold Weather Survival Level 2
Level 2 will help reinforce the lessons you learned in Cold Weather Survival Level 1. Level 1 will also provide you with the foundation you need to get the most out of the advanced techniques you’ll learn in Level 2.
Cold Weather Survival Level 2 topics include:
- Traveling in snow: selecting routes and methods
- Group dynamics in cold weather survival
- Shelter construction, including tree wells and snow pits
- Locating and obtaining dry materials for fires and for insulation
- Fire skills: heat reflectors and wind screens
- Rescue signaling: smoke generator
- Cooking
After you’ve completed Cold Weather Survival Levels 1 and 2, you’ll be ready for the third and final class, Level 3, which will complete the program and provide you with field-tested cold weather survival skills.
Cold Weather Survival Level 3
Cold Weather Survival Level 3 topics include:
- Problem solving in extremely cold conditions
- Avalanche assessment
- Water procurement with a solar snow still
- Shelter construction: snow cave
- Cooking methods: freeze dried
- Solar and celestial navigation
- Rescue signaling: contrast
Whether you work with a local search and rescue, are in law enforcement or the military or just like to vacation in cold climates, this training is an invaluable addition to your skills.
Contact us to hone your cold weather survival skills.