Fail to Plan = Plan to Fail

1. Always bring a bit more than what you think you'll need – water, food, clothes.
2. Keep out of the wind if you can. The wind chill factor can result in effective temperatures being much lower than nominal.
3. Drink Plenty of water Not Pop. It’s easy to get dehydrated in the winter. You aren’t visibly sweating, so you don’t think to drink water, but since the air is so dry, you lose a LOT of water through breathing.
4. Bring snacks like Granola bars and trial mix that don't need cooked. Little snacks throughout the day will give you energy to keep moving.
5. Remember C O L D:
        C Clean - dirty clothes loose their loft and get you cold.
        O Overheat - never get sweaty, strip off layers to stay warm but not too hot.
        L Layers - Dress in synthetic layers for easy temperature control.
        D Dry - wet clothes (and sleeping bags) also lose their insulation.
6. COTTON KILLS! Do not bring cotton. Staying dry is the key to staying warm. Air is an excellent insulator and by wearing several layers of clothes you will keep warm.
7. Remember the 3 W's of layering: Wicking inside layer - Wicking should be a polypropylene material as long underwear and sock liner. Warmth middle layer(s) - Warmth layer(s) should be fleece or wool. Wind/Water outer layer - Wind/Water layer should be Gore-Tex or at least 60/40 nylon.
8. Bring extra hand covering - mittens are warmer than gloves but you have to take them off to work.
9. Bring at least 2 changes of socks per day.
10. Everyone must be dry by sundown. No wet (sweaty) bodies or wet inner clothing.
11. Use plastic grocery bags or bread bags over socks. This keeps your boots dry and you can easily change those wet socks.
12. Keep your hands and feet warm. Your body will always protect the core, so if your hands and feet are warm, your core will also likely be warm. Put on more layers if you get cold.
13. Dress right while sleeping. Change into clean, dry clothes before bed. Your body makes moisture and your clothes hold it in - by changing into dry clothes you will stay warmer and it will help keep the inside of your sleeping bag dry. Wearing wool socks and long underwear (tops and bottoms) in the sleeping bag is OK. 
14. Put on tomorrow's t- shirt and underwear at bedtime. That way you won't be starting with everything cold next to your skin in the morning.
15. Wear a stocking cap to bed, even if you have a mummy bag.
16. Put tomorrow's clothes in your bag with you. This is especially important if you’re small of stature. It can be pretty hard to warm up a big bag with a little body, the clothes cut down on that work.
17. Put a couple of long-lasting hand warmers into your boots after you take them off. Your boots will dry out during the night.
18. Fill a couple of Nalgene water bottles with warm water and sleep with one between your legs (warms the femoral artery) and with one at your feet. Or use toe/hand warmers. Toss them into your sleeping bag before you get in. Some of the toe/hand warmers will last 8 hours. 
19. Eat a high-energy snack before bed, and then brush your teeth. The extra fuel will help your body stay warm.
20. Use a sleeping bag that is appropriate for the conditions. Remember a 20 degree rated sleeping bag will keep you alive at 20 degrees not necessarily comfortable. Add an extra blanket inside the sleeping bag or buy a sleeping bag liners. This can lower the rating by as much as 10 degrees.
21. Most cold weather bags are designed to trap heat. The proper way to do this is to pull the drawstrings until the sleeping bag is around your face, not around your neck. If the bag also has a draft harness make sure to use it above the shoulders and it snugs up to your neck to keep cold air from coming in and warm air from going out.
22. Don't burrow in - keep your mouth and nose outside the bag. Moisture from your breath collecting in your bag is a quick way to get real cold. Keep the inside of the bag dry.
23. Put a 50 gallon trash bag over the bottom half of your sleeping bag to help hold in the heat. A zipped up coat pulled over the foot of a sleeping bag makes an extra layer of insulation.
24. Don't sleep directly on the ground. Get a closed cell foam pad to provide insulation between your sleeping bag and the ground. A foam pad cushions and insulates. The air pockets are excellent in providing good insulation properties. Use more than one insulating layer below you – it’s easy to slide off the first one.
25. A space blanket or silver lined tarp on the floor of the tent or under your sleeping bag will reflect your heat back to you. 
26. No cots or air mattresses! Better to lay on with 30º earth instead of –10º air.
27. If in tents, leave the tent flaps/zippers vented a bit, it cuts down on interior frost. 
28. Drain your bladder before you go to bed. Having to go in the middle of the night when it is 5 degrees out chills your entire body. Drink all day, but stop one hour before bed. 
    

Assistant Scoutmaster

Mr. Higgins