Top Tips To Survive If You Are Stuck In The Freezing Cold

1. Stay hydrated: but DON'T drink snow

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Many people don't associate being in the freezing cold with dehydration. But it's still a big risk, and the cold numbs our sense of thirst meaning that it's dangerous because we may not feel we need to drink. Whatever you do, do not drink snow. This will take your body temperature even lower than before.

2. Keep moving!

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It's hard to feel like you can move when you're so cold...but it's super important that you do not stay still. Moving around will generate heat, and this will be essential for you to retain some of your body temperature. Even shivering is a way that your body generates some heat when you are too cold.

3. During hyperthermia - don't remove your clothes!

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This might sound blatantly obvious. Why would you remove your clothes when you're freezing? Yet there is a phenomenon when somebody is experiencing hyperthermia that they may think that they feel warm. It's called 'paradoxical undressing'. But it's extremely dangerous, do not remove your clothes.

4. Put on every piece of clothing you can find

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We don't know what situation you would be in if you found yourself out in the freeing cold. But the first line of defence according to US Air Force Survival experts is clothing! If you have any more layers you can put on, then do. These could be vital for survival as they can help insulate and trap in the remaining heat from your body. Just pull them over your current clothing - don't remove your clothes to put them on.

5. Find shelter: the second line of defence

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So aside from clothing the second most important. Don't walk too far from where you got stuck, but make sure you find some kind of shelter - don't stay in the open elements where the wind and cold will hit your harden. If you have a vehicle - stay inside! If not, go behind a hill or a tree to break the elements for you.

6. Try and create fire!

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You're stuck in the freezing cold, you really need to create some warmth and the way to do this is fire. Fire is life saving. After you have found your shelter, this is when you should find equipment such as rocks and dry twigs to start creating your fire. If you have a fire source, you will survive much longer.

7. Follow the general rule of 3

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Now this is by no means a decisive rule of 3, it is a mere indication. Everyone differs and different situations vary times too. But as a roundabout figure, you can survive 3 hours without having shelter. You can survive roughly 3 days with no water and 3 weeks without food. These ballpark rules are good when it comes to setting your priorities in a survival situation.

8. Avoid overexertion

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We've said keep moving, but that doesn't mean over exerting yourself. Doing too much will only drain your energy and if the temperature is warmer in the day time don't make yourself sweat. Sweating will rapidly cool your body temperature and it will be difficult to get it back up again.

9. Build yourself a snow hole

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Build a snow hole, climbing inside a hole of snow might not sound too tempting. But the thick layers of snow, protected from the elements is a very good survival tip. Try digging a hole which you can fit inside, then you can sleep in it at night. This is if you haven't already got some kind of shelter such as a vehicle.

10. Insulate your shelter with whatever materials you find

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This could be branches, leaves...or even blankets f you have some. Line your shelter with these, anything helps so collect as much you can find. This could really help insulate you during the cold night when you are lay still. The air will be trapped between the materials rather than escaping immediately.

11. If you have no water, melt the snow

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As we've already said - do not drink snow. This is a sure way to cool your body temperature right down and put yourself in more danger than you were already in. If you need a drink and have no water, then take a container or make one and melt some snow inside. If you have a fire, then warm it over the fire to heat your insides.

12. Avoid drinking caffeine or alcohol

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Drinking caffeine can dehydrate you faster, as will alcohol. Alcohol could also be more dangerous because it could numb your senses, you may be less sharp of mind and you may also be less aware of how cold you are which could mean that you don't do what is necessary to stay safe.

13. Stay put: don't walk for miles into the unknown

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It may seem counter-intuitive to stay put and not try and walk yourself to safety. And if you are close enough, then this would be a good idea. If you are hundreds of kilometres from anywhere, then exhausting yourself and straying from the shelter you have built could be far more dangerous than productive.

14. Write a huge message in the snow

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However stuck in the freezing cold you are, there may be some kind of helicopters flying over head. Write a huge SOS or a symbol for help in the snow so that anybody passing over will know somebody is in trouble and may alert the emergency services to your situation and send help.

15. If there is someone flying above, lie down

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This may sound strange, but if someone's flying above you according to experts SOS may blend into the natural curves of nature. But of you are lay down you are way more visible than stood up. And, it would be more obvious that something was wrong if you were lay flat on the floor.

16. Attract attention: create a mirror signal

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 If you have a mirror of some kind you can make a very effective mirror signal which could be seen for up to 50 miles. If you have a mirror from a sun visor, then this is perfect for this. Hold the mirror over one eye, hold out your fingers in front of you into a V and aim the mirror between this target. In clear skies it could attract attention.

17. Try to stay calm

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Now you may be thinking, if you're stuck int he freezing cold you are not going to be calm. But it's essential that you try not to panic. Panicking and stress burn up the conserves of energy you have. You need these energy stores for your body to create heat - so don't waste them.

18. Stay dry!

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You may be in rain, you may be in snow...if it's at all possible then do NOT get wet. Wet clothes will rapidly cool you down, and in the freezing temperatures your clothes may even freeze meaning that ice will be directly touching your skin. Even if it doesn't freeze, it will struggle to dry and will lose you important body heat.

19. Keep your head covered

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The main way our body loses heat is from our head. For this reason, if you're stuck in the freezing cold do not leave your head uncovered. If you have hair, let it loose for ultimate protection. If you have a hat, wear it! If you have neither of these, try and create a makeshift cover for your heat so that you don't lose so much vital heat.

20. Eat: preferably high energy foods

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If you're stuck in the freezing cold you could be in a variety of situations. Hopefully, you have some food or snacks on you. Make sure you eat, not all at once but do not try and save it for as long as possible. Your body needs energy now, and it may be too late down the line. Of course, do not finish all of your resources in the first couple of days; ration it.

21. If you are not alone, use one another for warmth

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 If you aren't alone then your situation is already brighter. Not only do you have one another for support, but you can also use one another's body heat. Stay close, and at night make sure you are lay close together so that your bodies touch and you can both use one another's natural heat to stay warmer.

22. Beware of other hazards around you

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At this point you are totally consumed in the desperation of your situation and focused on how to protect yourself against the freezing cold. But beware of other hazards around you. There could be wild animals, there could be avalanches...stay aware and only stay put where it's safe.

23. Don't touch metal objects

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Metal objects will be freezing cold where you are right now, so make sure that you don't come into contact with metal as it will pull out the eat from you. It could if you stat in contact with a metal object, cause frostbite which of course could be fatal.

24. If you have a phone: find signal

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Of course, if you have your mobile phone (with charge) then you are already in a much better position. Find signal, and send your location and a message asking for help. This way, someone knows exactly how to find you and they know you are in trouble.

25. Know your three words

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Not many people realise, but every location in the world is described with three words. For around every square meter, there are three random words. If you have the app, you can find out the words for exactly where you are. The emergency services will know the exact pin point of your location if you provide them with these three words.

26. Watch the weather

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Keep your eye on the weather and watch out for any changes. For example, if you notice a storm brewing you may need to find a new shelter, for example, to stay safe and dry until it passes. It is essential that you do not get caught out, as it could result in you freezing.

27. Try to stay positive

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We've focused a lot on your physical health, but at times such as these it is just as crucial that you protect your mental health. Your brain is the thing you rely on to get you through this situation and so trying to stay positive will help your mind and help you think more clearly than if you are clouded in despair.

28. Treat any injuries or wounds

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Do not neglect your medical needs because you feel desperate from the cold. If you have a small cut or an injury of any kind make sure you see to it so that it doesn't get any worse and make your situation even more desperate. If you do not have a first aid kit, you will have to clean your cuts with water and protect them with clean  material to stop them getting infected.

29. Orientate yourself

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What you don't want to do is get lost, or even more lost than you may already be. If for some reason you have to wander away from your shelter for signal perhaps, then make sure you have orientated yourself or left a trail to return. In the wilderness it can be almost impossible to find your way.

30. Try to keep your extremities warm

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It's the body's clever response to the cold, to pull the blood away from your extremities and instead use it to keep your vital organs warm. But to avoid frostbite you also want to keep your hands and feet as protected as possible, especially now they have little warmth left in them.

31. And here's how you can survive on a desert island: the five pillars of survival anywhere!

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It's important to remember these five concepts no matter what emergency situation you're in when it comes to your survival! But most definitely on a desert island! These 5 pillars are: shelter, water, fire, food and mindset. They are the things you need to concentrate on.

32. Take a moment to think and observe

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Anyone stranded on a desert island is going to immediately panic - we don't blame you - but the most important thing you can do for your own survival is stop, think and look around you. This is when you can quickly assess the situation and what your next step will be for shelter, water etc.

33. Try to calm your mind and breathe

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Again, easily said than done - but the only way you're going to think logically about how you can find shelter, fire, water and all the other things you need for survival is if you have a clear, practical head. Take it one step at a time, try to calm your mind and control your panicked breathing!

34. Find a fresh source of water, ASAP

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Water is the most important thing you need to find before anything else. Because even if you build a fire and find shelter, or even a source of food, you're not going to last longer than a few days if you don't have any drinking water. So finding fresh water should be the first thing you do.

35. Consider all your water options

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Of course, it's not as simple as just 'finding water'. Your first step will be to try to locate a stream or water source further in the island, but that's not always guaranteed. The next step will be to collect fresh rainwater - but if there's no chance of it raining, what do you do then? A last resort will be to create water from the sun, which you can do using plastic sheeting and condensation that will build up from the heat, so you can collect the droplets!

36. You need to find/build a shelter

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Even if it's nice and sunny on a tropical island during the day, you need to shelter yourself from anything that might come. Rain, wind, or freezing temperatures if they drop at night. This is the next key step after finding water. There may be natural shelters on the island, but if not, you'll need to build one.

37. How to build some sort of shelter

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Your best bet is to construct a sort of tepee shape, using branches. If you collect enough branches around the island, you can stand them together in a triangle shape. You should then collect enough leaves, smaller branches and any foliage you can to cover over the branches.

38. You'll need to build a fire

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Once you've got your shelter set up, you'll need to build a fire close by (but obviously not too close to your shelter!). Collect as many dry branches as you can, make a mini version of another tepee propping the branches up together, and cut a groove into a piece of wood. Place some tinder/kindling at the end and use a different stick to move up and down the groove to create friction and hopefully get sparks you can gently blow onto the rest!

39. In finding food, fish is your best bet

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It doesn't matter whether you ate fish before or not, now is the time - because on an island, fish is your best chance. This can be done through spearfishing, where you can find a long stick and sharpen the end while attaching something heavy to the end, like rocks with shoelaces.

40. Your best chance will be in the shallows

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You're likely to find a lot of fish in the shallows, and it'll be better if you can stand out of the water on a nearby rock to try and find your meal. If you do have to go right into the water, move slowly or stay still. You can then try spearing the fish when it stops - and you might need to practice for a while!

41. Check the island for predators

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We don't mean go hunting for them, but just be aware of what predators could be around you, once you have your source of water, food and shelter. You may have already noticed them by this point! But different predators could be active in different island regions.

42. It's always best if you keep a weapon with you at all times

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If you've already made the makeshift spear for fishing, then this can also be used as a weapon against predators. Otherwise, you might want to make yourself some other form of defence that you can easily keep with you if you need to keep your distance from any animal that approaches you!

43. And don't forget about the predators in the water, too!

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You might have scouted out for the predators on the island that might be lurking near your shelter, but don't forget about those threats in the sea, either! If you're venturing into the water to fish or if you need to swim, be wary of jellyfish, sharks or any other underwater lurker.

44. Start thinking about rescue: make a sign in the sand

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Your first effort in trying to be rescued should be something you can make that you can passively leave there at all times, and this should be a huge HELP or SOS sign in the sand that planes might see from above, but also something that could be seen from the flat of the ocean by ships. So finding a slanted area of land would be perfect.

45. Fire is also a great signal

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As long as you're making sure to create the fire out in the open on the beach where it is safe (and not as risk of burning the entire island down) you can use fire as a smoke signal for help. It's a good idea to have a pile of wood to be burned ready at all times, because this is something you'll need to light when someone is passing by, and not something you can leave at all times.

46. If rescue isn't happening, you might need to think about escape

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Of course, being stranded on an island doesn't mean there's any hope of rescue, as you might not have seen any boats or planes passing by. In this case, you can't depend on being rescue, and you'll need to start thinking about the options you have for getting off the island yourself.

47. Building a raft is the obvious choice

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When you have access to wood, branches and debris on an island, and surrounded by water, a raft is of course the obvious escape choice. Building it might be a little trickier. You'll need to collect logs that are both long and short, and vines to tie the branches together.

48. Test out the raft in the shallows first

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You don't want to get out to deep sea water only to find that the raft you made is falling apart. You'll need to test your raft on the water in the shallows first, before your 'official' escape attempt. Once you're happy the raft is floating and bearing up well, you can go back on land to rest up.

49. Get lots of rest before your escape attempt!

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Your energy will probably already be at an all time low with the lack of varied meals, but you'll need to get as much rest as possible to give yourself all the energy you can for your escape attempt on the raft. You'll need your strength, both mentally and physically, to power through!

50. Give yourself plenty of daylight

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You don't want to be setting off on your raft at sunset, as pretty as that might sound. Setting off before dawn when the light is beginning will give yourself as much daylight as possible out on the water, for you to be able to navigate and try and find help. Always keep an eye on the sun's position, too!