SEAL Survival Guide (57 page)
Read SEAL Survival Guide Online
Authors: Cade Courtley
2. After waiting thirty minutes for the initial layer to freeze, pile on more snow until the second layer is about three feet thick. Pack down the snow in the form of a dome and wait for it to freeze (about another hour).
3. While the dome is freezing, gather several two-foot-long sticks and push them nearly entirely into the dome at various points, aiming toward its center. These will serve as depth guides, which you’ll need later.
4. At the base of the pile, begin to dig out the snow from one side, working toward the center. Carefully pull your backpacks and equipment out. Keep digging and hollowing out the center of the dome. You’ll be able to see the inside and know when to stop excavating when you see the ends of the guide sticks.
5. You have just formed a quickly made igloo-shaped shelter!
Once inside, check the exterior periodically to make sure excessive amounts of heavy snow are not accumulating on the top of your shelter, which could cause it to collapse. This type of snow-mound construction could be enlarged by adding connecting dome “rooms,” if you need to be sheltered for longer periods.
In 2001, a fellow SEAL and I decided to attempt a winter summit climb of Mount Rainier as a training climb for Mount McKinley, and then ultimately Everest. Things were going great until we got caught in a whiteout at eleven thousand feet. We spent the next few days in a snow cave. We had sufficient survival gear, and a small candle was enough to keep the cave’s temperature at a steady 40 degrees. On top of that, we even toasted the New Year with the airline bottle of Jack Daniel’s I had brought along. Talk about being prepared for the worst!
2. BUILD A FIRE
You are in a shelter but not out of danger. The chances are great that you are at least mildly hypothermic, especially if your clothes are wet. You need to get your body temperature back up and your clothes dry. Although this snow-and-ice-filled climate makes it more challenging to start a fire, it is still very doable. Just make sure you don’t sacrifice the effort and energy you put toward making your shelter by ruining it with a fire that is too close in proximity. Fire and ice don’t mix.
1. Find dry wood by breaking dead branches from nearby trees. (Branches found on the ground will be too wet.) Also,
strips of bark will be relatively dry and make a good form of kindling. Gather as many branches and as much kindling as you can on your trip from the shelter to reduce exposure.
2. Dig a small pit. This will help protect your fire from wind.
3. At the bottom of this pit create a base or platform by laying rocks or logs down side by side. This will keep the fire from melting the snow and extinguishing itself.
4. As with any fire, start with the small stuff (tinder and kindling) and create a teepee-style pile with thin pieces of wood. The key is to ignite the thinner pieces and slowly add larger and thicker branches.
5. Once the fire is going, you can enclose a section of it by building a small wall with stones or ice blocks to provide more protection from wind.
6. To help retain the warmth of the fire, you can build a fire reflector behind you with logs. This will actually bounce the heat back at you from behind.
3. DRY YOUR CLOTHING
In a cold-weather environment, if you’re wet, you’re dead! If your clothes are wet, they are removing body heat twice as fast as if you weren’t wearing any clothes at all. You need to get them off and get them dry. Place your wet clothing items a couple feet above your fire, but make sure they are not close enough to burn. You can use branches or run an improvised clothing line around and above the perimeter of your fire.
There are a number of essential items you to need bring with you when venturing into wilderness areas (see “Gear,”
page 295
), including fire-starting devices, but if you don’t have matches or a lighter, you can still start a fire. One item almost everyone takes with them is a camera. The camera lens can be used to magnify the sun. Disassemble the camera and remove the lens. When the snow stops and the sun returns, set up your tinder and teepee of twigs. Hold the lens steady on one spot until the magnified rays begin to make the tinder smolder. Gently blow on the pinpointed area while still holding the lens in place until flames ignite.
4. GET WATER
Given your situation, if there is anything to feel lucky about, it’s that you will have plenty of water to drink. But don’t just start eating snow. Not only will it take more energy from your body to melt the snow inside your mouth, it will also increase your chances of going into hypothermia. The best approach is to find clean snow and melt it before drinking, which can be done in several ways.
