When it comes to mastering various survival skills, you don't want to just overlook the most precarious situations, but also those that can simply make you miserable living in discomfort, so practice turning off your heat and air and seeing how you handle it.
When it comes to weather, you may be dealing with both – a dangerous climate as well as miserable living conditions. Even if you are in your home, sheltered from wind and rain, you may still be dealing with extreme elements if the temperature is soaring or has dipped down and you are without power because the grid has fallen.
If you are in a too cold environment, you want to first make sure you are sheltered from the temperature as much as possible. If you are indoors in your home and it is below freezing outside, you can still set up a tent that will keep body heat enclosed rather than letting it all escape and being chilled.
You want to make sure that you keep moving and don't stay sedentary because you want your blood to circulate easily. This will also help keep you warm if you are moving about.
Whether you are in a cold or hot environment, you want to make sure you are working with layers of clothing. Being able to add or remove a layer can help you adjust your body heat even if you don't have access to power.
Sometimes, simply warming up a drink or some food will help you take the chill off if you are dealing with cold weather temperatures. If you have MREs on hand, they will often contain a self-heating element for your meals so that you don't have to cook them.
Dealing with extreme heat temperatures is just as miserable. If you live in an area where the temperature reaches over 100 degrees during the summer, and the grid goes down, you need to know how to survive.
One of the most important things you can do is stay hydrated. You will want to remove layers of clothing so that you are wearing lightweight clothes. If you are going to be directly in the sunlight, wear light colored clothes rather than dark ones that will absorb the sun's rays.
While you are more active during cold weather periods, if it is hot, you will want to reduce your activity. Try to keep your head cool by dipping a bandana or other head covering into water before you wear it.
Until next time
Dominus Owen Markham
The Nord Skov
Living Off Grid