Winter Prepping Emergencies – The Basics

Prepping emergencies – are you a fair-weather prepper or one who is prepared for the worst our climate can throw at us? What might be little more than a mild inconvenience in the balmy days of summer can be a literal matter of life and death in harsh winter months.

Freezing temperatures had already gripped much of the UK by mid-December 2022. If there is any kind of natural or manmade emergency during this winter, it comes on top of the already serious challenges you face from the escalating expense of fuel, energy, and the general cost of living.

So, what are the basics you need to consider for coping with winter?

Prepare

• it’s a pretty obvious lesson but the first step on the road to prepping for any emergency – in winter or at any other time of the year – is to prepare;

• it’s a no-brainer that prepping involves preparation, of course, but you really do need to give it the practical, hands-on attention it deserves;

• in prepping for winter that means making sure you’ve got the appropriate clothes to wear (and that doesn’t mean breaking the bank to buy them), supplies of food to keep yourselves fed, and fuel of one kind or another to help make your shelter as warm as possible;

Advance warnings

• the very definition of an emergency means that events can happen quickly;

• even so, winter prepping on the eve of especially cold and threatening weather is made easier by the early warning notices you can get from the Met Office;

• allied with the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) a Cold weather health watch system also kicks into action the five levels of response to various levels of cold weather;

• these early warning systems can be critical sources of information about how long any winter emergency is likely to last – a question of hours, say, days, or weeks – and the possible fallout in terms of your connection to power, heat, and communication services;

Risk assessment

• based on the preparations you have already made and any warnings you receive, use that knowledge as a basis for a current risk assessment;

• what are the areas where you, your family, or the group for which you are responsible remain vulnerable – map out those weaknesses and consider whether there is action you can take before the winter emergency worsens;

Further reading

Staying Warm, Cooking Food And Boiling Water Without Electricity

Wrap up warm

• in severe winter conditions, even in the British Isles, temperatures can plummet fast;

• hypothermia is a medical emergency, warns the NHS, that occurs when your core body temperature falls below 35ºC – but the US Forest Service also warns that even when the temperature outside is hovering around the relatively cool 4 to 5ºC, hypothermia can still strike down a person who has already grown cold and wet through sweating, being in the rain, or getting immersed in water;

• wrap up warm, therefore, to keep yourself dry and your body heat in – skin exposed to the wind will lose heat even more quickly, so stay covered up;

• you will keep the heat in by dressing in layers – the air between each layer acts as its own insulation while still regulating your body heat so that you can avoid dangerous sweating;

Stay hydrated

• staying hydrated in winter is just as important – perhaps even more so – than at any other time of the year;

• when you’re wearing warm, heavy clothes and probably sweating a bit, you’ll also be losing the fluids you need;

• your body’s response to the cold is constricted blood vessels which slow down the flow to your extremities to concentrate the warmth towards your core – that can fool your body into thinking that you are more hydrated than you really are;

• some studies have shown that you can feel up to 40% less thirsty in cold, wintry weather than in the summertime;

• the website Hydralyte also explains how cold weather can disrupt the normal communication between your kidneys and your brain so that your body conserves less water and you urinate more often – that in turn increases the risk of dehydration;

• as well as drinking plenty of fresh water, also make sure to eat foods high in fluid content – such as soups, fruit, and vegetables;

• avoid alcohol – it won’t keep you warm and if it begins to affect your decision-making and good judgement, the results can be lethal, warns Drinkaware.

Summary

Prepping for winter emergencies is a more challenging – and still more critical – activity than your preparations for emergencies at other times of the year. Even in the relatively mild climes of the UK, conditions are likely to be more severe and the threats to your personal safety are more demanding.

Take into account the points we have raised here so that you are better prepared for those winter prepping emergencies.

Further reading

What To Consider When Prepping For Winter

Winter Prepping