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STAY WARM AND DRY, OR DIE!
Now that I have your attention, please consider the unique situation you are in. I have been on the streets, and have experienced many of the problems that occur with foul weather survival. I have also gone out in foul conditions to test gear and techniques. Am I professional? Nope. No military experience, I haven't climbed Mount Everest, but I do have practical experience.
Right now you are outside, maybe huddling in a doorway, or sitting underneath a tree, cursing the rain that falls around you. It's cold, below freezing even. You have no gear, and can't feel your toes. Yeah, been there, done that.
If you don't correct your dangerous situation, you WILL become a number, a statistic laid out on a cold slab in a morgue. Okay, now keep reading and stay alive.
Given the choice between being warm and wet, or cold and dry, I will choose cold and dry. It is easier to add insulation, then dry a wet blanket in poor conditions.
First, you need a safe and clean location. It can be made dry in a minute. Assess your risks in selecting a place to sleep or a camp. You need a place where you don't take undue risks against criminals or animals. Doorways can be great places, or they can put you at risk from other people. It depends on the neighborhood. I have slept out in downtown Seattle, and didn't enjoy it, but never was really hassled by other people.
If you are choosing a man made structure, look for one that sheltered from the prevailing winds, and rainfall. Make sure that water won't be flowing into where you are sleeping. Getting wet at 2 am is NOT fun. If need, elevate yourself with salvaged pallets. Use cardboard as an insulation, and even a cover in light rain/misty/snow conditions. Cardboard can also be a windbreak if deployed properly.
Once you have established a dry and windless sleeping location, get ready to sleep. Take your shoes off, and put your cellphone, eyeglasses, and any other small things into it. Keep your wallet on your person or in a safe location always under your control. Put your shoes next to you, away from the street to protect them from theft. I've never had my shoes stolen, but once lost a small portable radio with a clock on it to theft. Make sure your shoes will not get wet.
Sleep with socks on. Clean socks have more "loft" that is to say can hold more insulating air than matted dirty socks. Layer socks if needed. Clean feet are happy feet. Dust them with food powder at least twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night. Change your underwear as often as you can. If you have it, wear long underwear at night. Layer your clothing, with lightweight clothes close to your body, and heavier clothes on top. Sleep with gloves and a knit cap on as well.
Make sure you have an insulation layer between you and the ground. Cardboard makes a great insulation. Once you have dressed for the night, get your sleeping bag or blankets out. Keep your feet warm, if needed wear extra socks or slippers. Try and keep a blanket over your feet. If you are using a sleeping bag and blankets, wrap up in the blankets, then put the sleeping bag over them. Using a sleeping bag by itself speaks for itself. Depending on weather your may need to use a tarp, or other cover to keep rain off. Deploy the cover so that rain flows off. If all else fails, wrap yourself in the cover, although this can also direct rain back onto you as it puddles up and you move.
If you are setting camp up in the woods, you have other concerns to meet. What I have described already about getting bedded down in a doorway or other man made structure is a foundation to build on.
In the woods you must build or improve your shelter. Look for a well drained location, never camp on low ground, always on the high ground. Trees can be lightning rods, but also provide some shelter. Use your judgment based on current conditions. High winds, heavy snow loads, or thunderstorms all make a tree less attractive.
If you have a tent, put a heavy tarp over it, and give yourself some form of insulation between you and the tent floor. Securely fasten your tent, and allow for some ventilation. A battery powered fan to circulate air is a nice touch as well, and will greatly add to your comfort.
If you must build a shelter from scratch remember the lessons so far. High ground, windbreaks, insulation between you and the ground, away from prevailing wind and rain.
Utilize existing natural features as best you can. A patch of bushes can be quickly improved with a tarp and some ingeniuty. Each situation is different. You must use your head and what supplies you have and materials provided by nature. Try not to destroy the area around you, but if you MUST survive, do what you need to. If building a long term camp, be considerate of the land around you. Evergreen limbs, brush, ferns and downed branches provide the ingredients of an improved camp. If you can add some rope and a tarp, a reasonably intelligent person can create a useful shelter.
Now that I have your attention, please consider the unique situation you are in. I have been on the streets, and have experienced many of the problems that occur with foul weather survival. I have also gone out in foul conditions to test gear and techniques. Am I professional? Nope. No military experience, I haven't climbed Mount Everest, but I do have practical experience.
Right now you are outside, maybe huddling in a doorway, or sitting underneath a tree, cursing the rain that falls around you. It's cold, below freezing even. You have no gear, and can't feel your toes. Yeah, been there, done that.
If you don't correct your dangerous situation, you WILL become a number, a statistic laid out on a cold slab in a morgue. Okay, now keep reading and stay alive.
Given the choice between being warm and wet, or cold and dry, I will choose cold and dry. It is easier to add insulation, then dry a wet blanket in poor conditions.
First, you need a safe and clean location. It can be made dry in a minute. Assess your risks in selecting a place to sleep or a camp. You need a place where you don't take undue risks against criminals or animals. Doorways can be great places, or they can put you at risk from other people. It depends on the neighborhood. I have slept out in downtown Seattle, and didn't enjoy it, but never was really hassled by other people.
If you are choosing a man made structure, look for one that sheltered from the prevailing winds, and rainfall. Make sure that water won't be flowing into where you are sleeping. Getting wet at 2 am is NOT fun. If need, elevate yourself with salvaged pallets. Use cardboard as an insulation, and even a cover in light rain/misty/snow conditions. Cardboard can also be a windbreak if deployed properly.
Once you have established a dry and windless sleeping location, get ready to sleep. Take your shoes off, and put your cellphone, eyeglasses, and any other small things into it. Keep your wallet on your person or in a safe location always under your control. Put your shoes next to you, away from the street to protect them from theft. I've never had my shoes stolen, but once lost a small portable radio with a clock on it to theft. Make sure your shoes will not get wet.
Sleep with socks on. Clean socks have more "loft" that is to say can hold more insulating air than matted dirty socks. Layer socks if needed. Clean feet are happy feet. Dust them with food powder at least twice a day, once in the morning, and once at night. Change your underwear as often as you can. If you have it, wear long underwear at night. Layer your clothing, with lightweight clothes close to your body, and heavier clothes on top. Sleep with gloves and a knit cap on as well.
Make sure you have an insulation layer between you and the ground. Cardboard makes a great insulation. Once you have dressed for the night, get your sleeping bag or blankets out. Keep your feet warm, if needed wear extra socks or slippers. Try and keep a blanket over your feet. If you are using a sleeping bag and blankets, wrap up in the blankets, then put the sleeping bag over them. Using a sleeping bag by itself speaks for itself. Depending on weather your may need to use a tarp, or other cover to keep rain off. Deploy the cover so that rain flows off. If all else fails, wrap yourself in the cover, although this can also direct rain back onto you as it puddles up and you move.
If you are setting camp up in the woods, you have other concerns to meet. What I have described already about getting bedded down in a doorway or other man made structure is a foundation to build on.
In the woods you must build or improve your shelter. Look for a well drained location, never camp on low ground, always on the high ground. Trees can be lightning rods, but also provide some shelter. Use your judgment based on current conditions. High winds, heavy snow loads, or thunderstorms all make a tree less attractive.
If you have a tent, put a heavy tarp over it, and give yourself some form of insulation between you and the tent floor. Securely fasten your tent, and allow for some ventilation. A battery powered fan to circulate air is a nice touch as well, and will greatly add to your comfort.
If you must build a shelter from scratch remember the lessons so far. High ground, windbreaks, insulation between you and the ground, away from prevailing wind and rain.
Utilize existing natural features as best you can. A patch of bushes can be quickly improved with a tarp and some ingeniuty. Each situation is different. You must use your head and what supplies you have and materials provided by nature. Try not to destroy the area around you, but if you MUST survive, do what you need to. If building a long term camp, be considerate of the land around you. Evergreen limbs, brush, ferns and downed branches provide the ingredients of an improved camp. If you can add some rope and a tarp, a reasonably intelligent person can create a useful shelter.
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