Winter Survival Skills

OVERVIEW

Have you ever wanted to learn how to find shelter, food and water and start a fire in the winter without all of the modern camping gear we are used to having? In this adventure we will make a basic snow survival shelter, unless it rains a lot between now and Sunday in which case we’ll use forest debris, start a campfire in the snow using tinder we gather in the woods, and identify some trees that provide clean drinking water, food, and medicine in winter. identify animal tracks and cover whatever other survival skills time allows!
I recommend checking out snowshoes, as the snow is still deep in many areas on the mountain and it may snow again above 2500 feet this week. We will hike or snowshoe, depending on conditions, in from where the parkway is closed just uphill of Love Gap. Other recommended items are:
-Snowboots or high top rubber rainboots
-Gloves for using snowshovels, wood etc.
-Something dry to sit on in the snow while we have lunch
-A knife for carving wood and a snowshovel( If you don’t have either it’s no problem)
-Warm waterproof or wool clothing.
We will have lunch and build a shelter near the trail shelter for the AT a couple miles in from the road. I will expand the adventure as more drivers sign up and please feel free to contact me with questions regarding what to bring for a day in the snow. See you soon!