Clothing, Fuel and Warmth

Clothing

There are three things that clothing must do to protect the body: insulate the body against the cold; provide proper ventilation to keep the body dry; and protect the body against the elements.

Layering clothing contributes to regulating the body’s temperature and is most effective in keeping warm and dry. Keep multiple layers on when the body is not active, such as resting or sleeping; take off layers as necessary to keep from sweating when active. Sweating in cold weather will increase your chances of hypothermia because the moisture will stay close to you as your clothes absorb it and will inhibit their effectiveness in keeping you warm. Wet clothing loses up to 90% of its ability to retain heat. Also keep your head covered to retain body heat: up to 90% of your body heat can be lost through your head.

In the heat, use cotton as it retains water the longest and can aid in keeping your body cool. Also keep your skin covered: exposed arms and legs in extreme heat, combined with heavy activity, can lead to heat exhaustion and even heat stroke. Clothes that are loose-fitting and cover the body are the best defense against heat: think pioneer clothing (long sleeves, wide-brim hat, etc).

Types of Material
Cotton is the most popular type of clothing material. It retains water and is useful for cooling in the summer. Be careful using this material next to the skin during cold weather, however, as its water retaining capability contributes to loss of body heat.
Synthetic materials are used by many sports and outdoor specialists due to their ability to wick moisture away from the skin. This is useful in both hot and cold weather (as long as the moisture is allowed to evaporate without cause loss of body heat in winter).
Down-filled garments are especially warm and can be compacted to small spaces for storage. A down vest would be a great intermediate layer for cold weather. The disadvantage of down occurs if the garment gets wet: it loses most of its ability to insulate. A waterproof outer-shell is essential to keeping the garment useful.
Wool is a great insulator and can retain its insulation qualities even when wet. Modern synthetic-wool blend is a great material for socks, which help feet stay dry and warm in cold weather and dry and cool in hot weather. These socks can be purchased at outdoor and athletic stores.

Using Clothing in 72hr Kits
Clothing is a great void-filler. When packing your kit, keep similar items of clothes together (socks, underwear, etc) in gallon size Ziploc freezer bags with the air squeezed out of them. These bags will keep your clothing dry (absolutely essential) and allow you to fill any voids in your backpack or other container to spread out the load of your kit.
Keep your clothing rotated through your kit appropriate to the season: warm for winter (layers), cool for summer. Other items to include might be sunglasses; extra eye-glasses; rain gear; sturdy, worn in shoes; leather work gloves; bandana; hat; and large trash bags (for impromptu rain cover).


Fuel and Warmth

Keeping dry and warm are the most important things to do in any survival situation.

You may have to make a fire and there are several options you have in starting one. Matches are good to have in your kit but they must be waterproofed or kept in a waterproof container. There are “storm-proof” and “hurricane” matches which are designed to stay lit, so if you use them, remember to dispose of them properly—pitching one when it is still lit may have Smokey the Bear right on your tail. Birthday candles can be used if a flame is needed for more than a few seconds. Matches can be water-proofed by dipping the heads in candle fat or with nail polish—be sure to include the strike plate the matches come with on the side of the box so you can light them. Butane lighters also work, but use only the durable, metal kind. Cheap plastic lighter can break in your kit and soak things with butane, not a pleasant experience!
Another item you can use to start a fire is the flint and steel trick: practice before you have to use them, they do take a little getting used to. Use cotton balls coated lightly with Vaseline to light with a spark—the Vaseline burns long and is a great heat source to get kindling going for your fire.
Steel wool can be lit using a nine-volt battery—just touch the positive and negative terminals to the steel wool and viola, instant sparks! However, this method takes some practice in getting the tinder and kindling started from the burning steel wool. Practice what you will be doing so you know that you can do it when needed! Many ideas are clever and sound great, but when it comes to making use of them, they may not be practical or even doable. Don’t use any equipment in your survival kit that you have not already tried and proven.
Chemical hand warmers are available at outdoor stores. Small backpacking stoves are a great way to boil water for cooking and drinking if called for and are easy to transport. Other ideas can be found in the Boy Scout Handbook and Fieldbook.
One other note on fuel: It is a good idea to store enough fuel for your vehicle to travel to your place of safety. For instance, if the Barnard’s had to flee Wichita they would plan on having enough fuel stored to travel to family in Salt Lake City (or wherever you will go). Storing gasoline must be done properly or it can be dangerous. Use only DOT approved containers and store in a shed apart from the house instead of a connected garage. Gasoline containers occasionally vent fumes when warmed in the summer and you don’t want those fumes near your house. Also, use fuel stabilizer to keep fuel from gelling. Gasoline is a mixture and if left to sit for more than sixty days or so it begins to separate. Fuel stabilizer can keep fuel good for more than a year. However, it is recommended that in addition to using stabilizer for your fuel supply, rotate it through by using it for your lawn mower or something similar so that you do not let it sit for years without using it.

Outdoor Skills Resources (can be purchased at outdoor stores like Sportsman’s Warehouse and Gander Mountain)
Allen and Mike’s Really Cool Backpacking Book, by Allen O’Bannon and Mike Clelland, 2001, Globe Pequot Press (entertaining book on backpacking tips, very useful for trimming unnecessary weight from 72hr kit-type containers)
National Outdoor Leadership School’s Wilderness Guide, by Mike Harvey, 1999, Simon & Schuster