Read An Artical of Cold Weather Survival Five Myths

Cold Weather Survival Five Myths

Myth # 1: Blowing on your fingers will help warm them.
Never blow on your hands to warm them since the resultant moisture (present in exhaled air) may cause the skin to freeze or re-freeze, increasing your risk of frostbite or making it worse. A better choice is to place cold fingers in the armpits or groin area, where your body heat will slowly re-warm them.

Myth #2 Drinking alcohol will help you stay warm.
Alcohol causes blood vessels to dilate, which increases blood flow to the surface of the skin and away from your body's core (brain and vital organs). Heat is then quickly radiated away from the body.

Myth #3 Eat snow to stave off thirst.
Although snow breaks down into a liquid when eaten, it should be melted first. If snow is eaten, your body uses energy to break it down to a liquid, and heat is lost in the process. Better to melt and warm the snow before consuming it. This can be done by adding it to a container (partially filled with water) and shaking the container until the snow melts completely or placing the container BETWEEN the layers of your clothing (allowing radiant body heat to melt the snow). If you have a stove or fire, melting snow is that much easier (provided you have a container to do it in).

Myth #4 Snow is always safe to drink.
Although snow can often be safe to drink (be sure to melt and warm it first), it's better to purify it first. A fresh blanket of snow may hide an animal's tracks and could be contaminated by animal waste. Of course, if you can collect snow in a clean container directly from the air, consider it safe to drink.

Myth #5 Bundle up or you'll catch a cold.
How well you bundle up has nothing to do with catching a cold or not catching one. Viruses and bacteria cause upper respiratory illnesses, not cold air. These illnesses are spread through the air. In other words, colds are caught when you are close to someone (who has a cold) that coughs or sneezes and not because you are cold. You are far more at risk of a cold weather injury when in a cold weather survival situation than you are of catching a cold.