COLD OPEN
Every year, we hear about cold-weather-related fatalities that could’ve easily been avoided with the right training and supplies. As winter is upon us once again, we felt it prudent to raise awareness of situations that commonly lead to injuries or worse during the cold months, as well as some myths that are continually perpetuated about cold-weather survival. With a résumé that includes instructing Marines at the Mountain Warfare Training Center, we tapped survival instructor Thomas Coyne, whom we profiled in RECOIL OFFGRID Issue 27, for tips to keep you safe this winter. In addition, we asked director of training for Sierra Element and former Marine scout sniper Victor Lopez to provide recommendations on best practices for firearms use in cold weather.
RECOIL OFFGRID: A quinzhee is one of the best shelters you can make using snow. For those unfamiliar with how to build one, what are the steps involved?
Thomas Coyne: All you do is pile snow, preferably the freshest snow, into a dome shape big enough to leave 18-inch walls all around you and dig out a living space for you to lay down or sit up in. You can make them fairly large for a whole group of people or just one person. After you pile the snow, pack it down with your feet or a shovel to compact it enough to solidify, and let it sit for at least 30 minutes. It’s good if it’s in the sun to help it fuse together a bit. Then you can dig out a living space at the base that’s big enough to lay down in that’s in the shape you want. Before you dig out the opening, in order to make sure you don’t go too shallow, break off a bunch of sticks that are at least 18 inches long and jam them into the top all around and all the way to the top. That way you know if you hit the stick not to go any farther. If you’re building one for yourself, as long as it’s big enough for you to lay down in that’s a good rule of thumb for how wide and high you need to make it.
What do you think some of the most common misconceptions are about cold-weather survival?
One thing people never talk about is hydration in the cold. People talk about how you shouldn’t drink cold water, but you need to stay as hydrated as you can in extreme cold — it’s just as important as hydrating in extreme heat. Blood regulates body temperature. When you’re too hot, it takes the heat from your organs; your blood vessels dilate and radiate that heat off the surface of the skin. When you’re too cold, it constricts on the surface of the skin and to the extremities like your ears, nose, and fingers, which is why your hands get cold
