Winter Dehydration for Scouting in Voyageur Council
201511
Here is a collection of tips and tricks that will keep you informed and safe from winter dehydration.
Cold Weather Dehydration
Tips from Scouter Chuck
A good Wilderness First aid book should have info on dehydration. In general, hydration is important
for all normal bodily functions; dehydration is a contributing factor for hypothermia.
The challenge also is that there are fewer adequate methods of purification useful in winter, which
leaves re-hydration most often to mealtimes, morning and night.
What are the signs and symptoms of dehydration?
mild hydration
severe dehydration
 thirst
 blue lips
 dry lips and mouth
 blotchy skin
 flushed skin
 confusion
 tiredness
 lack of energy
 irritability
 cold hands and feet
 headache
 rapid breathing
 dizziness
 high fever
 fainting
 unconsciousness.
 low blood pressure
 increase in heart rate
 dark, strong smelling urine
How to Melt Snow:
1. Set stove up in a safe level area out of the wind. Compact snow underneath for a steady
platform.
2. Gather large amount of clean snow - a garbage bag works well. If you do have a garbage bag,
gather snow in the morning and leave it in the sun to start a solar melting process.
3. Erect wind screens, prime, and light stove.
4. Place small amount of water in cooking pot and place on stove. The water will stop your pot
from scorching as well as speed up the melting process. Keep about an inch of water in the pot
at all times during the melting process.
5. Start scooping snow into the pot. Be sure to keep pot lid on as much as possible to conserve
fuel.
6. As snow melts, keep on adding more snow to the pot. Depending on the denseness of the snow,
it may take up to 10 quarts of snow to produce 1 quart of water.
7. Stir the snow into the melted water with a stick to speed the meting process.
8. Remove water from pot with a water dipper (AKA cup) and pour into water bottles.
9. Filter out particulates (usually pine needles) pour the water through a bandanna or a coffee
filter. The MSR mug mate coffee filter works great.
Storing Water
Because snow is an excellent insulator, water bottles can also be buried in the snow to prevent them
from freezing. Burying water is a good technique when dealing with large amounts of group water.
Here are a series of pictures to share with your Scouters, Youth Leaders and Youth:
The water at the top of a bottle freezes first, so carry bottles upside down so the cap doesn't freeze
shut.
Source: Photo by Dan Human
http://hubpages.com/hub/Water-for-Winter-Wandering-A-Backpackers-Guide-to-Safe-Drinking-Waterin-the-Colder-Months#slide6030590
Youth Activity: Experiment with Insulators
1. Discuss insulating properties, record predictions, decide what data to collect, create table to
record results (use flip chart/Bristol board)
2. Have all youth build a Closed Cell Foam Insulator for the next section outing and conduct
experiment at next meeting or camp. Use a piece of closed cell foam and some glue/duct tape.
3. Break youth off into 3 groups (Wool Sock, Closed Cell Foam and Snow)
4. Provide necessary supplies to each group, boil water on camp stove, use identical water bottles.
5. Have youth record method, temperatures, timing etc
6. Report results back to the group. Conclusions.
Team Wool Sock: insulate water bottles with a wool sock.
Team Closed Cell Foam: use home made insulated water bottle cover
Team Snow: decide how to bury the bottle
Water Purifying in Winter
If you plan on drinking water from natural sources or melt it from snow in winter, you still need to filter
or purify it before drinking it. The problem with winter is that traditional methods of water filtration
and purification don't work very well.
 Filters freeze and can crack, completely losing their integrity.
 Chemicals such as chlorine dioxide tablets take a lot longer to work in cold water because
chemical reactions work better in warmer temperatures.
 Battery operated devices like ultraviolet lights are risky to rely on because batteries lose energy
much faster in cold weather, even when not in use, and shouldn't be relied solely for survival.
Your best bet for purifying water in winter is a liquid fuel (white gas) stove. If you're melting snow or if
you've found a liquid source, bring it to a rolling boil for a full 3 minutes if you are above 2,000 meters in
altitude (1 minute below 2000 meters) to kill all the giardia, cryptosporidum, and bacteria in it.
If you are low on fuel or trying to preserve it, bring your water up to a boil, pour it into a water bottle,
and chlorine dioxide tablets as per instructions for each liter of water. This is a good system if you use
hot water bottles in your sleeping bag at night to stay warm, because the bottles will stay insulated
while the chlorine dioxide is doing it's thing. Chlorine dioxide tables, like Katadyn Micopur, require 60
degree (F) water to work within their published guidelines: 15 minutes to kill protozoa and bacteria, and
4 hours to kill cryptosporidium cysts. The only downside with this method is that it takes a lot of time,
and is probably best done after you rehydrate at the end of the day, after boiling a liter or two of water
with your stove.
Protect Hands and lips from Chapping and Frostbite
A pair of insulating gloves or mittens is essential winter hiking gear and prevents frostbite and painful
skin chapping on the hands. Although mittens may be warmer, gloves allow you to buckle up your gear,
work carabineers and do other tasks with more dexterity.
In cold weather, the temperature of white gas, or liquid fuel as it is also known, can dip below freezing
but still remain in liquid form. If it touches your skin, it will evaporate immediately causing frostbite. In
fact, simply touching an uninsulated fuel bottle with the bare skin of your hand in sub-zero
temperatures can cause a cold injury. You can prevent this by wrapping the bottle with duct tape to
insulate it.
Lip protection should also be considered carefully. Tubes, creams and waxes will freeze at different
temperatures. If you can’t apply it, your lips will not be protected. Keep lip protection in an inner
pocket next to your body.
Sources:
1. Field Book for Canadian Scouting, ISBN 1-894187-00-8, p. 181
2. http://sectionhiker.com/water-purification-in-winter/
3. http://sectionhiker.com/12-essential-winter-camping-and-backpacking-hacks/
4. http://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/travel/index.html
5. http://hubpages.com/hub/Water-for-Winter-Wandering-A-Backpackers-Guide-to-Safe-DrinkingWater-in-the-Colder-Months#slide6030590
6. http://hubpages.com/hub/Water-for-Winter-Wandering-A-Backpackers-Guide-to-Safe-DrinkingWater-in-the-Colder-Months#slide6030590
7. http://www.dietitians.ca/Your-Health/Nutrition-A-Z/Water/Why-is-water-so-important-for-mybody-Know-when.aspx
8. http://www.hikinghydration.com/essential-guide-to-winter-hiking-gear/