Cold Weather Preparedness Gear Worth Having

Every winter, millions of Americans are reminded of the need to have winter survival gear on hand thanks to weather events. Often these events lead to power outages or infrastructure failures that take away valuable heating resources during the coldest time of the year. And like clockwork, all the stores in the immediate area of said event sell out of every obvious winter-related comfort item you can think of. Blankets, space heaters, propane canisters, and the like become immediately scarce. Emergency services are forced to visit adjacent counties or municipalities to acquire more supplies for their community. Even then, many are still left without the ability to stay warm. In some cases, the supplies aren’t even as practical as basic winter survival items that I would say are worth having if you live in a cold environment. So here are some cold weather preparedness gear ideas for you to consider that may be useful in an emergency.

Clothing

Clothing should be the most obvious way to protect yourself from the elements. Especially if you are out and about in cold weather. However, many people are extremely confident in their central air systems or vehicle heaters and tend to underdress based on the warmth of those modern amenities. At the minimum, I would suggest having some heavier clothing accessible and with you, possibly in a backpack in your vehicle. Even then, you need to own proper cold-weather clothing for that to make a difference. So here are some examples that I can recommend from experience.

First off, you may want to invest in some base layers. Layering is the most efficient way to keep warm while having the option to remove layers when entering climate-controlled environments. Base layers do a great job of regulating body temperature by trapping your body heat when you’re cold and wicking away sweat to help cool you down when you’re hot. I have the full suite of MidwayUSA Level Two Base Layer options, including the base layer pants and sleeved shirt, a balaclava, and gloves. These base layers are lightweight and affordable and do a good job of adding additional warmth to any outer layers. Even in a scenario where your home loses power and heat, these base layers can help you maintain comfort for much longer than your usual clothes are capable of.

Hopefully, you own reasonable clothing options for your area regarding pants, long-sleeved shirts, a jacket, a hat or beanie, and everything anyone living somewhere cold should have. So, let’s discuss some outerwear and accessory options that have been solid performers in my experience to give you some options that might be worth trying. My favorite cold weather accessory is the Military Surplus Swisseye Mask with Smoke Lens, as I live in North Dakota, and the wind out here is unbearable. It shields your face and eyes from the cold while offering UV and ballistic protection for your eyes as well. I use mine all winter here, and it works perfectly. The same can be said for the Smartwool Patch Beanie, as it is made from Merino wool, so your head stays warm, and moisture just wicks right off. I usually wear this beanie in tandem with the Swisseye Mask, and together, they make a huge difference in staying comfortable, even in unnaturally cold weather.

Now, obviously, your hands are extremely important for getting things done regardless of the temperature. Have you ever changed your tire in -10°F? If you ever do, you’ll never leave your house again without good gloves. Ask me how I know. The Mechanix Wear Men’s Coldwork Windshell Gloves are a solid choice for sudden manual labor in freezing temperatures. They’re warm, dexterous, and very durable. I have used mine for multiple North Dakota winters working around my property or keeping them in my vehicle for just-in-case scenarios, and they have held up very well. Are they warm enough for subzero temperatures for hours on end? No. But will they get you through a tough situation that requires using your hands? So far, so good.

Where I live, you have jackets for all temperature ranges and some that you wear as a layer with heavier coats. One of my new favorites for this purpose is the MidwayUSA Men’s Firesteel Hooded Softshell Jacket. To be fair, these jackets come in tall sizes, which may produce some bias from my 6'3" self. That being said, this jacket offers a lot of what I need in a slim package which allows me to wear it underneath a heavy parka or down outer layer. It’s windproof, extremely important in my area, and water resistant, which is obviously great for snowy conditions. I like that this jacket provides a decent amount of warmth, so it can work well as a standalone jacket for getting from your car to a building while not being too hot once inside. This jacket on its own is not warm enough for extreme conditions, but as part of a layering system, I definitely recommend it.

As for footwear, this can be extremely personal regarding preference. Of course, everything has pros and cons. For example, insulated boots sound great for cold weather but can quickly make your feet too hot, which causes you to sweat. Then your feet are wet, letting them get cold faster without a way to get warm again until dry. Then again, non-insulated boots allow your feet to get too cold too fast if you spend any amount of time out in extreme weather. So only commenting from experience, I usually wear non-insulated boots for daily routines. But I have insulated boots for any activity that presumes I’ll be out in the elements for extended periods of time (such as for hunting or property maintenance). And those insulated boots are also good to have with me for scenarios where my vehicle breaks down or I have to walk further than anticipated. For this purpose, I use Danner Men’s Vital 8” Waterproof Insulated Hunting Boots. I have owned these boots for years, and they are still in excellent shape. Extremely warm (sometimes too warm), completely waterproof, and impressively durable. These boots are why I generally look at Danner for any of my footwear needs regarding boots.

This category of “Clothing” might seem elementary and common sense but in my experience, many Americans are lacking in this department regarding actual cold-weather clothes and accessories. If the power is out and your main source of heat is out, just wearing the right clothes, accessories or footwear can greatly improve not only your comfort but your chances of survival as well.

Heat Sources

The main sources of heating energy for most Americans are electricity, natural gas, and propane. Of course, there are others as well, but regarding the grid and accessible infrastructure, those are the big three. Unfortunately, every winter, it seems a region of the United States of America is hit by a storm that shuts down at least one, if not all, of those energy sources. That’s why having secondary options is very important. Luckily, there are some easy-to-use, affordable options for redundant heat sources that anyone who lives in the frozen part of the country should consider.

Small propane heater units are the first option that I feel is the most practical and efficient for a secondary heat source. Units like the Mr. Heater Portable Buddy Heater and the Mr. Heater Little Buddy Portable Heater are inexpensive, portable, reliable, and relatively safe propane heaters that can be used indoors or outdoors. Of course, any fuel-fed heating system should be used in tandem with proper ventilation, but these heaters are set up with safety mechanisms, including an oxygen depletion sensor and tip-over shut-off to ensure that using them inside has minimal risks. These units use singular 1 lb. propane cylinders and can be connected to a 20 lb. propane tank using the Mr. Heater Liquid Propane Hose. I use the Mr. Heater Little Buddy Portable Heater all of the time at my desk as my “office” is out in a non-climate-controlled addition (basically my garage). Another huge benefit of these heaters is that they are portable. You can use them in a vehicle (if proper safety protocols are followed, including ventilation and stability) if you find yourself stranded in a snowstorm or bring one out to a deer blind during hunting season. For all those reasons, these are my first choices for an easy way to add redundancy to your heating requirements.

Wood is a great fuel source that has kept people warm since the beginning. Unfortunately, not everyone has a fireplace or wood-burning stove installed in their home, making burning wood for warmth slightly more difficult. However, some great options can be used as a heat source without dealing with expensive construction or home modifications. One thing that I will be experimenting with here soon is the use of a folding camp stove as an emergency wood-burning heat source that can be easily deployed when needed and then stowed away thereafter. Just about any folding wood-burning camp stove will work for this purpose. Then you can either build or purchase a window plate kit that is basically an insert for your window that allows the stove pipe to ventilate out of your home without having to do any permanent modifications to your house. Of course, having a permanently installed wood-burning stove or fireplace would be much more ideal. But for affordability purposes, this approach could be much more feasible for those who wouldn’t plan on using the stove for anything other than emergencies. I will be testing this out myself here in the near future, but I wanted to mention it as an option for those who might not have been aware of it.

Now one option that may not be as feasible depending on the power situation is obviously to use electric space heaters or blankets. There have been some examples of this being a useful heat source where cold weather hits an area not usually affected by it. But generally, these types of heaters are very inefficient and use a ton of power to maintain a comfortable amount of warmth. You could technically run an electric space heater or blanket off a generator, but maintaining it would take a lot of fuel (or solar power). It is an option that can provide some relief in certain circumstances, but in my opinion, the aforementioned options are more versatile and generally easier to access during an emergency scenario where the risk of exposure to cold temperatures is the greatest concern.

Supplemental Tools

There are many small tools and accouterments that people can carry on them or in a bag that can offer relief in cold conditions. Some of these items might be considered to be everyday carry tools, while others are specific to when the temperature dips. Either way, the simplicity and compact size of these items make them worth having around, in my opinion. Here are some examples of these items that you may want to throw in your pocket before heading out into a blizzard.

The most obvious tool to have on hand here is a lighter. A Bic lighter is hard to beat regarding simplicity and reliability. I also like the Exotac titanLIGHT Lighter as they are refillable and, more importantly, waterproof. This is great in case you ever drop your lighter in the snow, which I, of course, have never done before. Clearly, the reason a lighter is an excellent tool to have on hand is its ability to create fire. In many survival situations, a fire has been the difference in combating exposure, even when the weather is warm. With how small, lightweight, and easy it is to carry a lighter, I see no reason not to have this capability with you.

Another great item to have with you for winter preparedness purposes is a pack of HotHands Hand Warmers. These single-use air-activated heat packs can provide up to 10 hours of continuous warmth without needing power or fuel. They accomplish this through oxidation, where the iron powder in the packs reacts to the oxygen in the air, producing heat as it rusts. These heat packs can reach up to 130°F and have a shelf life of 6 years. Keeping a pack of these in your pocket or a whole package in your vehicle is an excellent idea. They can be put in your gloves, your base layers, or wherever makes sense to help warm you up if things get too cold. They are inexpensive and barely take up any space, which makes it a no-brainer to have a few of these around during the winter, no matter where you are.

Something you might want to consider that’s an issue for me all winter long is that the cold is brutal on batteries. Anything you have that is battery-powered is likely to lose a charge much faster than it would during the warmer months. For this reason, I would recommend having a few spare batteries or a power bank around. Whether or not it’s your weapon-mounted light on your pistol or your cell phone, anything that is battery-powered will experience a shorter battery life if exposed to colder than usual environments. And especially regarding communication devices, you may need that device to call for help in an emergency. For the same reason as water freezing, if you leave it in your vehicle, my suggestion here is to have a power bank or a couple of spare batteries either in your pockets or in a backpack that you take with you when leaving your vehicle. That way, you at least have some power redundancy, just in case. And just like the lighter and hand warmers, batteries and power banks are small, lightweight, and irreplaceable if you need them.

Conclusion

This is by no means a comprehensive list of every single useful item for keeping yourself warm during a winter weather-related event. Moreover, it provides examples or ideas to help you survive a below-freezing emergency. You cannot fully rely on the power grid to keep you warm, and unfortunately, every year, Americans learn this lesson the hard way. By just adding one of these tools from each category, you can greatly increase your chances of getting through a cold and difficult challenge. Take it from a guy who lives in one of the coldest places on the planet... and who was born in Florida… (What have I done?)

--Magic Prepper