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Many people think of cold as temperatures below freezing or even a little above. Granted, a day at the beach with the temperature in the 40s would be cold but what I am referring to is temperatures well below zero and you have to get things accomplished working at those temperatures. As I have lived my entire life in the north where every year we see some temperatures 30 - 40 below or colder, I will share things I learned to do to survive and even enjoy sub-zero weather.

The first item to consider is how long are you planning on spending outside during the sub-zero weather. Hardy campers may use camping tents and camping sleeping bags. Other people may only spend a few hours in the cold and some are only outdoors long enough to get to work. However, the basics remain the same.

Wear layered clothing with parkas and foot wear designed for cold weather. Many times I have observed people coming to work wearing a winter coat and complaining that they can't get warm. A lot of heat is lost through the neck and head so a parka is a must. Vanity is great but sub-zero conditions isn't the time for it.

People often wear athletic shoes even in sub-zero weather since the sidewalks don't have any snow on them, not realizing that their feet have a lot of blood vessels in them. The blood vessels draw heat from the body which cools with near contact to the frozen sidewalk causing the body to cool. No wonder they can't warm up. Actually it can take several hours for your body to completely warm up if it gets cold.

Snow is your friend not your enemy in sub-zero condition. Snow provides insulation from the elements and although its not as common as it used to be many people actually pack it around the house to ward off drafts. Be sure to wear your sun glasses when you are outside as the sun bounces off the snow and UV damage to your eyes can occur in the winter.

Many out buildings are like camping tents and sleeping bags in the sense that with a little effort packing snow around them will make them a lot warmer. Be careful about running heaters in outbuildings or camping tents. Carbon monoxide which can build up is lethal. There have been a few young lovers who found this out the hard way.

Keep in mind that everything takes longer and is harder to do when it is cold, including building a fire. First of all the clothing you wear is bulkier than summer clothing. In addition you need to pace yourself to prevent overheating. This statement is very important. Working too hard can cause you to freeze to death.

The problem here is you perspire and wind up with wet clothing. Stopping to rest will cause your body to cool off rapidly as the moisture evaporates. The low humidity helps this along. When you are tired it is tempting rest for a while, but wet clothes will cool you off rapidly. Once your body temperature drops just a few degrees your brain starts to malfunction. It will tell you that you are now warm and you might remove some clothing. In addition it might tell you to check out the back forty and see if the neighbors are home. It isn't likely you will make it. Any consumption of alcohol will make this problem worse as it not only opens up your blood vessels bringing body heat to the surface, but can cause you to fall asleep and not wake up in time.

If you do perspire enough to get wet clothing and you are unable to go inside loosen your clothing enough to start cooling off but keep moving. The idea is to slowly allow your clothes to dry while maintaining body heat.

At the end of a day outside do as the Finns do. Take a hot sauna. After a day outside and a hot sauna you will sleep like a baby. One thing to keep in mind, alcohol and saunas don't mix.

After trying this, if you still want to try sleeping in a camping tent and use a camping sleeping bag obtain ones that are rated for the weather you will be in. Camping tents should be canvas and be high enough to stand up in. Put some snow around the edges to block wind and tie the camping tent corners to something heavy or a tree. If possible pitch the camping tent where it has a wind block.

Camping sleeping bags should be rated for the weather and able to repel moisture. Don't put your camping sleeping bag directly on the ground as it needs something to insulate it from the frozen ground. Snow does a good job if you want to try it.

A couple of tips- If you are planning on being outside in arctic type weather don't start an extreme diet. You will burn a lot of calories so be sure to eat right. Second, if traveling in arctic type weather carry a sleeping bag rated for the temperatures you are going to be in case of car failure. Unless you know where help is and it is close, it is better to curl up in your camping sleeping bag and wait for help.

I have lived in arctic type weather my entire life and have learned how to enjoy the outdoors. I spent the last 20 years tied to the vacation industry in many capacities. I have been amazed at how people will waste their money on vacation expenses with a very small payback. After retirement I started http://www.campingaccessoriescentral.com/ to give people cost effective options for supplies for camping and other outdoor activities.

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