Winter Wonderland
(Class limit: 12 students)
February 23-26 (FULL)
Tuition: $1190
Instructor: Cody Lundin
Exposure to extreme cold can kill the unprepared within hours. Knowing what to do can be a lifesaver in defeating hypothermia, the world’s biggest outdoor killer. Challenge yourself by adapting to old man winter under the beautiful Mogollon Rim of north eastern Arizona. For creature comforts, our base camp is a fully furnished cabin in the heart of Zane Grey country, the world renowned western author of the 1920's.
Although the Winter Wonderland course is much more comprehensive, it is loosely based upon Cody's Winter Survival Skills class he’s taught at Yavapai College since the early 2000’s. Similar to the college class, part of our training will be classroom based inside the cabin supplemented with numerous day trips to the surrounding woods for plenty of hands-on experience. Regardless of our cabin base camp, please remember that winter training is always a challenge, thus the Winter Wonderland experience is an “adventure” class. Two hot, hearty meals a day are included. Come and join us around the fireplace for this intimate look at the winter season!
Experience Cold Weather Clothing Systems: choosing your clothing for fit and function, the European layering method, insulation types, clothing material properties, using "sock shoes," vapor barriers, what, where, and how to wear winter clothing for maximal results.
How Cold Affects Your Body: the physiology of heat loss and gain, short and long term heat production methods, how your body produces heat and how to increase its production, food nutrition and frequency as energy, macro and micro nutrients, basal metabolic rates for men and women, diet induced thermogenesis, designing cold weather food packs.
Building Shelter: where, what, why and how to build winter shelters including quinzhee, hole in the snow, snow trenches and super shelters.
Making Fire: from half matches, metal matches, magnesium, natural tinder bundles, techno tinder’s, fire lighting when everything's wet, fire on snow, fire as a tool, fire safety and physics.
Getting Water: from snow and ice, preventing dehydration, water disinfection methods, flavoring options, maximal hydration tips, body water requirements in the cold.
Defining Winter, Winter Ecology, and Winter Injuries: selective criteria for environmental adaptations to cold, the five vectors of winter, winter plant identification, preventing sun and cold injuries, frostbite, snow blindness, trench foot and hypothermia;
Properties and Uses for Snow, Winter Travel, attracting Search and Rescue, Safe Knife Use, Winter Survival Kits, and more. Discover what works to keep you warm and dry to establish wintertime as your new comfort zone!
Please note: While every effort is made to cover the skills outlined, some skills may change depending on material availability, weather conditions, or any other reason. Your understanding is appreciated.
