Let me tell you a couple cold weather survival techniques used by the famous Donner Party and how Native American Indians survived blizzard conditions that would KILL most unprepared hikers, campers, hunters,… And there’s absolutely NO DIGGING involved.

• Donner Party Emergency Shelter
• Blizzard Protector
• Blizzard Shelter

Let me start with Donner Party Emergency Shelter.

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Donner Party Emergency Shelter: The winter storms of 1846 – 1847 was the worst winter in recorded history. That winter, 09 winter storms – 09 winter storms, (some non-stop for days) one right after another pummeled, punished, tortured, crippled, killed,… the Donner Party and the rescuers of 05 Relief Parties.

Approximately late December 1846 – early January 1847, The Forlorn Hope was in a real hurt. The Forlorn Hope (15 of the strongest members of the Donner Party [09 men, 05 women, and a boy]) was sent to find help. But now almost half were already dead. To stay alive, The Forlorn Hope were eating their dead friends and family members. But the constant freezing cold blizzards were slowing killing them one-by-one.

To fight the current blizzard, William Eddy laid a couple blankets on the snow then had everybody sit on the blanket in a tight circle facing each other. He then placed the remaining blankets on top of the sitting members forming an enclosed tent. Eddy then entered the shelter completing the circle.

The falling snow covered the blanket tent giving it more insulation and more protection for the survivors from the killer cold, snow, and wind chill. Eddy probably learned this life-saving emergency shelter trick from a mountain man. With this shelter, he saved everyone’s life to include his own. This camp was called the Camp of Death because of the cannibalism that took place at this site.

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Blizzard Protector: One of Mother Nature’s unforgiving killers is a blasting freezing white blizzard. Indians survived these killer blizzards by using the snow itself for a shelter. Enveloped by the blizzard, Indians would separate into small groups, place their buffalo robes over themselves, and hunker down. They’d make sure they’d find a place where the snow was unlikely to drift. And they’d place a pole upright beside their spot. Being under the snow, the pole was used to measure the storm’s intensity and indicate when the blizzard has passed.

The snow would fall on them forming a hollow insulated shelter that protected them from the killer elements. They’d stay put till the blizzard was over. When the pole stopped moving & vibrating, that indicated the blizzard was over. Plus, the pole acted as a small vent for fresh air and identified their location for other Indians to dig them out. Sometimes the snow got very heavy.

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Blizzard Shelter: Many an inexperienced tenderfoot died in place from Mother Nature’s wraths – a blizzard. But savvy frontiersmen caught in a blizzard knew what to do to save their life. They wrapped themselves in their buffalo robe – coat and hunkered down. Next to him, he secured his rifle so it was vertical. It was used as a vent.

He deliberately let the snow pile-up over him. The snow acted as a protective insulator against the cold temperature and blasting snow. In this position, frontiersmen have been known to last 03-days without food and water.

Inexperienced tenderfeet would fight the storm. In the process of fighting for their lives they would sweat, wetting their bodies and clothes from perspiration. This would invite KILLER HYPOTHERMIA and it reigned in cold weather environments. It was common for anyone that had close calls with blizzards luckily escaped but had toes, fingers, arms, and legs amputated to prevent killer gangrene from spreading.

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Resource:

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