Learning how to slaughter and butcher reindeer.
Learning how to slaughter and butcher reindeer.
The ice bath (isvaksbadet) is the final part of winter survival. Swimming in freezing
water isn't very fun, but it increases your chances of surviving in a real
survival situation by more than 100%.
Getting out of the ice bath is one of the hardest parts.
Building a snow-cave (snöka) in a snow dune is important for surviving
in the mountains without a tent.
The inside of the snow-cave (snöka).
If you don't have a snow dune, you can build a big pile of snow and dig it out. This is
known as a snow-hut (snöhydda). On the picture you can see the inside of a
snow-hut, and the tunnel that is the entrance. Note the branches from fir trees
(granris) on the floor, which isolates against the cold snow.
If you have limited time, you can build the most simple winter shelter, the snow-pit
(snögrop). This is basically just a hole you dig in the snow and fill it
with fir tree branches for insulation.
If you have access to a fir tree with branches close to the ground, you can build a shelter
known as a reenforced tree (förstärkt gran). This is built by placing
more branches over the original ones, and shoveling up snow onto the sides of the branches.