Keep your hands dry. Your hands will become cold much faster if they are wet. If you must take your mitts or gloves off, try tucking them under your armpit, or better still, inside your jacket where they’ll stay warmer than if you leave them on the ground. Leaving your mitts/gloves on the ground leaves them vulnerable not only to loss, but to snow getting inside them, severely effecting their insulation value.

An Old Inuit Trick:

If you’re having trouble touching your thumb to your pinky finger – that’s a really bad sign. Get warm fast! It’s an indication that you’re so cold that your dexterity and sense of touch are failing, which in a survival situation greatly reduces your ability to accomplish basic lifesaving tasks, like lighting a match, using a lighter, manipulating a FireSteel, zipping up your clothing etc…

In a survival situation it’s crucial that you take care of your hands and feet. Your hands are essential for shelter building, gathering, knife skills etc… and you need your feet for mobility.