Every year we get a fresh batch of new people that do not understand the cold. I've seen temps down to 80 below, and had to work outside at those temps. Somethings of interest we try and tell them.
1. The hood on a parka will zip all the way up till only a small tunnel is left to look through. At 50 below or colder use it, otherwise you will freeze your lungs.
2. Don't run, if you fall odds are you will not be able to get up, and you can freeze to death in a matter of minutes. Also the rapid breathing will freeze your lungs.
3. Don't drink alcohol that has been left outside. That swallow of everclera will still be 50 below as it goes down your throat, you will be dead in 3 minutes.
4. If you can get your vehicle started, don't try and force it to move once in gear, the tires may be frozen to the ground or pavement. Hitting the gas can rip chunks out of the tires causing four instant flats.
5. You will have tires with four flat spots till they warm up enough to round out. Rounding out may not occur if the temps are low enough.
6. Don't cross the railroad tracks going fast. You will knock the tires off the beads, and roll the tires off the wheels. It's embarressing to arrive home on only wheels.
7. Don't walk out in front of traffic expecting it to stop, odds are they can not see you through the ice fog.
8. Don't touch metal with your bare hand, it's like grabbing a red hot poker. You will scream, and your hand will hurt for days. Maybe even blister up.
9. Don't open a window at home or in your vehicle, you won't be able to get it closed.
10. Don't wear wire framed glasses, you will frost bits your skin along your temples.
11. Don't wear contacts, they can freeze to your eye.
12. When driving and you come to a lighted intersection, you have the green light, always slow and look both ways. The other driver may suddenly have no brakes.
13. Never ever use you emergency (parking) brake, unless you regular brakes don't work. That's what they are for, not parking. Use to park will get your vehicle will be stuck there till it can be towed to a warm storage and the brakes thawed. There is a layer of ice on the entire mechanisum, you engage them and they won't release.
14. Make sure your parka ruff is real fur. Fake fur will not work. First time it is touched it will brake off, leaving your face with no protection.
15. Wear wool or poly undergarments, cotton kills.
16. Do not do anything that will make you sweat, that can kill you when it freezes.
17. Wear mittens, not gloves. Gloves can cost you your fingers.
18. When outside for extended periods, realize your mental capacity is deminished. You can not always think straight and can do something very wrong. One mistake and you can be dead.
19. Don't try and shoot a gun, they don't always work.
Just to reinforce this information. There was an old man who brought in a bottle of Everclear that he had been hiding outside during my wedding reception. He brought it inside and took a big swig. He was dead before we could get him into the car.
A young military woman who worked for the fire dept took a drive one evening out into the bush. When she parked her car, she pulled up the parking brake. She went for a short hike. The temps were around Zero when she left her car. When she returned the temps were dropping. After starting her car, the car would not move. The parking brake would not release. She decided to walk out, but she was not dressed for temps colder than 20 below. They found her car the next day, it was 60 below. They found her remains in the spring.
One night the temp dropped from 10 below to 65 below. A crew was working the midnight shift at one of the hangers on Eielson AFB. One of the young men ran a cord out to his big Ford truck to make sure it would start in the morning. Truck was jacked up with huge wheels, and all the off road accessories imaginable. Next morning he went out at 65 below and started his truck. He let it run for over 30 minutes to assure it would run properly. When he got off shift he went out and jumped into a still cold truck. Put it into gear and hit the gas. Truck just shuddered and sat there. Driver reached down and slipped it into four wheel drive/low range. Floored the throttle, truck jumped ahead. After about 20 to 30 yards he realized something was wrong. Got out and saw every wheel was missing it's tire. The tires were still back where they had frozen to the ground, or lying his along the track.
