Hennepin County Winter Survivalist Offers Tips

This week’s cold weather could spell trouble if you ever get stranded outside in subzero temperatures without the proper gear.

We got some tips from Kelly Fisher, a self-proclaimed winter survivalist who spent more than 33 years in the U.S. Army and was part of an Arctic Battalion. He now teaches some of those skills as coordinator of the Hennepin County Emergency Management team.

Fisher says the most important thing to have with you in an emergency is a positive attitude.

“You have to have the will to survive,” said Fisher. “You can come up with the means, but you have to have the will to make it.”

The survivor expert always carries a winter gear bag with him no matter where he goes. In the back of his mind, he’s still thinking about how he will protect himself. He recommends having some kind of winter boots with you. Old pants are also part of the gear. He said it’s essential to cover your legs.

“Your leg muscles are the biggest muscles in your body,” he said. “They also get cold really fast, so cover your legs.”

Fisher says if you get stranded and don’t have any winter gear, there are some things you can do in an emergency. He recommends using car mats to cover your legs, and he says ripping cushion out of vehicle seats, and pull the foam out and put around your feet and the rest of your body.

“Survival is really a matter of when inspiration meets desperation,” he said.

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