Not sure what winter survival skills can help your homestead survive this winter? If you are in the same scenario, I know you will be glad you found me today. Continue reading and learn some winter survival skills to keep your homestead going through the winter.
The Ultimate Winter Survival Skills For The Homestead
Many people are getting ready for winter by assembling a winter survival kit in their car. However, too few have winter survival skills in their homes, which can leave them ill-equipped when a snowstorm hits. In my homestead, I make sure our tractor and lawn tractor are under the shelter of the barn when the weather is like this. If we had room to bring them inside a closed structure, I would. This allows easy access to our means of transportation, in case we need to evacuate. Since preparing your home for winter is fundamental and a more complex undertaking than doing it for your car, here are a few tips to help you prepare your homestead.
1. Create A Comprehensive List
List down everything you need to work on your homestead. Think of the main things your homestead will require to stay operational during winter and how you will accomplish them.
2. Prepare Your Home For Winter
Winter readiness is a must! Check everything inside and outside your house, if there's something that needs to be repaired. You might have some things not necessary for winter maybe just crowding your space. Check your supplies, if you have the all the necessities, extra food, batteries, flashlight, water, and other essentials. Don’t wait until you have abundant time to do it all at once because that might never happen. It is better to do it piece by piece because it will give you some insight and enough time to find out what is missing while you prepare.
3. Prepare Your Livestock And Barn For Winter
It is a must that your livestock dwelling place is weatherproof. Winter is the season that gives me the hardest time, especially in giving proper care for my livestock. I always ensure that 2-4 weeks before winter starts, my barn and supplies are ready. This gives me plenty of time to have everything ready when winter comes.
4. Getting Your Winter Garden Ready
Don't lose your garden to the cold weather, it would be devastating if you lose all your plants just because of the cold. Don’t forget that there are still some vegetables that flourish during winter. In my homestead, I have an indoor winter garden which has allowed me to continue growing my own food even during winter.
5. Keep Yourself Warm
Knowing how to keep yourself warm is essential for survival. Winter storms more often than not lead to power outages that can last for hours, days, and even weeks. What starts as an inconvenience can easily become dangerous, frightening, and deadly in freezing winter days. It is also very helpful to keep a fire starter handy.
6. Survive The Blizzard
Even before hearing the weatherman's warning, it's best to be ready than be sorry. You don't need to be the greatest prepper to learn how to survive when the blizzard hits. However, having enough knowledge of the cold weather know-how is also important for everyone's survival.
7. Know What Is Necessary For Your Bug-Out Kit
Winter is not just a preparation to have the exact winter clothes, it also involves having the necessities when you need to bug-out since you'll never know when to. Know and prepare the necessary things inside your bug-out kit.
8. Shovel Some Snow
Shoveling the snow may seem like mundane work but keeping it off your lawn, especially on your driveway, really helps. You can figure out some ways to make this task enjoyable.
9. Evacuation Vehicle
You might be facing a medical emergency, or in the most unfortunate case, your home might be severely damaged and it may no longer be safe to stay inside. It would be very helpful if you have transportation ready. Snowmobiles or even your car can come in handy. Make sure they are operational, filled with gasoline, and within easy access from your house.
10. Communication
Telephone lines can be affected by ice and the wind, despite the fact that it's far-fetched that a whole cell system will be wiped out. Keep your smartphone or cell phone completely charged and make a point to have an extra battery, and an auto charger for your cell phone, in case the power goes out. Walkie-talkies in your winter survival kit are a smart thing to have as they can help you remain in contact with family and friends. Radios that keep running on batteries additionally are insightful to have so you can find out about what's happening in the outside world.
Want to see cold weather survival skills? Check out this video from Primitive Skills:
Winter presents unique challenges and obstacles every person must know how to overcome and survive. Whether you are living in a homestead setting or not, it's best you plan ahead and prepare for the unexpected situation. I hope you've found these 10 winter survival tips helpful and interesting.
Got some winter survival skills you want to share? Let us know in the comments section below.
Up Next:12 Ways On How You Can Have A Joyful Winter!
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Editor’s Note – This post was originally published on December 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
My biggest issue with weathering out a winter storm is relaxing and learning how to slow it down a notch! In response to your number 5: last year I wrote a post about how to keep warm in the winter, with or without electricity: http://hillsborough-homesteading.com/how-to-stay-warm-and-lower-your-heat-bill-during-the-winter/ Hopefully it can help some of your readers if they find themselves in a blizzard!