• Wicking layer: This layer should pass moisture away from your skin. Polypropylene or wool undergarments give you a dry layer next to your skin for more warmth. Don't wear cotton, cotton is cold when wet and very slow to dry.
• Insulating layer(middle layer): Polyester pile, fiberfill, wool, thinsulate, etc. are materials that will keep you warm and dry quickly. Down is a good insulator, but unprotected down will wet quickly and is slow to dry.
• Protective Layer: Keeps wind, rain and snow out. Raingear should be large enough to fit over all your clothes and should have a hood.
• A Wool Or Polarfleece Hat Is A Must! 40 to 75 % of your body heat is lost through the head.
• Gloves: To keep your hands warm and dry, wear polypropylene liners underneath mittens. Carry a pair of waterproof overmitts. Mittens are warmer than gloves.
• Feet: Dress in layers here too. A liner, then a thick wool sock and correctly fitted boots keep your feet warm and comfortable and prevent boot friction-also wear gaitors.

• Eat Before You Go Out: It's important to eat continually during your outing to replace expended energy. Bring a lunch-sugars (fruit or candy) for quick energy, carbohydrates (crackers, breads) for storing energy, and proteins (jerky, nuts, cheese, etc.) which become available to the body after several hours. Stopping for snack breaks lets you take the time to enjoy the winter environment, the reason you're there in the first place.
• Drink Plenty Of Liquids: Bring water with you, at least two liters per person. With strenuous exercise your body can lose 4-5 liters of water daily. It is essential that this water be replaced.
• Do Not Drink Alcoholic Beverages: Alcohol impairs judgment and opens blood vessels at the extremities, allowing blood to cool. This can lower your body's internal temperature.

• Where are you going. Do you have maps of the area?
• When are you returning (day and time).
• Who are you going with (never ski alone. Stay together).

• Map And Compass: Be familiar with the area you are entering. Carry and know how to use both a map and compass. Trust your compass reading.
• Constant Observation: Be winter aware of the weather. People get lost most often during storms. Observe the weather (sun, clouds, winds) and snow conditions (powder, crust, ice). These can dictate the length of a trip or where to ski. Continually check your surroundings, observe familiar peaks, creeks, and other landmarks that will allow you to get back to your starting point.
• Personal Observation: How are you or those in your party feeling? Does gear fit correctly? Is anyone hungry, wet, or tired? Plan the days' skiing to accommodate the lowest skiing ability in the group. Be willing to cancel the trip if dictated by weather or other conditions.
• Obey Ski Area Signs: These are for your well being. Ski in-bounds only. Get an area map. Tell family/friends where you'll be skiing and when you'll meet them. Be aware, ski with care. Most winter backcountry searches are for downhill skiers who have skied out of bounds.
• Ration Your Sweat, Not Your Water: Drink often. Hot soup or tea on a cold day is a pleasure-think about carrying a thermos. Water gathering techniques: Melt snow in black plastic; refill half full water bottles with snow and shake bottle vigorously; if near a creek, pack ski pole baskets with snow and dip in water-it saturates snow like a snow cone and keeps you from falling into the creek. If you become wet, your body can lose heat 25 times faster than if you are dry.
• Don't Eat Snow Crust Or Ice: Especially if tired, cold, unhealthy, or injured. It takes too much energy to convert snow too water and it cools the body internally.
• Recognize And Avoid Snow Avalanche Terrain: Most avalanches that bury people are triggered by those people. The main cause of avalanches are people entering an avalanche zone and/or a new snow fall. Learn to be "Avalanche Aware". Call your avalanche hotline or avalanche forecaster for current local conditions. Avoid all avalanche terrain during periods of unstable snow. Many, but not all, avalanches occur during or immediately after a storm and on slopes 30 degrees or steeper. Deep and unstable snow tends to accumulate on the lee sides of mountains and in gullies. Learn to recognize and avoid snow avalanche terrain. Also, be aware of ice covered streams and lakes. Crossing these can be dangerous.

STOP

• Stop-Stay put (if in a safe place). The farther you go, the longer it will take searchers to find you.
• Think-Evaluate your options. What about the others in your party-is everyone prepared? What can you do to remedy the situation?
• Observe-Look around you and use what you see to help the situation. Check your surroundings and your equipment.
• Plan-Formulate a plan of action.

• Make A Shelter: It should protect you from wind, rain, snow and avalanche. Build them small, as large shelters require more time and effort. Use materials at hand (tarps, ropes, garbage bags, bark, branches, ice, crust, etc. Improvise ). Emergency shelters are easy to build, but take time and effort. Do whatever is necessary to keep warm and dry. A tree is the best type of shelter since it is already half built. Select a tree well that is out of the wind and has limbs drooping to the snow. Add more limbs, bark, tarp, garbage bags or slabs of snow for the roof and build up snow for the sides. Insulate the floor with boughs, pack, etc. Keep off the snow. Face the shelter's entrance east for morning sun and don't hide from search parties. Trenches, fallen trees, rock outcroppings and caves also offer protection.
• Make Signals to Help Others Find You: Cross your skis and poles and stamp out a trail in four directions from your shelter. Also, stamp SOS in the snow. Any signal in three's (such as shouting or whistling) means emergency. Fires create smoke in the daytime and a light source at night. Don't waste energy or get wet. Try to make yourself big and obvious to searchers.

• 1. Monitor breathing. Keep the airway open.
• 2. Check for heart beat. Is CPR required?
• 3. Check for bleeding. Usually the most effective way to stop bleeding is direct pressure on the wound and elevation above the heart.
• 4. Keep the victim warm, dry and out of the wind. Treat for shock.
• 5. Immobilize broken or badly sprained limbs.
• 6. Seek help.

• 1. Wear proper clothing, dress in layers.
• 2. Stay dry. Wet clothes, especially cotton, are useless. Don't get caught wearing killer jeans. Wear a wool hat.
• 3. Eat high energy foods and drink plenty of liquids.
• 4. Do not become overly fatigued, rest often.

• 1. Shivering.
• 2. Loss of coordination and the ability to do simple tasks.
• 3. Disoriented or confused attitude. As one of the symptoms of hypothermia is a reduction of mental ability, you may not notice the onset in yourself. It is very important to carefully observe the others in your party.

• 1. Get the victim out of the wind and elements
• 2. Prevent heat loss by getting the victim in warm, dry clothes (your own if necessary) or a pre-warmed sleeping bag. Get into the bag with the victim (both unclothed). Insulate the victim from the ground.
• 3. Give warm liquids and sugars/carbohydrates for food.
• 4. Continually assess their condition.

• Downhill Skiers should carry a survival kit, hat, gloves, sunglasses, sunscreen, and a candy bar.
  
• Snowmobilers should carry goggles, a basic tool kit, and spare parts.
• As your level of activity in the winter environment increases, you may want to improve your techniques and knowledge. Further information can be obtained from the following texts:
• Map & Compass Use--Be An Expert With Map And Compass by Bjorn Kjelstrom.
• Avalanches--Avalanche Handbook by Ronald Perla; ABC's Of Avalanche Safety by Edward La Chapelle; The Avalanche Book by Betsy R. Armstrong.
• Winter Survival--Tom Brown Jr.'s Field Guide To Wilderness Survival by Tom Brown Jr., Surviving The Unexpected Wilderness Emergency by Gene Fear.
• First Aid--American Red Cross Advanced First Aid & Emergency Care; Medicine For Mountaineering by James R. Wilkerson, MD; Hypothermia, Frostbite & Other Cold Injuries by Wilkerson, Bangs and Hayward; Medicine For The Outdoors by Paul S. Auerbach, M.D.