Airsoft Action 03 - Dec 2011 | Page 81

Packing the car A handy list of things you ought to pack this winter – because it’s never fun spending the night in your car on the side of the road without it! These are things you can pack into a box and, boot space permitting, leave there just in case. ■ Boil in the bag food ■ Sweets (for energy) ■ Brew kit (for making hot drinks) WINTER PREP ■ A couple of torches ■ Cooker for boiling water ■ First aid kit ■ Thermos flask ■ Wash kit and towel ■ Toilet roll and plastic bags ■ Spork ■ Sleeping bag ■ Warm, waterproof jacket ■ Thermal gloves and socks ■ Boots ■ Folding shovel ■ Folding water carrier holding 12 litres of water. ■ Hi-viz vest ■ Warning triangle ■ Reading material (Airsoft Action preferred!) Cold weather injuries So you’ve got all the kit you need to brave the Arctic Circle – but do you know when you’re at risk? First off, it’ll be cold. Funny, that. Specifically, temperatures below 5°C are likely to cause cold weather injuries if proper care isn’t taken. Things get worse if it’s wet or windy. Rain, snow, ice and high humidity, coupled with wind speeds 5mph and higher, make for a miserable experience. And if you’re caught out without adequate shelter, a change of clothes and food and water, you’re highly susceptible to a whole host of nasty injuries. It would take a whole magazine to describe these all in detail and give specific instructions on how to prevent, recognise and deal with these injuries, so we won’t try – the important thing is that if you’re properly prepared you won’t need to know what they look like! ■ Hypothermia ■ Frostbite ■ Chilblains ■ Trenchfoot ■ Dehydration ■ Frostnip ■ Snow blindness ■ Sunburn ■ Cold diuresis (excessive urination) For more on these injuries visit: bit.ly/coldinjuries www.airsoftactionmagazine.com 081