Eating snow
- Thread starter wildmnby
- Start date
As long as its not yellow! 
It would depend where it came from, snow is precipitation so is sterile as it falls(obviously being aware of any enviromental pollution it picks up on the way down). If it is fresh snow it should be ok, if it has lay for any time it may pick up pollution and bugs from the local environment but should generally be clean. If you heat it to melt it it should sterilise it anyway so should be purer than tapwater.
It would depend where it came from, snow is precipitation so is sterile as it falls(obviously being aware of any enviromental pollution it picks up on the way down). If it is fresh snow it should be ok, if it has lay for any time it may pick up pollution and bugs from the local environment but should generally be clean. If you heat it to melt it it should sterilise it anyway so should be purer than tapwater.
torjusg said:
I was told long ago that if snow is the only option for water then if possible, squeeze it into really hard snowballs as it will melt better.
The main thing to always remember is not to pack it into a billy. the bottom bit will melt but not the top and you can burn the billy
Always avoided having to test this out so far though
AndyW said:I was told long ago that if snow is the only option for water then if possible, squeeze it into really hard snowballs as it will melt better.
The main thing to always remember is not to pack it into a billy. the bottom bit will melt but not the top and you can burn the billy
Always avoided having to test this out so far though
True.
By squeezing it into a ball, you get rid of a lot of air that's caught between the ice (snow) chrystals. This is where the more energy factor comes into place Torjus was talking about (ice contains less air than snow - less air means less isolation, hence less energy to melt).
If you just put snow in a billy and heat it - you risk burning your billy because the snow near the bottom of the pot melts, and the top bit doesn't due to the isolation function of the air in snow.
When you don't have a billy, just roll a big ball (as if you where making a snowman), point it on a stick (as a big marshmallow) near a fire and catch the water with whatever is available.
The problems is that snow doesn't contain the electrolytes you find in mineral or tap water. You have to add salt and sugar (though very little) or electrolyte powder, or you will, over longer periods of time, be dehydrated. Talking out of personal experience here. Don't forget the lid, and always try to have some water in the pot, to avoid that the water goes directly from solid to gas, you want it liquid, don't you?
G
GenghisChris
Guest
Just a small note regarding the title of this thread. You should under no circumstances (in a survival situation) eat snow. It is quite common knowlege that ir reduces your core temperature very rapidly, which puts you at a much higher risk of hypothermia and other cold related risks. Always melt it first
(I am partial to a blue slush puppy on a hot summers dat though)
(I am partial to a blue slush puppy on a hot summers dat though)
bambodoggy
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
GenghisChris said:Just a small note regarding the title of this thread. You should under no circumstances (in a survival situation) eat snow. It is quite common knowlege that ir reduces your core temperature very rapidly, which puts you at a much higher risk of hypothermia and other cold related risks. Always melt it first
(I am partial to a blue slush puppy on a hot summers dat though)
I'm affraid I have to disagree with you here.... I've always been taught to avoid eating snow if possible for the reasons you state BUT if it's all you have to obtain fluid (i.e. you have no way to melt it) then dehydration is a much bigger worry and in fact speeds up the onset of hypothermia....therefore it's better to eat snow than to not take onboard any fluids at all. This is particularly true if you are on the move.....you're core temp will not be too undully affected by eating the snow as your movement generates heat...dehydration will still kill you though so you have to eat snow
As I say you're right in principle but life has shades of greay as well as black and white, saying not to do something under any circumstances might prove to cause more harm than good.
Cheers,
Bam.
Best way I know to melt snow is how I was taught in the maple sugar bush by some elders;
-Put some water in the billy can, you don't need too much, just enough to cover the bottom with about 1/2 inch or more.
-Slowly add snow to this, let it melt to water (not slush) and then add more
-Heat it to a boil, because most snow has snow fleas and other buggies in it.
-Let cool down, or add cedar needles to make a good winter tea.
Snow has very little water in it compared to the size of it. You need some water to help melt it, and protect the pot from scorching. Once a good 2 inches has started, don't be afraid to heap a handful in at a time. Just be sure that the snow has melted in between handfuls.
-Put some water in the billy can, you don't need too much, just enough to cover the bottom with about 1/2 inch or more.
-Slowly add snow to this, let it melt to water (not slush) and then add more
-Heat it to a boil, because most snow has snow fleas and other buggies in it.
-Let cool down, or add cedar needles to make a good winter tea.
Snow has very little water in it compared to the size of it. You need some water to help melt it, and protect the pot from scorching. Once a good 2 inches has started, don't be afraid to heap a handful in at a time. Just be sure that the snow has melted in between handfuls.
BOD
Bushcrafter (boy, I've got a lot to say!)
bambodoggy said:I'm affraid I have to disagree with you here.... I've always been taught to avoid eating snow if possible for the reasons you state BUT if it's all you have to obtain fluid (i.e. you have no way to melt it) then dehydration is a much bigger worry and in fact speeds up the onset of hypothermia....therefore it's better to eat snow than to not take onboard any fluids at all. This is particularly true if you are on the move.....you're core temp will not be too undully affected by eating the snow as your movement generates heat...dehydration will still kill you though so you have to eat snow
Bam.
I'm with Bam on this, though I can hardly be an authority on it considering where I am.
There is an excellent article by the Artic explorer Vilhamur Steffanson who spent over a decade with the Inuit and who explains why eating snow is okay, if started early enough and while you are active as Bam says. He also explains why it is okay to nap as well and why it is advisable to do so when you first feel tired and sleepy and not when you are utterly exhausted.
National Geprgaphic Adventure magazine ran an article last year which i will try and locate about a man who spent several days lost after being injured and who broke the "no snow" and "no sleep" rules.
