How do you prep for the cold? The usual ways, I imagine: heat sources, warm, layered clothing, adequate food and hydration, shelter from the elements.

What about toughening up a little?

First, of course, you should be in shape—and NOT the round shape so often touted. Strength and endurance are, and will be in a SHTF situation, imperative. But, second, you need to suck it up, Cupcake!

Sure, some of you undoubtedly turn down your thermostats to arctic levels, from time to time or on a regular basis. But some of you also may conveniently nudge that dial when things get a bit chilly. Or throw another log on the fire. Or grab an extra quilt.

But what if you can’t?

No thermostat. Firewood used for cooking and to keep you from actually freezing to death—not to provide a certain comfort level. Oh, the quilt? Maybe someone else is using it, maybe you cut it up for bandages, maybe it’s part of your shelter.

Now what?

If you’re in shape, if you have adequate clothing and food and shelter and water, you have a much better chance of resisting cold. If you limit your activity away from fire and shelter to shorter bursts, you can also resist the cold more easily—think about how, if you’re cold at home, you might step outside to grab a couple logs for the fireplace. It’s not so bad, right? But if you had to walk for a while, then chop those logs, then carry them back to the house, the cold digs right into you. And stays for a while.

Believe it or not, some of it is mind over matter. Don’t you feel warmer when the sun’s out? I know I do—the thermometer says it’s 11, but looking outside at my neighbor, shoveling his driveway, I can see pavement. I won’t say it makes me feel toasty, exactly, but it certainly LOOKS warmer out there.

Cold is painful, yes? Other things, like medical procedures, are painful too. You know how those docs always tell you “just relax” and you’re thinking, “oh, sure, right, no problem?”

Just do it. Seriously. It works for cold, too. Take a deep breath, relax your muscles, and embrace the cold. Remember, though, to breathe through your nose; this warms the air you’re taking into your lungs and is less of a shock to the system.

Cold weather, like any other survival situation, can be tolerated. Notice I’m not saying “enjoyed.” There’s cold, and then there’s Canadian cold . . . But you CAN prepare for and adjust to almost any type of weather. It’s just another component of prepping.