5 tips for surviving the Arctic from a soldier who lives there
By Alvin Cade, Jr.
Oct 18, 10:45 AM
The day I found out we were PCSing to Alaska, my wife and I began reading every article we could about preparing for our big move.
We were nervous, yet excited for a new adventure and really didn’t know what to expect. I wanted to leave fellow soldiers with the following tips for surviving the Arctic in the hope that it helps others transition to Alaska, as well.
1. Don’t be afraid of the cold, but respect the cold
Alaska is unforgiving and does not care about you. You can be the biggest, baddest and most hardcore person in the world, yet when you come to Alaska, the state’s harsh climate does not care. There are well below freezing temperatures, high winds, earthquakes, floods and even tsunamis that can be ruthless. However, this is nothing to be afraid of because you can equip yourself to battle the elements.
From the military perspective, you are issued plenty of warm weather gear that will keep you warm no matter the temperature. You will spend eight to nine months out of the year outside in below freezing temperatures, so it is important that you understand how the climate here works and how to protect yourself.
It took me one winter to truly understand what the difference was between what 30 degrees Fahrenheit felt like and what 0 degrees Fahrenheit felt like; and what -20 degrees felt like and what -45 degrees felt like. I arrived to central Alaska in February. It was 70 degrees in Georgia, where I had just moved from, and now I was dealing with -36 degrees in Fairbanks.
Words can’t explain how traumatized I was when I found out I was going on a snowshoe ruck my first week as a platoon leader. But it didn’t take long for me to realize that our issued gear was more than enough to keep you warm and that leaders have adequate work/rest cycles to ensure the safety of soldiers.
https://www.armytimes.com/opinion/2022/10/18/5-tips-for-surviving-the-arctic-from-a-soldier-who-lives-there/
