Originally Posted By: Am_Fear_Liath_Mor
[quote] The first point is not really an issue unless your fighting WWIII, but the second could be as it would be preferable to have hot drink rather than a cold drink. It would be preferable to have a cold drink rather than eating snow and it would be preferable to eat snow rather than becoming dehydrated. Being dehydrated is the worst of all possible circumstances for cold weather injuries.

So it would be better exchanging the plastic cup for a nice lightweight titanium metal one and carry some sachets of Belgian double hot chocolate in your survival kit.

Titanium Mug with Belgain Double Hot Chocolate - best outcome.

Titanium Mug with Hot water and some pine needles - better outcome.

Plastic Mug with cold water - keeps you hydrated.

No Mug with dripping cold water - certainly not idea as you may have to carve/improvise a wooden cup - keeps you hydrated.

No Mug and no Knife and no fire - You may have to start eating snow, high possibility of cold weather injury especially if there is nothing to eat.

No water, no knife and no fire and no food because you have remembered from some folks survival training that advocate 'not to eat the snow at all costs' - leads to dehydration and the rapid onset of a cold weather injury.


I'm wondering what the advantage would be in using a titanium mug as opposed to using a mug that's made out of stainless steel. The stainless steel mug is cheap enough, it's available for only a few bucks at your local Academy store. As for the pine needles, although they are definitely a good source of vitamin C, I know of at least one author (T. Elpel) who warns that overconsumption of pine needles can lead to possible kidney complications, and this is due to the resinous nature of the pine tree. LW.