Winter Soldier: Prepare to Shiver during Winter Training.

There’s little worse than sitting at a collection point in the dead the winter, barely awake, waiting for the fake raid to end. You get in trouble if you nod off – but, since training isn’t real – it’s easy to just drift away. In the cold weather, I felt like it was even easier. You’re going to nod off, regardless.

Training can be miserable – that’s for sure and in Small Unit Tactics (SUT) – in the Q course, it’s no different. Because the odds that you’ll be well rested the entire time are slim. Slim to none is the reality. You’re best case scenario is a couple of nights of sleep that are wholesome in a week or two-week period.

I wish I had tricks of the trade to keep you warm. Except to say the obvious – keep your core warm. Make sure your armpits, head, ears, and groin area are covered. You lose a lot of eat from those areas.

Wrap up your face and neck. It’s important to keep your neck warm because it can affect your bodies perception of its own warmth. Just realize it’s going to be cold and there’s little to nothing to do about it.

Physical Fitness

It is important, however, to make sure you’re doing something out there in the winter for PT. Even if it’s 50 push-ups a day, 10 pull-ups in the morning, if you can. A stupid, short jog in the morning. Whatever it is it’s incredibly easy to get fat and happy in the winter.

Featured image courtesy of RossTraining.com