Science of Survival: Lost in the Snow - S0.E1

Jennifer and Jim Stolpa ended up lost in the snow miles from help. They survived for days alone and without help. Could YOU?

In the coldest Colorado winter for a decade, survival expert Les Stroud shows what you can do to survive if you are trapped in a blizzard without any special gear. He strips his truck and turns a car seat into a makeshift pair of snow boots to battle his way through the Rocky Mountains. He shows you how to make a signal fire from an old tire and a car battery, then treks off through 80 mph winds and knee-deep powdery snow in temperatures of minus 86 degrees F wearing nothing more than an old overcoat and pants — just like the Stolpas had during their ordeal.

Navigating his way eastward with only a watch, building a shelter from dead trees and starting a fire with baby supplies, Les shows how to get through a deadly winter night. Later in the program, he visits a military training lab to show you what happens when he exposes himself, unprotected, to extreme cold. Shivering in 41 degrees below zero — and worried about frostbite, Les experiences the ravages of hypothermia and watches as his ability to perform simple manual tasks deteriorates out of control.