This was an experience I'm very grateful to have had, as I learned not only a lot about bartering (something every serious survivalist should learn) but also a lot about caring for my extremities in cold weather. The thing about Missouri in the winter is…it's cold! Now that I live in Colorado, I laugh at myself for thinking -6 degrees Fahrenheit at night is bad. (Where I live it gets down to -17 at night in January.) However, back then that was the coldest weather I'd camped in. That weekend our campsite was covered in several inches of snow and I (contrary to the Boy Scout motto) was not prepared for it. I had enough layers––long underwear, a couple of breathable shirts, a jacket, and a heavy coat––but for footwear I only had a pair of canvas hiking shoes that were water resistant but, as anyone who has gone hiking in water-resistant shoes or boots already knows, they were not waterproof. Water resistant pretty much means that if you step in a puddle and quickly step out of it your shoes won't be completely soaked.

In addition to being unprepared in regards to footwear, I had only one pair of thin, acrylic gloves that I had bought from Walmart for a few dollars.