Whether you’re near the beach or in the middle of the desert, it can get incredibly cold. Is there a way to keep yourself warm using all that sand around you? It makes sense that, if you burn your feet on the beach, then surely that superheated sand would keep you warm at night. Then again, you’re supposed to dig down and bury most of you cooler to help keep your summertime drinks chilly. Does that mean the sand is a superb insulator? Realistically yes. Sand can help keep you warm if appropriately used. I grew up in the desert, and survival there depends on knowing how to stay hydrated and cool in the day, but warm at night. Resultantly, I’m happy to share everything I know about the sand, and how to stay warm when you have almost no resources.
Can sand keep you warm? Sand will only keep you warm for a few hours. Fortunately, sand is a reliable insulator. When you walk on a beach at night, the warmth of the day is trapped in the dry sand for quite a while. That means it is also helpful for maintaining the temperature of a body or object for several hours.
How Sand & Warmth Interact
Sand holds warmth or insulates well, but why? Most standard insulation is filled with air pockets to trap warm air near the skin. Hence fur, feathers, or human clothing all keep us warm. Even balled up paper helps retain heated air. Sand doesn’t have air pockets.
Well, to understand why and how sand traps heat, it helps to know what sand is first. As a sedimentary substance, sand is primarily silicon dioxide. Because of its structure, the sand has a heat transfer coefficient of 0.06 watts per square meter degree Celsius.
That’s a lot of large words, that mean silicon dioxide (aka sand) loses heat very slowly. According to Sciencing.com, “A 1-kilogram container of sand will cool from 104 degrees F to 68 degrees F in 5 hours, 30 minutes.” However, that assumes there is no ongoing source of heat, such as a body or fire nearby.
Much like the wall of a house, a sand shelter will absorb heat and reflect it back slowly. Although it’s not like what we consider ‘normal’ insulation, sand, mud, and concrete are all traditional home building materials because they create a barrier to hold heat or cool within, much like a non-porous plastic bag might.
Creating a single insulated air pocket is likely not as efficient as the warm air pouch that is polar bear fur or modern insulation. Yet it is still useful. Particularly when you have no other options, using the materials you have on hand will save your life.
Using Sand to Stay Warm
Although it may seem like you can simply cover your body with warm sand, this is a terrible plan for a couple of reasons. First, a proper sand shelter needs space to tea your body heat. Otherwise, once the sand layer cools n a few hours, it will slowly sap your body heat through direct contact.
Secondly, although it is not related to heat, the sand will get into your clothing and shoes. The abrasive qualities of sand are a minor annoyance at first. Sadly, it will very rapidly become a more severe issue with blisters, sanded off the skin, and more profound damage. You will survive longer ‘sanded’ than you will frozen, but it’s an awful plan. Instead, build a proper sand shelter.
Build a Warm Sand Shelter
Building a warm sand shelter is easy if you have the right equipment. Conversely, you can still make it work with your hands, but digging will hurt because sand is abrasive. It’s vital to carry a bug-out-bag or extensive EDC kit wherever you go to help with situations like this.
To create an emergency sand shelter, you will need a shovel, a tarp or space blanket, rocks, and sand. I recommend waiting until the sun goes down before you start digging because it will likely cause your body to heat up. That can be a benefit by keeping you warm while you prepare your warm sleeping place.
Additionally, you can use the same shelter to keep the heat out in the daytime. Regrettably, a space blanket is the wrong choice for a sunshade when things warm up. Instead, swap it out for a less heat-absorbing option.
Steps to Make a Sand Shelter
A sand shelter is extremely simple. As survival skills go, this one takes little to no experience. Though it helps if you’re good at digging, you will get it done if you understand the concept. If you’re left without a shovel, try to find a flat rock for scraping, or you will end up with bleeding hands and the problem of treating open wounds.
- Take your shovel and dig a hole large enough to lay below the surface of the ground. It’s better if you can dig deeper and stand up inside, but a small shelter will do in a pinch.
- Take your space blanket or tarp and place it over the hole.
- Using the rocks to pin it in place, you should have a nice, warm space to retain your body heat and keep you from freezing.
- If you only have a jacket to cover your shelter, dig a deeper, narrower hole and plan to sit or stand.
You will probably not be what you’d call ‘cozy,’ but a simple sand shelter can keep you from freezing. If possible, building a fire nearby and warming rocks will help. You can take the hot stones and place them on the floor of your shelter under a layer of sand to help keep you warm.
Please be careful not to stand directly on burning rocks. The layer of sand will help insulate you from burns and disburse the heat slowly. If possible, a layer of green foliage should go over the sand as well. However, on a beach or sandy desert dune, this may not be possible.
Avoid Losing Your Body Heat
A big part of staying warm isn’t sand or anything else you might make a shelter from or bury yourself inside. Although it seems oversimplified, you need to avoid heat loss. There are several ways to accomplish this in dry, sandy environments.
First, breathe through your nose. By open-mouth breathing, you expel more heat and moisture. Second, cover your head. It is a vital source of heat loss in any situation. Because heat rises, your head will put off plenty of warmth even when you feel chilly.
Next, balance your movement versus energy conservation needs. If you have plenty of food and water, then it may help to huddle within an emergency blanket or jacket. Alternately, if you’re too cold, then moving around to build some heat is a good option. Be careful not to work up a sweat as this is your body’s natural evaporative cooling system kicking in.
Travel at Night to Stay Warmer
Another great way to stay warm in sandy climates is to sleep in the day and travel or work at night like the native animals often do. Although humans aren’t naturally nocturnal, it can be a lifesaver to get on the move after dark when temps plummet.
The Bedu people still travel by night when it’s cold. Their nomadic practices help make the most out of a harsh environment, and you can do the same. Especially in an emergency where you’re bugging out or lost moving as the natives do is a fantastic technique.
Moreover, you can use the same trick for wintertime. When the ground is covered in snow and temps dip to the single digits, sleep in the daytime when there’s the sun to help warm you a bit. By moving when it’s coldest, you build up heat and prevent falling unconscious and possible death from hypothermia.
So long as there’s no cloud cover, you can use the moon and stars to help navigate. Plus, there’s no concern over sunburn, or reflection blindness off of the sand. Additionally, moving at night is often the more savvy choice for remaining undetected. In a serious bug-out situation, you don’t want to be followed.
Main Thoughts on Does Sand Keep you Warm
Sand is an acceptable way to stay warm. Typically for a few hours, you can use the stored heat that remains. Additionally, you can dig a hole to insulate your body with a sand shelter that will double as a way to stay out of the sun in the daytime.
Unless it’s a real emergency, and you’re already near hypothermia, please do not bury yourself in the warm sand. Laying on top of a blanket on the warm sand will also help raise your body temperature, without sanding off your skin. Abrasion isn’t comfortable under the best circumstances, and in a survival situation, it can add to your problems and decrease your chances of survival, or at least slow you down.
Make sure your EDC always has a pair of thermal blankets to help keep you warm. Moreover, it’s a good idea to carry a few chemical hand and boot warmers, and an excellent firestarter to stay warm.