Hypothermia
During cold weather outings everyone should (Be Prepared and) carry energy foods in their pockets, such as Nuts, Trail Mix, Granola Bars, Jerky, etc... and drink plenty of fluids to help you keep from getting cold.
When you hear that someone has "died of exposure" or has "frozen to death" the killer may actually have been hypothermia. Hypo means "a lack of" or "low" and thermia means "heat."
Hypothermia occurs when the person's body core temperature drops so low that it is no longer possible to keep warm. Or when the body is losing more heat than it can generate. In effect, the body's furnace goes out. Conditions do not have to be extreme for hypothermia to develop. Hypothermia is a threat to anyone who is not dressed warmly enough for the air (or water*) around him. Any combination of cool weather and damp clothing, wind, exhaustion or hunger can bring it on. A lightly dressed hiker caught in a cold, windy rainstorm is at great risk of hypothermia. In fact, most cases occur when the air temperature is well above freezing. A moderate air temperature of 40o-50o may result in death.
How to spot it:
To function well, the brain must stay warm. As the body begins to cool the victim will shiver in an attempt to create heat. If he receives no help, he will shiver and soon his shivering becomes violent. He cannot think clearly enough to take care of himself. He may stumble and fall. If he continues to chill, the shivering will stop, followed by a slip into unconsciousness and perhaps death.
Other symptoms may include feeling chilly, tired, irritability, sleepiness, and incoherence. Again the ability to make clear judgments will be reduced, perhaps causing the victim to push on longer when conditions call for turning back.
Because it first affects the ability to think clearly, hypothermia is as stealthy as it is dangerous. Someone beginning to suffer from it may have no idea that there is any danger and, in growing confusion, may reject any suggestions to stop and get warm.
When you are outdoors in damp, cool, or cold weather use the "hypothermia challenge" to determine if others in your group are in danger. Here's how it works:
If you think someone in the group is acting strangely, challenge your companion to walk a 30-foot line scratched in the ground. It's a test similar to that used by the police to check suspected drunk drivers. If a hiker can walk heel-to-toe for a length of the line without difficulty, hypothermia is still not a problem. However if there is unsteadiness, loss of balance, or other signs of disorientation see that your companion gets warm and dry even if the person protests. Everyone in the group must take the "hypothermia challenge" before you travel on.
How to prevent it:
The best way to deal with hypothermia is to prevent it in the first place. Wear enough clothing to keep yourself warm and dry. Dress warmly. Wear a hat. Always carry rain gear to keep yourself and your clothing dry. Eat plenty of energy foods and lots of fluids. Don't push yourself to a dangerous point of fatigue. If bad weather catches you in the back country, put up your tent and crawl into your sleeping bag. Watch others in your group for signs that they are becoming cold, hungry, and irritable.
How to treat it:
If someone is showing any symptoms of hypothermia, take action right away. Take action to rewarm the victim and prevent further heat loss. In mild cases you can move the victim to the shelter of a building or tent. Remove wet clothing, and zip the person into a sleeping bag until body temperature returns to normal. Make sure the head is covered with a warm hat or sleeping bag hood. Give hot drinks and soup if available - no alcohol.
In severe cases the victim won't be able to warm himself. You have to actively warm the victim's body. Get the person under shelter and into a sleeping bag, ideally a double sized bag made by zipping two bags together. The rescuer must also get into the sleeping bag so that body contact can warm the victim slowly. If the bag is large enough have a third person crawl in, too. Skin against skin, the heat of your bodies can rewarm the victim and perhaps save a life. Do not give an unconscious patient anything by mouth. Get a hypothermia victim under medical care.
*Note: The body temperature of a swimmer drops steadily in water cooler than himself. The shivering that results is the onset of hypothermia. Get out of the water. Cover up. Exercise to get warm.
