Cold and wet, the body’s temperature can drop, leading to hypothermia. These tips will help keep you safe this winter.
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The coldest I’ve ever been wasn’t on top of a frozen peak, nor winter camping on a frigid Minnesota winter night. It was cycling on a November day in the Rockies. Wet from rain and low on fuel, I struggled home and spent a miserable afternoon rewarming my body.
The lesson: You don’t have to freeze through a Midwestern winter to experience hypothermia. It can occur in more moderate temperatures or when submerged in cool water. We found some tips from the CDC and added a few practical tips for those specifically in risky outdoors situations.
What Happens to the Body During Hypothermia
The human body is finely tuned, exceptionally capable of regulating its core temperature at a steady 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit. Thanks to our body composition (water has a very high specific heat), it takes a lot to move our core temperature higher or lower.
But once you get too cold, well, it’s tough to warm back up. Hypothermia occurs when the body loses heat faster than it can produce it and the core temperature drops below 95 degrees F.
When in the outdoors, especially in remote areas, it’s important to stay in front of hypothermia and act before symptoms appear if at all possible.
How to Identify Hypothermia
Mild symptoms may include:
- Shivering
- Cold skin
- Exhaustion
- Lack of coordination such as fumbling hands
- Slurred speech
- Memory loss and confusion or poor judgement
- Stiff muscles
- Lower pulse
- Shallow breathing
- Loss of consciousness
- Shivering – which may stop as the core temperature drops below 90 degrees F
When Can You Get Hypothermia?
How to Avoid: Be Very Mindful of Cold
- No layers: If you head into the wild in a single light garment covered by a heavy coat, watch out. A lack of layers limits your options for managing your temperature.
- Sweat: Peal off layers before you start sweating while hiking. Soaking clothing with sweat can lead to hypothermia once you stop moving.
- Precipitation: Rain and snow may barely register when you are moving quickly. But stop for a short time, and damp clothing will quickly cool. Remember to block water with a shell layer in cool temps.
- Sudden situational changes: Trail running on a cool fall day, you may not require more than a t-shirt. But what if you roll an ankle and can’t walk out? What if it starts raining? Consider carrying emergency layers when the unplanned pitstop becomes reality.
- Numb fingers: It doesn’t take much of a temperature change for ungloved hands to become nearly worthless. Take action before your hands are limp sausages and simple tasks become nearly impossible.
How to Treat Hypothermia
- Get out of the elements.
- Remove wet clothing.
- Rewarm the center of the body first: head, neck, chest, and groin. If you have access to one, use an electric blanket or heating pad. In the backcountry, reach for warm, dry coats and skin-to-skin contact.
- Drink a warm beverage. Sugary drinks add quick calories and can boost the metabolism.
- Avoid warm baths, which can rewarm too quickly and be painful.
- Avoid warming limbs first, which can circulate cold blood back to the core, potentially causing stress on the heart.
- Do not give the person alcoholic drinks; they slow rewarming.