I've guided people that have started to slide down the slippery slope of hypothermia. It really doesn't make a good day out for anyone but in every case it could have been avoided if people had left their 'hard man' persona at home and listened to advice.

Have I got this right? If on my ford wading on the FF I'd slipped and got soaked and cold, I would been wiser to get as dry as possible and carry on towards civilisation rather than camp up and get into my sleeping bag, given that I would have little body warmth to get my bag up to temperature.

Have I got this right? If on my ford wading on the FF I'd slipped and got soaked and cold, I would been wiser to get as dry as possible and carry on towards civilisation rather than camp up and get into my sleeping bag, given that I would have little body warmth to get my bag up to temperature.

Presuming you felt fine before getting soaked and that the temp is 10 degrees or lower, and maybe raining (ie you won't dry in the sun )

Your options.

1. MTFU and crack on.
2. Swap your wet stuff for your spare dry stuff and either
a) carry on on your original course accepting that there is no margin of error left.
b) Retrace your route or find a shorter alternative.
c) Get in your shelter and sleeping bag and eat food and drink and await better weather or rescue.

If you're bold, have a high level of endurance and experience you can stay warm as long as you have food. Food gives you energy for motion. Motion equals warmth. Just don't forget to eat regularly and know the terrain ahead.

If I'm not in motion, as originally in discussion, and cold I eat and get cracking. I often have the stupid idea to take a pipedream 400 for -16 deg. C nights and believe a cheap down jacket from Nepal and 220 g down pants will cut it... at least it does help me get an early start...

Like climbing a mountain this thread. First I was giggling, then I was scared, a chuckle again at fantasticmatt's pub ref then back to gloom. Someone cheer things up a bit.

I take no chances with the cold -7 bag even when it's 15c, down jacket too. I know I could die from cold.

Just remember that you've much more chance of dropping down dead from the effects of heat than you have from cold. The body can withstand and recover from quite dramatic reductions in body temp' ... but it's only a few degrees at the other end of the scale before it's all over*.

*How was that Meraid?

Someone cheer things up a bit.

I grant you, not a very cheery subject. Worth thinking about nevertheless.

We all die eventually.

Farawayvisions wrote:Someone cheer things up a bit.

No one dead posting on here that I know of .

Zippy wrote:We all die eventually.

I'm living proof that this is false

Is this you Zippy?



http://news.asiaone.com/news/world/200- ... t-academic

See! I knew I could get some good advice from you chaps.

When I started this thread, I was wondering if I could just die in my sleep without knowing it. I hadn't considered that I may have been slipping into hypothermia before getting into my sleeping bag/bed. So I guess, Yes, it could happen. If I was hypothermic when getting in my bed, then I could mistake the warming-up feeling for the real thing. Not a comforting thought, that.

The advice re caffein was a bit of a surprise. I usually dring tea, but properly brewed tea has more caffein than coffee. (I know this is true 'cos it said so on the telly) I'll be taking some hot chocolate mix with me in future, for when I need warming up.

Thanks for all the replies.

Lu.

Oh no - we're already done? I just started getting warm with this topic...

Having spent many years guiding folks in pretty harsh and sometimes hazardous conditions as well as doing some fairly crazy things myself, it becomes apparent with experience when the onset of hypothermia begins. There is lots of really good advice here and much worth thinking about. Now that I am much older and not so 'gung ho' the answer lies in not how to deal with hypothermia, unless an accident befalls you - such as cold immersion or the super quick cooling of the body (I have witnessed this on a summer's night:-0) but NEVER to put yourself anywhere near this situation in the first place. You now know what 'cold' is for you and how scary it can be. Keep warm, play safe - have fun.

Thanks for the cheery stuff stu and Ray.


Your mummy 's not so yummy Richpips.