As someone who has camped in the colder months of the year, I can tell you that when you’re out in nature, exposed to the elements, it can be quite uncomfortable. And if you aren’t prepared, the cold can pose a serious risk to your health, maybe even your life. If you do not keep your body temperature up you could suffer from a condition known as hypothermia, which can go from serious to deadly quickly. Whether or not you escape hypothermia unscathed will largely depend on how fast you react and the supplies you have ready to help you get your temperature back up.
According to Self Reliance Outfitters, hypothermia happens when your body is unable to maintain a consistent temperature around your organs. It usually starts to set in when you are out in the extreme cold or possibly stuck in deep snow and your body loses heat rapidly. In order to prevent this condition, you need to generate heat at a faster rate than you’re losing it.
“For example, if you are standing by a fire, you are less likely to lose body heat and experience hypothermia because the fire counteracts the cold weather and raises (or, at the very least, maintains) your body temperature. On the other hand, you’re more likely to be dangerously cold and run into trouble if you don’t have a heat source,” SRO said.
Being wet and cold is another huge risk factor. The temperatures outside do not have to be below freezing for a person to get hypothermia. SRO points out that you can even suffer from this condition with temps in the 40s if it happens to be rainy and windy out. If you are wet for prolonged periods, it can happen at even higher temperatures.
If you don’t have the proper equipment and attire to stay warm and the temperature is below 30 degrees, you could end up getting hypothermia in 10 minutes. Children and the elderly are more susceptible to hypothermia and will be at increased risk of suffering from it.
How do you know you have it?
Here’s a list of hypothermia symptoms to look for:
- Teeth chattering
- Shivering
- Disorientation
- Lack of coordination
- Body temperature below 92 degrees
- Stiff muscles
- Sleepiness
You might also experience loss of consciousness and even go into a coma.
If you have mild hypothermia, which is when your body temperature falls below 95 degrees, you need to find your way to a sheltered environment. Cover all exposed skin. If possible, depending on the location, you could even make a snow shelter to help you get out of the elements. Take off any wet clothes and replace them with appropriate winter clothing. You’ll want items that are insulated to withstand cold weather. Put on multiple layers of dry clothing if possible.
Another good measure to take is hot beverages and food. You can do hot water or even something like coffee or hot chocolate. Any food that’s consumed needs to be high in sugar content as this will help increase body temperature. The skin should soon begin to return to its normal color.
Wrap the person with cold-weather survival tools, like a thermal emergency blanket, tarp, or even a sleeping bag. You could huddle with the hypothermic person to help warm them up more quickly using your own body heat. Don’t apply bottles with hot water or even heat packs to their skin. Instead of making the person feel warmer, they add little heat to the body core, worsening hypothermia. So try to give the person warm water to sip or boil some water over a fire pit and have the person inhale the steam.
If you have a fire starting kit, you should also build a fire and warm the person up. The fire will melt snow in the cold weather and create a better survival environment. Make sure to keep the hypothermic person three feet away from the fire to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.
If you have a much worse case of hypothermia — called “profound hyopthermia” — which occurs when your body temperature falls beneath 90 degrees, you will need to act very quickly to prevent complications or death. If someone you’re camping with or stuck in a survival situation with suddenly seems to have lost coordination or you think they might have profound hypothermia, you need to have them try to walk a straight line. If they cannot do so, you need to treat them immediately.
Whatever you do, do not attempt to move them quickly as this could potentially lead to heart failure. Try to wrap the person up in a sleeping bag, blankets, and clothing to keep them from losing any more heat. At this point, you need to call medical professionals in order to get this person or yourself emergency treatment.
People with profound hypothermia should not be given any food or water due to the risk of choking or vomiting. Help them achieve some level of hydration by licking ice crystals or eating snow. Keep the individual as warm as you can until the professionals arrive.
Following these steps will help you stay out of trouble should you end up in a winter-time survival situation out in the elements.
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