PDA

View Full Version : Hypothermia - The Science of Cold



Rick
10-16-2010, 08:42 AM
With winter rapidly approaching (already there in some spots) I thought it might be a good idea to review some of the symptoms of hypothermia. While we might consider an 86°F day pretty warm we would be rendered unconscious if our core body temp dropped that low.

http://www.coolantarctica.com/Antarctica%20fact%20file/science/cold_hypothermia.htm

NCO
10-16-2010, 09:17 AM
Good reading. I remember when I was in the army, during a winter FTX some of us got pretty hypodermic at one point. It wasn't due too cold weather (it was about -25C) with not enough clothing in itself. We had just been on a screening mission, then conducted a 10km tactical retreat on skis. That means sweat as there was no time to reduce clothing. Then we jumped in our transports, which didn't have heating... We spent one hour on motor march without enough room to change dry layers on. We basically poked each other to keep conscious.. Once the transport stopped we all got out in record time and started running, at first it was stumbling, around it to get body heat back. then we changed to dry layers. Basically we forced each other and ourselves to keep moving to warm up.