I don't think I'd be able to make it out there right now...

[Iskander]

Two days ago we had a warm and sunny 70 degree day. Last night it dropped to 18 with a quarter inch of ice accumulation, it snowed a little more today and it's going down to 25 tonight. That is a drastic temperature change to adjust to. If I went out right now with some basic gear, I know I wouldn't die overnight, but I'd probably have to keep myself awake all night, and keep a fire going. It would definitely sap my morale and energy. In the long run it would probably beat me (if I were solo).

Some of you that are more experience-hardened and from colder areas might think what I'm talking about sounds comparatively mild. While that may be true, I've been lounging around in a nice cozy house for many years now and live in a typically warm and humid state. I have no resistances, psychological or physical, built up to handle the cold. Not to mention I'm always cold anyway!

There was a feral child found (don't remember where or when), the people looking after him observed one day when it was freezing outside and snowing, the boy threw his clothes off and ran out stark naked, joyfully playing in the snow. The researchers theorized from this event that sensitivity to temperature is largely determined by life experiences. I'm sure many of you will agree this is true.

I think I'm going to progressively keep it colder in my house to try and adapt to handle it a little better, and save money while I'm at it. It could be hard to regulate though. Anyway, it's just an idea, don't know if it will actually do much for my sensitivity to cold in the long run. And nobody likes to intentionally make themselves miserable, but I need to toughen my body and mind up. Even just being in a house sheltered from the elements (with a bed and blankets) is a huge luxury I may not always have, and if I wanted to, I could turn off all the heat and see how well I manage overnight.

[randyt]

Houdini would lay in a tub full of cold water, perhaps with ice in order to harden to the cold. I'm told it works.

[Rick]

Why make yourself uncomfortable? We do things because we want to. Because we enjoy them. If it's too cold for you then it's too cold. No harm in that and no one thinks the less of you because of it. If you want to drop the temperature in your house that's your business but remember the impact that will have on the structure and, possibly, on your health. Turning the heat off in 18 degree weather could cause some expensive plumbing problems. But do what you want and have fun doing it. No apologies needed here.

[crashdive123]

Colder temps that you are speaking of aren't bad if you buy warmer clothing and a good quality, warm sleeping bag.

[Skeaterbait]

Personal thoughts... it has taken you a lifetime to acclimate to the environment you are used too. Having a goal of altering that is something I think most will appreciate even if they don't share the drive. But you have to remember that it will take a bit of time, so don't go too drastic too fast. Not saying it will take another lifetime but I don't see it happening in a season.

As for myself, I am all about creature comforts.

[TXyakr]

I think I'm going to progressively keep it colder in my house to try and adapt to handle it a little better, and save money while I'm at it. It could be hard to regulate though. Anyway, it's just an idea, don't know if it will actually do much for my sensitivity to cold in the long run. And nobody likes to intentionally make themselves miserable, but I need to toughen my body and mind up. Even just being in a house sheltered from the elements (with a bed and blankets) is a huge luxury I may not always have, and if I wanted to, I could turn off all the heat and see how well I manage overnight.

A fair amount of scientific research has been done on this topic already that you can Google and read about. Also experiment with it yourself. Both in winter and with heat in summer. It will all be a moot point to some degree if you share the home with others who do not share your passion for the outdoors and/or science. Like my wife and kids who are constantly cranking up the thermostat. OH Well, so I sleep in the back yard. LOL

Here are just 2 articles to read, but there are many more:

http://www.theatlantic.com/magazine/...ok-fat/383509/

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0122133824.htm

But just keeping your home at 62F or lower in the winter and wearing only skiviez will NOT prevent obesity. There are other factors involved. Some Inuit who still live mostly in the "wilderness" strip down to just a shirt and pants at temps of about 45F, I do when I am doing light work even when there is no sun. But I also adjust to temps over 110F in the summer and high humidity.

[TXyakr]

Another reason to sleep outside in the backyard or porch frequently (besides acclimating to climate extremes) is that my wife claims I leave her "Breathless in bed". Evidently this is NOT a good experience for her as this Valentine's Card suggests:

Breathless.jpg

edit: yes Hunter evidently I eat too much broccoli and beans, but studies show that 30 grams of fiber per day can keep a person healthy and even be effective at weight loss, so I fart away.

http://time.com/3709904/fiber-weight-loss/

So eat 30 grams of fiber/day, live outdoors, stay cool so you don't get fat. Or something like that.

[hunter63]

Link doesn't work.....
Didn't have anything to do with farting under the covers did it?

[Duece]

I love spending time outdoors in the winter,i hate being cold so i dressin several layers.its -24C right now....warmest its been in couple of days.getting ready to go outside,do some shoveling,also have to replace tire on my jeep,blew tire on weekend.
D

[kyratshooter]

What am I acclimating too?

The 17 degrees we have today or the 5 degrees tomorrow, then what do I do with the 40 degrees predicted for Friday or the 70 degrees we had two weeks ago?

Then what do we do with the 90 degree days coming up in July and August?

[Rick]

Lemme see. Coat, parka, jacket, khakis and a polo, then flip flops. In that order.

[hunter63]

I have this thingy on my wall....called a thermostat....you set it on "Auto", then set to 72 degrees.......then ON.
It stays that way all year.

If I go outside I dress for the weather as best as I can.....winter or summer.

As far as "learning" to be cold of hot....I don't do that.

If you HAVE to be out in conditions that you didn't plan on....That is survival.....
If you go out a stay there, on purpose.....That's camping.

I get a kick out of all the tarp lean-to's and "primitive" camps posted on "some sites".......and suspect that most are "photo-op, ain't I cool and a bushcrafter.........Lookie here....set ups"

"Did you sleep over night in that"?.....
Naw too cold.

[canid]

Lemme see. Coat, parka, jacket, khakis and a polo, then flip flops. In that order.

You forgot the sweet tea and the beer in an icy glass.

[NavySEAL]

Cold water causes more SEAL trainees to quit than every other part combined.........one finds out that you do not get "used" to being in cold water but that you learn how to ignore the pain of cold..........remember "pain is just weakness leaving the body"..............didn't believe them then or now.)

[Rick]

Pain is that sensation that causes me to scream like a girl and cry. You can quote me on that.

[TXyakr]

Absolutely never a good idea to risk frostbite, hypothermia, hyperthermia, or heatstroke in extreme climate conditions, BUT I have found that I can acclimatize my body and mind to a wide range of environments over a relatively short period of time (does not take a lifetime.) This allows me to go on adventures, hunts, fishing trips in great places like the Canadian Rocky Mountains when it is very cold or even further north, and tropical places near the equator that are hot and humid and deserts in Western USA during the hottest parts of the summer. Occasionally some whiny whimp will be on a trip who wants to stay in a climate controlled cabin, car or lodge, dang it I only wish I could use his tag for an extra elk.

Oh! and when I am sitting very still in a windblown makeshift game blind and some "city boy" fidgets around shivering because he is cold, dog gone it if the butt of my rifle doesn't want to accidentally knock him unconscious. But even then some White Tail or mule deer will occasionally walk up behind me and stomp its hooves and snort as if to say "Hey! I smelled you down wind, stinky human, have you been eating beans?"

So if you don't want to be a whiny, whimpy, thin skinned, thin blooded guy holed up in a climate controlled automobile or building all your life learn to adjust to whatever nature throws at you and you will have more fun in life. That has been my experience. But don't freeze to death or die of heatstroke either allegedly that is not fun.

[Iskander]

If you HAVE to be out in conditions that you didn't plan on....That is survival.....
If you go out a stay there, on purpose.....That's camping.

That's the whole point though, being more prepared for a survival situation. Even camping helps out in that regard. I firmly believe the motto "every little bit counts" whether it means adjusting your body to temperatures, not eating much to get used to being hungry (I knew some hardcore outdoors enthusiasts that did this). And my phone is acting buggy so this is all I will type for now.

[hunter63]

Absolutely never a good idea to risk frostbite, hypothermia, hyperthermia, or heatstroke in extreme climate conditions, BUT I have found that I can acclimatize my body and mind to a wide range of environments over a relatively short period of time (does not take a lifetime.) This allows me to go on adventures, hunts, fishing trips in great places like the Canadian Rocky Mountains when it is very cold or even further north, and tropical places near the equator that are hot and humid and deserts in Western USA during the hottest parts of the summer. Occasionally some whiny whimp will be on a trip who wants to stay in a climate controlled cabin, car or lodge, dang it I only wish I could use his tag for an extra elk.

Oh! and when I am sitting very still in a windblown makeshift game blind and some "city boy" fidgets around shivering because he is cold, dog gone it if the butt of my rifle doesn't want to accidentally knock him unconscious. But even then some White Tail or mule deer will occasionally walk up behind me and stomp its hooves and snort as if to say "Hey! I smelled you down wind, stinky human, have you been eating beans?"

So if you don't want to be a whiny, whimpy, thin skinned, thin blooded guy holed up in a climate controlled automobile or building all your life learn to adjust to whatever nature throws at you and you will have more fun in life. That has been my experience. But don't freeze to death or die of heatstroke either allegedly that is not fun.

LOL.........That's BS you smell........LOL

[Iskander]

Lol TXyakr, good advice though. I would no doubt listen to my body and not push it to a dangerous extreme. But (I can't remember who first said this) the body can always handle far more than the mind THINKS it can. This is a good motto to remember for working out. The body won't grow if you set the weights down as soon as your muscles start to ache. Likewise, you probably won't be able to acclimate yourself very well if you drive home every time a camping trip starts to get too uncomfortable. So you gotta find that sweet spot. Push yourself without overdoing it.

Along the same lines of this quote we have morale, will to survive etc. Even in extreme conditions that would kill most people, there will be that one person who didn't give up, who had a stronger mind and that alone can keep you alive, to a certain extent of course. How about the guy that cut off his own arm when it was trapped under a boulder? It took him, I believe three days to do that, but he did it. How many people in the same situation would have died?

[hunter63]

There is no way in heck I gonna go practice cutting off my arm, just in case....LOL

Let me just say the world looks different at 27 than it does at 67....y'all do what you want.