Hypothermia, or
exposure as it used to be known, occurs when the body loses heat
faster than it can produce it. The prime cause is becoming wet and
cold but hunger, tiredness and low morale all play a part. Symptoms
to watch out for are shivering, lethargy, tiredness, irritability
and unusual or irrational behavior. Do not ignore these signs either
in yourself or others in the party. People may say they are fine but
if you know them well enough to know they are acting out of
character, suspect hypothermia. If someone complains of the cold
stop at once and do something about it and if it is you who is
feeling cold do not be afraid to say so. You cannot use will-power
or toughness to deal with hypothermia. Victims are often people who
have been trying to keep up with others who are too fast for them
and who do not want to hold the group up by admitting they are tired
or cold. They arrive last at rest stops and do not have time to put
on extra clothing or eat properly, again because of fear of slowing
the party down. In bad weather this can easily lead to hypothermia.
It should not happen though. Hypothermia is a killer of the
unprepared and the careless. If you are properly clothed, well fed
and not over-tired you should be in no danger. You must use your
equipment when it is needed, of course. People have died with warm
clothing and bivvy bags in their rucksacks. You should never leave
essential gear behind either, even in the middle of a heat wave.
During the long, hot summer of 1995 a walker died in the English
Lake District after he became lost because he did not have adequate
clothing when a cool, damp evening mist caused a rapid drop in
temperature. Most hypothermia occurs in temperatures well above
freezing, probably because people go out with minimal equipment due
to warm weather when they set off. Winter walkers expect cold
weather and are usually well prepared.
If someone in your party shows signs of hypothermia take immediate
action. If you can, the first thing is to seek nearby shelter such
as a large boulder. Do not spend time searching for shelter, though,
as the sufferer could be deteriorating rapidly. The aim is to
minimize further heat loss and start re-warming immediately. The
casualty should be put in a bivvy bag as soon as possible, with some
form of insulation such as sitmats and rucksacks underneath them. If
they are conscious, they should be given hot drinks and food.
Ideally, wet clothing should be removed and replaced with dry warm
items. Unless you have a tent or group shelter this probably cannot
be done without further heat loss, which must be avoided. In that
case just the wet outer layer should be taken off then dry clothing
put on over the damp inner garments. The only exception I would make
to this is if the casualty is wearing cotton next to the skin, which
they should not be doing. Because lots of body heat is needed to dry
out wet cotton I would remove this garment and replace it with wool,
silk or synthetic top even at the risk of losing some heat in the
process. Putting the casualty in a sleeping bag, if you have one,
will also help. Because the casualty may not be able to produce
enough heat themselves it is better if someone else gets in it and
warms it up first. If there is room someone could also get in the
bivvy or sleeping bag with the casualty for extra warmth. While
doing all this keep reassuring the casualty that all will be well.
In a group everyone can huddle round the casualty for added warmth.
What you should never do is rub the casualty to warm them up as this
speeds up the circulation, which slows down in hypothermia so that
the core of the body containing crucial organs like the heart and
lungs stays as warm as possible. Once a person starts to become
seriously hypothermic circulation becomes very slow and blood near
the surface of the body becomes very cold. If the circulation is
speeded up this cold blood returns to the heart where it can cause
serious problems. This can also happen with re-warming by skin to
skin contact so having someone naked get into the bivvy bag or
sleeping bag with the hypothermia victim, a standard recommendation
until very recently, is not a good idea. Alcohol has the same effect
too so forget the St Bernard and the brandy and save the contents of
your hip flask for when you get back down and are inside in the
warm.
If the casualty shows signs of recovery descend by the quickest safe
route. Further exercise will help the warming process once it has
begun as long as the casualty stays warm and dry. Do not make
someone try to walk if they do not recover fully as this means the
hypothermia is more severe and you have a serious situation. Whether
you move on or stay put send someone for help and make sure that the
rest of the party keep warm.
If you do nothing for mild hypothermia it will rapidly become much
more severe, leading to a lack of co-ordination soon followed by
collapse, a coma and ultimately death. You should never assume that
an unconscious casualty is dead, even if there is no sign of
breathing or heartbeat. People have recovered from severe
hypothermia so continue warming until help arrives.
By Valerie Garner – Visit Hunting and Hiking Trails for tips and advice on trails in the United States. Drop by Garner Stock Photos also for digital stock photography specializing in Washington state.
