Basic First Aid On The Trail: Hypothermia

How To Treat & Deal With Hypothermia On The Trail

One of the most threatening conditions you can face on the trail is hypothermia.  This may strike in almost any conditions.  A common misconception of hypothermia is that it only should be a concern when temps are low.  That is simply not true.  Several factors including environmental conditions contribute to an individual’s susceptibility to hypothermia.  Before leaving the house you should know how to recognize then treat hypothermia for your own sake and for others around you.

Hypothermia is a condition in which heat and warmth are being taken away from the body, below levels of healthy operation.  Humans have a steady body temperature around 98.5 degrees F.  When you dip below this temp, particularly around 95 degrees F or below, you are risking hypothermia.  At this point, your body will be losing heat quicker than it can produce it.

Preventing Hypothermia Before It Starts

There are a few things one may do to reduce their chances of hypothermia.  The most basic are making sure you have had enough to eat and drink.  Also, having a good amount of rest is key.  Both hunger and fatigue are huge contributing factors that you can easily mitigate by doing your part.  When you have enough to eat you can use the energy taken in to produce and sustain body heat.  The same applies for when you have had adequate rest.

Secondary factors would be outside conditions in your environment.  Since hypothermia is caused by bodily heat loss, colder temperatures are a major player here.  Cold temperatures combined with moisture are effectively more dangerous.  Rain, snow, sleet, etc. are enemies of body heat retention.  The best way one can mitigate these factors is to prepare and dress for the conditions they expect to encounter.  Additionally, knowing what types of weather and climates you will be in are very important to understand when choosing your layers.

Treating Hypothermia Before It Becomes Bad

Symptoms of hypothermia are as follows- for less severe conditions there is uncontrollable shivering, irritability, slurred speech, lack of rational judgement and clumsiness.  More critical conditions will show little to no shivering, slowed pulse, complete loss of consciousness and inability to move, stand or even balance.  Remember these symptoms and you can recognize when someone’s condition becomes hypothermic so you can move forward and help.

Imagine you and a friend are out for a riverside hike during the winter.  Snow is on the ground, there is a light breeze and the sun is at high noon.  So far, everything has gone well today.  All of the sudden your friend steps on loose ground and then slips into the water to their left.  They are now soaked and very cold.  Luckily you know what to do because you have prepared and can handle the situation.

You get them out of the water immediately.  Next, you get them into some type of shelter which insulates them somewhat from the temperature and wind.  For this you can use backpacks, clothing, bags, tents or what ever that will block out the weather.  After this you begin to remove clothing without much movement of your buddy and replace with dry clothes.  You start to warm some snow over your camp stove so they can slowing sip warm water.  Now you have them rest for a period of time until they are comfortable and can get out of the environment.  It is important not to move to quickly from rest.  If symptoms persist, seek medical attention immediately.

The End Goal

With hypothermia, the end goal is always to build body temperature back to normal levels.  Preferably this is done in a slow manor and you aren’t going cold to hot too quickly.  The casualty should be insulated as best as possible from factors which will rob heat.  Warm water is a huge multiplier in helping as it can directly increase body temps.  Barring any unforeseen events, taking precautions such as eating well and resting adequately should be taken into account when planning an outdoor trip.  Don’t forget that hypothermia isn’t just a cold weather threat and always lingers near those unprepared.