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ScottP
= Cult of Ray =
USA
618 Posts |
 Posted - 05/06/2006 : 20:05:57
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Does anyone know more than the avg jackass about hypothermia?
Just watched a show on the Discovery channel about how easy it is to get hypothermia. Even swimming in tropical waters (88c) for 3 or 4 hours can cool your core temp enough to kill you, so they say.
When I was a kid, we used to drift down this glacier stream wearing nothing more than shorts and a scuba mask. I remember many times stopping to investigate deep parts of the stream for hours on end. Our bodies were COMPLETELY numb after the first 5 or 10 minutes. After the initial shock, there was no discomfort whatsoever. And after being submerged in fucking ice ass cold water forever, none of us ever experienced anything that would cause alarm. A little shivering upon getting out, but that's it. WTF? |
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Little Black Francis
> Teenager of the Year <
3648 Posts |
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ScottP
= Cult of Ray =
USA
618 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 09:52:51
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Maybe we were all critically unconscious?
Oh yeah, I guess I meant 88F instead of C. |
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BLT
> Teenager of the Year <
South Sandwich Islands
4204 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 16:52:40
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| I spend quite a bit of time trekking in the mountains. I've gathered from reading and experience that hypothermia is most insidious when you mix relatively mild temperatures with moisture. I have spent 5 or 6 hours hiking in rain with temp in the high 40s/low 50s(F) and experienced more bone-chilling cold than dry conditions with lower temps. In spite of rain gear, sweat, precipitation and chill will combine, permeate your insulation, and eventually fuck you up and take you down. |
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Cult_Of_Frank
= Black Noise Maker =
Canada
11690 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 17:45:52
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Heh, yeah, 88C would kinda leave you a little toasted. 60C is about the point where reflex kicks in and you can't touch something anymore because it's too hot.
Moisture is definitely a killer when it comes to cold. Basically sucks the heat right out of your skin since water conducts and retains heat much better than air. That's why it can be -10 in a city like Vancouver or Montreal or whatever and be, in my opinion, colder than when it hits say -40/50 here.
If you're moving around a lot and a young kid, you probably generate enough heat to keep you going. If you're just floating in cold water, maybe gently kicking your legs, probably a little more dangerous. But I don't claim to be an expert on this, so feel free to correct as necessary.
 "If we hit that bullseye, the rest of the dominos will fall like a house of cards. Checkmate." |
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floop
= Wannabe Volunteer =
Mexico
15297 Posts |
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ScottP
= Cult of Ray =
USA
618 Posts |
Posted - 05/07/2006 : 20:21:58
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If I remember correctly, not alot to teabag when you are 11 years old, and, for that matter, swimming in a glacier stream tends to amplify this conundrum. But, maybe that is a topic Discovery will cover when shark week starts falling in the ratings:
GLACIER STREAM TEABAGGING WEEK 10pm/9pm CMT on The Discovery Channel
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Hypothermia
