Winter is the extreme of extreme seasons as far as tree climbing is concerned. The farther away you go from shelter, the more risk you take on with hypothermia. When acute hypothermia sets in, it’s not just a simple walk to safety because the body of the victim is shutting down. The victim needs warming immediately or they could die. Here is what Tom and Joanne O’Toole in Backwoods Home Magazine have to say about this dangerous condition:
“Once it is determined a person is becoming hypothermic, it is essential
others offer aid to prevent additional body heat loss. Skin-to-skin contact is
an excellent way to transfer body heat. A field measure for rewarming is to
remove all clothing and place the victim in a sleeping bag or in a blanket with
one or two rescuers who have also removed their clothing.
If this is not possible, build two fires and put the person between them.
Even better would be four fires, to surround them with heat.
If the victim appears dead, continue trying to restore body heat. Often hypothermics appear lifeless. Yet their vital organs continue to function—but at a much lower rate—and they are alive. The medical adage is, “No one is dead until they are warm and dead.”
Hypothermia is a serious event, not to be taken lightly. Here are some things you can do to help make your cold-weather climb turn out as an adventure, not a survival experience.
- Climb close to home. It won’t be nearly as perilous as a deep-woods hike to a climbing tree.
- Forget about solo climbs. They can wait for better weather.
- Climbing with a buddy increases safety. You can watch each other’s back, especially looking out for symptoms early on, before they get acute.
- Having dry clothes, a blanket, or sleeping bag nearby is good insurance.
- Having a cell phone with strong batteries is a must in case of emergency.
Winter is not the only time you can be hypothermic. Authorities say you can be affected with temperatures as high as 50 degrees. All it takes is a wet person and wind exposure. Even a sweat-drenched body can fall to hypothermia! You need to know what this condition looks like and be ready to act.
Comments