Have you ever had Hypothermia?

[Rhona]

I got hypothermia surfing once. We'd done two sessions and even though it was cold, we tried to squeeze in a third. Combination of getting into a cold wetsuit, generally tired at that point anyway, and I just couldn't regulate my temperature properly. It was - as Sarz says - no fun!

I just lay on my board, and couldn't move. It was getting dark, and the tide was coming in towards a rocky shoreline. I kept trying to paddle but just couldn't. I just wanted to lie my head down and go to sleep, even though I knew how precarious my position was. I think I had it pretty bad at that point as I 'didn't care' what happened - not in a sinister way, but I genuinely had stopped organising my thoughts properly. Mr R saw what was happening and pulled my board in with me on it. No way I could have got in on my own - very scary.

[pigletwillie]

Try rigger boots, they are lined warm and waterproof. When dressing, lots of thin layers are best as they trap layers of air which soon warms up. Try a norwegian army shirt, about £20 they really are good. Next make sure your top layer is windproof, this is more important than waterproof as the wind really will suck the warm out of fleeces etc.

[petal]

blimey, as a lakeland lass, I go out in ma pink dressing gown and wellies ter put chickens out, wot are yer all like/ thermals, wot are they?

[TPeers]

Flea-bay?! I've had my last few pairs off there, tis good if you know what size you are with a particular manufacturer already. I nearly always buy Hi-Techs these days though, because they're lightweight for a reasonable price. I'd never get a pair to last 15 years though because I wear them all day every day.

I have very wide feet - not sure I want to trust flea-bay, not seen any where they give a width fitting! Since I head off to the allotment (Dad's) only for the spring and autumn digging and the rest of my gardening is out back..... I use walking boots for just that - walking. They seem to have lasted well!

blimey, as a lakeland lass, I go out in ma pink dressing gown and wellies ter put chickens out, wot are yer all like/ thermals, wot are they?

(So do I) Cause we are softy southerners!

[Madasafish]

I recommend Asda thermals (or B&M) . They are cheap and effective.
Long sleeved vest are best.

I have a very slow resting heart rate (<60) so suffer from cold badly if not careful. So normal winter wear is thermal vest, T shirt, light fleece and then heavy knitted zip up jumper, long johns, jeans, socks, thermal insoles in shoes (with aluminium face to reflect heat ) and thermal socks.

Oh and a woolly hat or thermal hat.

And that's just inside:-)

When I go out, I wear a goretex jacket with two zips so it is totally water and wind proof..

or if working in garden or garage.. a full set of overalls.

Mittens and thermal gloves keep hands from getting too cold.. I can recommend hot water bottles as well.

Finger exercises help cold and prevent sciatica.. 5 minutes every hour helps...bend, shake, clap hands, rub, bend, shake etc..

When I am running, it's tracksuit/short /T shirt and gloves and woollen hat (to protect ears in frost)..Never had hypothermia when running but then the coldest I have run in is only -20C with no wind... Mind you in very windy frosty days, I use running tights and two T shirts - and bits still fall off in the shower...:-)


(I run whatever the weather.. rain snow frost or ice)

[marigold007]

get some balsam cream from the chesmist, it is a bit like deep heat, and warms your toes a treat! I get chillblains and it does help.

OMG! You're so right! I found a bottle of Massage Balm with Arnica in the bottom of my medicine chest (someone else was using it for varicose veins). After rubbing a little on my "bad foot", as I now call it, I haven't felt a draft all day!!!

Others might want to know that I've found some damart boot liners and thinsulate products on ebay today. Can't wait until they arrive!

My apologies to anyone who has actually had hypothermia. I do tend to be a wee bit of a drama queen. What a horrible experience that must have been for you guys.

Where I'm from I never needed much more than a thin sweater over bare skin during the coldest Winter months and we had hard frost warnings a few times a year in the middle of the nights when the temperature reached the freezing point. Boy, would we panic wrapping pipes up and letting the taps drip. It was quite nice to drive around on frosty mornings seeing whose water pipes had burst leaving a garden of ice for a little while. sigh.

And those of you in the North must really be tough! I'll be sure to stay far far away until Spring at least!

[marigold007]

Nobody mentioned goggles to protect the eyes from the stinging snow!!

No really, I didn't know I had moved to the Antarctica!

I'm glad I ordered this stuff before the blizzard. They are keeping me nice and cozy INSIDE some buildings!!

Do you all think this has something to do with the Jet Stream?

[geoff]

Anderl Heckmair, one of the first team to climb the north face of The Eiger recommended frequent nips of schnapps
Have a browse round your local camping/ mountaineering shop or surf the Net