Hot weather survival

[kev]

A lot of survival forums have special sections on wilderness survival or cold weather survival - I think there should be a section for hot weather survival.

In cold weather you can put more clothes on (if you have them), you can build a fire, build a shelter, build a wall to reflect the heat, use a space blanket, buy on the best insulated clothing - boots, gloves - parka,,,,,, you get the idea.

But when your dealing with the heat, its a little different - sitting in the shade, limiting physical activity, and drinking water can only take you so far. When the outside temps in the shade reach 100 degree - if your outside humping a pack through the woods you can be in trouble.

As heat exhaustion and heat stroke starts to set in - there is only one option, and that is too cool off and quick. The problem is, when your in the middle of the woods, with no water near-by, cooling off might be a problem.

Keep a bandanna or spare shirt in your pack - use some water from your canteen or water bottle to wet the rag and apply to your neck, forehead, wrist, ears,,,,,, anywhere the blood vessels are close to the skin.

Keep an instant ice pack in your backpack or first aid kit - this could give temporary relief from the heat.

Know what to look for in heat exhaustion and heat stroke - do not ignore the early warning signs.

Take breaks before you reach your limit - do not tire yourself out. when on the hiking trail, be aware of your physical limitations, do not act like your a super hero, because your not.

Bring TOPO maps on your hiking / camping trips - that way you can look for creeks and streams near your location.

Think of water sources as cool down areas - when you stop to fill up your canteens, take the time to cool down - wet a spare shirt or bandanna and apply to your neck, arms, ankles, ears, forehead,,,,,. Sometimes I will take my boots off and put my feet in the water, or lay down in the water with my clothes on. With temps in the 90s - 100 degree range, the wet clothes will dry pretty quick. The evaporation of the water will help your body cool off.

Wear a wide brimmed hat to keep the sun off the back of your neck - the major blood vessels run through the neck, if you keep the sun off your neck, the skin will stay cooler, if the skin stays cool, the blood vessels stay cool, if the blood vessels stay cool, the brain stays cool.

If you do not have a wide brimmed hat, use a bandanna tucked into the back of your hat to keep the sun off your neck.

Keeping the sun off your neck also reduces your chance of getting sun burned.

[letsgetreal]

I'd add, it's better to wear lightweight, light colored long sleeve shirt and pants( look at the old timer roofers who work outdoors all day).........skinburn increases your dehydration and injury and while water cools you, water on bare skin will burn you twice as fast.....also, they make a bandana. etc that is filled with gel, that when wet, it chills and keeps the blood cool at the Carotids....http://coolbandanas.com/index.htm

Climatize........folks who work indoors all week can't expect to go hiking and spend the weekends outdoors.......you have to spend time excersizing outdoors every day, increasing your exposure to the heat and sun.......

Drink lots of tea and take a mild( baby) aspirine daily.........it thins your blood, which helps in the heat( your heart will thank you).......

Don't eat heavy( or high calorie stuff) , when in the heat, it will increase work on your body.....better to drink a meal replacement than eat a MRE, in the middle of the day.


Of course, drink 8oz every half hour.

[fatcat55]

Excellent advice.

I am in East Texas myself and summer heat and humidity are serious concerns.

Heat and humidity can cause just as many if not more problems than cold weather as there are usually more people out and about and folks normally do not think of summer weather as dangerous.

Thanks again for posting.

[KODIAKHERSHEY]

Good idea. Anyone have other ideas? Here in Florida, we need all the "cooling" help we can get.

[letsgetreal]

Originally Posted by KODIAKHERSHEY

Good idea. Anyone have other ideas? Here in Florida, we need all the "cooling" help we can get.

If you live in Central Florida, you should have some ideas yourself........

I'm a Florida Native, born and raised in Central Florida and have worked outdoors all around Florida for the last 15 yrs( Glazier), except for the last 2 yrs in Vegas.

Lot's of sunscreen...the kind that don't wash off with sweat........

Don't drink iced anything........it is a shock to your body and you won't drink enough......cool is ok, iced is bad.

Btw, alot of times, drinking just water isn't enough, you have to replace the elctrolites you sweat out.

When the heat no longer bothers you( you don't feel it) get indoors and get cooled off.


http://www.emedicinehealth.com/heat_...article_em.htm

[ClovisMan]

Buffs!!!
I use them while fishing/hiking and they really help to keep your the cranium temps down. They are also UV resistant so you don't burn your scalp.

https://www.buffwear.com/catalog/index.php/cPath/1_103

[Baddogg5]

Good post as more people die because of heat than cold. A few years ago 10,000 people died in France and the temperature never was over 100.

I am from a desert and like temps over 110 but you have to climatize to it and learn how and when to do things.

Make the most of the early morning,rest in the high heat of the day is a start.

Watch you body temp and stay hydrated. most people live at a state of near dehydration so the temp goes up a little and they croake.

There exists Zero replacements on planet Earth for water so shut the Hell up and drink straight water not coffee,tea,soda,booze of Anything else.

remember the sun is fun but dont act like your spun

Great post we needed it

[Tango2Echo]

Kev, great post. Don't think the ice pack is such a great idea though. My MD says not to use them in hot weather/heat exhaustion situations. It can cause heart attacks and several headaches. The best thing is to put a cool damp cloth on the back of the neck, relax, and try not to move until body temp returns to normal. Working construction (Welding and Electrical) in the NC summers you learn these things.

Very good idea to have a hot weather section (and cold weather IME).

t2e

[zliminator]

One summer while doing AC work in Houston, I was out in the heat really sweating and went into the office of the apt. complex I was working at. I sat in very cold (74F) AC and drank a Pepsi. The next day I got a fever really bad. Everytime I shock myself like that I feel I could get sick like I did that day. I don't think its good to cool off too fast.

[dtcepl]

During my time with the military, I have operated for prolong period in very hot environment up to 50 Degree Celsus by day and drop to maybe 16 Degree Celsus by night (not too cold).

My personal advise is keep well hydrated (we drink water pumped from a river nearby and add water purification tablets to it) due to the amount of water we lost over sweat and cover all parts of the body with light coloured clothings (I wear military camo then) to avoid sun burn.

[sluggyslugworth]

Id love to see a new forum section, on how to survive differing climates actually.

[Grevlin]

I call it "claustrophobic heat," when it's just so friggin hot, you can't find relief. I grew up in South Texas. I was known to stick my head in the freezer from time to time.

0-18 years in BLINDING and HOT

now I like dark and chilly, go figure

[denvernative321]

Hyperthermia can be a real problem. I hike in the heat all the time. you NEED to have water. wear cotton its really the only time that it works well. Cotton holds water really well and cools of the skin 25 times faster than dry clothes. pace yourself dont over do it. if you start to feel like your getting sick cool off fast. hyperthermia can set it in really really quick if you dont do any about it. get to shade and get cool water over your major vains it will help to pump cool blood into your body. if your start to get dizzy or feel sick stop dont keep going no matter what unless its a short distance to water. lay down of you need to. most of the time hyperthermia is due to lack of water so hydrate and dont continue hiking until your hydrated well and feel better. sometimes hyperthermia can set in and you are well hydrated, in which case you need to focus on getting your body to some shade or submerse yourself in cool water. It can take a while to cool the body off so make sure your 100% before continuing even if it means you will be left behind. Just remember hyperthermia can kill you just as fast as hypothermia if not quicker

[SwampRatLost]

I'm not sure if this is the case everywhere, but here in SE Louisiana, the hottest part of the day is not Noon, but between 2pm and 5pm. So definately morning is the best time to do any work.

If you are somewhere that you have access to these materials....

Cool Fridge without using electricity...
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chri...ectricity.htm/

This is Mohammed Bah Abba's Pot-in-pot invention. In northern *****ia, where Mohammed is from, over 90% of the villages have no electricity. His invention, which he won a Rolex Award for (and $100,000), is a refrigerator than runs without electricity.
Here's how it works. You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand, and cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy-to-make refrigerator.
So, instead of perishable foods rotting after only three days, they can last up to three weeks. Obviously, this has the potential to change their lives. And it already has -- there are more girls attending school, for example, as their families no longer need them to sell food in the market.

[largewhiteguy]

if you have the time, you can find an outcropping or something and dig down into the corner, that way you can utilize shade, as well as the cooler, moister soil a few feet down. also works good for storing food for a couple days

[TMcArthur]

Summer fast approaches here in SoCal as well. The Mojave can be extremely unforgiving. The Colorado Desert is far worse. Acclimating yourself to the heat is a must. Knowing the lay of the land and location of water is crucial. You can go many miles in triple digit sun without the slightest trace of water or even shade.

Long distance travel requires going from spring to seep to well, often days apart. (Can't do this very easily unless you already know exactly where they are. Plus springs that are good in June may be completely dry in July.) You travel by night and shelter by day. When you reach water you gorge and soak and then carry as much with you as you can when you leave. Food requirements are less. Digesting food takes water and produces heat, not something you want a lot of.

Nightime, OTOH, can be 40 degrees colder than the day. Low hundreds at 3p can become 60s at 3a very easily. If you are acclimated to the daytime the nights will feel very chilly. You'll want to move. Be careful you don't step in a hole or on a rattler or blunder into a cholla. It will ruin your whole vacation.

The dry terrain means little foliage. This translates into a lack of natural shade but it also means water holes can be seen for many miles from a good elevation. They are the only green around. It also means easier cross country travel. You can go in straighter lines quickly and not be restricted to trails thru the brush.

A hat with a broad brim is essential portable shade. If water is generally available, during the day you want to wear the thinnest white clothing you can, consistent with not getting sun burn. At night I guarantee you'll need more to stay warm. If water is scarce to come by, dress like a Bedouin Arab. Not terribly comfortable but remember you aren't going to be active in the heat of the day. All those layers of loose cotton keep the moisture close to the body and insulate against external heat. Erect your shelter before it gets hot. Once the ground gets heated up in the sun it can be 30-40 degrees hotter than the air. If that happens your only choice is to burrow down as deep as you can for a cool surface to rest on or figure out how to rig a hammock under your shelter.

But at least it is a dry heat. 110 degrees at 10% humidity in the shade can be quite comfortable compared to 90 degrees and 90%.

[wyldflwr]

Here in AZ the hottest time of the day is also around 5, but when it's 110 degrees who cares lol. It's so dry here that humidity isn't a problem until monsoon season and even then it's only after it rains and the sun comes back out that it's an issue.
Thanks!

[Exile]

Originally Posted by SwampRatLost

I'm not sure if this is the case everywhere, but here in SE Louisiana, the hottest part of the day is not Noon, but between 2pm and 5pm. So definately morning is the best time to do any work.

If you are somewhere that you have access to these materials....

Cool Fridge without using electricity...
http://www.newmediaexplorer.org/chri...ectricity.htm/

This is Mohammed Bah Abba's Pot-in-pot invention. In northern *****ia, where Mohammed is from, over 90% of the villages have no electricity. His invention, which he won a Rolex Award for (and $100,000), is a refrigerator than runs without electricity.
Here's how it works. You take a smaller pot and put it inside a larger pot. Fill the space in between them with wet sand, and cover the top with a wet cloth. When the water evaporates, it pulls the heat out with it, making the inside cold. It's a natural, cheap, easy-to-make refrigerator.
So, instead of perishable foods rotting after only three days, they can last up to three weeks. Obviously, this has the potential to change their lives. And it already has -- there are more girls attending school, for example, as their families no longer need them to sell food in the market.

What a cool idea! I have no need for it, but who knows, might come in handy one day.

[Exile]

Originally Posted by wyldflwr

Here in AZ the hottest time of the day is also around 5, but when it's 110 degrees who cares lol. It's so dry here that humidity isn't a problem until monsoon season and even then it's only after it rains and the sun comes back out that it's an issue.
Thanks!

I grew up in AZ, then I moved to Kansas. You guys don't know what heat is.

[Ulf]

Tea is a diuretic, I wouldn't drink it if I wanted my bod to cool itself.
Sorry, Letsgetreal.