Cold Survival

The basic consideration in survival in Scotland whether under mountain or water conditions is the same, an inability to maintain the body temperature. This occurs where the losses of heat are greater than the heat produced by body energy (metabolism). With cold water immersion or wet through clothing, a low temperature and a high wind velocity on mountains, this can occur even at high levels of activity, but usually danger only occurs when body energy production falls with the onset of physical exhaustion. Therefore, exposure is now more correctly referred to as the exhaustion/exposure syndrome. The main danger with a fall in body temperature (hypothermia) accompanying exhaustion/exposure is its insidious onset, for patients do not collapse until their body temperature has already dropped about 50 C and is over half way to the level at which death usually occurs. The methods of heat loss by the body are by conduction, convection, radiation and evaporation. All of these are minimised principally by clothing in cold environments and are increased by lowering of the temperature of surroundings,the velocity of the air or water and soaking or water-losging of clothing. Death from hypothermia usually occurs when body temperature falls to between 26 and 300 C (normal 370 C) and is commonly due to arrest of the circulation.