Hypothermia

Be aware of the danger of hypothermia—subnormal temperature of the body. Lowering of internal temperature may lead to mental and physical collapse.

Hypothermia is caused by exposure to cold, and it is aggravated by wetness, wind, and exhaustion. It is the number one killer of outdoor recreationists.

Cold Kills in Two Distinct Steps

The first step is exposure and exhaustion. The moment you begin to lose heat faster than your body produces it, you are undergoing exposure. Two things happen: You voluntarily exercise to stay warm, and your body makes in-voluntary adjustments to preserve normal temperature in the vital organs. Both responses drain your energy reserves. The only way to stop the drain is to reduce the degree of exposure.

The second step is hypothermia. If exposure continues until your energy reserves are exhausted, cold reaches the brain, depriving you of judgment and reasoning power. You will not be aware that this is happening. You will lose control of your hands. This is hypothermia. Your internal temperature is sliding downward. Without treatment, this slide leads to stupor, collapse, and death.

Defense Against Hypothermia

Stay dry. When clothes get wet, they lose about 90 percent of their insulating value. Wool loses less heat than cotton, down, and some other synthetics.

Choose rain clothes that cover the head, neck, body, and legs, and provide good protection against wind-driven rain. Polyurethane-coated nylon is best. The coatings won't last forever.

Understand cold. Most hypothermia cases develop in air temperatures between 30° and 50°.

Symptoms

If you or a member of your party is exposed to wind, cold, and wet, think hypothermia. Watch yourself and others for these symptoms:

• Uncontrollable fits of shivering. Vague, slow, slurred speech.
• Memory lapses, incoherence. Immobile, fumbling hands.
• Frequent stumbling, lurching gait. Drowsiness—to sleep is to die.
• Apparent exhaustion. Inability to get up after a rest.

Treatment

The victim may deny any problem. Believe the symptoms, not the victim. Even mild symptoms demand immediate treatment.

• Get the victim out of the wind and rain.
• Strip off all wet clothes.
• If the victim is only mildly impaired, give warm drinks. Get the person into warm clothes and a warm sleeping bag. Well-wrapped, warm (not hot) rocks or canteens will help.
• If victim is badly impaired, attempt to keep him/her awake. Put the victim in a sleeping bag with another person—both stripped. If you have a double bag, put the victim between two warm people.
• Build a fire to warm the camp.

Windchill Chart

Wind, temperature, and moisture are factors that can greatly affect the safety of a backpacker. Each contributes to the loss of body heat. The "windchill" chart illustrates the effect of wind and temperatures on dry, exposed flesh.

Lightning

Being struck by lightning is a very real possibility in high country. During a lightning storm avoid the following:

• Standing on a mountaintop or ridge.
• Open area.
• Under a lone tree.
• Shallow caves.
• Base or edge of a cliff.
• Rappelling.

Safer positions are: A deep thick cave, a boulder field crouched between rocks, or forested areas.

If you are in a treeless area (as above timberline), you should sit on a small rock with insulating material (poncho or foam pad) under you, with only your buttocks and feet touching the rock clasp your hands around your knees. If you are struck, the bolt of lightning may not pass through your heart because of the insulation.

Think ahead and get to safe areas before the storm hits.

If You Get Lost

Someone in your party may become lost. If you or someone else becomes lost, follow these steps

Stay calm and try to remember how you got to your present location. look for familiar landmarks, trails, or streams. If you are injured, near exhaustion, or it's dark, stay where you are; someone may be looking for you. If you decide to go on, do it slowly. Try to find a high point with a good view and then plan your route of travel. When you find a trail, stay on it. If you stay lost, follow a drainage downstream. In most cases it will eventually bring you to a trail or to a road. Help won't be far off

When backpacking with children, be sure they stay with you or near camp. Discuss with them what they are to do if they become separated. They should know the international distress signals and when to use them. Three smokes, three blasts on a whistle, three shouts, three flashes of light, three of anything that will attract attention.

A guaranteed method of attracting attention and getting someone to investigate during the summer months is a fire creating a large volume of smoke. Green boughs on a fire will create smoke. A fire should only be used as a last resort. Be sure your fire does not escape and cause a wildfire. You can be held liable for the entire cost of putting it out!

What To Do When Someone is Overdue

Stay calm and notify the County Sheriff or Ranger in the trip area. They will take steps to alert or activate a local search and rescue organization. If the missing person returns later, be sure to advise the Sheriff or Ranger.

Enjoying Bear Country

Grizzly bears live in Yellowstone and Glacier National Parks and portions of the surrounding National Forests in Montana, Wyoming, and Idaho. Black bears inhabit the forested areas throughout the United States. The Alaskan brown bear is extremely dangerous. It exploits whatever opportunities it has for food sources.

All bears are dangerous animals. They are usually secretive creatures, and stay away from people. But, if you are in bear country, be on the alert and take precautions.

Remember, there are no hard and fast rules to insure protection from a bear. Bear behavior differs under different conditions.

Bears Don't Like Surprises

Traveling alone in grizzly country is not recommended. When in grizzly bear country, make your presence known. Many experienced hikers wear bells, dangle a can of rattling pebbles, whistle, talk loudly, or sing, although noise is not a foolproof way to deter bears.

A surprise encounter, particularly with a female bear and cubs, is dangerous. A normally placid mother may be quickly provoked if her cubs are disturbed, or if you come between the cubs and her.

If you see a bear, give it plenty of room. Do not make abrupt moves and noises that would startle the bear. Slowly detour, keeping upwind so it will get your scent and know you are there. If you can't detour, wait until the bear moves away from your route.

Climb a Tree For Safety

Should a bear charge at you, head for the nearest tree tall enough to get you out of reach. Most adult grizzlies cannot climb trees. Grizzly cubs and black bears can often be discouraged from climbing. Drop some sizable item—a bedroll or pack—to divert the bear and give you time to retreat.

If you are caught by a bear, try playing dead, lying on your stomach or side with your legs drawn up to your chest. Clasp your hands over the back of your neck. Bears have passed by people in this position without harming them. Don't run blindly down the trail or into the brush—it will only excite the animal. Bears can easily outrun humans.

Bears and Dogs Don't Mix

It's a good idea to leave your dog at home when you do hiking or camping especially in bear country. A dog can easily disturb a bear and lead it back to you.

Odors Attract Bears

• Pack out all garbage in sealed containers. Make sure items such as empty food containers are clean and odor free.
• When camping, it is best to use freeze-dried food instead of fresh food.
• Store food in plastic bags out of reach of bears and well away from sleeping areas.
• Sleep some distance from your cooking area.
• Don’t sleep in the same clothes you wore when cooking.
• Keep sleeping bags and personal gear clean and free of food odor.
• Cook with gasoline or liquid petroleum burners instead of making campfires.
• Don't use perfumes, deodorants, or other sweet smelling substances.
• Personal cleanliness is good insurance.
• Women should stay out of bear country during their menstrual periods.
• Human sexual activity attracts bears.

Bearproof Your Camp

Pitch your tent at least 125 feet upwind from your cooking area and your food and garbage. Try to place its door near climbable trees. Suspend food and garbage in sealed plastic bags at least 10 feet above the ground, 5 to 10 feet from the tree trunk, and 3 to 6 feet below the limb on which they hang. A clean campsite without tempting or strange odors will best insure a night's sleep untroubled by bear visits.

Credits

This brochure is for backpacking campers who want to make their experience and that of others more safe and enjoyable.

Our thanks are extended to the following groups and organizations for their assistance in developing this guide:

Bureau of Land Management
Colorado Horsemen's Council
Colorado Open Space Council
Colorado Outward Bound School
Izaak Walton league of America, Inc.
National Outdoor Leadership School
Sierra Club
Wilderness Society

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
FOREST SERVICE, ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION
R2-I-108-11-87
US GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1987: 777-300