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cold kills.
with the cold temperatures being experienced, please remember....
if you find yourself out in the heat, you can find a tree, remove clothes and sit down in the shade, rest and survive.
if you find yourself out in the cold if you sit down the probability increases that you will freeze to death. keep moving stay alive.
when people start getting cold - their cognitive abilities diminish and bodily functions start to shutdown.
once cold, you need an external heat source to regain heat such as found at http://www.warmers.com/ItemDetails.aspx?itemid=HWLESx40
the best preparedness is not to go out in the cold unless mandatory and only then if adequate insulated (dressed).
we all have heard of the hunter out in the cold that slices his hand while dressing his kill not realizing that he cut his hand and bleeds to death.
or the ones that went out for a quick walk in the cold and got disoriented and were found frozen to death.
remember, you can quickly die in the cold especially if not well protected from the cold.
the following is from Wikipedia
Hypothermia is defined as any body temperature below 35.0 °C (95.0 °F). It is subdivided into four different degrees, mild around 32–35 °C (90–95 °F); moderate, 28–32 °C (82–90 °F); severe, 20–28 °C (68–82 °F); and profound at less than 20 °C (68 °F).[1] This is in contrast with hyperthermia or fever which is defined as a rectal temperature of greater than 37.8 °C (100.0 °F). Other cold-related injuries that can either present alone or in combination with hypothermia include:
Chilblains are superficial ulcers of the skin that occur when a predisposed individual is repeatedly exposed to cold.
Frostbite involves the freezing and destruction of tissue.
Frostnip is a superficial cooling of tissues without cellular destruction.[2]
Trench foot or immersion foot is due to repetitive exposure to wet, non-freezing temperatures.
[edit] Signs and symptoms
Normal body temperature in humans is 36.5–37.5 °C (98–100 °F). A number of skin conditions may be associated with hypothermia or may occur with normal body temperature. These include: cryopedis and frostbite. Symptoms of hypothermia may be divided into the three stages of severity.
Stage 1
Body temperature drops by 1–2 °C (1.8–3.6 °F) below normal temperature (down to 35–37 °C or 95–98.6 °F). Mild to strong shivering occurs.[3][4] The victim is unable to perform complex tasks with the hands; the hands become numb. Blood vessels in the outer extremities constrict, lessening heat loss to the outside air. Breathing becomes quick and shallow. Goose bumps form, raising body hair on end in an attempt to create an insulating layer of air around the body (which is of limited use in humans due to lack of sufficient hair, but useful in other species). Victim may feel sick to their stomach, and very tired. Often, a person will experience a warm sensation, as if they have recovered, but they are in fact heading into Stage 2. Another test to see if the person is entering stage 2 is if they are unable to touch their thumb with their little finger; this is the first stage of muscles not working. They might start to have trouble seeing.
Stage 2
Body temperature drops by 2–4 °C (3.8–7.6 °F) below normal temperature (33–35 °C or 91–94.8 °F). Shivering becomes more violent. Muscle mis-coordination becomes apparent.[3][4][5] Movements are slow and labored, accompanied by a stumbling pace and mild confusion, although the victim may appear alert. Surface blood vessels contract further as the body focuses its remaining resources on keeping the vital organs warm. The victim becomes pale. Lips, ears, fingers and toes may become blue.
Stage 3
Body temperature drops below approximately 32 °C (89.6 °F). Shivering usually stops.[3][4] Difficulty speaking, sluggish thinking, and amnesia start to appear; inability to use hands and stumbling is also usually present. Cellular metabolic processes shut down. Below 30 °C (86.0 °F), the exposed skin becomes blue and puffy, muscle coordination becomes very poor, walking becomes almost impossible, and the victim exhibits incoherent/irrational behavior including terminal burrowing or even a stupor. Pulse and respiration rates decrease significantly, but fast heart rates (ventricular tachycardia, atrial fibrillation) can occur. Major organs fail. Clinical death occurs. Because of decreased cellular activity in stage 3 hypothermia, the body will actually take longer to undergo brain death.
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