In the last blog post I talked about the most important ingredient needed to survive and not only to survive but to enjoy the cold, and that is an attitude of hope. This is made possible by preparation, which engenders confidence. Today I want to talk further about the body and it's reaction to cold, and how to use what we know about the body to preserve it.
There are things that happen as the body functions that are important to know about. One of these is that the body generates heat as a by-product of metabolism or work. Since there is a narrow band of acceptable body temperatures (96 deg F to 101 deg F), excess heat must be removed to prevent overheating.
In conditions where air temperature is below 77 deg F the body must conserve part of the heat to prevent excessive cooling (hypothermia). The idea then, where temperatures are low, is to capture and retain as much of this body heat as possible. If enough heat cannot be retained, then outside heat, such as fire, must be applied to prevent hypothermia, It is best to rely on heat generated by the body, it is more dependable than a fire or stove. Fires and stoves are not practical in blizzards.
It is best to make gear to insulate effectively and use body heat to create a micro-climate inside this protective clothing. We use the term thermal self-sufficiency to describe the idea of using the body's heat generating capacity to maintain it's core temperature at an appropriate level. Only with properly constructed clothing can this be done. Thus clothing becomes one of the most significant survival items one can possess.
In upcoming blog posts I will talk about, A) retaining body generated heat, B) how to keep the "furnace" stoked up, and C) other uses of the heat generated by the body. In all we seek to utilize all heat energy, trying not to waste any of it if possible.
Meanwhile keep an eye on our videos on YouTube for further information, WI videos
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