ack common sense for cold weather
tn Ives
hiking, whether in snow or not,
Even though both wool and
is to “never go alone.” Besides dacron are warm when wet, it
iter hiking can be a very
the fact that it’s nice to have is best to stay as dry as possible.
int and memorable ex-
company,- there are other Warm, dry clothing is a must in
ice. With the falling of the
reasons for this rule. If one cold weather. It is the best
snow comes
beauty hiker should suddenly become preventor of both hypothermia
id description. A worn
sick or injured, there is a much and frostbite that a person can
1er
trail
suddenly better chance of survival if he have. In the case of frostbite,
nes a shining white car
has a reliable companion to warm boots and mittens are
winding
through
a come to his aid. It is often essential. Because up to 80
ling forest wonderland,
easier to detect signs of percent of the body’s heat is
ild logging road, pitted
hypothermia when traveling in lost through the head area, a
use, is transformed into a
a group, since early symptoms, good knit wool cap can be in
I highway
for both drowsiness,
and
slurred valuable in cold weather.
shoeing
and
cross speech, are often recognized
Although the average person
ly sking. A backcountry
more easily by others.
can go for as long as a month
trip often has a calming
It is also important to notify without food and still not show
that can hardly be
outsiders of the trip,- even if it is any ill affects, most people
ed in the tenseness of just a one-day outing. Leave a
prefer to eat at more regular in
irn society.
marked map and trip schedule. . tervals. In cold weather food is
Many lives have been lost sim of major importance, because it
fortunately, winter has its
ply because the search party has the amazing ability of war
along with its pleasures,
had no idea of where to look.
ming the body from the inside
o often snow becomes a
out.
For a short day hike, high
The
second
rule
to
remem
[sugar coating for a bad
ber when hiking in cold energy snack foods are best.
weather is to “wear adequate Dried fruits, granola, nuts and
e inexperienced winter clothing.” Wool is best. candy are some examples of
; should
always be Although down filling is war good trail foods.
It is important to mention
red for an emergency
mer, it is practically useless
¡now the skills necessary
when when wet. For those who another physical need that is
basic survival
before are allergic to wool, dacron (a sometimes neglected. All too
pg into snow country.
synthetic material) is equally often, in cold weather, people
tend to abstain from water as if
first and foremost rule of
good.
it were a plague. When hiking
or doing any kind of physical
exertion, however, the body
ATTENTION MUSICIANS
loses a generous amount of this
liquid. Failure to drink in cold
WATAN RECORDING AND PRODUCTION STUDIO
weather may result in stomach
Master and Demo Recordings
or muscle cramps, and could
at low hourly and block rates
result in more disastrous affec
in our completely new 8-track studio.
ts. If there is no water available,
I For information or appointment call 638-4547
do not eat snow. It will lower
the core temperature of the
Print
May, Jan. 31,1979
body and may lead to
hypothermia. Always melt
snow and drink it in liquid
form.
The winter hiker should
always carry a light survival
pack which includes matches, a
first aid kit, extra food and
possibly extra clothing. He
should also carry a map and
compass and know how to use
them because, remember, a
well marked summer trail may
be totally obscured in snow
conditions.
Finally, the most important
piece of survival equipment
that a hiker can carry is com
mon sense. It costs nothing
and takes up no extra space in
a pack, but it can save a life. In
panic, a person can run two
hours, walk two hours, crawl
an hour, and then from
exhaustion lie down for eter
nity.
Cold brings peril
for unwary hikers
One of the greatest dangers
facing the outdoor recreationist
in Oregon this winter is
hypothermia, a condition in
which the body loses more heat
than it can produce.
Factors
that
involve
hypothermia are:- the tem
perature of the air, the wind
chill factor and wetness. Air is a
fairly good insulating material,
but once clothing gets wet, the
body very quickly loses heat.
“If you are to prevent
hypothermia there are some
things you must do,” said
Kevin Day, College nurse.
‘Anticipate the weather. Have
several layers of clothing on.
One of these should be wool,
because when wool is wet it still
acts as an insulator. Layering
also allows you to vary
sweating,” Day said. “Another
thing is to realize that it doesn’t
have to snow or be freezing,
the wet factor will do you in
every time,” he said.
Day also recommends that a
person stop if you feel tired,
weak, confused or shivering.
Stop, build a fire or a shelter.
The worst thing you could do is
to keep moving.
Don’t go alone, Day added.
“With someone else you can
share warmth and keep a eye
on each other. Also make sure
that someone knows where
you are going and when you
will be back.”
“In this country one is
especially vulnerable,” said
Day, “The weather changes so
fast, and the woods are close to
the city so a lot of inexperien
ced people get injured.”
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