What did she do wrong?

[bangorme]

I don't want to hijack the thread about the young man that died recently in Vermont, but someone posted this cite: http://postholer.com/journal/viewJournal.php?sid=4a55d95de9d7af08bbc417a0f76d8b dd&entry_id=8688 and I thought it would be useful to highlight what this backpacker did wrong. Now, I don't mean in any way to criticize her, because everyone makes mistakes and I've made at least as many as most. But, before more succumb to hypothermia, maybe we can all learn from our experiences. Please don't Monday morning quarterback and use information that she didn't have at the time. So, what did she do wrong?

[Tipi Walter]

You probably used my link and I remember copying most of her PCT trail journal and added my own "review" on a long 23 day backpacking trip I did in October of 2009. Here's my impressions---

http://www.trailjournals.com/entry.cfm?id=293413

[Coffee]

It appears that she waited too long to set up camp and by the time she made that decision, she lacked the dexterity to set up her shelter. It seems to me that even with her lightweight equipment, her situation would have been vastly improved had she recognized the deterioration in the dexterity of her hands sooner and been able to properly set up her shelter. The way I read it, her shelter didn't fail. Instead, she failed to be able to set it up in the first place.

[Offshore]

Readers will no doubt find errors in how she responded to her situation, but the real problem occured before the snow storm. She didn't have an understanding of not only what the forecast was, but what it could be given the geographic location, time of year, and local terrain. It also seems that she was unprepared for the worst-case scenario having found herself with only a tarp for a shelter in winter storm conditions. She also carried a SPOT messenger as her emergency assistance of last resort but apparently didn't fully understand how the device is used. She stated she thought she cancelled the SOS by turning it off - this doesn't cancel an SOS.

Monday morning quarterbacking can be useful - Its good to learn from your mistakes but better to lean from others'.

[Malto]

1) There was nothing wrong with her gear in those conditions. There was likely a mismatch between her experience and that gear that would make it appear that her gear was inadequate.
2) when she stopped and threw on her quilt over her wet base layer I would have made a different choice. I would have immediately thrown on my rain suit, assuming it was truly waterproof and used it as a VBL. Then I would have put on dry layers including the quilt. Compromising your quilt/bag especially in a UL system is probably not the best choice. Also, VBL would have reduced condensation with her tarp being directly on her.
3) Once she warmed up it probably would have been a good idea to get a functioning shelter. Normally when I'm cold and huddle under my quilt I can warm up in less than an hour. Back to point 2, I suspect that she would have been in a world of hurt if she had to spend a second night out due to condensation from the tarp.
4) Not sure tylenol Pm was the best bet if you're worried about hypothermia.
5) Journal doesn't say what she ate but keeping calories coming in, especially carbs is important both when she was hiking warmth into herself and when she was try to warm up. She may have done this but that would help.

There is a bright side, events like this are what builds a base of experience. I had a similar experience short of the spot. It started with what I thought was a short rain shower that ended up being an all day rain with temperatures in the thirties. I am fortunate to be able to stay warm while hiking. What I wrote above is pretty much how I (and undoubtably countless others.) did to keep it from getting worse.

[Sailing_Faith]

Wow, what a great blog!

i like this;


We hear of someone dying in the wilderness and we think: What a dumbass. They should have done this, they should have done that. It’s the way we cope, it’s the way we distance ourselves from the tragedy- it’s the way we say to ourselves: That could NEVER happen to me

So often in sailing, these "post mortem" threads go n for days and the survivors often come on various sailing forums to read some truly terrible comments.

She made errors most anyone could make, setting up shelter early is the lesson I take away. If she had been heading to a hostel rather then a meadow I suppose pressing in might have made sense. Maybe setting up right on the trail would have been appropriate, but that looks much more clear in hindsight then I am sure it did at the time.

i am glad she made it, and glad she shared the experience online for others to benefit from.

[Tipi Walter]

In her situation I would have never taken a NAP as she did on her worst day and instead would've set up early and hunkered in, and stayed put if need be for several days. Yet on her worst day she took a NAP in a heavy wet snow and then continued on.

Her words: "By 2:30 I was freezing."

So, her hands became blocks of wood, a common occurrence in winter backpacking and yet something that has to be overcome with the thorough knowledge of the kind of shelter you have and how to set it up right in such conditions. She failed in this.

Beyond this, she may have been suffering from the "thruhiker's malady" whereby a person forges on no matter what, to get the necessary daily mileages. It becomes a goad for bad decisions and the unwillingness to hunker in early after a 5 mile day and sit put for the duration, even if that may become 4 or 5 days in zero tent-mode to wait out a storm. But often the forced-march types cannot bear to pull early before-the-storm in-tent zeros or to hunker in for several days with no forward progress. ERGO she hits the SPOT.

[StubbleJumper]

1) There was nothing wrong with her gear in those conditions. There was likely a mismatch between her experience and that gear that would make it appear that her gear was inadequate.



I would say that there was really one thing wrong with her gear, and that is she was depending on a single
Bic lighter. Those of us who live in northern latitudes know that Bics do not work well at cold temperatures (you need to warm them with your hands *if* your hands are warm enough, or keep in in an internal pocket), and experienced hikers know that a wet Bic never works.

Given the weight of a mini-Bic, I always carry two when I hike in the summer, and I keep them in two different places in my pack to avoid the possibility that both will become wet or lost. This seems silly on nice, sunny days (in fact, last year in Arizona I had *three* mini-Bics and actually gave one to a passing hiker who had lost hers). But on bad days, the weight of the extra quarter-ounce seems like a bargain.

[winger]

Stay DRY, stay dry, stay dry. With adequate gear and shelter, not becoming wet will almost always avoid hypothermia.
Also BIC lighters are fine, but they inadvertently fail at some point. I always care a backup striker such as EXOTAC.

[ChinMusic]

This is one reason I don't use a tarp. There are many more. I want a shelter that I can set up quickly when the $&$& hits the fan. Others are fine in these conditions with a tarp, not me.

I agree with setting up the shelter sooner, but I see her point of wanting to get lower. IMO getting your shelter set up while you can trumps that.

It was never clear to me how far she had to go to walk out.


I had a few days on my 13 thru where I was challenged by snow/cold/wind. Luckily my choices were good.

[Dogwood]

Freezing, numb hands, wet, snow storm(she assessed the weather well!) - STOP! one way to start a fire(mistake when given the simple choice of carrying two mini bics and FireSteel magnesium fire starter), get out of the wet clothes, get dry, get warm, get under shelter(in the hands of an experienced tarper a tarp can certainly be usuable in those conditions in the Sierras, I set my tarp up in less than 6 mins, I've tarped exactly where she was at the Corral, there are trees there where she might have been able to get out of some of the wind). I usually carry a 6 0z WR top/WP bottom bivy with my down sleeping bag and custom over sized tarp(1.5 persons) in the Sierras or have a sleeping bag w/ a more protective WR shell(when tarping) at the least EXACTLY for the type of situation she was in. We understand in detail what the female hiker did in the Sierras from her postholer entry but I don't know what happened to the person in VT. I will not second guess the later situation.

[MuddyWaters]

What did she do wrong?

She did not have the mental preparation to deal with the situation when it occurred. This leads to anxiety, and lack of ability to think clearly.

She gave up and figured she was dead.


YOU are your own worse enemy in deteriorating situations. The difference between a clear head, and an anxious one, can be life and death, literally. This is why emergency procedures for pilots etc are practiced until it happens automatically, because when the $hit starts going wrong, your cognitive abilities become impaired.

[quasarr]

I am curious what others have to say on this topic. I have certainly made some dumb decisions myself and I was just lucky that things didn't go wrong. So I'm not eager to pass judgement on others. But I would like to hear how we can learn from her experience, which I think is the intent of the OP.

Just my own thoughts - from her gear list her tarp was only 5x8 which seems pretty small to me. Maybe she didn't have the experience necessary to use such a minimalist shelter. She wasn't able to set it up anyway, but possibly she should have gone with a shelter that has more of a margin for "user error."

[MuddyWaters]

I dont understand why she had to tie any knots. Tarp should have had everything pre-tied. Even in storm mode with a very low pitch,wrap the cord around the tip a couple times with a twist, and stake the damn thing with the handle down. Put a couple rocks around the handle. Its not going anywhere.

[Snowleopard]

What did she do wrong?

She did not have the mental preparation to deal with the situation when it occurred. This leads to anxiety, and lack of ability to think clearly.

She gave up and figured she was dead.


YOU are your own worse enemy in deteriorating situations. The difference between a clear head, and an anxious one, can be life and death, literally. This is why emergency procedures for pilots etc are practiced until it happens automatically, because when the $hit starts going wrong, your cognitive abilities become impaired.

Keep in mind that confusion and loss of coordination are symptoms of hypothermia.

Whatever your shelter, it's best if you really practice setting it up so you can do it in difficult conditions. Just like pilots training till their responses are automatic, you need to train setting up camp.

[ChinMusic]

Re practice w shelters:

I do not know the gals experience. I am talking in general now. After years of backpacking I do not have the confidence that I could shelter myself adequately with a tarp. It def takes skill and experience to tarp well. I shudder at the thought of a newbee carrying a tarp on such a trip.

The choice of shelter could indeed have influenced the day.

[bangorme]

Lots of good info here. My questions are:
1) Is a tarp really suitable shelter for what essentially turned into four season backpacking? I'm not asking IF it can be made to work, but is it a good choice for 99% of us? If you read further in her journal, you'll see that she had to share a tent a few days later, then replaced her tarp for a tent.
2) Given that she had a tarp, is a down bag the best choice? Did she really have a down bag, or was it a down quilt sewn bag?
3) Should she have taken off everything wet and slept in her dry bag (assuming it was dry), rather than crawl into her bag in wet clothes?
4) If the sleeping bag is sufficient, usually I can get my body temperature back to normal within an hour. Should she have then tried to eat and establish shelter?

I'm not trying to be smart, but aren't familiar with some of these issues.

This is a great book for those interested in the topic of hypothermia : http://www.amazon.com/The-Childrens-Blizzard-David-Laskin/dp/0060520760 . It really explains why people do what they do when in various stages of hypothermia.

[4shot]

Lots of good info here. My questions are:
1) Is a tarp really suitable shelter for what essentially turned into four season backpacking? I'm not asking IF it can be made to work, but is it a good choice for 99% of us?
2) Given that she had a tarp, is a down bag the best choice?
3) Should she have taken off everything wet and slept in her dry bag (assuming it was dry), rather than crawl into her bag in wet clothes?
4) If the sleeping bag is sufficient, usually I can get my body temperature back to normal within an hour. Should she have then tried to eat and establish shelter?



Re: question 1. The way you word this("for 99% of us") makes the answer an unequivocal "NO". Therefore, the answer to #2 then becomes no. The answer to 3 is yes, as is 4. Like Chin music above, there were a few times on my thru where cold conditions really tested me. of all the things that the AT can throw at you, the risk of hypothermia is perhaps the biggest one. the risk of Lyme's disease is #2.

[ChinMusic]

I've made the mistake of wearing wet clothing in my bag with the intent of drying the items out with my body heat. That turned out to be a losing bet and I was quite uncomfortable that night. I now 100% get out of my wet clothing unless it is gonna be warm overnight.

With her description I think I would have stopped sooner, set up my tent, got out of my wet clothes, got in my dry bag, eat a lot of calories, and go to sleep.

The "eat a lot of calories" should not be forgotten.

[Migrating Bird]

In this case, I think she did quite well, she survived. First off, she knew she was at risk and did what she should have. She got to a lower elevation. She laid out her ground cloth, put her tarp on top, put her gear underneath, got out of wet clothes although she struggled to get into dry ones, which most likely warmed her up. She was very scared, uncomfortable and recognized she was in trouble and "clearly" thought she was much worse off then perhaps she really was. She was most likely stage 1 hypothermia (see below) and if she did not take the corrective actions she did, she would have been much worse off. If you're hypothermic and not thinking clearly, you don't get creative, make videos, etc. use baggies over your sandals return to the trail and hike out. Her biggest mistake, she did not have 2 different means of lighting her stove. Waterproof matches and a candle would have made all the difference - warm glow and heat as would a space blanket.

Additionally, It is very difficult to self re-warm if one is stage 2 without an external heat source and impossible for stage 3

Below are the 3 stages of hypothermia.

Stage 1
Body temperature drops by 1-2°C (1.8-3.6°F) below normal temperature (35-37°C or 95-98.6°F). Mild to strong shivering occurs.[1][2] 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.[1][2][3] 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.[1][2] 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.

[Malto]

Her biggest mistake, she did not have 2 different means of lighting her stove. Waterproof matches and a candle would have made all the difference - warm glow and heat as would a space blanket.


I completely disagree with this assessment. She had completely sufficient insulation with her quilt to stay warm without any sort of fire. If she had any non cook food then a fire is completely unnecessary. If this was a winter trip where water was needed from melting snow then it would be a different story. Her first line of defense was her quilt and shelter not her stove or a fire.

[Mags]

It had nothing to do with gear. It has to do with being inexperienced, not using/testing her gear before going out and so on. A sub-10 lb kit (or, in this case esp. a minimal tarp) has less of a margin of error. My current self is quite comfortable using this kit in all kinds of conditions. I used a tarp in a Rockies snow storm when I did the CDT.

The version of me just off the AT (and a bit cocky) would have had his ass handed to him on the CDT in those conditions with a sub-10lb kit.

Notice the date of the journal entry: 2009. I wrote this article, or rather a version of it, for both Yogi and the Colorado Trail foundation. (http://www.pmags.com/dirt-bagging) I had this hiker's story in mind when I wrote it.


If I burn a meal, I don't my blame the burnt meal on the lack of copper bottom pots or a fancy Japanese knife set. I blame my lack of paying attention, putting the heat on too high, simmering too long, etc.

I rarely screw up a meal now. I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so. It took me time and experience to get to that point. Does not matter what pot, pan or knife I use to make a good meal. I just know what I am doing.

No different than my outdoors experience as well.

[Astro]

Readers will no doubt find errors in how she responded to her situation, but the real problem occured before the snow storm. She didn't have an understanding of not only what the forecast was, but what it could be given the geographic location, time of year, and local terrain. It also seems that she was unprepared for the worst-case scenario having found herself with only a tarp for a shelter in winter storm conditions. She also carried a SPOT messenger as her emergency assistance of last resort but apparently didn't fully understand how the device is used. She stated she thought she cancelled the SOS by turning it off - this doesn't cancel an SOS.

Monday morning quarterbacking can be useful - Its good to learn from your mistakes but better to lean from others'.

Experience is learning from our mistakes.
Wisdom is learning from someone else's mistakes

[Alligator]

She never mentions eating. She was fixated on getting hot water to warm herself up. Eating a bunch of calories would have helped. Always have ready calories in cold weather. It was 32 degrees, that's not particularly cold.

I've never tried to dry out wet pants under clothes in camp, just a wet top. I've found you I feel fairly cold when doing this until just before the top is dry. I won't do it unless I know I can handle it, meaning I have sufficient clothes and I am in a comfortable place, camp is made, food is cooking etc. She was a little shy on clothes, no warm socks, no mention of shell mitts or gloves, plus she needed to wear wet pants in an attempt to warm up. She maybe could have used a silk layer or just some simple polypro, something under the down pants and jacket. She sacrificed her wool pants to wetness, these she should have taken off as she wasn't sufficiently warming them based on her account.

I don't expect to "dry out" my clothes when I get them wet while hiking. I realize that I may not keep them sufficiently dry while hiking due to exertion levels, sweat regulation may be difficult with changing temperature and elevation. I will keep hiking through as long as I am still keeping warm. I know that I have the appropriate amount of dry camp clothes to change in to. When it's cold, first thing I do when I get to camp is eat something based on need. If I need immediate calories it'll be a candy bar, granola bar, or some easy snack. Then I might set up my shelter or change clothes it just depends on my assessment.

Personally I would be reluctant to use a small 5X8 tarp. I don't like the margin of error. But, setup on a tarp isn't complicated. My regular tarp, I keep a ridgeline that I can throw the tarp over and stake down three stakes a side and have an A-frame lickety split. If you keep a loop on one end of a line, setting up a pyramid shape is quick and easy too. Keep a short looped line for setting up the trekking pole, the most difficult part in the cold might be adjusting the trekking pole height. My cuben tarp is on the larger side, so I have plenty of forgiveness if I don't get it set up perfectly. Which is good 'cause I often roll into camp after dark and in inclement weather.

I just know that even if I arrive wet and cold, that I can scarf some food, change into warm, safe clothes, and get camp set up and in short order I will be eating and relaxing. She was inexperienced and did not have her methods down, she was relying on other hikers advice.

[fiddlehead]

It's of my opinion that this could happen to anyone.
I've been in situations where I thought I was ok, maybe a bit cold and wet, but walking and not anywhere near shivering.
But, when I stopped to setup my tent, I couldn't even undo the cordlock holding the bag closed.
It was a bit scary until I kept trying and trying and finally got it.
And this was on my 4th or 5th thru-hike.
I don't know if I still would know when I couldn't undo something like this.
The older I get, the less dexterity in my hands and fingers.

So, go ahead and badmouth people from lack of experience if you want.
But maybe someday you'll be in that same situation.
I hope you can deal with it.

[futureatwalker]

What did she do wrong? This is a hard question, for it implies blame.

She was unlucky. The temperature plummeted, and she ran into a snow storm. She perhaps could have stopped sooner, but she did stop
at mid-afternoon to try and set up her shelter.

Who hasn't pushed on a little in deteriorating weather, and become chilled?

I think the key in this type of situation is to stay dry. If she could have changed into dry clothes (though she does mention dry socks), and warmed up in a dry sleeping bag, her night might have been much better. But that's easy to say from the comfort of my keyboard.

When I am out, I typically pack a set of dry long underwear and socks for sleeping that I keep in a waterproof stuff sack. In this way, I should always have something dry to change into at night.

[magneto]

"There have been joys too great to describe in words, and there have been griefs upon which I have dared not to dwell, and I say, climb if you will, but remember that courage bad strength are naught without prudence, and that a momentary negligence may destroy the happiness of a lifetime. Do nothing in haste, look well to each step, and from the beginning think what may be the end."

--Edward Whymper, cir. 1865


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Tipi Walter]

I would say that there was really one thing wrong with her gear, and that is she was depending on a single Bic lighter.

I just don't see the importance of the Bic lighter in the equation. If I was "cowboy camping" under a flat tarp, the last thing I'd be thinking about is lighting a stove under that tarp---it just doesn't make any sense. Plus, when I'm in those conditions in a sleet storm with frozen hands and wet clothing, the very last thing I think about is pulling out my stove---it's like using a confused brain to pull out a warmth item---the stove---and thinking you'll then be okay.

She's wet and cold.
** Set up the shelter---preferably an enclosed out of the wind tent with a floor. A good shelter is the most important part of this story, or the lack of one.
** Once the shelter is secured (and put up in bad conditions with hypothermia, sleet, wind and wooden hands), THEN pull everything inside your shelter and start disrobing and up-layering with the dry stuff.
** THEN once you have you sleeping pad and bag rolled out and you're in your dry warm clothing, THEN you can concentrate on whipping out the stove and the Bic. And yes, a bic will dry out with some effort and start working.




I am curious what others have to say on this topic. I have certainly made some dumb decisions myself and I was just lucky that things didn't go wrong. So I'm not eager to pass judgement on others. But I would like to hear how we can learn from her experience, which I think is the intent of the OP.

Just my own thoughts - from her gear list her tarp was only 5x8 which seems pretty small to me. Maybe she didn't have the experience necessary to use such a minimalist shelter. She wasn't able to set it up anyway, but possibly she should have gone with a shelter that has more of a margin for "user error."

I wouldn't go anywhere near a 5X8 tarp in the winter for my personal shelter. That's just asking for it, like saying to Miss Nature---"Hey! What could go wrong!!!"


It had nothing to do with gear. It has to do with being inexperienced, not using/testing her gear before going out and so on.

For Cody Lundin her plight may have nothing to do with gear, but for Solo Girl, well, I believe her gear is very important. Remember, I believe she was influenced early before the trip by the "ultralight crowd"---friends of hers who pushed the UL mindset. It's in her first couple journal entries. This combined with lack of experience and POW she hit the SPOT.


It's of my opinion that this could happen to anyone.
I've been in situations where I thought I was ok, maybe a bit cold and wet, but walking and not anywhere near shivering.
But, when I stopped to setup my tent, I couldn't even undo the cordlock holding the bag closed.
It was a bit scary until I kept trying and trying and finally got it.
And this was on my 4th or 5th thru-hike.
I don't know if I still would know when I couldn't undo something like this.
The older I get, the less dexterity in my hands and fingers.

So, go ahead and badmouth people from lack of experience if you want.
But maybe someday you'll be in that same situation.
I hope you can deal with it.

Yes but did you hit a SPOT and institute an intricate rescue attempt by various agencies? Like you, I can remember many times on the trail in the winter when I was cold and wet, very cold, and stopping in some windy gap to scramble up the tent with hands that couldn't even unzip the pack pockets or undo the hipbelt. Sure it was tortuous and it's inevitable for anyone backpacking in the winter but most of us rely on tent shelters (or hammocks or tarps) that we have put up a thousand times over a period of decades and so there are no surprises.

Solo Girl got hit by about 4 surprises in a row---sleetstorm with wind, wet clothing, frozen hands, and an untested shelter system. A useless Bic I would put nowhere in the mix. A noncipher. Winter backpackers get walloped by these surprises on a regular basis, except we have shelters we know and love and use enough to TRUST.

[rafe]

Prevention is important -- paying attention to weather and taking measures to avoid the worst of it. No need to risk life in a quest-for-miles.

It's really important to understand the mechanisms and symptoms of hypothermia. Cold rain and wet snow are the worst. Any precipitation while the air temp is under 40-50 degrees is potentially deadly. When wind blows, being wet gets much worse. Water evaporating off the body is what's stealing your body heat.

As for hiking in snow, when your boots or snowshoes sink more than a few inches with each step, each step is much more effort than it would have been on dry ground. AT hikers know the advantages of light footwear -- but winter hiking is the opposite, you need heavy socks and boots, and often supplement them with microspikes, crampons, or snowshoes. Summer footwear in snow is another recipe for disaster, unless you're a Sherpa. Winter conditions make everything harder.

If it were me I'd look for a place to set up my tent, get out of my wet clothes and into my always-dry stuff, and into my sleeping bag. If tent setup is impossible, eg. terrain too steep or too exposed, I'd at least try to find something that minimizes the exposure.

[StubbleJumper]

I just don't see the importance of the Bic lighter in the equation. If I was "cowboy camping" under a flat tarp, the last thing I'd be thinking about is lighting a stove under that tarp---it just doesn't make any sense. Plus, when I'm in those conditions in a sleet storm with frozen hands and wet clothing, the very last thing I think about is pulling out my stove---it's like using a confused brain to pull out a warmth item---the stove---and thinking you'll then be okay.


Walter,

I never suggested that the Bic lighter was the source of her problem or the solution to her problem. I simply looked at her gear to determine if there was anything grossly deficient. And, my take is that her gear should have been adequate. I would be comfortable leaving town with more or less what she was carrying (well, maybe give me an 8x8 tarp instead), with the exception that I'd never carry just a single source of fire for an overnight trip.

I have no problem with your notion that setting up the shelter would be the top priority in this case, and then getting on your dry clothes and into your bag is your next priority. And then finally cooking up some hot food to warm your core. That's basic stuff. All I'm saying is that her gear was adequate for all of those tasks, except for the Bic lighter.

A more experienced hiker could probably have set up the tarp successfully, and could have swapped into warm clothes and sleeping bag under that tarp. But even the most experienced hiker would have a devil of a time trying to use a wet Bic (or a cold Bic for that matter). A back-up source of fire is a no-brainer.

[Mags]

For Cody Lundin her plight may have nothing to do with gear, but for Solo Girl, well, I believe her gear is very important. Remember, I believe she was influenced early before the trip by the "ultralight crowd"---friends of hers who pushed the UL mindset. It's in her first couple journal entries. This combined with lack of experience and POW she hit the SPOT.





Er..that's kinda what I said.

I had friends growing up who influenced me to do stupid things. Just because my friends influenced me to do it, doesn't mean it was my friends fault. It was my own stupidity and lack of judgement. Much the journalist, I also learned from it too.

Go ahead. Blame gear. It is easier. Most people do it for that reason. And discuss gear. And dwell on it. And collect it. And talk about it some more. Gear. Gear. Gear. Gear.

[Malto]

As for hiking in snow, when your boots or snowshoes sink more than a few inches with each step, each step is much more effort than it would have been on dry ground. AT hikers know the advantages of light footwear -- but winter hiking is the opposite, you need heavy socks and boots, and often supplement them with microspikes, crampons, or snowshoes. Summer footwear in snow is another recipe for disaster, unless you're a Sherpa. Winter conditions make everything harder.

She was not winter hiking. Yes, there was snow just like most other PCT hikers have had to deal with on their thru hikes. So while everything you say may be true in the winter, it does not apply here. It is not uncommon for PCT thru hikers to walk all day on snow. Also, many, if not most, will also have to deal with some amount of fresh snow. In most cases these hikers are wearing "summer footwear" and so have the thousands before them, it was nowhere near a "recipe for disaster" as you claim. Yes, the snow will slow you down but this wasn't Mt Washington in the winter, it was a fairly typical late spring snowstorm in the Sierra. (Read her journal entry from the next day to see the difference between the two.) the picture below was taken just after a late June snowstorm just south of Sonora Pass. It dumped up to a foot of fresh snow over many feet of older snow. It was a slow, type 2 filled day but certainly not an atypical event.

[rickb]

Go ahead. Blame gear. It is easier. Most people do it for that reason.

I have not picked up a copy in years, but the AMC used to analyze accidents in their "Appalachia" journal.

For the most part, I recall the commentary to be well thought out, but often sprinkled with observations regarding "inadequate footwear" and other such gear sins. Kind of simplistic.

[rafe]

Malto -- I wasn't addressing this hiker in particular. I'm addressing the conditions and the mountains that I'm familiar with. There was a thread here on WB about a young hiker who died on or near the LT, just days ago. Other threads about folks trying to section hike in the Whites these last few days or weeks (well past the official end of winter) and having to turn back.

I have no experience with the sort of PCT conditions you're describing. Not sure how I'd handle hiking up that slope in your photo.

[Odd Man Out]

What did she do wrong? This is a hard question, for it implies blame. ...

Yes it is a hard question, but it doesn't have to imply blame. As it was pointed out in other previous posts, if the goal of examining a bad outcome is to identify problems so they can be prevented or fixed in the future, then that is a good thing. It is not about blame or "badmouthing". I recall reading about a hospital that was very successful at decreasing their rate of mistakes made in patient care. What made the difference was that they put in place mechanism by which past people could admit to mistakes in a way that was constructive and not personally threatening. Given our propensity toward litigation and human pride, this is difficult, but it can be done with good results. I am fairly impressed with the tone of this thread up to this point and found it helpful for those reasons.

I for one always carry a book of matches is a zip lock bag for Bic backup. I also keep a merino top and bottom base layer dry with the sleeping bag for use only while in the bag (sleeping/warming). As for practice setting up my tent in good (and bad) conditions, I definitely need to work on that, but will stick to summer backpacking for now, to minimize my risk due to lack of experience.

[Dogwood]

Here's her scenario as I read it from her report. Sounds like she was hiking the PCT NOBO long sectioning or thru-hiking. She said she was on Day 38 north of KM. She started April 26 - I'm almost 100% sure that equates to at the Mexican border. That translates in my mind to PCT NOBO north of KM. Doesn't sound like winter where she was. Look on the ground behind her. It was not winter! The date on her pic says June 3! YES, it is possible to get snow in the Sierras ANY MONTH of the yr! This was not Virginia on the AT in early June! This scenario is possible but not typical at that time of the yr in early June! Sounds like she was wanting to do the side trip up Mt Whitney expecting to stop at Trail Pass. I think that was a mistake because she says she already knew the weather report called for thundershowers below 6000 ft. but MAYBE she was hiking with a wait and see how the weather develops side trip mentality. She should know that could quite possibly translate into snow at the higher elevations. Trail Pass is many 1000's of ft higher than 6000 ft. My choice would be to NOT ascend to Trail Pass IF I KNEW that was the weather report on this day. BUT, perhaps the weather wasn't that severe(she seems to say that, she did say the temp dropped severely in a short duration) and she made the CORRECT choice NOT to head up but head down to 9500 ft possibly below treeline. Get into cover and possibly slightly warmer temps. Sounds like generally a good move on her part!*as long as she doesn't get disoriented or lost heading down to 9500 ft). She was carrying an UL kit(tarp, quilt, Tyvek ground sheet, alchy stove, etc) on a NOBO PCt hike in JUNE! MUCH LIKE MANY MANY NOBO PCTers SUCCESSFULLY DO starting in April(AND she started rather late in April(April 26)). We all keep saying what she did wrong. I think she did quite a few things right. AND, I think this situation COULD could happen to many of us. I know it has happened to me in the Sierras(June, AUGUST!, Sept, Oct), and for all you east coast oriented hiking folks, GSMNP in Sept and Oct. I do think she might have stopped sooner especially since she was wet and the temps dipped though but that push ahead thru-hiking mentality that Tipi mentioned can get the better of us at times. We have to know when to make the call to STOP or RETREAT or ABANDON endeavors. It' s sometimes NOT a good thing to keep at it! I also think she should have had more than one way or know more than one way to start a fire. I also always like having a dryish warm set of clothes(shirt, socks, etc) to change into. I rarely hike anymore w/ one set of socks, shorts, top. etc. All in all she made it. I think she did OK!!!

[Dogwood]

.....She had completely sufficient insulation with her quilt to stay warm without any sort of fire. If she had any non cook food then a fire is completely unnecessary. If this was a winter trip where water was needed from melting snow then it would be a different story. Her first line of defense was her quilt and shelter not her stove or a fire.

Agree but see what happens when a 75* day in June in the Sierras at 10K+ ft goes from rain to snow to below freezing. She should also have a way to light a fire on the PCT in June. YES, because of spring storms like what she experienced but also becuase she might take a dunking in a stream, gear (clothing, shelter, quilt, etc)can get get soaked. Relying solely on gear is not enough! I hear ya Malto. My quilt/sleeping bag, shelter, and clothing are my first line of defense to the elements but I'm always thinking what happens if I lose my gear ie: a bear snatches my pack, I fall while making a ford soaking or losing gear, there's no one around to ask for assistance, I'm in the backwoods/back country, etc

[ChinMusic]

I think our posters have been very positive for the most part in this thread. I don't think anyone has. "blamed" her for anything. Posting what they would have done differently is not blame.

And this thread IS about gear and the experience/practice that goes with it. Gear is only as good as the user's skill level. As has been pointed out, for Cody Lundin this would have been a piece of cake, hardly worthy of a journal entry. For Solo Boy or Solo a Girl this became a serious event.

It is a good thread for the non Lundin's, such as myself, to learn from.

[Wolf - 23000]

quasarr,

An 5x8 tarp is too small for backpacking (as you pointed out). The different weight between an 5x8 tarp and an 8x10 is only a few oz but can make all the different in the world when you need it.

I know there are a lot of hikers who boost how much they have hiked but whoever suggest she use a 5x8 tarp really did her some BAD advice. Not all, but some veteran hikers really need to think about what advice they are giving new hikers.


Wolf

[4shot]

quasarr,

An 5x8 tarp is too small for backpacking (as you pointed out). The different weight between an 5x8 tarp and an 8x10 is only a few oz but can make all the different in the world when you need it.

I know there are a lot of hikers who boost how much they have hiked but whoever suggest she use a 5x8 tarp really did her some BAD advice. Not all, but some veteran hikers really need to think about what advice they are giving new hikers.


Wolf

This was/is an issue with the whole UL thing. people can make poor decisions in the effort of saving a few ounces or lead the newbies into thinking that weight has to be sacrificed at all costs. Not that it is a poor choice for everyone mind you but it is best done by people with ample experience. and some of the more zealous and outspoken proponents unfortunately try to sway the masses.

[Wolf - 23000]

I would say that there was really one thing wrong with her gear, and that is she was depending on a single
Bic lighter. Those of us who live in northern latitudes know that Bics do not work well at cold temperatures (you need to warm them with your hands *if* your hands are warm enough, or keep in in an internal pocket), and experienced hikers know that a wet Bic never works.

Given the weight of a mini-Bic, I always carry two when I hike in the summer, and I keep them in two different places in my pack to avoid the possibility that both will become wet or lost. This seems silly on nice, sunny days (in fact, last year in Arizona I had *three* mini-Bics and actually gave one to a passing hiker who had lost hers). But on bad days, the weight of the extra quarter-ounce seems like a bargain.

A small box of wooden matches works better than your second lighter. If your lighter doesn't work because your hands are wet, it does mean that a second one is going to any good. A book of matches can still work even when you hands are wet.

Wolf

[Wolf - 23000]

Lots of good info here. My questions are:
1) Is a tarp really suitable shelter for what essentially turned into four season backpacking? I'm not asking IF it can be made to work, but is it a good choice for 99% of us? If you read further in her journal, you'll see that she had to share a tent a few days later, then replaced her tarp for a tent.
2) Given that she had a tarp, is a down bag the best choice? Did she really have a down bag, or was it a down quilt sewn bag?
3) Should she have taken off everything wet and slept in her dry bag (assuming it was dry), rather than crawl into her bag in wet clothes?
4) If the sleeping bag is sufficient, usually I can get my body temperature back to normal within an hour. Should she have then tried to eat and establish shelter?


Bangorme,

A tarp can be suitable shelter. I’ve used mine in a lot worst weather than she had to deal with and was fine. One of the problems was her tarp was too small. As I understand it, she was using a 5x8 size tarp, not a smart choice. The combination of too small of a tarp and a down bag made it not a smart choice.

To answer your third question, if I’m reading it correctly she put on her dry cloths first and then got in her sleeping bag. A sleeping bag works by trapping your body heat inside while keeping the outside elements out. Getting inside her sleeping bag while she is COLD, is not going to do her all that much good.

Finally setting up shelter is primary before getting inside your sleeping bag is not smart. You are really at the mercy of the elements.

Wolf

[Wise Old Owl]

Well I read all her posts and I read Tipi's pages too. I agree with everyone's thoughts here. Her mistakes compounded, as the day went on, this was a level of experience issue. I think the clothing holding all that sweat was really the worst part - she could have stripped wiped down and changed vertically and then jumped into the bag with what ever she had left. So often as a group WB downplays survival tactics and strategy. People want to hike and don't want to consider the consequences. So that being said TP I agree with everything you said - except due to the level of her experience - she needed the SPOT. I thinks she should have paid more attention to the instructions. I am sure that being said will upset the purists here. - but families and family values need closure.

[Wolf - 23000]

It had nothing to do with gear. It has to do with being inexperienced, not using/testing her gear before going out and so on. A sub-10 lb kit (or, in this case esp. a minimal tarp) has less of a margin of error. My current self is quite comfortable using this kit in all kinds of conditions. I used a tarp in a Rockies snow storm when I did the CDT.

The version of me just off the AT (and a bit cocky) would have had his ass handed to him on the CDT in those conditions with a sub-10lb kit.

Notice the date of the journal entry: 2009. I wrote this article, or rather a version of it, for both Yogi and the Colorado Trail foundation. (http://www.pmags.com/dirt-bagging) I had this hiker's story in mind when I wrote it.


If I burn a meal, I don't my blame the burnt meal on the lack of copper bottom pots or a fancy Japanese knife set. I blame my lack of paying attention, putting the heat on too high, simmering too long, etc.

I rarely screw up a meal now. I'm a pretty good cook if I do say so. It took me time and experience to get to that point. Does not matter what pot, pan or knife I use to make a good meal. I just know what I am doing.

No different than my outdoors experience as well.

Mag,

I agree with you about not blaming the gear. Blaming the gear is just plan silly. The majority of the blame goes towards her but I also blame who ever suggest that she carries an 5x8 size tarp.

She made a lot of mistakes. I also blame some of her mistakes that were cause from the bad advise "experts" hikers gave her. I don't know if someone suggest using a small tarp on a website, from a hiking book she was using or WB, but who ever did it, did not know what they where talking about. Thankfully she survive to hike another day but this could have been a lot worst.

Wolf

[Alligator]

After rereading the entry, she did have a bivy sack to go with the tarp. She mentions her reasoning for having this system an earlier entry, (#3). I've seen people post about going that route. Personally, I would go with the next size up tarp, 8x10, 9x9, as the extra ounces are less than the smaller tarp and bivy combined.

She says in an earlier entry that she has rain pants. She also mentions that she likes to hike in the long johns starting the day off, then taking them off when she has warmed up. It's not clear whether she had the rain pants though with her, she was lightening up and putting stuff in a bounce box town stop prior to this entry and she also states she is not sure how to keep her dry clothes dry in camp. If she had her full rain suit, that's how you keep your clothes dry in camp.

Her sleeping bag/quilt was rated to 20F and her down jacket and pants were dry. I think she was losing a lot of heat from the wet wool pants. She definitely could have used some warm socks (fleece or wool) for sleeping and if she'd have had them, she could have used them as mitts as her gloves were soaked, making her hands inoperative. Again, no mentioning eating, no dinner. Originally she had a Light My Fire Firesteel Scout Firestarter during her prep but she switched to the lighter.

[Wise Old Owl]

double post - software issues.

[Wise Old Owl]

A. using a lighter vs a steel and flint again is just know how. They use flint & steel on TV because it looks cool. It's a non sequitur (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Non_sequitur_(logic)) A BIC is a flint and steel on a smaller scale just wet - here is how folks get it to work


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S8b-UGXRfZs
I agree she was getting hypothermic from the undergarments and clothing.

[Mags]

I also blame who ever suggest that she carries an 5x8 size tarp.



Though I would not do it for various reasons, a fair amount of experienced people do rather well with a 5x8 tarp and bivy. They also tend to have their system dialed in.

Unlike the journalist in question.

Cheers!

[colorado_rob]

Stay DRY, stay dry, stay dry. With adequate gear and shelter, not becoming wet will almost always avoid hypothermia. I agree with Chin that this post has stayed mostly positive, good stuff, my personal takeaway from this is reinforced as, yes, stay Dry-dry-DRY!

I had a close call about 20 years ago getting soaked her in CO and went into uncontrollable shivering mode, by myself, at 14000 feet in pouring rain/snow mix. All I wanted to do was sit down and go to sleep, a sure death. Simply inadequate gear. Plus I pushed a situation too far and too long (huge day, had to return to camp over the top of a 14er, bad idea).

But especially out east and on the AT I found myself, even with the very best gear, unable to always stay dry. This incident reinforces that when starting to wet out, stop, set up whatever level of dry camp you can, eat, put on your driest clothes, and wait it out. Don't push it! I did one time last spring on the AT, got soaked to the bone, didn't feel like stopping to set up a soggy camp, so just ate and hiked on through the night (eating snacks all night). That kept me warm enough, but it sure was miserable. I got lucky in that it finally stopped raining and the sun came out the next morning. That might not have happened.

Seems she had adequate, if not perfect gear, just didn't have the experience to use it correctly (repeating what has already been said).

[bangorme]

I carry a LL Bean Microlight 1 tent when I backpack. I'm confident that I could set it up in the scenario we are examining here (no knots, just stick the poles in the holes and clip the tent clips onto the poles from the inside). Wouldn't something like this be a much better choice for most backpackers? I agree with some posters that Sologirl was misled by someone about the trade-offs when using a tarp instead of a tent. I use a lot of the ultralight ideas, but don't when they increase complexity or increase risk. I don't think the issue was the size, but her inability to set it up in her condition. That being said, I don't doubt that many have used tarps successfully in worse situations, but my guess is that expertise and experience probably mitigated the increased risk.

Also, I use waterproof matches. How do you feel about them compared a lighter? I also use an alcohol stove and have seen people use a fire starter to light them. If I could get one small enough I might pick one up. They seem to avoid the whole wet-lighter problem.

[Offshore]

I carry a LL Bean Microlight 1 tent when I backpack.

That's an anathema to some UL fetishists (although its a great little tent). I think new backpackers often come to a site like this (and others) read posts from the UL enthusiasts and jump headfirst onto the UL bandwagon - without understanding that even high quality UL gear has limitations such as higher cost, lower durability, and a steeper learning curve compared to "normal weight" quality brands. At times, it seems to be a senseless (and potentially dangerous) race to the bottom of the scale dial.

[rafe]

There's a lot of discussion of fires and lighters on this thread, which I find interesting. When I think about dealing with hypothermia, I don't believe a fire would be my first priority. Again: hypothermia is quite likely to result from cold wet precipitation, and in those conditions I'm gonna want shelter from that. The conditions causing the hypothermia are likely to be conditions that will make a fire hard to start, and less useful even if you did start one.

Much discussion of tarp size... again my hiking conservatism is showing, I'd be carrying a light tent, and be darned sure I could set it up in a jiff. I've never messed with tarps, not about to start now. I work with what I know, and what's proven to work over the years. When I change or upgrade gear, I try to test it in a controlled setting before committing to it. I acknowledge that using a tarp requires a few skills that I've never developed, and a few risks that I'd rather not take.

I wouldn't want to second-guess any other hiker's reaction to a life-threatening situation. I do feel that judgement is called for while on the trail, and particularly in the backcountry. Knowing one's limits. Due respect to safety. Evaluating risks and the consequences of one's actions. Sounds like common sense.

[Mags]

I think new backpackers often come to a site like this (and others) read posts from the UL enthusiasts and jump headfirst onto the UL bandwagon - without understanding that even high quality UL gear has limitations such as higher cost, lower durability, and a steeper learning curve compared to "normal weight" quality brands.

That could be correct. I think it may be more the personal blogs that forums like this, though. There are enough different views points on WB, BPL and similar that I don't think any one way is advocated over another. I really don't see WB (or any Appalachian Trial site! :) ) advocating sub-10 lbs kits. Quite frankly the remarks such as yours are more common for various reasons.

Personal blogs, OTOH, can be dicey. Many of the more popular blogs are very gear focused and have people with limited experience saying "This new widget is great!" Because the blog IS popular, the readers assumes that a person has some authority that may not be warranted based on the blogger's experience level. So the reader buys the gear and realizes, often too late, that perhaps the piece of gear is not suitable for their hiking style.

I think, regardless of the gear system, all gear should be used, tested and figured out before SHTF.

Lighter, yet more traditional style gear can be bought, that functions rather well and does have a larger margin of error.

Going too light without experience is not good.

OTOH, going too far to the extreme ala Norm Clyde*WITHOUT EXPERIENCE* can be just as bad, too (Mainly being too tired and injured).

On hut trips, I've been known to haul very heavy packs due to the food, wine and other assorted goodies while on skis. A person with less skiing experience and not used to heavy loads and not in shape could get injured, overly tired and be in trouble.

Goes both ways. :)

[joshuasdad]

I agree with some of the prior posters that the wearing of wet wool against the skin while in the sleeping bag prevented her from warming up. While the wet wool will dry, eventually, until it does so it will sap heat from her skin so that the water can evaporate, i.e., evaporative cooling. The wet will also conduct heat away from the skin, at least until the interior of the sleeping bag approaches her skin temperature.

I bailed into a sleeping bag at Ethan Pond shelter on Sunday, May 4th a few miles from where that hiker was rescued in the White Mountains -- I was soaked to the bone from thigh-high postholing and a wet snow. I thought my wool socks were relatively dry because they were warm, but an hour later, I realized that they were still wet, and were preventing me from warming up fully. After putting on my dry socks, I warmed up pretty quickly, and slept pretty well. If I had other wet wool layers on, as she did, it would have been a real challenge to warm up, see the below excerpt:

"I was under the tarp, on top of my ground cover. Next, I pulled out my thermarest, pulled out my bivy sack and pulled out my sleeping bag. This is good. I have on my wool long johns (I had them on during my hike, under my hiking pants, so they’re wet but wool stays warm wet, right?), my down pants, my white wind shirt, my long sleeve wool shirt, my down jacket, my wool hat, my rain jacket, my only pair of dry socks (micro thin running anklets) and my wet gloves. I took off my wet bra, wet hiking pants and soaking wet socks. I crawl into my sleeping bag and freeze..." (emphasis added)

If she would have stripped off the wet wool long johns and gloves, put on her dry layers, then tucked her cold hands near a warm part of her body, she would have done fine. As it was, she did pretty well, at least after the moisture from her wet layers was wicked away from her body.

As for the 911 call, possibly chalk that up to a hypothermia decision.

[Offshore]

I really don't see WB (or any Appalachian Trial site! :) ) advocating sub-10 lbs kits. Quite frankly the remarks such as yours are more common for various reasons.

I'm not sure I see your point with the end of the quote but I'd agree that the are not a lot of folks directly advocating for UL kits less than 10 pounds, (although that's pushing the benchmark a bit low perhaps to make a point). The message is subliminal, but its here. I've been on the board for about a year, but have been backpacking for 30+ years - so I've seen my share of good gear and awful gear. My initial impression of the site is that its great - lots of good info, entertaining posts and a good sense of community. But look a little deeper - take a look at the "critique my gear" threads and the majority of the comments tend to be related to cutting weight as if weight is the most important criterion when evaluating a piece of gear's fitness for duty. Add the "I cut the handle off my toothbrush to save 3 grams" posts and its really sends the message to a new backpacker that lighter is better. That is true, but not at all costs and only if one realizes the limitation of the equipment and their ability to use it.

[Mags]

I'm not sure I see your point with the end of the quote

That you are more likely to see remarks against "gram weenies" quite a bit vs the "cut my tooth brush down" brigade . Kinda like the ones you just said. ;)

You see the anti-"Gram weenies" post more so on Appalachian Trail specific sites for various reasons.

Guess what I am saying is that White Blaze is far from a major advocate of ul backpacking.


A sub-10 lb kit is actually pretty common on other trails among thru-hikers and not really that far out.

I half-expect people on this site to belt out "TRADITION!" when discussing gear. People, in general, on AT specific sites tend to have a more conservative view of what works and what does not.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRdfX7ut8gw

[colorado_rob]

I'm not sure I see your point with the end of the quote but I'd agree that the are not a lot of folks directly advocating for UL kits less than 10 pounds. Careful throwing numbers like that around. My 10 pound kit is as safe as any of the heavy-weights on here. I carry a full tent, sleeping pad, 30 degree bag, stove, pot, insulated clothing, full rain suit, everything one could want for safety and comfort on the trail. And if I'd ever pull the trigger on that 1-pound Zpacks 20 degree sleeping bag, I could shave another half pound and even more later with a cuben backpack.

Maybe there are not a lot of us in or below that range, alas, but there are a good number of us and we will advocate getting there: the absolute Bliss of hiking for days on end fully equipped with a day-pack-class weight. All it takes is $$$ and a little buying experience, and only a few times out learning how to use it all properly and safely.

The Gear-Tevia's out there with their pots and pans, 3-man winter tents, R11 pads and 0 degree bags in the summer, 8 pound packs, etc, etc will be sure to disagree. Tradition! (nice video Mags)

[canoe]

That you are more likely to see remarks against "gram weenies" quite a bit vs the "cut my tooth brush down" brigade . Kinda like the ones you just said. ;)

You see the anti-"Gram weenies" post more so on Appalachian Trail specific sites for various reasons.

Guess what I am saying is that White Blaze is far from a major advocate of ul backpacking.


A sub-10 lb kit is actually pretty common on other trails among thru-hikers and not really that far out.

I half-expect people on this site to belt out "TRADITION!" when discussing gear. People, in general, on AT specific sites tend to have a more conservative view of what works and what does not.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gRdfX7ut8gw

Agree with this post and your previous one. For me lighter is better. I have nt read anyone advocating urresponsible ULing. More on this site as you said is more of the traditional hiking experience

[jeffmeh]

Of course, an appropriate UL kit for a hiker with given skills and experience should vary some in weight based upon the locale and conditions.

But back to the original question posed, like almost all of these stories and those that end more tragically, she made a series of errors that compounded to result in her hypothermic condition. Rather than criticizing her choices, here is my take on the lessons to take out of it.

1) Be realistic about your skills. If the forecast calls for conditions that you might not be able to handle, sit it out.

2) Take gear commensurate with your skills and experience. Specifically, don't take a small tarp into those conditions unless you have the skills to use it to provide adequate shelter.

3) When venturing into difficult conditions, know your escape routes to get down into cover and back to civilization. Carry the maps you need to do this.

4) When hiking through cold, wet rain or snow, wear only the clothing you need to stay warm enough and block the wind and rain. You will be much warmer when moving than when you stop. It is likely that you will wet out all of that clothing (I do it from the inside out), so any extra clothing will become wet and of less use when you stop. When you do stop you will get even colder, so always have dry layers to change into.

5) If you start to get uncomfortably cold when hiking, you may be becoming hypothermic. Eat and drink so your body has fuel to create heat.

6) If conditions are bad enough or your condition does not improve, bail out to a more protected area (or get out all together if you can).

7) If you are going to stop to make camp, and you are cold and disoriented, eat and drink again. One cannot overemphasize the importance of fueling the body.

8) Next, get your shelter set up adequately so that you can ride it out. If you must, set it up temporarily and switch out to the dry clothes, then eat again, then finish your shelter set-up.

9) Get yourself in your dry, warm layers, into your dry, warm sleeping bag, inside your dry shelter.

10) Did I mention that you should eat? :)

11) A fire is great, but not necessary (at least in her scenario), when one is well fed and watered, layered up, in a dry sleeping bag, in a dry shelter.

Sorry for the proselytizing. Many years of taking kids through the Whites has made me acutely aware of how to deal with these situations.

[MuddyWaters]

Everyone gets wet. I was hiking soaking wet in 55F temps, in the rain, a couple weeks ago. You will get wet in a rain jacket in the rain, in strenous terrain, there is no way around it in the humid east.

You must know when to allow yourself to get wet, and when you are crossing the line of being able to stay warm.

Most of us would keep hiking to stay warm as long as possible, then hunker down. Probably exactly what she did, go as low as possible, then stop.

[Wise Old Owl]

There's a lot of discussion of fires and lighters on this thread, which I find interesting. When I think about dealing with hypothermia, I don't believe a fire would be my first priority. Again: hypothermia is quite likely to result from cold wet precipitation, and in those conditions I'm gonna want shelter from that. The conditions causing the hypothermia are likely to be conditions that will make a fire hard to start, and less useful even if you did start one.

Much discussion of tarp size... again my hiking conservatism is showing, I'd be carrying a light tent, and be darned sure I could set it up in a jiff. I've never messed with tarps, not about to start now. I work with what I know, and what's proven to work over the years. When I change or upgrade gear, I try to test it in a controlled setting before committing to it. I acknowledge that using a tarp requires a few skills that I've never developed, and a few risks that I'd rather not take.

I wouldn't want to second-guess any other hiker's reaction to a life-threatening situation. I do feel that judgement is called for while on the trail, and particularly in the backcountry. Knowing one's limits. Due respect to safety. Evaluating risks and the consequences of one's actions. Sounds like common sense.

Surviving a hypothermic condition is 90% mental thinking. If she hadn't taken that nap & hunkered down, set up the gear at the next available spot - maybe a fire would not have been necessary. she clearly did not have enough layers of clothing to trap enough air around the body. We don't know if the long johns were part cotton and wool blends or polypro. There are a lot of crappy knock off China made long johns out there. I also have to think if she did have the right materials she could have gathered dead leaves into a large pile and get inside them, Then toss the tarp over the top.

Fire is one of the first tools to think about even if its just to boil water or snow for hydration. But, my mindset of skills is different when I say a fire for a night of drastic cold and wet I would gather three times of the amount of brush and 1/2 inch stock in a surrounding area and build a 6 foot x 1 foot long fire and sleep next to it... using the tarp in a lean too position. That tarp would also keep my wood dry, so yes I agree with the longer tarp thoughts here. And if you want to get crazy and there are dry leaves pile them on top of the tarp to add a trapping layer of air, but watch out for cinders.The Idea of carrying your shelter is to avoid spending five hours making a Wikiup!
http://riekesna.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/firesleep01.jpg?w=300&h=240


http://dailycaller.com/2013/11/30/how-to-make-a-wikiup-survival-shelter/

[Abner]

While I think there are some things to be learned from her mistakes, and I'm sure she has learned from these mistakes, I personally do not think there is enough information here to assess whether she was ever really close to freezing to death or dying. She hasn't broken a leg, she's not bleeding profusely, she was well rested only five hours ago, and once she gets in her soggy and cold wet sleeping system she's not saying if her hands began to thaw a bit; she doesn't tell us if she has eaten all her consumables, she's hydrated and has water, she has sufficient clothing and insulation to keep her core temp. at a reasonable level. She's uncomfortable as heck, she's cold as perhaps she's ever been, but I have to wonder about the language she's using...she's "freezing," she's scared she could freeze to death, (and everyone that has their wits about them will wonder these things in less extreme temperatures) well if the storm went on for four days like Tipi suggested, and she ran out of food and water, except it sounds like that it may be much warmer at lower altitudes, she's not lost, so conceivably she could bail out of the higher elevations and find respite from the elements if the snow does not stop flying. I'm not criticizing anything about the value of her post...just want a bit more information before I agree with her assessment that this was a situation where her death was imminent, or that this scenario, in it's presentation is one about imminent death from exposure. Many other important and perhaps life-preserving things to be learned here, though.

[MuddyWaters]

If your insulation is dry, and anywhere near suited to the conditions, its highly unlikely that you will freeze to death.
It might take longer to warm up than expected. You might be uncomfortable , etc.

I think a lot of people throw the term hypothermia around a bit too loosely. People write all the time they were " getting hypothermic". My suspicion, is most are just not used to being really cold and get a bit anxious.

[bangorme]

I think a lot of people throw the term hypothermia around a bit too loosely. People write all the time they were " getting hypothermic". My suspicion, is most are just not used to being really cold and get a bit anxious.

I think the loss of the use of her hands, (at least enough to set up her shelter) indicates that she was experiencing hypothermia. I agree with the other posters that as long as her sleeping bag was dry and she could keep the rain off, she was in little danger of death. The one thing I don't know is the quality of her bag/quilt. Somewhere she mentions that it had no insulation on the bottom, and from memory, wasn't able to get her sleeping pad functioning. Laying on the cold bare ground will sap heat quickly.

[MuddyWaters]

I grew up duck hunting. Routinely cold, wet, shivering , numb hands and feet.
I was never hypothermic.

[colorado_rob]

I grew up duck hunting. Routinely cold, wet, shivering , numb hands and feet.
I was never hypothermic. ???? maybe, just maybe you're being sarcastic, but in case you're not, "shivering" basically is the definition for mild hypothermia.

[bangorme]

I grew up duck hunting. Routinely cold, wet, shivering , numb hands and feet.
I was never hypothermic.

This is the kind of misinformation that can kill people. It's one thing to have numb hands when you hunting or skiing, as all you have to do is run back to the warm car or lodge. It's another thing when you have to use those hands to survive (e.g. erect shelter). If you are shivering and/or have numb hands, you are hypothermic. If you are backpacking, you have to address it.

[Marta]

???? maybe, just maybe you're being sarcastic, but in case you're not, "shivering" basically is the definition for mild hypothermia.

Maybe it's just semantics, but in the wording lies the difference between ho hum and panic. Anyone who spends time outside in the cold has gotten chilled to the point of shivering more times than we can count. No big deal. IF I'm not shivering when I set off on a cross-country ski outing, I'll be bathed in sweat ten minutes later. There are a variety of strategies for warming up, and an experienced person, even though "mildly hypothermic," will go about them calmly.

Someone who has NOT spent a great deal of time in the cold, and who has the script "HYPOTHERMIA IS A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION" playing through their heads will interpret shivering as being the threshold of the grave and will freak out, never the route to rational decision-making. Shivering may be aka mild hypothermia, but there is usually quite a big big distance between numb hands and death.

(I was on a February overnighter at Bald Mountain Shelter with a friend from NC who went almost to pieces when her hands became numb. She started babbling worst-case scenarios. I made her a cup of hot coffee and instructed her to wrap her hands around it for a few minutes. Problem solved.)

In this particular case on the PCT, I wonder how far back down the trail she would have had to go to get lower and warmer. Sometimes it's smart to just turn around.

[bangorme]

Maybe it's just semantics, but in the wording lies the difference between ho hum and panic. Anyone who spends time outside in the cold has gotten chilled to the point of shivering more times than we can count. No big deal. IF I'm not shivering when I set off on a cross-country ski outing, I'll be bathed in sweat ten minutes later. There are a variety of strategies for warming up, and an experienced person, even though "mildly hypothermic," will go about them calmly.

Someone who has NOT spent a great deal of time in the cold, and who has the script "HYPOTHERMIA IS A LIFE-THREATENING CONDITION" playing through their heads will interpret shivering as being the threshold of the grave and will freak out, never the route to rational decision-making. Shivering may be aka mild hypothermia, but there is usually quite a big big distance between numb hands and death.

(I was on a February overnighter at Bald Mountain Shelter with a friend from NC who went almost to pieces when her hands became numb. She started babbling worst-case scenarios. I made her a cup of hot coffee and instructed her to wrap her hands around it for a few minutes. Problem solved.)

In this particular case on the PCT, I wonder how far back down the trail she would have had to go to get lower and warmer. Sometimes it's smart to just turn around.

You had the experience, and took action. Based upon the situation you were in, you made the right decision (a good reason to backpack with someone with experience). However, I doubt the number of people that die to hypothermia that overreact is anywhere near the number that die because they fail to react.

[ChinMusic]

No one that has died from hypothermia can post on here their experiences.

[Dogwood]

In the hands of an experienced tarper a 5x8 sized tarp, WR/WP bivy or sleeping bag protector(w/ WP bottom or w/ additional ground sheet), and 20* sleeping bag/quilt for the PCT during June in the Sierras is not all that unheard of. A 5x8 tarp w/ 40 sq ft of coverage w/ an additional WR/WP bivy is MORE coverage and shelter than most poncho tarps that people claimed to have used for their shelter/protection on trails w/ more severe(wetter, colder) overall weather. I've never used a poncho trap as my only shelter/protection resource. I agree w/ Wolf 23000 suck up the 2 oz and get a larger sq ft tarp. And spend time w/ it as your shelter on a wet, cold, snowy, etc few nights pre long distance hike. In my mind, as a tarper I don't recommend minmalist sized tarps for beginner tarpers(don't know how experienced Solo Hiker was as a tarper at the time of her June 3 Sierra's late spring snow) EVEN IF one combines it w/ a bivy. Thing is, although she switched out to a tent(maybe GOOD call for her, ) she probably had much more agreeable weather through Cali and Oregon on a moderatedly paced NOBO PCT thru. I commend her for always thinking and adapting(managing) even if she MAY HAVE made a few questionable moves at times.

[MuddyWaters]

This is the kind of misinformation that can kill people. It's one thing to have numb hands when you hunting or skiing, as all you have to do is run back to the warm car or lodge. It's another thing when you have to use those hands to survive (e.g. erect shelter). If you are shivering and/or have numb hands, you are hypothermic. If you are backpacking, you have to address it.


Well, thats my point. The difference between being very cold, and believing you are "getting hypothermic" is often mental. When you have confidence you can warm up your just cold. When you are afraid you cant, then you are getting hypothermic.

I think people that have never been really cold, might be predisposed to anxiety when it occurs.

[bangorme]

Thats my point. The difference between being very cold, and believing you are "getting hypothermic" is often mental. When you have confidence you can warm up your just cold. When you are afraid you cant, then you are getting hypothermic.

No, this isn't true. Just because you believe you can warm up, doesn't mean you can. That was the misconception of the gal that was the subject of the OP. She believed that she could set up shelter and light her alcohol stove, but found she couldn't because she couldn't use her hands and lighter issues. What you believe has no impact on whether or not you are physiologically hypothermic.

Certainly, knowledge can tell us if we are becoming hypothermic, and experience can tell us how far we can go into it safely. As I posted earlier, I've got no doubt whatsoever that I could set up my tent with some numbness in my hands (done it in fact). But, add heavy winds and I probably wouldn't let myself get that far because I might have to line out my tent. In any event, it's hard to come up with a scenario where too much caution can get one frozen to death.

[MuddyWaters]

Not being able to use hands doesnt mean you are hypothermic. A core body temp <95F , and losing heat faster than your body can generate it does.

If you have adequate shelter and dry insulation rated for the conditions, you will warm up. Maybe slowly, but you will warm up.

For even severe hypothermia they teach to put victim in a sleeping bag, and they will warm up by themselves. They havent lost the ability to self-heat and rapid heating can cause harm, even death. There was a famous incident where about 6 men were rescued from the N. Atlantic after their boat sank, and everyone was ecstatic they were all alive and seemingly OK. They got them on the rescue ship, and gave them hot tea, and they all dropped dead.

If you are in your warmest gear, and shelter, and still getting colder, then its time to start worrying.

[Just Bill]

FWIW- I'll post this directly so all can read. Feel free to skip it without comment if it's too lengthy. I consider Hypothermia the greatest danger an outdoorsman can face. I'm no expert, but have organized my thoughts on the subject and figured I'd share, this "article" is from a talk I used to give to scout groups, similar to one my Father used to give my troop.
This thread is a worthy topic of discussion, thanks to the OP.
Also- Tipi- Your line about never carrying a SPOT had me laughing out loud.


HYPOTHERMIA-


Unlike hyperthermia, and other heat related illness, hypothermia is not obvious. As you'll read below the symptoms are horrendously dangerous. You generally have to work hard to give yourself a heat related illness, and like the winter traveler you are generally aware of the hazards involved. Hypothermia however requires you to do nothing exceptional, which is why it is so dangerous. I cannot stress enough to you how important it is to learn about it. I am not a wilderness responder, guide, or other outdoor professional, yet I have treated well over a hundred people for hypothermia in my time outdoors. It is, in the opinion of many, the number one killer and danger to the outdoorsman.

Myself and many others agree, hypothermia is most deadly in shoulder season travel. The winter hiker is prepared and expecting cold conditions, but the fall or spring traveler hiking in fifty or even sixty degree temps is not expecting to freeze to death. Fifty five degrees, sunny, and an overall good looking day. So onward goes the hiker for a full day adventure. All goes well until afternoon, when a light rain kicks up, and temps fall a mere ten degrees. Not the end of the world certainly but this scenario is the most common case of fatal hypothermia. Oftentimes the hypothermia is not the cause of death, but the instigator, leading to irrational behavior and choices that lead to some other catastrophe.

Once on a canoe trip on the Fox River in Central Illinois our Explorer's group was out on a float trip. The river in that area is a popular place, and was crowded as usual. It was a beautiful, seventy some odd degree sunny day with not a cloud insight. Most of the people out were in swimsuits, cliff jumping, drinking, floating, and having a great time. Despite all the weatherman's best predictions to the contrary, an unexpected summer storm kicked up. Since we were all in rented aluminum boats, we prudently got off the water. As the thunder and lightning started and a light rain fell, temps dropped into the 50's. We got a small fire started and called to the other paddlers out there, who were too drunk or stupid to get off the water.

Within a half hour we had over forty people on shore with us. A few girls in our group were already mildy hypothermic, so we kindled a few bigger fires and got them warmed up. As people began to drift in, we began to treat other cases. A second fire was built, a third, and a fourth. We rushed around to asses and treat people as the shoreline turned into an impromptu hospital or party depending on which group you were in. In short order, well over fifty people, half of them hypothermic, at least a dozen dangerously so, were on the shore.

Some highlights;
I distinctly remember three different guys, suffering moderate to severe hypothermia. Since they were drinking, their symptoms were not overly obvious, but drunken behavior is a sure sign. The most dangerous sign, failure to act, was apparent in each. As they stood shivering violently, under a tree or off to the side, I told them to move to one of the fires and warm up. A dull glassy look, and promises to do as told followed. "Sure man, good idea. Why didn't I think of that, I'm freezing." As I came around again, each of them remained in their original position. When hypothermic, your mind may understand what needs to be done, but you simply fail to act. One of these gentleman had a jacket on, but routinely failed to zip it up. When it was zipped for him, he would unconsciously unzip it again. Each person had to be physically moved to a warmer position, a healthy person had to be stationed on this person to prevent them from wandering away, which two of them attempted to do frequently.

A very pretty girl was there, celebrating her eighteenth birthday. She was with her family, they were all pretty drunk, but enjoying themselves. Everyone on shore was enjoying the girl and her skimpy swimsuit. Within a few minutes she was in pretty bad shape. After we warmed up one of the gals in our group, we recruited her to warm the girl up skin to skin and gave her one of our fleece jackets we had to help her warm up. She recovered well enough to be left alone in about a half an hour. But our troubles with her were not over at all.

Since the party was in full swing, and she was celebrating, she ended up smoking up with some scraggly looking dudes in their forties who were out there for the day. Nobody knows what happened exactly, but she was drunk enough and high enough to wander away with one of the guys and fool around a bit. Pretty harmless really, and while I wouldn't have agreed with the fella that she was coherant enough to make a choice, she did participate willingly enough. Unfortunately her Dad and Uncle didn't see it that way.

Watching drunk, hypothermic people fight is funny, don't get me wrong. But it was also dangerous considering the precarious state of our field hospital. While it was broken up fairly quickly, partly by the daughter and mostly by my friend Matt, it created a bit of situation. Irrationality is the next dangerous condition, people just do very weird things. Obviously things were aggravated by the booze, but our cozy little encampment suddenly became quite violent, as a small but vocal group led by the now moderately hypothermic Uncle began to organize a lynch mob for the Rapist. There was no rape, no one was even sure there was a kiss, and Uncle was shivering so violently that he couldn't tie his shoes let alone a noose, but the emotions were very real, and completely rational for these men. A few drunks egged them on, but it was simple irrational behavior brought on by hypothermia that was the real fuel for the fire. Somehow they managed to get a few painters (rope) from the boats and were getting pretty serious.

So we took the "rapist", and his terrified buddy who apparently just worked with the guy and didn't really know him, and sent him downstream with a responsible folks to diffuse the mob. We cajoled, separated, and spread out the worst of the offenders, and talked Dad and Uncle into sitting at a separate fire with the forgotten swimsuit model. She had been drinking steadily and on the verge of blacking out, so we mentioned that they may want to spend a bit of time with their underage daughter and ensure that she didn't die of alcohol poisoning.

Eventually the storm subsided, and a few of the rental companies sent some boats up river to help tow people in. Apparently someone had called the police about the rape, so the rental folks were alerted to our camp. We were on shore for roughly three hours, max. By then the temps were back in the sixties. If we weren't there, who knows. I'm not saying all of those people would have died, but it's still scary. It also locked in for me how quickly all the different factors can set in, and all the scary forms that hypothermia can take on. After reaching the rental place the rapist was taken into police custody. After a few hours, Uncle, Dad and daughter had sobered up enough to straighten things out. Handshakes were exchanged and no charges filed. Everyone actually turned out to be pretty nice folks, who aren't really sure what happened to them that day.

It's pretty simple really, the longer you are out, the harder it is to stay warm. Add in the physical activity and energy expenditure of hiking and your body can be pushed to it's limit. Hypothermia, most simply stated, is what happens to your body when it runs out of gas. The heat shuts off, the body shuts down, and you close up shop.

Put a hot cup of coffee on your porch on a cool day. It won't take long for it to cool off, within a hour or so it will probably match the ambient air temperature. Your body isn't much different, if standing around, you're simply a hot cup of water at roughly 98 degrees. Your body is mostly water, and water is horrendously bad at holding heat. Your muscles and metabolism can only do so much for you, and if you exhaust them via physical activity, they are even less able to cope. Mild hypothermia begins when your body temperature dips below 95 degrees. Not much. You could easily reach a state of mild hypothermia in sixty degree weather. A few minutes at sixty degrees and your cup of coffee will easily drop off a few degrees. A light shivering is your only non-medical warning. There are other reactions in your body, but for the hiker afield, shivering is your first clue. You should correct the issue immediately.

Moderate hypothermia starts to kick in when your body temperature approaches ninety degrees. Violent, uncontrollable shivering is the most common sign. You may also find your skin becoming pale. A more difficult condition to self assess is poor coordination or mental issues. If you find yourself struggling with your map or other simple mental tasks, un-able to do simple math problems or remember words to a song then you are in danger. Although it is hard to self diagnose, it is certainly possible.

Obviously travelling in a group is your safest option, and each group member should be aware of hypothermia diagnostics and treatment. Frequent conversation, and observation of each others behavior is the best preventive medicine. Playing a mildly taxing word game, sing along, or other such tricks is a good way to keep tabs on the situation if you find yourself in danger. Ray Jardine shared a tip that is also useful; periodically touch each finger to your thumb. This simple exercise repeated every so often with each hand is a good indicator. Fail this test and the alarm bell should ring.

At this point, a hot drink, changing clothes, or some time in a sleeping bag is enough to save your life. You may simply need a break, let your body focus on warming itself, rather than on walking. Be extra cautious though to ensure that your slowdown or stop will not cool you excessively. If in a group, this stop is a good time to send everyone beating the bush for a little firewood while you prepare a fire or light a stove to assist your companion. Don't let the affected member of your party come to a full rest until you are prepared to do something about it. Get a sleeping pad down, pull out a sleeping bag and have hot food ready before you sit them down. If it's windy, a tarp or other wind block may be needed. Although it may be counter intuitive, if a dry base layer is not available, you should still switch out the base layer with dry clothing of any sort. But if the base layer is not wet or damp, then leave it on and don't expose your companion's bare skin to the open air if it's not needed.

This simple break may be enough to let your body catch up and recover. You may be surprised how quickly you can recover, but regardless remain cautious. If mental clarity, healthy skin, and body temperature rise then resuming the hike is not a bad idea. Keep the overall pace slow, but steady. Keep an eye on each other, oddly enough, keep an extra eye on the group leader or other experienced member who treated the affected member. Often a spike in adrenaline, concern for another, and the stress of taking care of someone else may tax this person and wear them out. While the situation is active, the body is running on high gear. When the victim is treated and the situation calms down the high wears off and a bit of a crash happens that stresses the body. I have personally felt this happen many times, and although I am pretty hyper aware of the issue- it is a real danger and not uncommon. If family members are involved, the same condition may occur with any member of that family, so if one person is affected treat everyone. So if you have stopped, make sure everyone gets warmed up, and chill out for a bit once you're out of the clear to make sure you really are safe.

Severe hypothermia-
One of the more disturbing and tricky parts of hypothermia is that recovery and regression both exhibit the same sign. You stop shivering. As your core temperature drops below 90 degrees, your body abandons it's attempts to warm the extremities and instead tries to conserve heat in the core. Heart rate, breathing, and blood pressure all decrease, so if you are treating someone these signs will tell you if your efforts are moving in a positive or negative direction. Skin may turn blue or puffy and movement is difficult if not impossible. At this point you are well past getting the victim up and having them stomp around. Set up shelter, strip down and climb into any insulation you can find.

Sleeping bag, forest debris, or even a snow cave will help. Skin to skin contact, warm fluids and hot water bottles are your best bet. This is where having a Nalgene bottle can be critical. Putting warm (not hot) water bottles between the legs just under the crotch, and in the armpits is helpful. Heating some water and filling your bladders will also help create warmth. Ideally you can have one group member heating and changing these warm water aids while another group member lies with the victim. If this is not an option, choose to maintain the skin to skin contact if you cannot perform both duties. In extreme cases, rewarming may cause cardiac arrest, and CPR may be needed during the rewarming process.

In addition, this is no time for modesty or concern about who is with whom in a sleeping bag. While the victims girlfriend may want to jump in, and everyone may prefer that option, she may not be the best candidate. Choose the warmest, healthiest person; regardless of sex, relationship or other factors. If you have a large enough group, then let two people do the job, the preferred person and the healthy person. If you are the group leader, this is also a good way to keep a secondary victim safe as their concern for the primary victim may put them in danger.

If you are the secondary person, not actively treating the victim, it is your responsibility to watch out for the primary care person, and ensure that they drink warm fluids and take food as the victim is quite literally stealing their warmth. If the option is available, taking turns can reduce the stresses of this process. Care should also be taken by the rest of the group not to let the stress and immediacy of the victims condition cause them to forget to take care of themselves. Secondary victims are quite common as everyone stands around draining their energy with concern. Find things for people to do, to keep them occupied and active.

Mental issues-
Sometime in the moderate to severe process, decrease in mental function often occurs. These issues are the truly terrifying aspects of hypothermia. Incoherence, drunken behavior (slurred speech, clumsiness, lack of complete thoughts) irrationality, and amnesia are common. Physical inability is often evident; inability to zipper jackets or perform other simple tasks is common (Like Ray's finger tap test). Violent, combative, and aggressive response to people offering them aid does occasionally happen. Paradoxical undressing is the medical term used to describe a common condition where the victim begins to remove or even rip off clothing. Terminal burrowing can also occur; leading the victim to attempt to hide, roll up in a ball, or burrow in the snow- also known as "hide and die" syndrome.

Most often though, a sluggish resignation is the result. As stated in the story above, the victim knows or acknowledges the actions needed, but simply fails to act. I can tell you from personal experience that you are quite aware of what is going on, you just can't seem to put together the pieces to make anything happen. You know you should warm up, change clothes, start a fire, or crawl in your bag. You know what is happening quite clearly. But a few minutes later you simply find your situation unchanged. You're not sure why, you're confused, and you once again set out to make something happen. But nothing ever does. Eventually you sit down, maybe quite rationally you do so to sort things out and come up with a plan. At this point you never stand up again.

Alcohol-
Despite Uncle Horace's advice, "A nip or two from the old hipparoo." Will only aggravate things, in mild cases a little fire in the belly (half a shot) might revive a companion, but more likely you will only worsen their condition.

Solo-
Extreme caution should be used by the solo traveler, and I do not recommend ever that a novice travel solo in shoulder season or colder conditions. While it may sound arrogant of me to say so, you can learn to cope with and combat hypothermia solo. I must emphasize that I have had decades of experience diagnosing, facing, and treating hypothermia. I am hyper aware of it's effects and how my body reacts. I also have many seasons of wintertime outdoor work as a carpenter and laborer that have helped me prepare, diagnose, and asses my condition when facing hypothermia. Your margin of error is so razor thin though that I do not endorse seeking or attempting to gain this knowledge.

In general, playing mental games, checking your physical capabilities and running constant self diagnosis is your best bet. These skills can be learned readily in a group setting and don't require you to leave the safety of a group. I also know how my body responds, so when I find myself tripping or stumbling more than usual, mental alarm bells go off. If I find it difficult to ascertain my exact position on a map, then I know I am in trouble. I don't shiver much, so that is actually a bad gauge for me to use, but on the flipside, if I get the slightest tremble I take action. I fire up the stove, heat some fluids, and stomp around while I wait for a hot drink. Twice before I built a snowman to keep my mind and body busy while the water boiled.

Learning to recognize and self asses mild to moderate hypothermia is a critical survival skill if you are planning solo travel. Practice in a group, practice at home. Learn your mind, your body, and your bailouts. You must be able to set up shelter, boil water, and cook dinner in an incomplete state of mind and body. These tasks must be instinctual if you ever plan to push your limits solo. But again, I can't stress it enough- there is little reason to do so. Because of all the severe mental limitations brought on by hypothermia it is one situation that you can seldom control, but you could easily prevent.

The cure-
Other than the treatments above, there is only one other cure to save yourself. Pure, blind, focused, intense rage. Not miffed, not pissed, not angry. White hot murderous rage. I read about it in one of Tom Brown's books, where he described a fall into water in cold weather. I once encountered a moderate to severe case of hypothermia and was about to complete my final hike. Quietly puzzled I considered my situation as I slipped away.

I was musing on other issues for quite some time and stumbled upon the memory of Tom's story. "F*** Tom, F*** this snow, and F*** this tree." I punched the tree as hard as I could. I broke a knuckle. I got angrier. I ripped branches from trees, picked up a log and tossed it, wrenching my back and making me more furious. I found things to get mad at and focused my anger into rage. Then I ran. As hard and fast as I could until I finally collapsed in the snow. I got myself together, set up shelter, started a fire, made food, tea, and slept for twelve hours. The next day, I reviewed my map, and went back over my tracks- I was out of it for at least four hours, possibly longer, nearly forever. Thanks Tom.

It might sound cool, tough, or macho. It's not. It's stupid, foolish, and lucky. Do not put yourself in this situation. Your mind is gone, your body all but useless. The only cure for hypothermia is prevention, or rescue from a companion. There are not many things to be afraid of in the woods, as experience grows the list becomes shorter. Hypothermia is one fear however that should only grow as you gain experience, in my opinion, it is the most terrifying danger the traveler faces.

But if you find yourself in a fatal situation, past all feeble hope of logic or woodcraft, there is no other tool but rage that exists to save you, and that tool is unreliable at best. It's good to know that deep down, at that moment, I had a will to live strong enough to snap me out of it, but it's much better to never have to find out. It's possible to win a game of Russian Roulette, but what's the point. One round was enough for me.

[canoe]

So Bill you are in your rage kick starting the flow of andrenalin. Thus giving your body forced energy for a brief period of time. Important time to set up cook warm then sleep

[Just Bill]

So Bill you are in your rage kick starting the flow of andrenalin. Thus giving your body forced energy for a brief period of time. Important time to set up cook warm then sleep
Sorry to be dense- question or comment? or both.
If I get the gist- Yar, the adrenaline surge seems to be the key. Several stories in mountaineering books (if you're one who doesn't much count Tom Brown or myself as a reliable source) support the rage being the preferred method of obtaining it as we are little likely to carry a syringe full. Granted this is a totally non-medical opinion. Whatever the chemical process, if there is one, practically speaking; the rage rekindles the burning desire to live that has been robbed from the victim.

In my case, the rage got me off my ass, the run got me functional, experience and training took over from there to massage out a happy ending.

[Miner]

I hiked the same year as her (2009) and she was a subject of much conversation. There were some other mistakes she made that year, but as they no longer seem to be in her journal as I remember them, I guess I shouldn't mention them. However, if you read her whole journal, I think you can see that this wasn't an isolated gap in her decision making process where fear plays a part. There were a couple of people on the trail that year that just made you wonder if they really belonged out there. Another example was Skywalker who wrote a funny book about his thru-hike. There are some people who manage to successfully finish despite making you wonder how they survived. Fortunately, for the most part, the PCT is very forgiving of mistakes.

Like Malto and a few others, I don't think the tarp was the issue. Her main problem was her lack of experience with her gear and experience in wilderness travel. In other places of her journal she talks about how she is a dry fair weather person. She just didn't seem to have the experience to be out in the conditions she choose to hike into. She would have been well served by trying out her gear in bad weather before she started the trail. And given the unstable air that hung over the Sierra for the 1st half of June that year that caused many hikers to exit the Sierra until it passed in mid June, I think she should have had another layer of clothing. She talked about sleeping cold back at Kennedy Meadows. She actually had tried to mail her merino wool thermals ahead there before changing her mind after talking to other hikers. I also don't think her choice of sandals was good as she would have been warmer with real shoes instead of using sandwich bags over her feet in her sandals. She just seemed a bit clueless about what she was hiking into. And given her lack of experience overall and the bad forecast for the next 2 weeks, she should not have been hiking alone. A lot of hikers choose to wait the weather out or try to flip further north (which didn't work so well for the group that became known as the ill-fated Donner Party who tried to flip up to Donner Pass).

Before I hiked, I took my gear up to a trail to a 10,000ft exposed ridge in mid November to see if my gear (including my solo sized tarp) would hold up in the temperatures. I had a low of about 20F but with 30-50mph wind gusts adding some wind chill while getting a couple inches of snow. I had extra gear with me, just in case as this was a gear test, but never needed it. So I felt pretty good about my gear choices for the PCT and it worked well even in the couple days of snow I had by the Canadian Border. This year at the ADZPCTKO gathering , as many thru-hikers were just starting their hikes, a storm came in by the Mexican border. A lot of hikers were setting up their shelters for the first time ever! Needless to say, many got wet since many UL shelters need some practice to get the setup right. They were fortunate that we were in a campground next to a town so they could dry their stuff out. Tent Stakes and rain gear was the most popular items cold by the gear vendors that weekend. That stuff should have been figured out before hand.

[Wise Old Owl]

Just Bill - as I have lived in Palatine - Rolling Meadows for four years - the name "windy city" never did it justice - I hiked home some five miles after a failed pick up in negative temps... and windchills - I can relate.


Thanks for the post.

[Wolf - 23000]

Though I would not do it for various reasons, a fair amount of experienced people do rather well with a 5x8 tarp and bivy. They also tend to have their system dialed in.

Unlike the journalist in question.

Cheers!

Mags,

I would have to disagree with you on a "experienced people do rather well with a 5x8 tarp and bivy". Someone can hike a lot of miles but it doesn't make them experience - there are some hikers their partner had the experience they were more there for the ride. The different between a 5x8 and a 8x10 tarp is only couple of ounces (less than most bivy sacks). It doesn't make sense not to have the extra protection for shelter.

The journalist portion can also get others in trouble too. There are many websites on UL backpacking, a few maybe good but many are of hikers going UL for only a very short distance. When they know the weather is going to be good they can get their pack down to a very low weight. If you talk to many of the "experience" hikers about basic backpacking they seem clueless but they promote themselves as an expert.

Wolf

[ChuckT]

Read the account (postholer journal) seems to me there a lot of post-production editing there.
What did she do wrong? FHIW & IMPO she fell for the mystic and "romance" of the long distance hike (aka "journey of personal discovery").
I cringe every time I read one of those accounts. They only serve to attract more noobs.
Well we were all there once. For me it was 1964 and I survived the vicarious experience AND the later reality. Thing is there's probably no way to really describe a nearly tragic situation. If you live to tell about it everybody monday-morning quarterbacks. If you don't come back we don't talk about it. Such is life.

Sent from my Samsung Note 3 using Tapatalk.

[Wise Old Owl]

She ran out to buy all the "right gear" and still run into trouble. - she didn't use her head. It still was fun to pick it apart.



Sent from a Western Union Telegraph station somewhere in PA.

[RockDoc]

As a veteran of numerous epics like this all I can say is that deaths generally result from a chain of bad luck and poor decisions, not just a single incident.
Taking a wrong turn in bad weather with inadequate clothing, caught after dark short on food and water, fell because of bad footwear, dead batteries in flashlight… You get the picture. A fairly long chain of events, and more of them go wrong than right.

[canoe]

Sorry to be dense- question or comment? or both.
If I get the gist- Yar, the adrenaline surge seems to be the key. Several stories in mountaineering books (if you're one who doesn't much count Tom Brown or myself as a reliable source) support the rage being the preferred method of obtaining it as we are little likely to carry a syringe full. Granted this is a totally non-medical opinion. Whatever the chemical process, if there is one, practically speaking; the rage rekindles the burning desire to live that has been robbed from the victim.

In my case, the rage got me off my ass, the run got me functional, experience and training took over from there to massage out a happy ending.

Just trying to get a handle on what rage does to one physilogically. Not disputing

[Blue Mountain Edward]

A tent would have been warmer and faster to set up than a tarp. A bivy is a roomy bodybag.

[Mags]

re: 5x8 tarp

Wolf, let's just say you, I, and others have a difference of opinion on this :) I can think of a few people off-hand who used the bivy/small tarp combo rather well. I am not one of them mind you for reasons similar to what you said.... :) However, that is just our opinion/what works for us. If that system works for them, who am I to tell them they are doing it "wrong"?

re: "Experts"
Ah! Now that we agree on!

http://www.pmags.com/thru-hikers-specialized-outdoors-knowledge

One recent pct thru-hiker took umbrage at this article I wrote. But being young and finishing a first thru-hike, understandable. So it goes :)