View Full Version : Getting the chills
Ive often wondered, why when I start my hiking trips. For the first few nights. I start to shiver alot and its only 70 degrees out. By that I mean. When I make camp,and I stop moving. Not during the night. I put on all my clothes and my jacket and hat and gloves, and Im still shivering. any body run across this?
The Scribe
12-27-2004, 22:47
This Labor Day weekend.
Attroll and I stopped for the night and it wasn't hot out by any means (ended up in the low 40's, maybe high 30's by the next morning), we were all sitting around after dinner and I started shivering uncontrollably.
pcm
Lone Wolf
12-27-2004, 22:57
Probably dehydration.
heats the heck out off me,i never shiver or get chilled,i hate hot weather:sun neo
Blue Jay
12-28-2004, 08:32
Probably dehydration.
That's #1. Not eating enough might be #2.
orangebug
12-28-2004, 10:11
Had you gotten out of your wet day/hiking clothes, including skivies? I notice that you didn't mention a relationship with whether you had eaten. My suspicions are 1) hypothermia, 2) dehydration (which can be the same as #1), 3) low blood sugar.
Spirit Walker
12-28-2004, 11:22
I'm similar, though usually at somewhat lower temps. My body when I'm hiking generates a lot of heat. As soon as I stop moving, my body temperature drops like a rock. I have to get changed as soon as I stop hiking, and if it's at all cool I have to put on a jacket when I stop for breaks. I have had many a summer hike where I jumped into my sleeping bag and kept shivering for half an hour or more. Food helps stop the shivering better than anything else, so OB may be right that it is related to low blood sugar. Even on day hikes I have learned to bring spare clothes to change into as soon as we stop hiking.
Kerosene
12-28-2004, 12:35
I haven't experienced the shivering, but my body definitely acclimates to cooler temperatures after about 3 days (I do most of my hiking in the Fall). Around home, I'm wearing layers when it gets below 55, while after a few days of hiking I'm comfy in shorts and a CoolMax T down to about 40 if there's little wind. Once I reach camp I change into dry clothes and optionally layer on my microfleece, long johns and perhaps Frogg Toggs, which keep me warm below freezing (with a hat and gloves of course). Below that and I get into my bag for the night.
SGT Rock
12-28-2004, 12:41
Yes, there is definitely a break in period. After a couple of weeks in cold weather I got to the point where the 60s felt like a heat wave, and when I got off the trail I could barely stand to be inside for days.
Footslogger
12-28-2004, 13:01
Lone Wolf and Rock hit it on the head. Aside from your own body's thermal tolerance, the leading cause of core temperature loss is a lack of "fuel" (either water or food). When the body's thermostat senses a drop in core temperature it makes "adjustments" in terms of metabolism and circulation. The blood vessels dilate and additional calories are burned to generate wamth. When there is a lack of fuel, we experience "chills", which are the body's attempt to generate heat through mechanical activity.
Assuming you are otherwise healthy (which could be a huge assumption on my part), I would consider increasing your fluid and food intake, both during the day and especially once you've finished hiking for the day and are just hanging out around the campsite.
'Slogger
AT 2003
Thanks everyone for all your input. I think that Im in resonable shape?. I do alot of fall hikes, where the days are still warm (75f). I think that I drink alot, but apparently not. I diddent think that food had alot to do with things. Ill try to fuel up and drink plenty of water befor I start out next time. Like I said earlier. I only get cold in the early evenings when I brek for camp. I have to put all my clothes on and some times crawl in my sleeping bag for about an Hour just to get warm. While more seasoned hikers are in shorts. I guess ill just have to do more hiking this year. Thanks again everyone.
It can be really easy to forget to drink lots of water in the cold weather as you won't be sweltering like in summer time. I think I was pretty dehydrated the first week of my AT hike as it was early march and pretty cold. I'd say most people weren't drinking enough. Thats most likely why I was shivering all night at Gooch Gap.
For anyone starting a thru-hike in march or April, its really helpful to make yourself drink often, even if you think you don't need it. I was told by a triple crowner that a good way to keep weight down was to drink water at camp and at sources and carry a lot less water between stops/sources. I thought this to be pretty poor advice, from someone with so much backacking experience. Cut weight anywhere xcept water and food!!