Hypothermia seems to be more of a risk at 30-50º than at 0-30º; I suspect we are more prepared for it in 'Winter" and its drier.

Heres my system for cool weather; fleece jacket (or shell) or both, then hat, then gloves. Add long johns in cooler weather under non-cotton pants.

I guess I'm a bit out of touch. What makes hypothermia more of a risk of 30-50º?

Thanks,

R

I get what you're saying Teacher. It's deceptive.

I'm a fan of preparing for all seasons at once at this time of year. layering is crucial!

Now that we're getting daily temperatures in the mid-teens to low-twenties (degrees C) and creeping higher, a lot of people have switched to shorts, t-shirts and sandles. We must have seen a dozen people dressed for summer on our weekend hike. (Only one other person and I had packs and our family were the only ones with jackets.) My son wanted to be one of them. By the time we reached the shores of Lake Ontario, he was thankful he was wearing long pants and brought his hoodie and jacket along. (Mom's wool blanket sure came in handy on the cool, damp sand too!)

We weren't far from civilization, but things happen. When the sun is low and set, it can get pretty chilly, and rain and/or wind can make it downright cold. "Cold + wet = sick" is our mantra.

If something went wrong, with either the summer-dressed hikers, or us if we weren't careful, it could have brought on hypothermia. Waiting for help can take a while. We had to consider our exhertion levels so we didn't build up too much of a sweat along the way.

People go out without adequate clothing far more than they do in lower temps. Add getting wet and some wind, and you have serious hypothermia potential.

Because you get wet in those temperatures. If it's colder you stay dry. It is much easier to keep fight heat loss when your clothes are dry.

The increased heat loss in lower temperatures can (in principle) be negated with just adding another layer or two. Which is a whole lot of easier than fighting the effects of being wet.

Oo yeah, getting wet is a good point. That point where snow doesn't melt when it hits your jacket is convenient.

I spent one memorable night in a gathering storm where the temperature hovered right around freezing. They humidity was right at 100% and we received alternating rain and snow all night long. Wetness was everywhere, despite a good bivy sack and a Goretex jacket. It was survivable, but it was not a whole lot of fun. Fortunately we were sheltered from the wind, which is a huge factor in hypothermia. Otherwise there could have been another ending to the tale.