I apologize in advance for a long and slightly off-topic post.


The first part of this statement possibly has some validity but the way to deal with early recognition of hypothermia is to assume that any presentation of hypothermia-like symptoms is hypothermia. Treating someone for mild hypothermia will not hurt them at all and could prevent the progression to moderate or profound hypothermia. Symptoms of hypothermia are not unknown and have been well presented in prior posts.

To address the second part of this statement, consider some examples.

The first examples are cold water immersion or a crevasse fall. If only one person in a group gets wet or falls in a crevasse why would anyone else be cold?

Another example is a cold/cool weather environment conducive to hypothermia. If a group member exercises poor self management by failing to eat, drink, stay dry and dress properly and becomes symptomatic of hypothermia why would others in the group who took care of themselves be cold?

Saying that, if one then all, is a dangerous mindset, particularly for a group leader, since judging anyone else's condition by your own does not work. What if you are not at all cold and symptomatic of hypothermia and then say that no one else could be either and ignore someone who is symptomatic?

I think it is good to say, however; that if one person in a group is symptomatic of hypothermia then conditions exist that can lead to hypothermia in others and people should be careful to exercise good self management.

My experience with cold injuries/illness comes primarily from more than a dozen years as a full-time mountaineering/climbing guide in Alaska and the the Pacific Northwest during which time I treated people in the field with mild to severe hypothermia. As a side note, I too was taught by my physician advisors not to perform chest compressions on a "cold" patient.