Re: Perils of Winter

Data that are misinterpreted, misread, or taken out of context (or all three) provide misleading conclusions that can be dangerous or fatal (the word "data", by the way, is plural; the singular is "datum"). Statistics without the context, as provided in the tables referred to are just numbers; they mean nothing without understanding how they were gathered, the criteria for editing the tables, and how the criteria were developed. As an example, note that the tables are labeled as relating to "severe weather." The data are accurate, but the "interpretations" are taken out of context. You have to search a lot further to learn the full context for the NWS tables.

Most hypothermia victims and most deaths from hypothermia take place in what are generally considered quite benign conditions (note: "hypothermia" is a drop in body temperature, with "exposure" being an older term still used as a synonym for "hypothermia"). Most non-fatal cases of hypothermia are unreported, since they do not progress to the stage of unconsciousness and the victims consider themselves to be "a little cold" and shivering. Many fatal cases are classified with the death having another "primary contributor".

I would highly recommend ("urge" is a better word) that anyone spending much time in the outdoors take a Wilderness First Aid course at a minimum. Urban First Aid (the standard course taught by the American Red Cross) is not adequate for even a weekend backpack. WFA must be renewed every 2 years to stay current. It is a full weekend course, taught by certified groups such as the Wilderness Medicine Institute (look on the NOLS website for the nearest location and dates). If you are really serious about the outdoors, then the week-long Wilderness First Responder course is the appropriate one. In those courses, you will learn the real information about things like hypothermia, not misinformation from someone who thinks numbers out of context tell what is going on.