hypothermia, anyone?

[SPARKYICE]

when i was 18 or so, i sat for a couple of hours on a deer stand on a winndy,single digit day.
i shivered for a while, then that stopped.
i decided to go back to the truck for a break. on the way there, i became very lethargic and sleepy. i didn't feel cold. i felt as though i could lay right down and go to sleep, right in the snow drifts.
when i got to the truck, i was unable to open the door with the keys, my hands didn't work.
i managed to open the truck cap and found a thermos of coffee, i opened the thermos with my arms, like a seal would- i just couldn't work my hands.
i got some coffee in me, wrapped up in a blanket, and by and by my dad came along and started the truck.
after i warmed up in a couple of hours, i was fine.

this happen to any of you?

[53andout]

I was fishing last week, in front of my house, (100 yards from my door) having a great time. The sun was shining, but it was still cold. After catching maybe 50 bluegills (and keeping 18) I decided it was time to go up to the house, when I got up and started moving around, I realized I was cold, REALLY COLD. I don't think I got cold enough to have hypothermia, but still cold. This really kicked my butt. I've spent the rest of the week trying to get 100% again. It could have been worse. Don't ever think that getting cold is no big deal, It can be. I did decide to buy a Arctic Armor suit and some poly underwear.
A couple mistakes I made were:
1, I didn't dress properly.
2, I didn't eat properly before I went out. I went out on an empty stomach.

[howesfc]

It doesn't have to be winter to get it either I've seen troops get it at Ft. Drum NY in August on rainy nights while on patrol.

[bart]

when i was 18 or so, i sat for a couple of hours on a deer stand on a winndy,single digit day.
i shivered for a while, then that stopped.
i decided to go back to the truck for a break. on the way there, i became very lethargic and sleepy. i didn't feel cold. i felt as though i could lay right down and go to sleep, right in the snow drifts.
when i got to the truck, i was unable to open the door with the keys, my hands didn't work.
i managed to open the truck cap and found a thermos of coffee, i opened the thermos with my arms, like a seal would- i just couldn't work my hands.
i got some coffee in me, wrapped up in a blanket, and by and by my dad came along and started the truck.
after i warmed up in a couple of hours, i was fine.

this happen to any of you?

Sounds real similar to my experience, about the same age, shivering violently, almost unable to get to my feet. Staggered back to the truck like a drunk sailor.  Had a little trouble unlocking the truck even after a decent walk back. I had some hot cocoa and a peanut butter sandwich, a favorite, back at the truck. I very sobering lesson!

[woodfolks]

While canoing one summer in it rained during the day
I was soaked and guiding some boy scouts
I started to shiver then stop-ed and things were getting harder to do

I realized I was hypothermic so I pulled the trip over set up tents
and climbed in to a sleeping bag. I had everyone else do the same
In 30 min I was back to full bore. We stayed camped for the rest of the
day.

[rgfixit]

I was stream fishing on a crisp, late summer morning last year. The water was still fairly warm and I was wearing only wading pants and shoes. The weather forecast was for 75 degree temps later in the morning so I went in short sleeves as well.

I waded and fished the stream from 6am - about 9 and started noticing my hands were getting a bit numb. The sun hadn't cleared the trees so didn't get any benefit from that. I guess another half hour or so went by and I started having tremors down my neck. I couldn't tie a fly on the line.

I still had the sense to get out of the water, but I was a good 2  miles from the truck. I started a small fire on a rocky point and took about an hour to get warmed up. BY then the sun had gone above the trees and all was well.

Another experience was far more frightening. I was ice climbing (yes....ice climbing) with my partner on a 100' water fall near Penn Yan, NY. We used this as a practice climb for larger objectives. Tom had lead the climb and was on top belaying me. He wasn't hauling up rope and I couldn't understand his slurred speech on the 2-way (we used hands free radios to communicate). By the time I got to the top of the climb, Tom had started to wander off into the woods and was largely incoherent. He had taken his outer layers off after leading because he was sweating from the exertion.

My ascent was basically unprotected for the top 2/3 of the climb. He was in full blown hypothermia. I got him bundled up in all the layers he had plus my down jacket. He had hot soup in a thermos, but never opened it. I helped him get that into his system and he slowly started to come back from the brink. Tom was a pre-med student and still did not recognize the situation as it was happening.

BE PREPARED!
RG

[jopes]

Of all the years of cold weather sports I have done, I do not think this has ever happened to me.  Could be my body just really cranks out the heat cause I am rarely cold.  I can sit in shorts and a tshirt, wife has the thermistat cranking and is covered by blankets.

But I have always dressed well for going out in the colder stuff.  I have been shivering before in the tree stand, but if the sun didn't warm me up I would walk around a bit to create some heat of my own.  Kinda worthless trying to take a shot and not being able to hold still from shivering. 

out on the ice, I just have walked around a bit.  Drilled a new hole.  Anything to get the blood moving around to warm up.

[greenbackhunter]

yep, that's the early stages of hypothermia. The body shivering is it's way of trying to generate heat to warm the internal organs. The extremities are the first to shut down, hands and feet. The body starts to pull all the blood to the internal organs. When you stop shivering, that's a very bad sign. The body isn't able to generate heat anymore... You were lucky and smart to head back to your truck. God forbit your brain started to shut down on the walk back and you passed out...