DO'S AND DON'TS for Frostbite
DO
1. Wear adequate clothing. Protect the hands, feet, and face. Cotton socks with wool or synthetic socks over them offer the best protection. Boots should be high enough to protect the ankles. waterproof or water repellant boots are preferred. Felt inserts help keep the feet dry. The vapor barrier boot provides the most protection. Mittens are much better than gloves. Nylon mittens and gloves do poorly; wool is much better. Stocking caps and/or a parka with a fur-lined hood protect the ears and face. Thick ointments such as petrolatum (Vaseline R) or lanolin will protect the face from milder degrees of cold.
2. Remember the importance of moisture. Wet clothes increase the body's heat loss tenfold.
3. Stop, make a fire, and seek shelter if you get wet.
4. Make camp or seek shelter on slopes or ridges. Hollows and valleys are colder because cold air sinks.
5. Remember that the temperature may be warmer below the snow than above it. Snow holds a lot of still air-an excellent insulator. Snow breaks the wind and eliminates wind-chill factor. Many people have survived getting lost in blizzards by making snow shelters.
DON'T
1. Wear adequate clothing. Protect the hands, feet, and face. Cotton socks with wool or synthetic socks over them offer the best protection. Boots should be high enough to protect the ankles. waterproof or water repellant boots are preferred. Felt inserts help keep the feet dry. The vapor barrier boot provides the most protection. Mittens are much better than gloves. Nylon mittens and gloves do poorly; wool is much better. Stocking caps and/or a parka with a fur-lined hood protect the ears and face. Thick ointments such as petrolatum (Vaseline R) or lanolin will protect the face from milder degrees of cold.
2. Remember the importance of moisture. Wet clothes increase the body's heat loss tenfold.
3. Stop, make a fire, and seek shelter if you get wet.
4. Make camp or seek shelter on slopes or ridges. Hollows and valleys are colder because cold air sinks.
5. Remember that the temperature may be warmer below the snow than above it. Snow holds a lot of still air-an excellent insulator. Snow breaks the wind and eliminates wind-chill factor. Many people have survived getting lost in blizzards by making snow shelters.
DON'T
1. Wear tight-fitting garments or boots. They decrease circulation to the cold extremities.
2. Drive on trips in cold weather without carrying adequate clothing in your car. If your engine fails, you will suffer.
3. Touch metal or gasoline with your bare hands. Touching metal may mean instant frostbite, as gasoline cools the skin very rapidly by evaporation.
4. Take mittens or gloves off to make repairs on your car or to work on anything else. You may never get your fingers warm again.
5. Remain immobile if your car breaks down. Keep your arms and legs moving to generate body heat and stimulate circulation. Don't leave your car, though, unless you are certain you can reach safety and don't walk through the snow in low-cut shoes.
6. Take any alcoholic beverages. Alcohol dilates the blood vessels of the skin and causes increased heat loss. It does not act as "antifreeze" in your bloodstream. If your body temperature is low enough so that you need alcohol to keep your blood from freezing, you have been dead from hypothermia for awhile. Alcohol also affects judgment adversely.
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