Folks, be careful outside when the temps are near, or below freezing.
I'm constantly amazed at the people out in the cold who are wearing cotton. Among the hiking/backpacking community you hear the mantra: COTTON KILLS.
Here is a story about three guys who went out into the woods in North Carolina and almost died ==> Special N.C. rescue team to extract hikers with chopper from national park » Knoxville News Sentinel
The story clearly says they were wearing cotton. Probably blue jeans, cotton pullover shirts, etc. These guys almost died. They got lucky and a rescue team saved them. But they couldn't walk when found.
Wear WOOL or wear some of the high priced/high tech materials to keep you warm and dry in the winter when the weather is extreme. Wear layers so you can strip them off or layer up, depending on your activity level and outdoor conditions. Cotton, when wet, can actually freeze to your skin, it offers ZERO insulation value when it absorbs sweat from the inside or rain/snow/ice from the outside.
I'm constantly amazed at the people out in the cold who are wearing cotton. Among the hiking/backpacking community you hear the mantra: COTTON KILLS.
Here is a story about three guys who went out into the woods in North Carolina and almost died ==> Special N.C. rescue team to extract hikers with chopper from national park » Knoxville News Sentinel
...A specialized team from North Carolina will use a helicopter to extract three distressed hikers from the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
“Responding rangers are stabilizing the men in the field with dry clothing, sleeping bags and shelter,” said Kent Cave, supervisory ranger with the National Park.
Cave said the men “are being treated for hypothermia and possible frostbite,” He described the hikers as “very weak” and unable to walk.
Cave identified the men as Shawn Hood, Steven White and Jonathan Dobbins, all from Gaffney, S.C. He said the men range in age from 21 to 32.
Cave said authorities are developing plans to use a Helicopter and Aquatic Rescue Team of North Carolina National Guard and State Highway Patrol members trained in difficult rescues to remove the trio. The rescue from the Molly’s Ridge area of the Appalachian Trail is planned for Friday afternoon.
Cave said the hikers were found “some five miles from the nearest trailhead” in rugged terrain.
The men used cell phones Thursday night to request help after they realized they were unprepared for the harsh conditions that hit the region.
Rangers embarked at 3:30 a.m. Friday for the area about five miles from Fontana Dam where the spotty cell phone service indicated the hikers had stopped. They had not made it to the shelter on Molly’s Ridge.
Park rangers on Friday morning found the endangered hikers about 8 a.m.
Cave said the trio of men were conscious but cold when rangers found them on the North Carolina side of the park.
Cave said the rangers left with fresh, weather-appropriate clothing for the hikers, who had embarked on a 10-day hike wearing cotton attire, which is not suited for wet, cold conditions...
The story clearly says they were wearing cotton. Probably blue jeans, cotton pullover shirts, etc. These guys almost died. They got lucky and a rescue team saved them. But they couldn't walk when found.
Wear WOOL or wear some of the high priced/high tech materials to keep you warm and dry in the winter when the weather is extreme. Wear layers so you can strip them off or layer up, depending on your activity level and outdoor conditions. Cotton, when wet, can actually freeze to your skin, it offers ZERO insulation value when it absorbs sweat from the inside or rain/snow/ice from the outside.