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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Skills

Hypothermia Symptoms & Treatment Outdoors: Signs, First Aid, Prevention

Hypothermia does not need snow. Eight degrees, wind and a wet jacket will do.

Quick facts

Typical weather
5–10 °C with wind and rain – not only frost
First signs
Shivering plus the "umbles": stumbles, mumbles, fumbles, grumbles
First action
Stop, shelter, dry layers, insulate from the ground
Emergency
112 (Europe), 999 (UK), 911 (US/Canada) – call early

What you need

  • Dry spare base layer and socks in a waterproof bag
  • Warm hat and gloves
  • Emergency bivvy bag or foil blanket; group shelter for groups
  • Sleeping pad or sit pad
  • Stove, mug and sweet drinks, or a filled vacuum flask
  • High-energy snacks
  • Charged phone, whistle and headlamp

Step by step

  1. Spot the early signs

    1 Spot the early signs

    Shivering, fumbling hands, stumbling, mumbling and a grumpy or very quiet companion are the warning. Take them seriously in any cold, wet or windy weather.

  2. Stop – out of wind and rain

    2 Stop – out of wind and rain

    Do not push on. Get behind a wind break, under a tarp or into a bivvy bag or group shelter straight away.

  3. Dry layers, hat, off the ground

    3 Dry layers, hat, off the ground

    Once sheltered, swap wet clothing for dry, put a hat on and sit or lie on a pad or pack – never on bare ground.

  4. Insulate and wrap up

    4 Insulate and wrap up

    Pad underneath, sleeping bag around, a windproof and waterproof layer outside. Keep the face free.

  5. Warm sweet drink if fully alert

    5 Warm sweet drink if fully alert

    Give warm, sweet drinks and sugary food only to someone who is fully awake and can swallow. No alcohol.

  6. Drowsy or confused: call for help

    6 Drowsy or confused: call for help

    Confusion, drowsiness or shivering that stops means an emergency. Call 112, 999 or 911, handle the person gently and keep them lying flat.

Common mistakes

  • Pushing on "just to the hut" with someone who is already stumbling and mumbling.
  • Believing that a person who has stopped shivering but is still cold and quiet is getting better.
  • Giving alcohol, or giving any drink to someone who is drowsy and cannot swallow safely.
  • Rubbing arms and legs, rubbing frostbite with snow, or warming numb skin at the fire.
  • Wrapping someone in a sleeping bag but leaving them lying on bare, wet ground.
  • Making a badly chilled person stand up, walk or exercise to "get warm".
  • Walking in a sweat-soaked base layer and carrying no dry spare.