Dealing with winter cold - advice, information and newsthread

Min

People need to prepare and be aware of the dangers of cold weather and do what is necessary to protect oneself and those in their community who are vunerable to the cold.

In Ireland the death toll rises by over 30% for winter months due to people not being prepared or aware of the dangers of the cold weather.
Everything possible should be done to avoid hypothermia, some key things to do:

• Keep your home warm, if you cannot afford to keep your home warm, have at least one room that is heated to about 21C and live there during the cold period.
• Wear multiple layers of clothes, not too tight as the body needs to breathe, keep the hands head and feet warm - these are the first areas to suffer from cold conditions.
• Make sure you are well fed and well watered, being hungry or thirsty can help to bring on hypothermia more quickly.
• Avoid excessive alcohol you don't want to fall on ice due to excessive consumption , there are cases where people have fell and were stranded in the cold and died due to drinking too much. This can also affect the homeless who use alcohol to numb the senses and don't realise they are in a hypothermic situation.
• Avoid cigarettes during excessive cold weather, the fags will affect your blood supply circulation. Better still give them up altogether.

Preparation for cold weather.

• Buy fuel to heat your home. Check your level of home heating oil, the amount of solid fuel. Be aware that snow can bring down power lines so have an alternative to heating that depends on electricity to drive it. A gas heater would also be good in a situation like this as would a gas cooker - if using bottled gas get new cyclinders of gas before the cold arrives.
• Buy Food. Buy non perishable foods like canned food, pasta, put some fresh food in the your freezer, basic ingredients for cooking or baking. Things like oatmeal for a warm breakfast of porridge.
• Insulate. Get your home insulated if it needs it - it saves on fuel bills and keeps you warmer, look for a grant from http://www.seai.ie/Grants/ if you need improvements and make the elderly aware of these grants.
• Clothes, make sure you have the right clothing to deal with cold. Check your gloves, hats/caps and see if they are upto scratch. A handy tip for people out in the cold who wear wellingtons is to check the grips on your wellingtons. Also make sure they aren't that tight in fitting, nice to have room to stuff a small bit of newspaper into them along with a disposable plastic bag for each foot over your socks. This gives great insulation for your feet.
• Your car. check your antifreeze, your tyre pressures and make sure they are all upto scratch. If you have a tiny crack in your windshield from say a pebble that hit it, get it fixed, the cold mixed with say - putting luke warm water on the windshield can lead to a massive crack. Heat the car up before you leave home presuming you can travel - gives you a warm car to start your journey and melts any ice.
• Check on your elderly neighbours. When it is known that cold weather is coming, visit or ring your elderly neighbours, make them aware and ask them if they need anything like food or fuel delivered.
• Donate to homeless charities if you can afford it, same with charities like the St Vincent de Paul, ask for help from any of these if you need it.

During cold weather

• Stay warm.
• Eat well and have warm non alcoholic drinks.
• Look out for and visit the vunerable in your society like the elderly and make sure they have warmth and enough to eat and drink, bring them water if their water supply has been affected, look after them so they don't have to venture out and risk a fall.
  
• Don't keep taps running to avoid water freezing - rememeber December 2010 - it led to water shortages in urban areas.
• If you can drive, then drive slowly and keep your distance from the car or vehicle in front as braking distance will be longer and there is the risk of skids. In the event of a skid, ere is the advice from AA Roadwatch http://www.aaireland.ie/AA/Motoring-advice/Driving-advice/Hazards-of-Winter-Driving.aspx please visit.
• Be aware of the personal dangers of the cold like with falls on ice and hypothermia.

Hypothermia:


A good site - http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Hypothermia This advice comes from the government in Victoria, Australia. It is good advice and information - changed the emergency numbers for Ireland.
Stages of hypothermia symptoms

The symptoms of hypothermia can progress slowly and people are often not aware they need medical help. The stages can include:

• Feeling cold
• Cool, pale skin
• Shivering
• Loss of concentration, poor judgement
• Loss of control over fine motor coordination – for example, the muscles of the fingers
• Drowsiness
• Lethargy
• Confusion, irritability
• Dizziness
• Difficulty breathing
• Loss of physical coordination, unsteady on feet
• Stops shivering eventually
• Slurred speech, speech difficulty
• Slowed breathing
• Dilated pupils
• Coma
• Death.

Risk factors for hypothermia

Factors that may increase a person’s susceptibility to hypothermia include:

• Infancy – children lose heat more quickly than adults, mostly through their head. This is particularly so for babies, who must be protected from the cold
• Old age – people taking medications or suffering other health problems may be less able to regulate their own body heat or detect that they are being affected by temperature. They may also be less able to move about or make necessary changes to help
• Heart problems
• Circulatory system disorders
• A thin body or low body fat
• Hunger
• Fatigue
• Alcohol
• Cigarette smoking
• Drugs
• Dehydration
• Physical exertion.

First aid for all cases of hypothermia

These first aid tips apply to all stages of hypothermia:

• Don’t massage or rub the person – and do not allow them to help you. Keep them still or they risk a heart attack. If they move, the muscular activity will pump cold blood from their arms and legs into the central circulation and cause their core temperature to drop even more.
• Move the person out of the cold – if this is not possible, protect them from wind, cover their head and insulate their body from the cold ground.
• Remove wet clothing – replace with a dry covering, preferably warm. Cover the person’s head.
• Try to warm the person – but do not apply direct heat. Apply warm compresses to the neck, chest wall and groin. Do not use hot water, a heating pad or a heating lamp to warm the person. Do not attempt to warm the arms and legs – this will send cold blood back to the heart, causing body temperature to drop further.
• Share body heat – to warm the person’s body, remove your clothing and lie next to the person, making skin-to-skin contact. Then cover both bodies with a blanket or get into a sleeping bag if possible.
• Don’t give alcohol– it lowers the body’s ability to retain heat. If the person is alert and is able to swallow, have them drink warm, non-alcoholic beverages. Do not offer liquids if vomiting.
• Do not leave the person alone– stay with them at all times.
• Continually monitor breathing–if the person’s breathing stops, start cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) immediately if you are trained. If unsure, dial 999 or 112 – operators will advise you what to do. Continue CPR until the person starts breathing on their own or until medical assistance arrives.
• Don’t assume the person is dead – CPR can be lifesaving for a person with severe hypothermia who may appear to be dead. They may not be breathing, have no pulse, be cold to touch, have fixed pupils and be rigid – but they may still be alive.

Preventing hypothermia when outdoors

Exposure to cold weather, even for a short time, can be dangerous if you are not prepared. Shivering and feeling cold or numb are warning signs that the body is losing too much heat.
Simple ways to prevent hypothermia include:

• Avoid prolonged exposure to cold weather.
• Be alert to weather conditions that may increase the risk of hypothermia and act accordingly; for example, seek shelter during a snowstorm.
• Wear several layers of clothing to trap body heat, rather than just one bulky layer. Natural fibres like wool are better at holding heat.
• Use a weatherproof outer layer to stay dry.
• Use gloves, scarves and socks, with spares to replace when wet.
• Wear insulated boots.
• Wear warm headgear – a lot of body heat is lost through the scalp.
• Make sure your clothes and boots aren’t too tight. If your blood circulation is restricted, you are more prone to hypothermia.
• Drink plenty of fluids.
• Eat regularly.
• Take regular breaks to reduce the risk of physical fatigue.
• Keep your eye on exact body temperature by taking a clinical thermometer in your first aid kit.
• Change out of wet clothes straight away.
• Avoid alcohol, cigarettes and caffeine.
• Make sure your kit includes a good supply of waterproof matches.

Things to remember

• Hypothermia occurs when the body’s temperature falls below 35°C.
• Hypothermia can easily happen in temperatures ranging from 0 to 10°C.
• Severe hypothermia is life-threatening without prompt medical attention.

Feel free to add advice and information to this topic.

davidsr20

U are joking rite? U do know we're not getting a winter!

Min

davidsr20 wrote: »

U are joking rite? U do know we're not getting a winter!

It was not a joke when that man died in Bray this winter from hypothermia.

I have experienced hypothermia in the past, it is not something to joke about.

Musicman2000

davidsr20 wrote: »

U are joking rite? U do know we're not getting a winter!

you might be in for a shock next weekend.

kkontour

davidsr20 wrote: »

U are joking rite? U do know we're not getting a winter!

Well I am stocking up on emergency rations tomorrow, rice, pasta, tinned fish
, tinned fruit & veg, porridge, etc.
It's stuff I use anyway, so I will use it throught the year if not required sooner.
#aldihereicome
Edit
This is good advise if the power goes too
*Share body heat – to warm the person’s body, remove your clothing and lie next to the person, making skin-to-skin contact. Then cover both bodies with a blanket or get into a sleeping bag if possible.:)

jacko1

good advice and much needed.

Very cold weather on its way next weekend

Best to get 4/5 days food in as well as some salt or grit

mountainy man

Fair play Min thats a lot of good advise and info, I usually have about a months worth of food in the house during winter, am prepared like a boy scout! you have to be living in the back of beyond.

aboyro

great thread min. just on the news there now an elderly woman died in a house fire. so maybe it might be good advice to ask those with solid fuel heating systems to consider getting the chimney swept. especially if the fire is kept going all day.

just a thought:)

maquiladora

davidsr20 wrote: »

U are joking rite? U do know we're not getting a winter!

:rolleyes: x 100

Even if we don't get cold conditions this winter, it's good information for any future severe cold weather.

Deep Easterly

• A thin body or low body fat

Better watch myself so .

Good post Min with plenty of sound advice. I vote for this thread to be 'stickied'

BEASTERLY

My advice for severe cold: Have a laugh!

Seriously though, good thread Min. I got caught out up the mountains in late December 2009 in blizzard conditions, nothing more than poor planning. Got lost, tried to get back on track but map blew away. Ended being out for 9 or more hours. Never really looked into hypothermia before but got chills to see i had some of the symptons you mentioned. My legs giving was under my weight, struggled work a phone or gps with my fingers, couldnt decide which was the best way down. In the end every thing i had was caked with snow.

cml387

It might be also good to remind snow bunnies NOT to take to the hills in unsuitable cars or suitable cars driven by unsuitable people, thereby requiring the emergency services to pull them out of a snowdrift.

Mr Bumble

Small tale of 2010.
Steep hill turns to very steep at the bottom of the marginally mountainy track I live on and one day I chugged down the road in trusty Hyundai Tucson (brilliant in snow n ice) and was met with two Range Rover Sports jackknifed right and left, occupied by two well heeled (literally) dames. No way down for anyone and no way up either.
Like the rest of the scattering of snowballing kids and motorists snookered by Land Rover on Ice. I was amazed that two 4x4 giants of the automotive industry, better equipped than God for driving in tricky conditions, should be in such straits and with no noticeable activity in either RR apart from some theatrical wheel spinning, I decided to help. Went to first RR and spotted six inch heels (true!!) seeking egress and attached to a woebegone face. "What do I do," she said.
"It might help to press the button with the snowflake on it and to unpress the one for motorway driving," was my first helpful contribution which was met with "f**k off, I can manage" at which point she gunned the idling engine (after pushing various buttons) and shot forward into the back of the other RR which was now driver free while occupant tottered on 6 inch heels towards the bottom of the hill.
When I say shot forward, it wasn't really that dramatic but the airbag deployed and mussed hair badly.
At least the bit of movement opened up the left lane so I slithered and slipped back to my yoke and inched through the gap at which point a third RR started a wild fishtailing lash up the hill while I sat slack-jawed and sucked in my stomach. One more coat of paint and I was goosed but he missed me and and managed to plug his truck into a wall
At which point first high-heeled motorist emerged to roar abuse at me and demand that her husband (for it was he, the man in the third RR) "sort him out".
Not quite sure how to approach this, I beat a retreat and drove on. About a half mile down the road, I had to stop the car with the laughing.
My greatest regret was the absence of camera.

eskimocat

Great thread Min.. good advice there.

Fail to plan, plan to fail and all that good stuff. I would always try and keep the cupboards stocked with some 'extreme weather friendly' items... I have a gas cooker, so okay if the power goes as it has to get to well well below freezing before gas freezes. I remember asking the guy plumbing in the gas for me in 2005 what temp it freezes at and he looked at me like I had 3 heads 'sure it never gets that cold' ....Well I can confirm that it still didn't freeze when we had -18 degrees temp here in 2010! Phew!

Popoutman

As for cars and suitability - it's all about the tyres. A decent set of true all-seasons are a good choice for Ireland, and a proper set of winters to pot on over the colder parts of the year if you live at altitude. FWD/RWD not that much difference generally but rwd is certainly less forgiving. More in the Motors forum, but the discussions on winter tyres can get rather heated sometimes.

When there is cold weather forecast, it does no harm to have a basic emergency kit in your car, with things like a torch, a few warm blankets, an LED head-torch, a few litres of water and a handful of marsbars or the like, a little snow shovel (to keep the exhaust free), as well as keeping the fuel tank topped up in case you need to keep the engine idle overnight, and a mobile phone car charger. Enough to support you in the car for a day or more if you did get stuck away from traffic.

Also, it's always better to scrape off the ice from the windows and windscreens. A decent scraper kept in the house will free up a car's windows in less time than it'll take to heat a bucket of water and carry it out (over frozen ground..) and there is no water left on the windows to refreeze. Plus not using a bucket of water to de-ice means no puddle of water that will refreeze and make your life harder when you get back out of the car that evening if there was no thaw that day.

Spindle

eskimocat wrote: »

Great thread Min.. good advice there.

Fail to plan, plan to fail and all that good stuff. I would always try and keep the cupboards stocked with some 'extreme weather friendly' items... I have a gas cooker, so okay if the power goes as it has to get to well well below freezing before gas freezes. I remember asking the guy plumbing in the gas for me in 2005 what temp it freezes at and he looked at me like I had 3 heads 'sure it never gets that cold' ....Well I can confirm that it still didn't freeze when we had -18 degrees temp here in 2010! Phew!

Gas freezes at around -182c, so you should be safe there

I think it is just common sense really, you should always have supplies in your car if you are going anywhere far outside main areas.

A small tip, socks on the shoes are great way to help walking on the ice if your are finding it hard going, so always keep a spare pair in the car

eskimocat

Spindle wrote: »

Gas freezes at around -182c, so you should be safe there

Good to know.. maybe I had three heads that day after all... :eek:

blackbird99

butane / propane boil to change from liquid to gas, butane boils at -0.5' celcius, propane -42' celcius,
so that's why a mixture of both is used.

Min

I was watching some of the Vincent Browne program and in the papers it says the man and woman who were found dead in the flat in Dublin, had died from the cold.

Deep Easterly

Min wrote: »

I was watching some of the Vincent Browne program and in the papers it says the man and woman who were found dead in the flat in Dublin, had died from the cold.

Seen that on the news Min, very sad and shows that even in this day and age, people are still dying of the cold. It is worth keeping in mind that while things may or may not get colder, the weather at the moment is not exactly warm or even mild either and it is not easy for those living on low incomes to keep their house anyway comfortably warm.

A small gripe, but it makes you wonder if the so called extra 'carbon taxes' that are added to the overall price of essential fuel supplies for ordinary people are really doing more harm than good. My guess is that those who passionately advocate such measures are they themselves not without a plentiful amount of heat to keep their butts warm on a cold winters day.

Min

Deep Easterly wrote: »

Seen that on the news Min, very sad and shows that even in this day and age, people are still dying of the cold. It is worth keeping in mind that while things may or may not get colder, the weather at the moment is not exactly warm or even mild either and it is not easy for those living on low incomes to keep their house anyway comfortably warm.

A small gripe, but it makes you wonder if the so called extra 'carbon taxes' that are added to the overall price of essential fuel supplies for ordinary people are really doing more harm than good. My guess is that those who passionately advocate such measures are they themselves not without a plentiful amount of heat to keep their butts warm on a cold winters day.

You make very good points, one might have suspected something like Carbon monoxide poisoning, but this was even worse and those taxes do add to the problem as you state.

miamee

Unfortunately, reading the story about this in the Irish Times, it seems that the couple had not been looking after themselves, had been drinking alcohol but not eaten recently, their flat was in poor condition and they did not turn on the heaters that they had. While I abhor any cuts to fuel or other allowances for OAPs, it does not seem to have been a factor in this case as far as I can tell.

Story here.

Cliona99

(Hopefully this is a good place to ask because it's something I've been wondering for ages...)

In the first post it recommends keeping at least one room at 21 degrees. Is this for everyone? Or for old people particularly? (Or for people who like to wear t-shirts and shorts inside?

I have a hard time heating my house and even with the fire lit, it doesn't get to 21 degrees. Most rooms would be 12-14 degrees during the day and with the fire in the evening the sitting-room gets up to about 16-18 degrees. I presume it depends on what you're wearing as well. (In my house, LAYERS, lots and lots of layers!)

On second thoughts, it's probably fine because I'd notice if I had hypothermia, or I hope I would. So this is a rambley, waste of time, sorry!

V1

Cliona99 wrote: »

(Hopefully this is a good place to ask because it's something I've been wondering for ages...)

In the first post it recommends keeping at least one room at 21 degrees. Is this for everyone? Or for old people particularly? (Or for people who like to wear t-shirts and shorts inside?

On second thoughts, it's probably fine because I'd notice if I had hypothermia, or I hope I would. So this is a rambley, waste of time, sorry!

If you are all fit and healthy I personally think 21 degrees is a bit (h)OTT. Most of us will walk around in t-shirts during what passes for the summer when its 18+ degrees dont we? For the elderly, small children, or anyone with health problems however I would expect its a different matter and try and keep it as warm as possible.
I try and keep our place at 18.5 which we find comfortable and if it gets any hotter than that I find it too hot.

You might not notice if you had hypothermia as according to the world renowned medical expert Dr. wiki, symptoms of mild hypothermia can be vague and include mental confusion
(pretty much my normal state )

V1

blackbird99 wrote: »

butane / propane boil to change from liquid to gas, butane boils at -0.5' celcius, propane -42' celcius,
so that's why a mixture of both is used.

I was under the impression that the standard Gas Tanks (various brands) available at fuel depots and filling stations and used in lots of domestic applications were either Butane (usually yellow) or Propane (usually red and mostly with a screw type connection) and not a mixture of both? Is it the Tanked gas delivered by truck that is a mixture of both?

The fact that butane boils at -0.5C is the key point but perhaps better described by stating that butane will fail to turn from liquid in the tank to gas (boil) at temperatures below -0.5C. Our hob is Gas fed from a standard cylinder located well away from the shelter of the house. During the winter I have to switch to Propane tanks as when the temperature drops to the low single digits the gas fails to "gas" effectively and the gas pressure drops to the point where the hob barely lights.