If you live in a hurricane prone section of the country you likely have provisions set aside and a plan for when a hurricane strikes.  In tornado country we keep track of storms coming through and are prepped for when they do hit.  

Realities a bitch though heat is the highest weather related killer taking more than tornado, hurricane, lightning and wind related deaths combined.  

Lets talk about how to determine if you are being a little baby back bitch or if you need to stop what you are doing and self care in the case of a heat casualty event.

Prior to event...

Hydrate and acclimatize.  If you are an office dweller or don't spend time outdoors you need to begin 2-3 weeks in advance spending time walking or doing other activities in the heat to help prep your body.  This includes drinking water through out...Water.  

Alcohol and caffeine aren't helping you hydrate so if you show up to the event and you haven't been drinking plenty of water and you decide to stay up drinking all night and drinking energy drinks you are gonna have a bad time.  

Heat indexs and precautions are built off of shaded heat.  When you add heavy gear (combat class) you add 10 degrees to the heat index when in direct sunlight you add 15 and under heavy work (digging, hauling, lifting) ie obstacles it goes up 25.  Risk level is at high when it hits the 100-115 degree range and extreme at 115.  It takes almost nothing under heavy work to get into a zone that without being in peak fitness and hydration can cause serious physical harm.

what kinda harm?


heat exhaustion is the point when things start getting bad.  You aren't going to be capable of continuing the mission or providing useful help to those around you.  You become a burden to those you are supposed to be an asset.  During a fun game this means you go sit in the shade with ice on your crotch sipping water.  In the real world it means your enemy gains an advantage over you.

You are most likely to hit heat exhaustion when you have lost excessive water and salt.  The elderly people with high blood pressure and those who have had a heat injury in the past are most prone to falling to this.

Heat stroke is when things go over the edge for heat injuries.  You aren't just momentarily out of the fight you are unable to control your temp and can die or suffer extreme damage in a very short amount of time.  The body temp can rise to 106 in less than 15 minutes and your body will cook itself.  

Enjoy this brief video of Marines falling down from heat injuries and how to help them.
[youtube]tarYVUooZdo?t=86[/youtube]

link to youtube because this website is shit
Other folks are way smarter than me on this and I hope they chime in on more ways to help but we are bad asses and each of us should be in a position to help those around us who do have problems.

Attached File

I am going to be with some Chair Force in the field in central SC in August.

Great advice.

Don't forget to replenish your electrolytes as you're drinking.  When you drink and sweat a lot, you wash out your electrolytes.....

When I'm out on long bike rides, I use something called Salt Sticks and then supplement with gato or some type of small nutrient bar/gel.

Excellent post!

I also recommend salt stick chews, they've helped me and I've helped quite a few people by shoving a few in their gullet.

I also like bringing those big gas station pickles (in juice) on longer/hotter excursions.

I've done really long bike rides in 90-100 degree heat (70-100 miles) and had never tried Pickel juice until one ragbrai ride....they are AWESOME!

I'm no doc, but I'd wager that I've treated more heat injuries than most of the docs in that video.

Get their layers off. 2-2-2 method, plus ice sheet.
6 gallon sized bags of loose ice. One on either side of the neck, one under each armpit, and two in the groin.

Soak a cotton sheet in ice water and cover them with it. As much skin to ice sheet contact as possible. That will crash their temp. If it's staying high with the above complete and they're conscious/able to drink, give them a Tylenol or ibuprofen just in case they have a fever.

Worth noting,

Those with prior heat injuries are more prone to catting out again.

Also those who are old, out of shape and even those who are in shape but on cold meds, low on sleep or not eating enough are all at higher risk.

Replace salt. Some salt replacement things taste good. Some don't. Still got to have it.

Pedialight and white monsters mix great together btw.

Absolutely true; check out this info from the Mayo Clinic on hyponatremia. It occurs when the body’s sodium (salt) / electrolyte levels drop too low, sometimes despite adequate fluid (plain water) intake. Essentially your body has enough fluids, but can’t necessarily use them, causing headaches, dizziness, fatigue, etc.

Hyponatremia is mitigated by ensuring appropriate electrolyte balance.


Also excellent advice! For the uninitiated, the ice in those key areas works by cooling the blood in major blood vessels in the body, namely the carotid/jugular (neck), brachial (armpits), and femoral (groin).


Evaporative cooling works wonders, it’s the reason you get cold if you’re wet when hit by even a mild breeze.

Administration of room temp IV Fluids is also great, if available. If the fluids are cold or the patient is cooled too quickly, they will begin to shiver. Lactated ringers has some electrolyte replacement properties; medics can also push a few different meds, if available.

The brain needs a few simple things to remain operational - water, glucose (sugar) & oxygen. If deprived of one or more in any way it will cease to function normally. Take away the oxygen, it dies. Take away the water (coolant), it overheats - causing seizures, etc. > dies. Take away the sugar (hypoglycemia), it acts goofy, and can eventually kill you.

Cola in the snow and heat injuries are much less of an issue

These work great.  I chew a few of these and wash down with water before my run and a few afterwards.

BoobaSolarBearAloo made me eat some when I was seriously feeling out of it at West a couple years ago after my run and they helped keep me from getting banned.  

They go with me to all the Cola Wars, long hikes, desert off-road riding.

I would like to start a petition to renaming this thread to "Thermoregulation and You"

I second this motion

I will 3rd this motion.  We experienced it on Saturday doing a 2 hr tour on motorcycles for lunch....but good thing nobody died.  Ride home was a stop every 20-30 min to cool off and hydrate at a bar or gas station.  No beer was drank on the way home.  It was 110-113 with feels like pushing 120, and a nice Ks breeze, not that Wy blast though.
Off to buy some salt stick tabs.....

ETA-  what flavor is recommended?
@HDLS

@southerncross