Episode 016: How I Survived Hypothermia (part 1 of 2)

Admittedly, I intentionally put myself into this survival situation, so I was never in any “real” danger. We often think that we’re pretty good at getting a fire started, but usually we’re thinking about our camp or a backyard fire pit. When you’re in an emergency and feeling the early stages of hypothermia, can you still get it done? Your fire starting equipment may be wet. You may be exposed in a cold, wet, and windy environment. Your muscles are probably starting to cramp up, and you may not even be able to feel your fingers. Furthermore, you won’t have a nice dry stack of split wood and piles of kindling ready to use. So let’s try this out. In this episode, I take a dip into a cold lake in Northern Minnesota, then go for a swim fully clothed. By the time I get out of the water, I’m exhausted, and can feel hypothermia setting in. Can I get a fire started? Additionally, we talk some basic survival principles and start our countdown of ten different fire starting methods, beginning with the most modern/effective methods and working our way back toward the most primitive/difficult methods. Tune in next week for the conclusion of our fire-starting countdown.