Hypothermia, Thoughts on Firestarting

I was on an outing when matters got to the point of me trying to treat hypothermia in the field. Search and Rescue also had to be called, because one of us was hurt and couldn't walk out. On a positive note, everyone that was on the trip is alive and no one sustained any severe injuries, so I'm calling this a win.

Keep in mind, SAR is available as a resource when you get in over your head. Call sooner rather than later. In the state of NM, I believe (99% certain, does not constitute legal advice) that there is no charge to the subject for a legitimate search or rescue. If you think you're in trouble and need help, call the NM State Police.

So, hypothermia. Long story short, we got hailed on, and got wet. As soon as we got out of the wind, I called a stop and started pushing warm fluids, food, and sharing of body heat.

I've always been told that in hypothermia cases, A) the patient doesn't realize what's happening, and B) can decompensate very quickly. I can tell you that it's the truth. One of the members of my group went from lucid to barely responding to verbal stimulus in the space of about 15 minutes. If you get chilled, don't try to be tough, take steps to correct the problem.

So, hypothermia was happening. Out came sleeping bags while I started trying to build a fire, careful to keep it well contained (yes, typically VERY illegal this time of year in NM. Life and safety trump fire restrictions. State trooper backed me up on this later). I collected my unfortunately wet kindling, and decided to go straight to the trump card of my firestarting kit, a 15-minute road flare. I lit it off with a match (the striking surfaces of my road flares suck), and stuck it in the wood. This has worked for me several times in the past. This time, I just got a little smoke from the wood, and not much else.

The flame coming out of this thing is 1,400 degrees F (760 C). It should have ignited that wood, wet or not.

Let me tell you, that was a chilling moment (no pun intended). My typically last-ditch firestarter had just failed me. I shrugged and went to my second-best option, which is one of those little firestarting sticks that looks like what you'd get if you made particle board out of sawdust instead of real wood chips, and soaked the thing in wax and kerosine for a few days. To light it, I used a stormproof match that's covered in fuel for half its length, instead of just the head.

 I'll be damned if that little stick didn't work like a charm. The fire stick itself lit just fine (of course, it was dry). I laid it down, added some kindling, and it took almost immediately. The only explanation I can come up with is that the flare evaporated enough of the water that the firestick was able to light the now-relatively-dry wood. I'm still scratching my head, though.

Anyhow, at this point we had our patient on a foam pad, with two people on top of her, and a mess of sleeping bags on top of them. Between all that and the heat from the fire, her LOC came back up and we were able to get her stabilized. I sent two of the other members of the group to collect as much wood as possible, both to keep them warm with activity, and in case we ended up spending a lot of time there.

Moral of the story: don't tough it out if you feel cold, say something. Also, carry at least two separate fire starters, one may fail. Finally, don't be afraid to light a fire when it's required for your safety or that of another.