What is the coldest you have ever been ?

[Ridgewalker]

I have spent a few hours in a -40F blast freezer working on a project for a customer.

That or one night in Omaha years ago. The wind coming across the plains were howling and
it was -10F. I was unloading equipment at mid night for a trade show the next morning.

Fun stuff! NoT!!

 

[Jstpssng]

I rode an old Skidoo Tundra through 18" of fresh snow... between tipping over several times and the snow coming up over the cowling and windshield I was soaked, so instead of working I built a fire in a futile attempt to get my clothes dry. The hour ride back after dark was as so cold that I just clamped the throttle to the handlebars and didn't even try to stay warm. Luckily I had stashed my truck keys as I could never have gotten them out of my pocket; holding them between the heels of both hands I managed to unlock the door, get the engine started, and just laid on the seat until the heater started working and thawed out my body... then I had to get back out and load the sled.

A month later my co-workers neglected to pick me up at our agreed upon rendezvous... instead returning to the motel and reporting me missing. (They later said that the snowsled wouldn't climb a hill on the groomed trail... I've always believed they were just afraid of missing supper as the restaurant closed early) The sun went down around four, I got back to the truck at 9:00. They returned with a game warden and gave me a ride the last 1/2 mile.

It was Jan 6 1988, the wind was howling, and we set records for cold that night.

After reading some of the other stories though, mine is barely noteworthy.

 

[bcp]

After reading some of the other stories though, mine is barely noteworthy.

But the original question was "What is the coldest you have ever been?" Your story is as good as any.



Bruce

 

[TomSeller]

Strictly answering the question, the lowest average bodily temperature anyone has ever survived from is somewhere around +55 deg F, mine has never been below an estimate of 95 deg F when stranded in -50 deg F weather in Minnesota

 

[QueBota]

Strictly answering the question, the lowest average bodily temperature anyone has ever survived from is somewhere around +55 deg F, mine has never been below an estimate of 95 deg F when stranded in -50 deg F weather in Minnesota

It's always amazing when they retrieve folks who have been under cold water (< 40ｰF) for a substantial amount of time. Very often they are recessitated (sp) with no serious brain damage. If I'm not mistaken folks have been under water for nearly and hour and brought back successfully. Has to be a very odd experience for the survivor.

Q

 

[TomSeller]

It's always amazing when they retrieve folks who have been under cold water (< 40ｰF) for a substantial amount of time. Very often they are recessitated (sp) with no serious brain damage. If I'm not mistaken folks have been under water for nearly and hour and brought back successfully. Has to be a very odd experience for the survivor.

Q

I know a person who was clinically dead from electrocution and revived but not dead from drowning and revived.

 

[Garandman]

Went to U.S. Army Ranger School in 1982. We hit the mountain phase (Dahlonaga, GA) in late February. The winter Ranger schools are considered more difficult and it is tradition to sew the tab on with white thread if you are a "Winter Ranger." They don't give you enough to eat and sleep deprive you so you are starting to be more susceptible to cold. They would inspect us before leaving for each patrol to make sure we didn't have anything on but tshirt, underwear, and BDU's - anything additional was considered a "Creature Comfort." Then we would go out and lie on the ground for a couple of hours before running an ambush.

You totally hose your career in the Army if you quit the course: you sign a letter saying you "Lacked the necessary motivation to complete training" which became part of your permanent file. One night, seven guys signed the letter and this was long after we'd weeded out the wannabees.

We did get one respite. A lot of the NCO's are from the south. It started snowing hard one night and we got a total of 5-7", not unusual for the Appalachians in winter. Our instructor was from Florida and decided our mission that night would be "To keep me warm." We built a good sized fire and kept it going all night. I suspect they must have called a "training halt" because it wasn't clear how much snow they were going to get and they had patrols all over the place, but I'm glad we got a Southerner that night!

I used to deliver papers in below zero temps, walked patrols at -20 f. and skied in all kinds of conditions, but you had the choice to go in whenever you wanted. Having to sit there shivering with your teeth chattering, for hours, knowing you were going to do it again the next night and the next really sucked.

 

[MossRoad]

I've seen several people pulled out from under the ice of the lake behind our house when I was a kid. The lake water is about 32 +-. They were dead. The 8 year old was under for over and hour. They revived him but he passed away within a day or two. The other was an older gentleman who allegedly had an argument with his wife and went ice-fishing. They found his truck in the parking lot the next day and came to our house to look down on the lake. There was a chest cooler in a hole below our house. They found him under the hole in about 8' of water. Stiff in a sitting position. They think he froze to death on the ice (alcohol was involved), the sun came up, heated up the ice and he fell through already dead. He did not drown.

I've also seen a lot of folks pulled out from drowning in the warm water. Some were revived and some were not. Anyway, that was warm weather.

 

[Garandman]

In 1978, in Alert NWT ( LAT 88* n) Temp minus 60 *F wind 40 MPH. Stuck in deep snow in A Nodwell sno-cat cab for 11 hours, engine running. Got out and tried to dig out with shovels for 45 mins. Froze fingers, toes, Hypothermia, but we got her out and spent another three hours getting to heated shelter before fuel exhausted. Warm (not hot) water baths for six hours, then hyperbaric oxygen to perfuse the frozen limbs. Amputation of two toes subsequently. Nasty. Close call. Below 50, never go outside if it is windy at all. Even the eskimoes build an igloo and stay inside with an oil light. No amount of any kind of clothing will keep you warm in such cold, even if you are moving. Gotta have shelter. Gotta have hi calorie food (blubber) or die, from exposure. No joke.

Amundsen Scott Research Station, Antarctica, -85 F. Had the new guys walk a course following a guide rope in shorts and tshirt, fortunately wind was blowing less than 10 mph. Walk takes about three minutes, so cold that it actually hurts. All the paths between buildings were well marked, when the wind picks up and the snow starts blowing around hard enough you can't see you feet, it's easy to get lost and could be deadly.

Q

/thread

 

[Sigarms]

For about 8 years me and some close buddies had our annual New Years day whitewater paddle (on January 1st).

When I lived in Bruceton Mills, did the lower Big Sandy run on January 1st. I remember that one. Snow all over the place and probably about 5 degrees with the wind. When we finally got to the truck, had to have the heater on full blast while we were still in our dry suites because we couldn't unzipper them, because everything was frozen stuck on us.

Then aftewards we'd head over to outside of Friendsville Md to do some snowboarding LOL

Moose river up in NY also comes to mind in January.