Acclimating

[Matt In Oklahoma]

There is going to be alot of "I"s and "ME"s in here not trying to be egotisical but simply laying out my thoughts and experiences and hoping to spark conversation and thought.

Acclimating- becoming accustomed to the weather/environment you are in:
I live what I consider to be a fairly normal life. I do normal things, live in a normal house and work in somewhat normal conditions. I work in a temperature controlled environment, drive a temperature controlled vehicle and come home to a temperature controlled environment, heck my gym at work is even temperature controlled. So far it sounds good right?

The issue is that I'm supposed to be preparing for conditions and a time when we don't have these luxuries. Last year for almost 3 months straight the temps were over 100 and never dropped below 80 at night, the year before and even the year before that that we had 28 or much less degrees with 50+ mph winds and 6ft drifts and it never got outta the low teens for a week. Many people died during these events even with our luxuries mainly because when they lost that luxury they were unable to adapt and acclimate. I am having a hard time grasping the amount of death in a cataclysmic environment even though I have seen it elsewhere.

Acclimating is not something that can be done quickly. If you go from a 78 degree constant climate to a 112 degree climate with physical work you will probably go down within days is not sooner. I know some folks can do it and Soldiers like SpecOps who get dropped in make it ok. They are young, tough and if you think they never hit the ground from this stuff you are mistaken. No one ever talks about it. The first life I ever saved in the Military was a heat casualty from a Wisconson Soldier trying to train with little acclimation to the South Carolina summer. During desert operations the temperature swings of 40 degrees or more were common and in high mountain elevations the temps can drop 35 or more degrees as you go from base to the patrol area. During my Soldering days I was bagged a couple of times for heat injuries and treated once for cold when I couldn't stop shaking and I was a beast then. I'm not as young and not as tough and not gonna be so planning becomes more and more important.

I hunt every year during late fall. Day one I'm cold, day 2 by nightfall I'm feeling like I'll never be warm, day 3 I'm ok, day 4 and beyond I don't even think about it anymore UNTIL I get home. Once I get home and back into the temperature controlled environment it is pure he.. on me. I sweat when I unpack and clean gear and can't wait to be outside working on the game. When I go to bed that night I will block the heat vent and lay on top of the covers and my metabolism causes me to sweat. Night 2 is the same except now I sweat and then I get cold and cover up then I sweat more and uncover and this goes on all night.

So what does this tell me? It takes about 3 days for me to become fairly acclimated to the outside environment when conditions are less than desirable but not extreme. It also tells me that being in shape rather than a shape plays a huge factor as my metabolism changes as well. When I say in shape it not necessarily the ripped no body fat index in shape either. I can't stand the tv show "survivor" however one thing I did notice was the ripped, protein shake, no fat, supplementers are usually the first to go down from dehydration, heat and lack of caloric intake. Having some (SOME) body fat is not a bad thing always. When I fall hunt I usually lose 5-10lbs in about 9 days.

Medical conditions and even the medication plague some members of my family and make it very hard for them to acclimate. I have looked at the storm shelter which does remain cooler in the summer but the lack of air flow seems to be an issue down there and if I get get good air flow going the temperature soon rises. Allergies are another condition that one can be thrust in and not fair well.

Just as in battle the first 3 days in the beginning, after say a tornado, a snowstorm, an EMP, a condition leading to a mass of people conducting themselves in violent manners, will be the roughest. This leads to many people overexerting themselves and having heart failures, heat/cold injuries and muscle/skeletal injuries because it takes 3 days or more to become acclimated.

So I'm trying to stay in shape, stocking some allergy meds, and doing what I can and thinking constantly about adaptation to a harsh environment. What's your plan?

[scoob]

yup same here my friend, getting outside and at least doing some kind of relatively strenuos work till i get tired or overly hot then rest for a while and go back at it again untill im done with whatever im doing. its already in the high 80s here, so i have to make frequent stops for h2o, or rest so i dont hurt myself. not as young as i used to be lol

[Patriot Prepper]

I acclimate fairly well to hot and cold temperatures. Of course it depends on how much exertion I put out. What seems to take the most acclimating is extremely high elevations when I head out West into the mountains. You make some really good points for preppers or survivalists to keep in mind. If we allow ourselves we can get pretty coddled in our comfortable climate controlled society. Being able to acclimate quickly could help save a person's life in a SHTF or emergency situation. Good post Matt.

[EX121]

Good post, it seams like folks always think about aclimitization as only being adjusting to altitude, but like you say weather is as important. Up here in the winter the temp rarely get above 50F and that seams warm but in the summer time 50 feels cold. It shows you how your body has adjusted.
The highest point in our county is a 7000 feet the lowest is 700. We get folks from the west side of the state that come over and try to climb up to the high points in one day and spend a couple of days there. While usually mild some experience symptoms of altitude distress. Like adjusting to weather it takes time. Just be aware and let yourseld adjust.

[1Admin]

We do our family runs about 4pm three times a week. An hour or two outside work on the homestead after normal work helps also. No AC at our gym, temp gauge typically shows 100 to 110 when we get started. Great fighting weather :)

Force the fluid. Drink water, drink more water. Drink a gallon or more a day. Yes, some gatorade also but keep with a high quantity of water also. Pee should be clear, not yellow. Take the opportunities to rest, know your limitations.

[WiseOwl]

Living my whole in GA has acclimated me to the heat. Nothing is hotter than our humidity mixed with working on red clay. Unlike my family, I am geared for heat. In the summer, the +95 degree days, our house is 80+. We deal with it.

As for cold, brotha goes camping in below 0 weather every year so I know I can handle it.


The weather or temperature doesn't bother me as much, but bugs flying around my face or icey fingers is what I need to get used to.


I echo Admin, fluids are the key. Even in the cold. You become dehydrated in the cold also. Just cutting my MIL's grass today I drank at least a gallon and it was in the mid 80's.

If you arent close to water or dont have access, you are a goner.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

Good post, it seams like folks always think about aclimitization as only being adjusting to altitude, but like you say weather is as important. Up here in the winter the temp rarely get above 50F and that seams warm but in the summer time 50 feels cold. It shows you how your body has adjusted.
The highest point in our county is a 7000 feet the lowest is 700. We get folks from the west side of the state that come over and try to climb up to the high points in one day and spend a couple of days there. While usually mild some experience symptoms of altitude distress. Like adjusting to weather it takes time. Just be aware and let yourseld adjust.

I was in a place where we patrolled between 7 and 10,000 feet. The air was soooo thin. It crushed me mentally as I was in the peak of health but within an hour I was gassed only carrying a 40lb ruck, weapon and ammo. They would chopper us in from base which was 738ft, usually in the 90s and we would climb from there where it was in the 60s. Once I experienced an inability to collect my thoughts and make real good choices. Fortunatley my battle buddy was GTG and kept me running as we were already on the downhill descent. I got some extra rest that evening and my troops took care of me till morning. Had a heck of a headache, wasnt to sure if that was part of it but sure felt like it.
If you dont mind since this was really my only experience with high altitude and exersion please talk about what happens and what to do and how long it takes to acclimate.

[EX121]

It usually takes about three days for to acclimate to altitude. The only real cure for the symptoms you were experiencing is what you did go back to a lower elevation. If you don't you can experience high altitude edema (brain swelling) which can be fatal. Slow and steady is the way to go. I don't have my reference book handy but I'll get in the AM and give more details.

[SeldomSeenSlim]

I've been a desert rat for most of my life. I ease into the extreme temperatures we get in the high desert mostly because I don't live in a climate controlled house. Aside from opening windows and a wood stove the temperature in the house is whatever it is.

June is the worst month. It's just damn hot. By 9-10am I'm hunkered down for the day and don't tend to go outside for long until 4-5pm. 100 degrees is hot, but without the humidity it's not bad in the shade. 110 degrees is the limit where it really doesn't matter what you do or how low the humidity is, it's just plain hot as hell. The desert cold doesn't bother me much. I like the cold I just don't much care for that bitter endless cold up north. Down here we'll see below freezing or rarely below zero, but it doesn't last long and for the most part the sun shines during the day. Unlike other places where a winter day can be a low of 16 and a high of 18, we'll have a low of 16, but still get up to 50 in the afternoon.

Dehydration is obviously a big issue in the desert. With the humidity in single digits it takes almost a half gallon of water a day just to replace the water you lose just by breathing. That's the one that gets people. If folks are outside working and sweating they tend to drink a bunch of water. If they aren't they might not and the dehydration is so slow they don't notice it until they have a headache, start getting dizzy, etc.

The desert typically takes a year to acclimate to. Blood thins three times faster than it thickens. It's usually pretty plain to see folks who are here for their first summer. You can look in their face and see they're hating life. Most make the mistake of dressing like beach bums with shorts and tshirts. Works in humid places, but not in the desert. It's so dry that even if you're sweating it evaporates so fast it doesn't cool you down. It can even be so dry you aren't so much sweating as just losing water. I wear jeans and long sleeve light cotton shirts. It creates a micro climate between you and the shirt that helps hold in the moisture long enough to cool things down.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I've been a desert rat for most of my life. I ease into the extreme temperatures we get in the high desert mostly because I don't live in a climate controlled house. Aside from opening windows and a wood stove the temperature in the house is whatever it is.

June is the worst month. It's just damn hot. By 9-10am I'm hunkered down for the day and don't tend to go outside for long until 4-5pm. 100 degrees is hot, but without the humidity it's not bad in the shade. 110 degrees is the limit where it really doesn't matter what you do or how low the humidity is, it's just plain hot as hell. The desert cold doesn't bother me much. I like the cold I just don't much care for that bitter endless cold up north. Down here we'll see below freezing or rarely below zero, but it doesn't last long and for the most part the sun shines during the day. Unlike other places where a winter day can be a low of 16 and a high of 18, we'll have a low of 16, but still get up to 50 in the afternoon.

Dehydration is obviously a big issue in the desert. With the humidity in single digits it takes almost a half gallon of water a day just to replace the water you lose just by breathing. That's the one that gets people. If folks are outside working and sweating they tend to drink a bunch of water. If they aren't they might not and the dehydration is so slow they don't notice it until they have a headache, start getting dizzy, etc.

The desert typically takes a year to acclimate to. Blood thins three times faster than it thickens. It's usually pretty plain to see folks who are here for their first summer. You can look in their face and see they're hating life. Most make the mistake of dressing like beach bums with shorts and tshirts. Works in humid places, but not in the desert. It's so dry that even if you're sweating it evaporates so fast it doesn't cool you down. It can even be so dry you aren't so much sweating as just losing water. I wear jeans and long sleeve light cotton shirts. It creates a micro climate between you and the shirt that helps hold in the moisture long enough to cool things down.

Good post. I remember dropping into White Sands NM and thinking well it's only June and it wont be too bad. Then thinking i was doing ok on the sweatin because I didnt see any but remember the top of my boots being white from the salt as well as my t-shirt being almost white and stiff. Spilled some water and watched butterflys and moths attack it before it evaporated within less than a minute. I remember making mistakes and my urine looked like the stuff in chemlights in color and consistancy. If I had to bug quickly westward to a desert there are many lessons like when to work and when to rest I would need to remember. The animals had alot to offer in that department and I quickly realized they had it right. We had to do what were told when we were told but anything extra was done before light or after dark. My subsequent trip to the desert for both business and pleasure have been much better do to that exposure and lessons. High deserts really require a jacket IMO, a mistake I have seen too many tourist make the mistake of not not bringing. For pants I liked the zip offs so when I was in the shade or near water I could convert to shorts.

[BillM]

I was raised when nobody had A/C and it was hot and humid in the summer. I saw my dad leave for work in an automobile with no A/C and drive a territory that covered twenty three countys in a suit with a long sleave, starched , white shirt and tie.

We went to school and sat in class with no A/C and rode the school bus to school and home , same deal.

After supper in the summer, we played out side and the adults sat on the porch until it got dark and the house cooled enough to go to bed.

If you had a screened porch, you moved the beds out on it in the summer and slept on it.

Shade trees around a home were like gold.

The only A/C in town was at the Movie Theater. The Markee said " 83 degrees inside". The movie title was in smaller print under the temperature.

Everybody prespired profusely.

We were all acklimated. We didn't know any better!

[Matt In Oklahoma]

I was raised when nobody had A/C and it was hot and humid in the summer. I saw my dad leave for work in an automobile with no A/C and drive a territory that covered twenty three countys in a suit with a long sleave, starched , white shirt and tie.

We went to school and sat in class with no A/C and rode the school bus to school and home , same deal.

After supper in the summer, we played out side and the adults sat on the porch until it got dark and the house cooled enough to go to bed.

If you had a screened porch, you moved the beds out on it in the summer and slept on it.

Shade trees around a home were like gold.

The only A/C in town was at the Movie Theater. The Markee said " 83 degrees inside". The movie title was in smaller print under the temperature.

Everybody prespired profusely.

We were all acklimated. We didn't know any better!

Yup, me too but things have changed a bit since then huh? I see a whole lotta houses with no trees these days and very few porches that actually get used

[WiseOwl]

Where I live now is like that. All the trees are in the back back back of the yard. Whoever built this house was smoking crack. Not only is there no shade, but the A/C unit is the size of a thimble. I like to tell me wife living here is "training for the PAW". During those 95+ degree days in the summer, our house is 80+. We make it and have made it. I honestly could go without, its the wife and the kids that really need it to keep their mouths shut.
The new place I am moving to in a few weeks has TREES!!!!!!!!!! And its better insulated and a $200 a month less power bill. I may turn the air on 55 in the dead middle of August for a day just to see what its like!

[brokedownbiker]

The worst time I had with adapting to a new climate was back in '80 when I joined the Army and went from NW Washington state (65-75 degrees average) to Fort Jackson, South Carolina in August (100 degrees plus and 90% humidity). It was just brutal on my system- not that the Drill sergeants were any nicer, lol. I lost 35 pounds in 8 weeks but that first week was the worst, I think I lost 15 lbs. in the first seven days. We were popping salt tab's and drinking water constantly and I can't remember any time except for first formation in the A.M. when my uniform wasn't soaked with sweat. I threw up once or twice a day and had to be hosed down a couple of times because I was bordering on heat prostration. After the first week, I felt fine but I'll never forget the misery during those early days.

[Matt In Oklahoma]

The worst time I had with adapting to a new climate was back in '80 when I joined the Army and went from NW Washington state (65-75 degrees average) to Fort Jackson, South Carolina in August (100 degrees plus and 90% humidity). It was just brutal on my system- not that the Drill sergeants were any nicer, lol. I lost 35 pounds in 8 weeks but that first week was the worst, I think I lost 15 lbs. in the first seven days. We were popping salt tab's and drinking water constantly and I can't remember any time except for first formation in the A.M. when my uniform wasn't soaked with sweat. I threw up once or twice a day and had to be hosed down a couple of times because I was bordering on heat prostration. After the first week, I felt fine but I'll never forget the misery during those early days.

One of the stories in my originating paragraph was from Tank Hill @ Ft Jackson in July, good times right there LOL