Algonquin Adventures / Danger of mixing alcohol and outdoor winter activities

**Posted by BarryB** 1/19/2016 8:18 pm

Serious caution should be exercised when considering the partaking of alcohol while camping, specially during wintery cold temperatures. Check out the following links for more detailed explanations than shown in the short quotes.

From the Discovery Channel's website .. http://www.discovery.com/tv-shows/mythbusters/mythbusters-database/alcohol-warms-up ... "Just one alcoholic drink could make you feel warmer, but it actually lowers your core body temperature.How does alcohol employ this rule of opposites? Alcohol may make your skin feel warm, but this apparent heat wave is deceptive. A nip or two actually causes your blood vessels to dilate, moving warm blood closer to the surface of your skin, making you feel warmer temporarily. At the same time, however, those same veins pumping blood closer to the skin's surface cause you to lose core body heat - the heat you need to survive, especially if you're stuck in a snowdrift . This effect could lead to fatal hypothermia."

And from the New York Times website .. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/01/health/01real.html?_r=0 ... "While alcohol may seem like the perfect cold-weather beverage because it creates a sensation of warmth, it actually decreases core body temperature — regardless of the temperature outside — and increases the risk of hypothermia."

**Posted by Rob H** 1/19/2016 11:58 pm

Sounds like a good enough reason the toss another log on the fire and move a little closer

**Posted by Steve E** 1/20/2016 9:33 am

Interesting stuff. I'm always cold when I sleep and I'm pretty positive that is because I am terrible at keeping myself hydrated. My liquid intake usually consists of several coffees and a few alcoholic beverages in the evening. Every time I go up I tell myself I'm going to do a better job at drinking more water but every time I fail miserably lol

**Posted by kayamedic** 1/20/2016 10:42 am

yup. it's been known for a long time in the medic field that ETOH aids hyporthermia and in fact you need to drink MORE water in the winter than in the summer. Those coffees actually do not dehydrate you. Alcohol is a diuretic; more pee, more dehydration.

And 2 liters a day is not enough. My docs say four..At least.
I have neighbors who are always cold. But they don't drink any water at all . Their house has to be kept at about 26 C. Mine is at 18-20. They don't go outside in the winter. They say its too cold.

So drink old dihydrogen oxide and get out there!

Last edited by kayamedic (1/20/2016 10:43 am)

**Posted by ZenSoloist** 1/24/2016 12:41 pm

When you breath in cold, dry winter air, your body has to hydrate it and that is why you get dehydrated faster and need to drink more water. Other little tricks include stuff like keeping yourself clean and sleeping naked. I use a bag rated to -20 as well as a good exped air mat and tend to put a nalgene of hot water in when I go to sleep down by my feet.

**Posted by MartinG** 1/24/2016 9:36 pm

ZenSoloist wrote:
Other little tricks include stuff like keeping yourself clean and sleeping naked. I use a bag rated to -20 as well as a good exped air mat and tend to put a nalgene of hot water in when I go to sleep down by my feet.

Interesting. I've never heard that one before. I work completely the opposite. Sleep in layers, layer my sleeping bags and only put a nalgene in my bag to keep it from freezing.

**Posted by Steve E** 1/25/2016 9:17 am

I've tried the sleeping naked thing and found it did not work at all for me and I ended up freezing my butt off. I'm in the "sleep in clean, dry, cozy thermals" camp I do like the Nalgene trick though!

**Posted by ChristineCanoes** 2/14/2016 12:09 pm

At my most recent WFR we were told that layers is the way to go for sleeping - as for the alcohol thing - I do not take any on solo trips - this is one reason - I just figure dehydration, waking up under the weather - there is less room for error while solo - on trips with my OH we enjoy a drink once off the water if we are warm, dry and properly hydrated.