A Rescue Fan wrote in and basically said, “Hey! Bad advice! Everyone knows that eating snow when stranded in the wilderness is a bad idea. It can make a person hypothermic!”
As I thought about their comment, I began to do some research and then some deeper thought on the subject.
I instantly began to wonder if the commenter had a point. Is it better to slow down the hypothermia that may be already causing symptoms or die from dehydration?
Remember, hypothermia usually sets in as quick as 3 hours or less in certain cases while life threatening dehydration can take up to 3 days. So, if you’re surviving the elements long enough to dehydrate, you’re probably staying somewhat warm. If so, then consuming snow or melted snow and getting hypothermic as a result is probably the last of your concerns when thinking about staying alive. For if you survive the elements, dehydration and death will be knocking in about 2-3 days.
http://www.livescience.com/32320-how-long-can-a-person-survive-without-water.html
Roy Shaw
Roy is the lead trainer and co-founder of ProTrainings. He is also an EMT paramedic whose opinions about rescue come from many years of experience on the ambulance.
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