How do I recognize if someone is suffering from hypothermia?

Question

How can I recognize symptoms of hypothermia on myself and other people I camp with?

Answer 1

Here are the basic signs of Hypothermia

• Shivering. May start off mildly and go severe
• General apathy and sudden exhaustion
• Losing coordination (can't tie a knot, etc)
• Loss of concentration
• Sudden irrational behavior
• Unable to speak correctly (slurred speech, dropping words)

Edit per comments

• Final stages: Shivering can stop and subject can feel too warm and removing clothing

Answer 2

Please realize that there are various stages of hypothermia -- ranging from feeling very chilly all the way to death -- and the core body temperature is generally lower and lower at each stage. The following is from northshorerescue.com/education/treating-hypothermia. The values are in Celsius. The article has a longer description of each stage.

The international commission on alpine rescue classifies hypothermia into five stages based on core body temperature. Each stage can also be differentiated by clinical findings in the field when core temperature reading may not be available.

HT I: Mild Hypothermia, 32-35 degrees Normal or near normal consciousness, shivering

HT II: Moderate Hypothermia, 28-32 degrees Shivering stops, consciousness becomes impaired

HT III: Severe Hypothermia, 24-28 degrees Unconscious, may be difficult to detect vital signs

HT IV: Apparent Death, 15-24 degrees

HT V: Death from irreversible hypothermia