shivering, but not cold

Posted by: squark

shivering, but not cold - 06/23/14 10:20 PM

Googled this, but most of the results pointed to chronic conditions, which I don't think is the case here. I was up in the Hoover Wilderness last week, and my second night out found myself shivering uncontrollably in my sleeping bag, but I didn't feel cold. According to reports I read later, it was 36F. Any ideas what might have been going on? Dehydration may have been in play; I lost five pounds over the two days, and gained it back on my second day home frown. Nutrition as well, since 1, I forgot to pack some of my intended food, and 2, I felt mildly nauseated when I tried to eat anything. Altitude maybe? Although it was barely 9000'.
Posted by: wandering_daisy

Re: shivering, but not cold - 06/23/14 11:10 PM

All of the above- altitude, dehydration, exhaustion, lack of food. Maybe you were cold but just too out of it to realize it. Almost sounds like you were sick (fever chills).

I am almost the opposite - often "feel" cold but skin is warm and no reason to feel cold. The culprit often is a draft down the back of my neck. For some reason that really makes me feel cold.
Posted by: OregonMouse

Re: shivering, but not cold - 06/24/14 02:32 AM

It does sound like dehydration to me! Dehydration can be a prime contributor to hypothermia, of which shivering is often the first sign. It's a myth that you can develop hypothermia only when it's below freezing! Dehydration also greatly exacerbates altitude sickness. You need to force yourself to take in fluid.

What kind of sleeping pad do you have? 40*F is where I start feeling really cold in an uninsulated air pad, and the mid-30's in a standard NeoAir.

Exhaustion can be another factor, complicated--or caused by--by altitude and dehydration.

Or, as W_D says, you may actually have been ill. Or, worse yet, a combination of all these factors!

A few things I've found that help me:

--Using an electrolyte replacement mix in my drinking water. I actually drink less water, feel more satisfied and have far less of my usual problem of water "going in one end and out the other." Such a mix is even more important if my appetite is on the fritz. Not eating can upset your body's mineral balance in a hurry! It also helps me overcome nausea.

--Vigorous exercise at bedtime to get the metabolism cranked up in preparation for warming up the sleeping bag.

--Eating something at bedtime.

--I finally broke down and bought an Exped 7 UL Downmat, which I'll take when nightime temps may get below 40*F. Yes, it adds about a quarter pound to my pack weight, but the warmth and comfort are well worth both the weight and the $$$!

Your mileage, of course, may vary!
Posted by: squark

Re: shivering, but not cold - 06/24/14 06:07 PM

Thanks WD and OM -

sleeping pad = Exped Synmat UL7. I had on wool baselayers, socks, and my windjacket, but my dog had claimed my puffy jacket for the night. Bag was Feathered Friends Vireo. I just found it odd that I didn't feel cold, given that I always feel cold, even sitting around at home at 60 degrees.

exhaustion: I usually don't sleep my first night away from home; that held true here.

dehydration: yes, truly sounds like the primary culprit. I have the in-one-end-out-the-other issue too. I hadn't had much luck against it using electrolyte replacements at home, but for something like this it might have helped. I may also go back to using a bladder system. It's a pain wrestling the reservoir in and out of the pack for refills, but I can't wrangle a water bottle and hiking pole and leash with just two hands.