QUESTION:  
How long would it take to freeze to death if you didn't have proper 
clothing?

        Ms Schlachter's class
        Newington Forest ES
        Sprinfield VA


ANSWER from Tim Cully, Palmer Station, Antarctica
            Tue, 11 Feb 1997 08:58:44 -0500


Dear Mrs. Schlachter's Class.

That's an interesting question but a difficult one to answer. First,
I think what you are refering to by "freezing to death" is called
hypothermia, which means low body temperature. This condition is life
threatening if you are not warmed up quickly. So, how long it would 
take to die from hypothermia depends on many factors, improper or
inadequate clothing being just one. For example, the outside
temperature could be well above freezing, say 40 degrees F, but maybe
the wind is blowing, it's raining, and your clothing is wet. Under
these circumstances you could be in trouble. But how long it would
take you to die would depend on other factors such as: how big you
are, when you last ate a meal, drank water, what kind of physical
shape you are in and how tired you are. People who are bigger (have
more insulation), have eaten well (fuel to burn), have drank plenty
of fluids, are not lounge lizards and are not worn out will tend to
do better even if they don't have the proper clothing. Under the
above conditions it could take a few hours to a few days to die from
hypothermia.

Thanks for your question!

Tim Cully