Step 1 of 4 · now
Insulate from the ground
Pad, rucksack, cardboard, branches, extra clothing under them. Most heat is lost into the ground.
1 h to careBuddydelayed
When this applies · do not
- Any serious bleeding, blast, or burn
- Wet clothes, wind, night, vehicle floor
- Shivering, or worse: they stop shivering and get clumsy
Red flags
- Not shivering anymore + confused = severe hypothermia — handle gently, no rough movement
Do not
- Do not leave them on bare ground, metal, or a vehicle floor.
- Do not rub frostbitten limbs hard.
- Do not give alcohol.
Vehicles are refrigerators. Pad the floor. Engine heat, extra bodies, close the doors.
Field aid tool — not a diagnosis, not a medic, not your unit’s official protocol. When a trained medic or doctor is there, follow them.