[Andrew]

100% True Story, and interesting read if you've ever dealt with this...

"I had not even realized it in my delirium, but it had begun to rain. I’d gathered it must have rained a lot actually during the night; the river bank had risen to within a few feet of my tent. I stood in the rain, hoping it would make me cool down and feel better, but it didn’t. I swear I had a temp of 100+. I was walking around in my boxers, in the rain, pondering lying in the water of the river to cool down before my core overheated."

Read Entire Post Here

[dudley]

Years ago I use to do a bit of solo backpacking and I was 15, maybe 16, at the time
I had gone into Lincoln to resupply and was walking east out the Kanc with my goodies.
I was very hungry and had bought a lot of food so my pack was about 65lbs and top heavy
This was in the days before Loon Mountain was a big resort and there across the Pemi looked like a good place to camp overnight and EAT. I looked for a likely place to cross and when I didn't find one I attempted to ford the river. Well this was late April, early May and the water was still pretty high. I didn't make it. I went under and my pack kept me there, face down, washing down river. By the time I struggled to shore, everything was soaked.
I remember setting up my tent and hanging everything in the trees to dry. That's when it started snowing. Except for my wrung out wool jacket, I was naked, freezing and exhausted. As I remember I was only able to put together a small fire. My down bag must have been semi-protected because I don't remember that being much of an issue but the "egg-crate" sponge sleeping pad was a wash. I think I ate some cold Dinty Moore and went to bed.
That was just about the most uncomfortable night of my life

In the morning I packed up and was thinking about going home but didn't want to repeat the swim across the Pemi. I bushwacked east through the woods a ways and there it was. The bridge that is now the entrance to Loon
If I had only walked up around the next bend...

[Andrew]

Thats crazy. I've been listening to "a walk in the woods" again lately, and Bryson talks a lot about some of the hikers found dead from hypothermia. It's super creepy how your body just reverses all the sensations. People are found nude, or laying in rivers with "calm expressions" on their faces.

Every time I read that blog post I did about it, it gives me chills. It was just so real, and it made some much sense to just "lay down and cool off".

Yikes.

[RichNH]

Back in May 1974 I was on an exercise with the army in the White Mountains. In order to escape capture when our team's ambush site was busted up I wound up swiming Wild River during the Spring thaw. I barely got to the other side, I was so exhausted. Then I retired to a small island in a swamp, stripped off completely and used the trees to wring out my clothes (jungle fatigues). Luckily it was a "warm" day of about 50 or so and it was sunny so I ate some food and then took off to find the rest of the team. It turned out OK but could have easily not been.