Sleep-Out Advice
Preparation
Eat a good meal before the event as this will help maintain your body heat.
Don’t drink alcohol; it will cause you to lose heat quickly.
Avoid caffeine.
Bring a warm sleeping bag and wear lots of layers of clothing; long johns and tights are good as well as thick woollen socks. You might find a torch useful.
You may wish to bring a flask so that you can have a hot drink without leaving your sleeping bag. We can fill it for you.
Your head loses heat quickly and will be partially exposed, so consider wearing a balaclava or woolly hat.
The main problem will be the cold. If you are not in a tent, rain will seriously aggravate this problem, so make sure that you are adequately protected against the weather, perhaps with a plastic sheet.
The ground is a very good conductor of heat and will quickly draw warmth from your body, so make sure that you have a layer of insulation, such as a foam mat or cardboard, between you and the ground.
Hypothermia
Hypothermia is a serious condition brought on by getting very cold. If you feel very cold or start shivering, seek help immediately. If you leave it too long, you may experience mental confusion and be unable to take sensible decisions to save yourself. Go inside and speak to the overnight coordinator, who will help you get warm.
Alcohol
If any companions are behaving irrationally or slurring their speech, don’t assume they have drunk too much alcohol; they may be suffering from hypothermia! Whilst alcohol may make you feel warm in the short term, it will cause you to lose heat more quickly so that in the longer term you will soon get cold. This is because alcohol opens the blood vessels near the skin which allows more heat to be lost.
Health
Please advise us on arrival if you have any medical conditions that may become an issue such as diabetes, epilepsy, thyroid conditions or heart problems.
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