The coldest a human can tolerate for lengthy periods

[snailboy]

I’m wondering how cold it can get and people who are acclimated to it and prepared can go outside for at least, say, a half hour at a time. They can be wearing any clothing that one would typically wear in such conditions. It does have to be something that’s done regularly though, not a one-off case where someone did it to set a record or survived a plane crash or such. I see that the coldest town on Earth is Oymyakon, Russia, but there’s probably a point at which they quit going outside except very briefly.

I saw previous threads about this but they required that the person be naked. I’m just looking at typical circumstances.

[Telemark]

Folks in northern Alaska go out regularly when it’s -40 to -50 F for extended periods. If they didn’t they wouldn’t be able to get much done in the winter when it can remain at those temps for a week or more.

[dracoi]

People can spend whole days outside in sub-zero temperatures with clothing that one would “typically wear” in sub-zero temperatures.

If you are willing to go so far as to say that a space suit meets that definition for typical clothing while walking on the moon, then there’s no temperature so low that humans can’t survive it for at least half an hour in our typical clothing.

Maybe I’m just not understanding what you mean, though.

[Annie-Xmas]

I lived in Bemidji, Minnesota for three years, where the winter temperatures were 20 to 40 below, with wind chills of 40 to 80 below for weeks on end. We got along outside with sweatshirt, heavy coat, hats, scarf, mittens, pants, two pair socks and sneakers for an hour or two will no ill effects.

[snailboy]

@dracoi

If you are willing to go so far as to say that a space suit meets that definition for typical clothing while walking on the moon, then there’s no temperature so low that humans can’t survive it for at least half an hour in our typical clothing.

I almost specifically said that space suits are not allowed. By typical clothing, I mean something you’d likely find in someone’s closet in a cold place on Earth: a parka, ski suit, etc. It must be something a typical person can afford.

What I’m asking is at what temperature, if any, does the temperature prevent people in Oymyakon, Barrow, Alert, McMurdo, etc, from spending more than a few minutes outside. I find it hard to picture someone going for a walk or chopping firewood when it’s -80 F but I’m from Texas so I don’t know much about it.

[This_Just_In_2]

Read about some early polar explorers to see what the body can endure. For starters check out “The Worst Journey in the World” by Apsley Cherry-Garrard.

From Wiki:“With Wilson and Lieutenant Henry ‘Birdie’ Bowers, Cherry made a trip to Cape Crozier in July 1911 during the austral winter in order to secure an unhatched Emperor penguin egg. Cherry suffered from high degree myopia, seeing little without the spectacles that he could not wear while sledging. In almost total darkness, and with temperatures ranging from −40 °F (−40 °C) to −77.5 °F (−60.8 °C), they man-hauled their sledge 60 miles (97 km) from Scott’s base at Cape Evans to the far side of Ross Island. Frozen and exhausted, they reached their goal only to be pinned down by a blizzard. Their tent was ripped away and carried off by the wind, leaving the men in their sleeping bags under a thickening drift of snow, singing hymns above the sounds of the storm. When the winds subsided however, by great fortune they found their tent lodged nearby in rocks. Cherry-Garrard suffered such cold that he shattered most of his teeth due to chattering in the frigid temperatures. Having successfully collected three eggs and desperately exhausted they began their return journey. Only progressing a mile and a half some days, they eventually arrived back at Cape Evans on 1 August 1911.”

[purplehorseshoe]

"… shattered most of his teeth due to chattering… " :eek:

[Gray_Ghost]

There’s always the 300 Club. (Scroll down to Winter Culture) FTA:

Perhaps the most uniquely Antarctican winter ritual (apart from the Polar Plunge) is joining the 200 or 300 Club. In McMurdo, unfortunately (!) it only gets cold enough to have a 200 club. To join the club, people must subject themselves to a 200° F change in temperature. They wait for a really cold night (say, -40° F), then crank up the sauna. Once they’re good and cooked, they run outside and dash, naked and steaming, around the building. Winter- overs at South Pole join the 300 club in the same way–from a 200° F sauna to -100° F outside. They try to dash the 100 yards or so to the ceremonial pole and back without incurring frostbite on essential reproductory equipment. Not all are successful.

Popular Mechanics had an issue on construction workers building the new Amundsen Scott Station at the South Pole, and what it was like to work outside in those conditions. I forget what the outside temps were like, but -50 F and worse comes to mind.

This scientist for NOAA claims the average temp at the South Pole is -40. (He then claims extreme temps of -140F, so I’m not sure how much credence to give the rest of his account.) Maybe he’s talking about wind chill?

[Chefguy]

Born/raised in Alaska here. When you say “clothes that one would typically wear in such conditions”, that covers a wide range. In extreme cold (say 50-60 below), I’d wear something much different than at zero. For an extended period in that kind of cold, I’d wear long johns, quilted pants, arctic mittens, some layered top-wear, a heavy down parka, ski mask and bunny boots with wool socks. As long as you don’t stay still for a long time, you can stay out all day.

[snailboy]

@Gray_Ghost

There’s always the 300 Club.

I read about that but that’s discounted because they’re only in it for a few minutes and because it’s similar to going for a record, not just a normal activity.

@Chefguy

Born/raised in Alaska here. When you say “clothes that one would typically wear in such conditions”, that covers a wide range. In extreme cold (say 50-60 below), I’d wear something much different than at zero. For an extended period in that kind of cold, I’d wear long johns, quilted pants, arctic mittens, some layered top-wear, a heavy down parka, ski mask and bunny boots with wool socks. As long as you don’t stay still for a long time, you can stay out all day.

So -60 is the coldest you’d go out in? The clothing requirement is meant to exclude space suits and other extraordinary “clothing” that you wouldn’t see someone walking around Anchorage wearing. I’m looking more for what people commonly go out in, not what they are capable of surviving in extraordinary circumstances with extraordinary gear.

[Chefguy]

@snailboy

I read about that but that’s discounted because they’re only in it for a few minutes and because it’s similar to going for a record, not just a normal activity.

So -60 is the coldest you’d go out in? The clothing requirement is meant to exclude space suits and other extraordinary “clothing” that you wouldn’t see someone walking around Anchorage wearing. I’m looking more for what people commonly go out in, not what they are capable of surviving in extraordinary circumstances with extraordinary gear.

Commonly go out in what? Summer sun? You’re not being terribly clear.

[Procrustus]

I was married for 10 years to a really cold woman.

[snailboy]

@Chefguy

Commonly go out in what? Summer sun? You’re not being terribly clear.

Go outside. I’m not sure what’s unclear.

[sco3tt]

@This_Just_In_2

“Having successfully collected three eggs and desperately exhausted they began their return journey. Only progressing a mile and a half some days, they eventually arrived back at Cape Evans on 1 August 1911.”

It must have been one kick-ass omelette to be worth all that trouble.

[astro]

Re “a human” there are people who can control their metabolisms and who can withstand absolutely insane levels of cold that would quickly kill ordinary people.

Wim Hof

[Chefguy]

@snailboy

Go outside. I’m not sure what’s unclear.

Go outside in winter wearing summer clothes? Winter clothes? “Normal” clothing depends on the weather, not the other way around. “Normal” clothing at -60F is as I described it above. Are you asking how long someone can stay out at extremely low temps wearing jeans and a t-shirt?

[FuzzyOgre]

I was outside for 27 hours at around -30 to -40(it varied, obviously, because of night fall). We were X-raying pipe at an oil lease, examining them for hairline fractures.

The nature of the work was such that we were busy, but not really active, standing on one place for long minutes.

When we began I had already been up for a full day, since that was my first day on the job. The nature of the work is that you are on call day and night. I was dressed in winterized coveralls, gloves, winter boots, and a knit balaclava.

My hands and feet were fairly frost bitten most of that time, because I was standing in one place and handling ice cold steel pipe. Even with gloves on, that will leach the warmth out of you. Being dead tired didnt help either.

Taking rest breaks did not make any sense(to my boss), but neither did continuing to completion(to me). We shoved unheated(but not frozen) food in our mouths every few hours and went back at it.

Except for that, it was completely sustainable. I could have stayed outside for days if I had been active enough, was able to gain rest, and if I had enough to eat. It doesnt have to be hot food, but of course that helps.

Finally I threw a bit of a fit, refused to continue to work, and we went a service camp. We ate a hot meal, slept 7 hours or so(the best sleep ever), and returned to finish in the morning. My boss was pissed off because he was paid by the job, and the sooner we finished, the sooner he could accept more work.

He would have worked 30-40 hours to finish(and thats after we drove to the site), then drove home, hoping someone else would call. If he had to endure down time, then he’d sleep.

I quit. I’m sure that facilitated his work ethic.

[al27052]

Google “Wim Hof”.

It’s that simple.

[JackieLikesVariety]

chefguy answered your question: he described typical clothing to wear when it’s 50 degrees below zero and that you can stay out all day.

[snailboy]

@Chefguy

Go outside in winter wearing summer clothes? Winter clothes? “Normal” clothing depends on the weather, not the other way around. “Normal” clothing at -60F is as I described it above. Are you asking how long someone can stay out at extremely low temps wearing jeans and a t-shirt?

No. Normal clothing means clothing that one would normally wear under those conditions, ie a parka, thermal underwear, but not something you have to get from NASA.

@JackieLikesVariety

chefguy answered your question: he described typical clothing to wear when it’s 50 degrees below zero and that you can stay out all day.

That doesn’t answer my question but just tells me that the limit is below that.

To make the question a bit more specific, if you really wanted to walk 30 minutes to get somewhere, were acclimated to the climate, had typical polar climate clothing (no spacesuit), and there are no other adverse weather conditions like high winds or snow, at what point do even several layers of clothing fail to keep it from being very unpleasant and/or unsafe.