Paradoxical Undressing

Growing interest in Winter Survival – Hypothermia Effects

Every year, I find myself thinking of different seasonal activities (like hunting and fishing), that will help with future off the grid living situations to provide food or entertainment for family and friends.  However, in the winter months its these types of activities that can posse greater dangers to ones health which you may not have considered.  Prime example, have you ever heard of “Paradoxical Undressing”?

Paradoxical undressing is a term for a phenomenon frequently seen in cases of lethal hypothermia. Shortly before death, the person will remove all their clothes, as if they were burning up, when in fact they are freezing. Because of this, people who have frozen to death are often found naked and are misidentified as victims of a violent crime.

Credit: Screen capture from Scrooged (1988, Richard Donner)

Upward of 50% of hypothermia deaths can be associated with victims preforming paradoxical undressing.

Get informed, and know how to detect and monitor symptoms and stages of hypothermia.  No one wants to find you naked in a snow drift.

Alternative weird phenomenon that can occur with the onset of hypothermia, check out Terminal Burrowing.