Polar explorers such as Peary, Scott, Amundsen, and Shackleton, along with
mountaineers like Mallory, Hillary and Messner, have attained near-mythical
status in Western culture; their exploits demonstrate the fascination that survival
in the cold has in our collective consciousness. The cold environment places multiple
stressors on our physiological systems, affecting work tolerance and also raising the
risk of cold injuries. Each winter, news reports arise of individuals stranded in a car
for hours or days, or hikers lost in the wilderness in winter conditions, who suffer
from hypothermia and exhaustion. Indeed, the main life-threatening cold injury
is a dangerous loss of body heat and whole-body hypothermia. However, in many
occupational and survival situations, another critical factor determining optimal or
safe work performance is the maintenance of manual function. As cold can rapidly
cool the hands, the impaired function can greatly increase risks to the individual and
precipitate dangerous situations. The feet are also highly susceptible to cold injuries
because of their exposure to wet terrain and often constriction in footwear.
While cold injuries tend to be a less severe problem for civilian populations