A camp brings together everything the human body struggles to manage: strong afternoon sun, cold at dawn, physical effort all day long and a canteen no one remembers to fill. It's no exaggeration. The three most common emergencies on a field outing aren't snakebite or fracture — they're hypothermia, heatstroke and dehydration. And all three have one thing in common: they start slowly, in disguise, until they can no longer be disguised.
The good news is that these three are among the most preventable emergencies there are. None of them appears out of nowhere. All of them send warnings — shivering that won't stop, a headache that won't pass, dark urine, that Pathfinder who suddenly went quiet. Whoever learns to read the warnings rarely needs to give aid.
This guide covers the three together because, in field practice, they blend into each other. The dehydrated child cools faster in the cold and overheats faster in the heat. We'll separate out what each one is, show the warning signs, what to do in the moment and — most importantly — how to keep them from getting that far. Health content verified on 22/07/2026 against the sources listed at the end; it guides, but it does not replace medical care.
Why does the body struggle at camp?
The human body works to stay around 36 to 37 °C at all times. It's a narrow band. Sweating is how it dumps heat; shivering and shutting down skin circulation is how it holds heat in. These two levers cope with day-to-day city life. In the field, they get overloaded.
Think about what changes on an outing: you walk with weight on your back (generates heat), spend hours in the sun (takes on heat), the early morning plunges several degrees (loses heat) and, through all of that, you sweat out liters of water without properly replacing it. The three emergencies in this guide are what happens when one of those levers fails:
- Hypothermia — the body loses heat faster than it can produce it. It drops below 35 °C.
- Heatstroke — the body gains heat faster than it can shed it. It rises above 40 °C.
- Dehydration — there isn't enough water to sweat (to cool) or for circulation to work. It's the one that sabotages the other two.
That's why it makes sense to treat the three together. A dehydrated Pathfinder on a sunny trail is already halfway to heatstroke. That same Pathfinder, if rain comes and the temperature drops, cools far faster than a well-hydrated companion. Water is the thread that stitches it all together.
A counselor's rule worth the whole page: the person in thermal trouble almost never asks for help. Mental confusion is a symptom of all three conditions. Someone slipping into hypothermia or heatstroke often says they're fine, wants to keep going, insists. The one keeping watch is you, not them.
Hypothermia: how to recognize it and act in the cold?
Hypothermia is when the body's internal temperature drops below 35 °C. You don't need snow. Wind, wet clothes and one night in the field are enough — many cases happen between 5 and 15 °C, precisely because no one takes that kind of cold seriously.
It advances in stages. It's worth memorizing the signs, because each stage changes what you do:
| Stage | Signs you see | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Mild | Strong shivering, slow and clumsy hands, somewhat slurred speech, irritation or low spirits | Get out of the cold, swap wet clothes for dry, bundle up, give a warm sugary drink. Light movement helps. |
| Moderate | Intense shivering, stumbling, confusion, drowsiness, loss of coordination | Insulate from the ground and the wind, warm the trunk, monitor closely and call for help. |
| Severe | Shivering stops, person sluggish or unconscious, weak breathing and pulse | Emergency. Call 192, handle gently, keep the person warm and lying down until help arrives. |
Pay attention to the trap in the last row: when the shivering stops in a case that had been getting worse, that's not improvement — it's severity. The body has given up on shivering. That's the moment to treat it as an emergency, not to relax.
When warming the person, three common mistakes make everything worse. Don't give alcohol (it opens up skin circulation and makes them lose more heat, on top of the false little warmth). Don't put a hot water bottle, fire or heater directly against cold skin. And don't warm just the hands and feet all at once — the focus is the trunk. The safe path is gradual: a sheltered spot, dry clothing, a blanket, the warmth of another person's body, a warm liquid if the person is conscious and able to swallow.
Hypothermia prevention fits in one word: layers. Several thin garments hold more heat than one thick piece, and let you remove one when exertion warms the body up — because sweat that cools turns to ice from the inside. A cap on the head (that's where most heat is lost), no sleeping in damp clothes, and a sleeping pad under the sleeping bag, since the ground steals heat all night long.
Heat exhaustion and heatstroke: when does heat become an emergency?
Here you have to separate two conditions that many people confuse, because the response changes and one of them kills fast.
The first stage is heat exhaustion: the body is still reacting. The person sweats a lot, has cold and clammy skin, feels weakness, dizziness, headache, nausea, sometimes cramps. It's uncomfortable, but it responds well if you act: shade, rest, loosen the clothing, water in sips and cooling. Treated here, it turns into nothing.
The second stage is heatstroke (sunstroke, when the sun is the cause, is a form of it). Here the body's thermostat has failed. The temperature shoots above 40 °C, the person may stop sweating and have hot, red and dry skin, becomes confused, speaks in a jumble, may have a seizure or faint. This is a medical emergency. Extreme heat attacks the brain, heart, kidneys and liver within minutes.
| Heat exhaustion (warning) | Heatstroke (emergency) | |
|---|---|---|
| Skin | Cold, clammy, sweating heavily | Hot and reddened, often dry |
| Head | Dizzy, but conscious and coherent | Confused, aggressive, delirious or fainted |
| Temperature | Slightly elevated | Above 40 °C |
| Response | Shade, rest, water, cool down | Call 192, cool aggressively, don't wait |
In heatstroke, every minute counts and the goal is to bring the temperature down now, while help is on the way: move to the shade, remove excess clothing, wet the body with water, fan the person, place cold compresses on the neck, armpits and groin. If the person is conscious and swallowing well, offer water; if they're confused or unresponsive, don't force liquid — risk of choking.
Prevention is a matter of scheduling, not luck: avoid heavy activities between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., take breaks in the shade, wear a cap and light, pale clothing, and treat water as part of the program (the next section wraps that up). Keep a special eye on minors and on anyone taking medication or who recently felt unwell — they overheat before the others.
Read alsoFirst aid for venomous-animal bites and stingsDehydration: the silent problem that drives the other two
Dehydration is the most treacherous of the three because it doesn't hurt. It just makes everything worse: without enough water, the body sweats poorly (and heats up), circulation slackens (and you get cold) and fatigue arrives sooner. At a camp, it's behind half the "I don't know what's wrong with him" cases.
The cruel detail: by the time thirst hits, you're already starting to dehydrate. Thirst is a late alarm. That's why field hydration works on a schedule, not on the urge.
Learn to read the signs, from the mildest to the most serious:
- Early: thirst, dry mouth, dark urine in small amounts, unusual tiredness, headache.
- Advanced: dizziness on standing, little or no urge to urinate, sunken eyes, skin without elasticity, irritation and confusion.
The most honest gauge is in the bathroom: the color of the urine. Light, almost transparent, is a sign of a well-stocked body. Strong yellow or amber is a warning that water has fallen behind. Teach this to the unit — it's the simplest self-test there is and it doesn't depend on anyone asking how you're doing.
A warning every counselor needs to carry: children dehydrate faster than adults. They have more skin surface for their body size, they heat up quickly and, caught up in play, they simply forget to drink. With the little ones, the rule is to offer water from time to time, without waiting for them to ask — and to check whether they actually drank, because "I brought the canteen" isn't the same as "I drank water".
What does a good hydration plan for the outing look like?
"Drink plenty of water" isn't a plan — it's a wish. A plan has a schedule and an amount. The references below, used for physical activity, work well for a trail or a day in the field. Treat them as a starting point and adjust to the heat, the effort and the size of each Pathfinder.
| Moment | How much to drink | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Before setting out (in the 2 hours before) | About 400 to 600 ml, without rushing | Start the effort already stocked up, with time to pass the excess |
| During the effort | A few sips (about 150 to 300 ml) every 15 to 20 minutes | Replace the sweat gradually; on a hot day you lose 1 to 2 liters per hour |
| Afterward | Keep drinking until the urine turns light again | Recover what was lost and restore the body's balance |
Four practical rules make this plan actually happen in the field:
- A full canteen is an inspection item. Check it at departure, the way you check the flashlight and the jacket. An empty canteen in the backpack hydrates no one.
- Drink in sips, not all at once. A liter gulped down causes nausea and most of it becomes urine; the body makes better use of it little by little.
- In long effort with heavy sweating, think about salts. Water alone, in a heat marathon, may not be enough — water with a bit of salt and sugar, homemade oral rehydration solution or a sports drink help replace what leaves in the sweat.
- A hydration break is an activity, not an interruption. Mark it in the schedule. "Everyone drinks now" at each stop keeps the distracted ones from falling behind.
And beware of what deceives: soda, energy drinks and — never for minors, and a bad idea for anyone in activity — alcohol don't hydrate well. Too much coffee doesn't help either. The base is water; the rest is an occasional supplement.
What can you prevent before leaving home?
Almost every thermal emergency is decided while packing the backpack and building the schedule — long before it happens. This is the prevention list that separates a calm outing from a scramble:
| Against the cold | Against heat and dehydration |
|---|---|
| Clothing in layers (several thin > one thick) | Cap or hat and light, pale clothing |
| Spare dry cap, gloves and socks | A full canteen per person, checked at departure |
| Sleeping pad to place under the sleeping bag | Sunscreen and sunglasses |
| Rain gear (wet clothing is the biggest cause) | Heavy activities outside the sun peak (10 a.m.–4 p.m.) |
| A warm drink at night | Shade and hydration breaks in the schedule |
Add to that three leadership habits worth more than any equipment. First: count heads and look at faces. During breaks, run your eyes over the unit. The Pathfinder who is too quiet, too red or too pale is your alarm. Second: teach the signs to the group. A unit that knows what dark urine is and what shivering-that-won't-stop is keeps watch over itself. Third: have a kit and a plan. Know where the support point is, how to call for help and what the region's emergency number is (SAMU answers at 192 across much of Brazil).
It's worth remembering that this ties directly to the class card and to several specialties in the health and outdoor-life area. If your unit goes to the field, first aid isn't test material — it's life insurance. See also the general guide to first aid at camp and, for outings with a river or reservoir, water safety.
When do you stop giving care and call for help?
The hardest question in the field isn't what to do — it's when things have moved beyond your hands. Caring for discomfort is the counselor's role; responding to an emergency is the medical service's role. Confusing the two is costly in both directions: calling an ambulance for a silly bout of tiredness scares the group; treating as tiredness what was actually heatstroke can be fatal.
This is the line, with no middle ground. Call emergency services (192, across most of Brazil) and don't wait if any of these appears:
| Warning sign | Why it's serious |
|---|---|
| Confusion, jumbled speech, strange behavior | The brain is already suffering — applies to cold and to heat |
| Fainting or difficulty waking the person | A serious case, you can't treat it alone |
| In the cold: the shivering stopped and the person got worse | Severe hypothermia, the body gave up on warming itself |
| In the heat: hot and dry skin, very high temperature | Heatstroke — organs at risk |
| Seizure, repeated vomiting or unable to drink | Beyond what first aid can resolve |
While help hasn't arrived, you don't stand still: you keep cooling (in the heat) or warming slowly (in the cold), keep the person lying down and protected, and give no liquid to anyone confused or drowsy. And make a mental note of the time it started and what you've already done — the medical team will ask, and that information speeds up the care.
One last principle, which sums up the whole guide: when in doubt between continuing the activity or stopping, stop. No trail, no class requirement, no scheduled time is worth more than a Pathfinder. Cutting the program short because of a bout of discomfort was never a shame — it was leadership.