What is the hottest survivable weather

[jyl]

Question from my son: dad, what is the hottest weather a person can survive?

I told him I thought it depended on whether the body could keep it's temp to normal 98.5F, and the body stays cool by evaporation (perspiring) so if you have unlimited water to drink and soak your head etc, you could survive even 130F for an extended time. But if water runs out, then anything much over 100F would be fatal in a couple days, I mean long before thirst alone would kill you.

Right? Wrong? Docs?

[WilsonTC]

Wikipedia is your friend:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperthermia

[Porsche-O-Phile]

That link deals mostly with core body temperature, not external (weather) temperatures.

I'd think it's probably around 130-ish but that's a guesstimate. A lot probably depends on an individual person's metabolism, physical condition, access to water/shade, etc. But I'd think an "average" person could probably stand around 130 (albeit quite uncomfortably) assuming they had enough water and weren't trying to perform strenuous exercise, etc.

[WilsonTC]

Well...I think it's saying doesn't matter what the external temp is. It's your core temp that's critical. Depending on body mass and amount of water consumed, I imagine some folks thermometer will pop out quicker than others.

[RWebb]

depends

on how long
individual variation
access to water

the env'l variables can all be subsumed in a effective operative temperature that is a F() air temp. substrate temp & contact area, absolute humidity, LW & SW radiative inputs & wind....

this is NOT a simple question...

[doug_porsche]

Rweb is correct.

I read that the same potentially deadly stuff that grows inside you with a fervor of 106 can happen if you spend extended time in a 106 deg+ envelopment.

same article also said that its possible to die of hypothermia in 50 deg weather with a slight breeze, wearing wet blue jeans and a wet tee shirt, if exposed long enough.

[Tobra]

Depends on age, physical condition, attire, hydration. Pretty sure they but some of those special forces guys through some pretty rigorous extremes, they water board them and freeze them, I bet they cook 'em a bit too.

I remember watching the SEAL guys off the beach playing with their telephone poles in February, which on a scale of 1 to sucking bad would pretty much suck bad.

[m21sniper]

No ****, i was in the infantry which is way up on the sucking scale some days, but its nothing like that crazy pole humping those poor seal bastards do.

[TimT]

I worked in the Sinai for a couple of years...hmm doing something for the government

In the summer used to get over 115-120... but it was dry heat... somedays the thermometers pegged or went off scale..

We worked 6/10s minimum

I survived but there was always an ample supply of fresh water available

[M.D. Holloway]

The first summer in Tejas it was 100+ for 75 dyas - never went below 100. The human body can withstand 240F for a few hours.

[slodave]

Check out the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Badwater_Ultramarathon

135 miles, run in July when temps are 102+ in the shade.

[Tobra]

That Western States 100 ultramarathon is pretty brutal too. Worked one of the aid stations a few times on that, had to sit a few people down due to dehydration. We weighed them, if they lost too much on any interval, they were done.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Western_States_100

[Bill Douglas]

On the way to the Greek islands it was 115F in Athens. A bit hot for me. Good beer drinking weather though.

[HHI944]

120ish, wearing Interceptor armor in a Hummer that essentially becomes one big f'ing oven on wheels.

I know a guy that's done Badwater more times than I can count. Crazy basterd, works for a NASA contractor. The most I've done was a 50k trail run in NC. That ***** sucked.

[David]

The hottest I've felt was 145F a couple feet from a boiler that was missing some insulation. You couldn't stand there, you had to run past it.

[71T Targa]

Finnish Sauna's can be over 200F. US Sauna's are limited to 194F by UL standards.

[m21sniper]

115F at NTC in MOPP4.

Welcome to Hell.

[rfloz]

I saw 135 at National Guard summer camp at Ft. Irwin, CA (north of Barstow, not far from Death Valley) in 1966 or 67. This was the only time I ever saw all duty canceled.

We had several heat sickness cases. You would feel faint trying to walk 20 yards or so to the mess tent. Damn hot. I doubt you could survive long at that temperature sans water and shade.

My nephew has been to Iraq twice. He tells me it gets over 130 there in the summer.

[red-beard]

126 in central Pakistan. The entire month, it was over 120 every day. You had to wear long sleeves and gloves walking around the plant, since the metal handrails would get hot enough to burn.

[gassy]

It's generally about 140 in my pants.