Prevent Hypothermia and Frostbite on Winter Camping Trips

What is cold-related illness, and can it happen at a campsite?

The Korea Disease Control and Prevention Agency (KDCA) press release describes cold-related illness as illness where cold is the direct cause of harm to the body. Hypothermia affects the whole body, while frostbite and chilblains affect parts of it. Since 2013, the KDCA has run an emergency room surveillance system every year from December 1 to the end of February the next year, and as of December 1, 2025, 512 emergency medical institutions nationwide take part.

From December 1 to 28 of the 2025-2026 season, 106 cold-related illness patients were reported, with 3 deaths. Of these, 92.5% were hypothermia and 79.2% occurred outdoors. These statistics are based on emergency room reports nationwide, so the number that happened while camping is not given separately. Still, the fact that nearly eight in ten patients got sick outdoors is worth carrying over to camping, where you spend the night outside.

The KDCA National Health Information Portal lists among the people at risk of hypothermia infants and children, people with cardiovascular or cerebrovascular disease or high blood pressure, people who have taken alcohol or drugs, and people who spend long hours outdoors in the cold, such as hiking. If you camp as a family, check what children and older relatives are wearing first.

What should you watch for about hypothermia while camping?

The National Health Information Portal describes hypothermia as body temperature dropping below 35°C after long exposure to cold. When body temperature falls by just 0.5°C, muscles tense and shivering begins, and as it drops further, brain function declines, consciousness clouds, judgment worsens, and speech slurs. It also points out that it can become dangerous if the people around you do not notice.

Four items on the prevention side stand out.

• Wear several layers of clothing. Children and the frail and elderly should be sure to wear a hat and scarf.
• The armpits, head, and neck are where large blood vessels pass close to the heart and heat escapes quickly, so cover them especially.
• Change out of wet clothes into dry ones as soon as you can.
• Avoid strenuous exercise that makes you sweat in cold weather, because evaporating sweat takes heat from the body.

Carried over to camping, the moment you sit still to rest after a sweaty job such as washing dishes, stacking firewood, or setting up a tent overlaps with the risk. You can read it as a reminder to bring a change of clothes instead of leaving sweat-soaked underwear on.

The portal's winter hiking item also says to prepare a quick-dry shirt that wicks sweat, a cold-weather coat, a spare change of clothes, warm drinks, and high-calorie snacks such as chocolate. It adds that cotton pants and jeans absorb sweat but do not let it out, staying wet, so they are not suited to hiking. This standard is guidance for hiking, not a camping-specific one.

When you start shivering, it advises putting on a scarf and hat and crossing your arms so each elbow wraps the opposite armpit, to keep body heat from escaping.

Alcohol needs to be pointed out separately. The KDCA says to avoid alcohol and caffeinated drinks because they can sharply lower body temperature, and explains that warm water or sweet drinks help maintain body temperature. The press release says 21.3% of patients last season had been drinking, and that when you drink you do not notice your body temperature falling.

How do you prevent frostbite and chilblains in the feet and hands?

According to the National Health Information Portal, frostbite is a condition where part of the body freezes from cold, and it mainly affects the nose, ears, cheeks, chin, fingers, and toes. In the early stage there is almost no pain, so it is hard to notice, and when you go somewhere warm it can itch, feel cold, or bring stinging pain with red, swollen skin. Chilblains are a condition where the skin does not freeze but inflammation arises from blood vessel damage even at above-freezing temperatures.

Three factors are named as making it worse.

1. Tight shoes: they reduce circulation in the feet, and wearing them for more than an hour in the cold raises the risk of frostbite.
2. Too many thick socks: thick socks in tight shoes, plus sweat, raise the humidity inside the shoe.
3. Standing for a long time or sitting without moving: blood pools in the legs and can make it worse.

The prevention tips are to wear socks that wick sweat well and comfortable shoes, take off wet shoes right away to dry them, and keep moving often in the cold to help circulation. The same KDCA page recommends for children thin but warm socks that wick sweat and mittens instead of thick socks.

Carried over to camping, standing up now and then to move your toes and fingers when you have been sitting a long time by the campfire or in a chair falls under this. If your shoes got wet from snow or dew, taking them off in the tent to dry and putting on dry socks is the same idea. Choose shoes that are not tight, and check before you leave that layered socks are not squeezing your feet.

When frostbite is suspected, the National Health Information Portal says not to rub with snow or rub the area, and not to apply heat directly with a heating pad, lamp, or stove, because you can get burned. Going to the hospital comes first.

What should you check and pack before leaving?

Fitting the KDCA rules to a camping pack gives the table below. Only the content in the source column is official guidance; the camping applications in the what-to-check column are my adaptation of it.

Go over these items with your companions before you leave. Even with gear packed, if your body's condition changes from the cold, do not keep going with outdoor activity and ask for help.

What should you do if something feels wrong?

The KDCA press release advises seeing a doctor as soon as possible when cold-related illness symptoms appear. The National Health Information Portal says that if hypothermia is suspected, call 119 for help and move to a warm place or go to a hospital right away. The same source lists shivering, muscle tremors, slurred speech, and clouded judgment as early signs. For frostbite, it says a hospital visit comes first.

If you suspect hypothermia, such as clouded consciousness or slurred speech after cold exposure, do not wait for an ordinary medical consultation; call 119 for help right away. The National Health Information Portal describes hypothermia as an emergency that needs a hospital immediately.

If the color or sensation in your hands or feet changes and you suspect frostbite, do not wait because the pain is mild; get seen at a hospital. Also watch for changes in companions who are children, older adults, or have underlying conditions, and call 119 if the situation is urgent.