Why Extreme Heat is Nature's Stealthiest Killer

Out Alive from Backpacker

Louisa Albanese

Places & Travel, Sports, Society & Culture

4.6 • 1.2K Ratings

🗓️ 16 August 2023

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

When we anticipate encountering bears, we come equipped with bear spray and knowledge of how to act. In avalanche terrain, we know to pack our beacon, shovel, and probe. Yet we tend to overestimate the danger of a bear attack. But when it comes to the most deadly natural hazard, heat, our readiness often wavers. Why do we consistently underestimate such a palpable threat, and what are the cognitive mechanisms at play? In this deep-dive episode, Dr. Peter Howe’s groundbreaking research reveals a startling truth. Join us as we venture into one of the hottest places on earth, Death Valley National Park. Our special guests, a climate researcher and a seasoned representative from the park, offer life-saving advice on navigating and staying safe in extreme heat conditions. The temperatures are rising, and our awareness should be, too.

Transcript

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0:00.0	Out-alive is made possible by Outside Plus subscribers.
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0:12.1	Browse gear reviews, training plans, travel guides, videos, and the survival stories you
0:17.1	love.
0:18.1	Download the Outside Plus app now from the App Store and use your Outside Plus login to
0:23.6	get started.
0:25.1	The One subscription to fuel all your adventures.
0:33.8	The headlines this summer have been undeniably bleak when it comes to the death toll surrounding
0:39.0	hikers and the extreme heat.
0:41.8	Two women were found in Valley of Fire State Park.
0:45.2	Jessica Rhodes, age 34, a regular at her local gym and athlete and her companion, 29-year-old
0:52.2	Diana Rivera.
0:54.1	Both women were medical professionals.
0:56.8	Rhodes was found a quarter mile away from her car.
1:00.8	In another incident earlier this summer at Big Ben's National Park, a stepfather was
1:06.0	hiking with his two step sons, ages 14 and 21.
1:10.6	They all lived in Orlando, Florida, so not on a custom to heat, but perhaps misjudged
1:16.1	the strenuous 14-mile loop where summer temperatures often exceed 110 degrees Fahrenheit, and
1:23.0	there is no shade or water.
1:25.5	The 14-year-old showed signs of illness, eventually losing consciousness.
1:30.4	His stepfather left the boys and went back to their vehicle to drive for help.
1:35.9	After Park Rangers found the body of the 14-year-old, the father was also found dead in their
	...

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