Skin temperature, thermal comfort, sweating, clothing and activity of men sledging in Antarctica.

ABSTRACT

1. Three men were studied while dog-sledging 320 km in 12 days in Antarctica. Conventional Antarctic clothing (;sweaters and windproofs') was worn. Four hundred observations were made of medial thigh skin temperature, thermal comfort, sweating, clothing, activity and environmental conditions.2. Work occupied an average of 11.0 hr/day and sleep 7.5 hr. Estimated daily energy expenditure averaged 5100 kcal (range 2740-6660 kcal).3. Skin temperature fell on exposure to cold despite the clothing worn, but was not changed by the level of activity. Sweating, and thermal comfort, were directly related to both skin temperature and activity.4. Inside the tent, the modal value of skin temperature was 33 degrees C (range 27-36 degrees C) and the men were comfortable in 94% of observations.5. During the 9.2 hr/day spent outdoors the modal value of skin temperature was 27 degrees C (range 18-33 degrees C) and the men felt too cold (but did not shiver) in 11% (range 7-20%) of observations, suggesting that cold stress was not negligible. However, they also felt too hot in 20% of observations and were sweating in 23%.