Keeping warm while camping or hunting can be a serious matter of survival. When you are cold, not only do you become clumsy and can fall because you muscles don't work properly but you can slip easily into hypothermia which will cause you to make mistakes because your thinking processes slow down, you start making bad decisions which can lead you into trouble and if you are not treated you can easily die. The first thing to remember is to prepare properly before you start. Make sure you take a coat or warm clothing with you even if you expect the weater to be fine, or you will be out for only a day. Especially remember to take a wooly cap and warm socks. A hat and socks worn at night adds considerably to your warmth.
Do whatever you can not to get wet. Being wet, especially if there is a breeze blowing can lower your body temperature quickly and fatally.
If you have to, take off your outer wear if it is raining and place it in a plastic bag or tarp while keping active and when it stops raining put on the dry clothing again.
When camping, make sure you take a good foam camping mat with you. If you are camping for the first time, try this experiment: try to sleep half the night just in your sleeping bag on the ground or in your tent, then try sleeping in your bag on a camping mat. The difference is incredible. The ground sucks the heat out of you.
If your hiking/hunting partner starts to show signs of hypothermia, you must act quickly to bring up his/her body temperature.
Signs of hypothermia include: shivering violently, slurring speach, stilted movements and making poor decisions.
Treatment includes sleeping close to your parner skin to skin (as long as you are not also at risk of hypothermia), getting them to a warm environment and giving them warm drinks.
Do not give them alcohol.
I have nearly died of hypothermia and have learnt over the years how to recognise the signs in myself but a beginner may not be able to.
The best defense is to not be at risk in the first place. Be prepared for emergencies.
