Sergey Ananov: Two days on ice with three polar bears

Re:Sergey Ananov: Two days on ice with three polar bears by ColinWright on Friday September 18, 2015 @12:45PM (#10240225)

I've worn a survival suit. They are reasonably well insulated, and proof against wind and water. Having got the excess water out of it, the remaining water will warm up and act as further insulation against losing heat through conduction. The clothing under the suit holds the water, so you don't lose heat by convection, and the suit is a rubberized fabric, so it doesn't lose heat by radiation.

Wearing it gives him a chance. Without it he would lose heat by all three methods, and probably die in a few hours.

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Re:Sergey Ananov: Two days on ice with three polar bears by gnufrra on Friday September 18, 2015 @12:51PM (#10240267)

I have never seen a survival suit. But you mention convection. I wear a wetsuit while surfing in Western Canada (Tofino, BC). So if the suit traps water than it probably start acting like a wetsuit[1] .

[1] http://ffden-2.phys.uaf.edu/212_spring2011.web.dir/nicole_wa...

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Re:Sergey Ananov: Two days on ice with three polar bears by ColinWright on Friday September 18, 2015 @01:03PM (#10240360)

Exactly so, but a survival suit is intended to be a dry suit (when used properly) so the mechanism is not identical. However, when water does get inside, it heats up, gets held in place by your regular clothing underneath, and then the suit acts like a hybrid.

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