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Under which conditions would you survive longer?

If you fell out of a boat in a cold part of the Pacific and you were all bundled up, would it be better to keep your wet clothes on, or to get naked? From a hypothermia standpoint, not considering buoyancy or modesty.

Update:

@ Mel, well Im in Texas, so its not an imminent threat, but you never know.

5 Answers

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  • 1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    ok, so obviously by ruling out buoyancy you understand that if you were wearing lots of clothes and fell in they may very well drag you under, but lets ignore that for now.

    Heat loss wise it is much better to leave your clothes on. Although they will be wet they will limit the movement of water directly against your skin, and so although you will still loose heat by warming the water that forms the layer between your skin and your clothes, this will not expend nearly as much heat energy as your body trying to heat the entire ocean.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Fantastic question, had to think about that a little bit. It would probably be best to keep your clothes on, because then even if your clothes are soaked through, less water is directly touching your skin than if you were naked. Also, there's a greater chance of your body heat being contained in your clothes. Why? Do you plan on falling into the pacific any time soon?

  • 4 years ago

    nicely, once you talk that those with the poofy outfits have been those with money, showers weren't invented, and demanding exertions became for the peasants, i ought to final an prolonged time. yet then there wasn't any discomfort medicine, air con, and human beings purely lived to their 40's. So i might final a pair of week

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    I don't think it would make much of a difference either way, getting to land or a ship would be the only way you survive more than a very short time.

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  • 1 decade ago

    keep your clothes on

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