Blowing Hot and Cold: Protecting Against Climatic Extremes (Souffler le chaud et le froid: comment se proteger contre les conditions climstiques extremes)

摘要

Exposure to heat and cold as well as the thermal stress induced by protective clothing strongly influences operational effectivity of the soldier. On 8-10 October 2001, NATO and Partner for Peace nationals met in Dresden Germany, to discuss the interaction between the climate, the clothing and equipment, and the physiology of the soldier in relation to its impact on the soldier's health and operational performance. 118 people participated in the meeting, originating from 20 countries, attending a total of 43 papers. Session topics were: 'Advances in clothing technology', advanced technology for heat stress mitigation', military benefits of physiological adaptation to heat and cold', and modelling monitoring and thermal limits'. A part from the military aspects also the spin-off of the research for civilians and emergency services was discussed and this was seen as an important application of the research findings. Other observed themes were: (1) The sharply increased use of manikins in clothing and threat (steam, fire) evaluation; (2) The successful development of personal cooling systems and the development of good evaluation methods; (3) The use of spacer materials in heat protection as well as for creating spacers in clothing through which air for active cooling can be provided; (4) The continued development of NBC protective clothing towards minimal heat stress; (5) The optimisation of heat and cold adaptation of soldiers before going on missions to respective areas; (6) The increase in successful use of models for prediction of heat and cold stress, survival time (hypothermia), frost bite risk, water requirements, clothing thermal performance, and for hypothesis testing in terms of the thermoregulatory system; (8) The development of new indices; for classification of physiological strain (heat and cold) and for the climate.