Cold fingers

Ucsdryder

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Had to take my gloves off yesterday in single digit weather. When I finally got them back on they were numb. Then as they warmed they hurt…I think we’ve all been there, done that. What’s weird is that today they are tender! Just the tips of 3 of them that were cold. I’ve never had that happen before, the next day. If I press them against something it hurts and they’re super sensitive to hot or cold water! Has anybody else done something similar?
 

svivian

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Unfortunately many times especially fly fishing the dead of winter. A few of my fingers are permanently damaged.
 

svivian

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That was my question. Is it a sign of more significant damage?
The pads of a few fingertips have lost the feel of touch completely it took about a week before i noticed the first time it happened.

I keep a set of hot hands in my pack lid and fishing fanny pack now for this reason.
 
OP
Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

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Gloves are inferior to mitts. Mitts provide a much warmer environment. A set of hot hands is also helpful.
Yeah my first lite mitts were great. But then I took them off trying to get my 12 year old set up on some elk.

I assume it’s temporary. I guess it would have been safer to stay home and play video games…
 
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I fell in the water duck hunting once. Was 15-20 degrees that morning, don’t remember exactly. Was putting out the decoys and tripped over a submerged stump while fetching one that was floating away. We were in a slough about 700 yds away from my buddy’s cabin with about 15 minutes to shooting light. I tried to grind it out through first light so we could shoot a few before they took me back to change. I made it about 30 minutes into shooting light and started panicking I was so cold. I was mildly uncomfortable for bit then it switched to straight up scary cold. Had them take me back to change and went back out. I still haven’t warmed up from that day. That was 6 years ago…


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Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

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I fell in the water duck hunting once. Was 15-20 degrees that morning, don’t remember exactly. Was putting out the decoys tripped over a submerged stump while fetching one that was floating away. We were in a slough about 700 yds away from my buddy’s cabin with about 15 minutes to shooting light. I tried to grind it out through first light so we could shoot a few before they took me back to change. I made it about 30 minutes into shooting light and started panicking I was so cold. I was mildly uncomfortable for bit then it switched to straight up scary cold. Had them take me back to change and went back out. I still haven’t warmed up from that day. That was 6 years ago…


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I remember duck hunting as a youth and absolutely freezing my ass off most days! My feet were always cold!
 

TSAMP

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I purchased a zippo rechargeable hand warmer this year, mostly because I don't wear gloves archery hunting, also because i was tired of tossing the hot hands away. It's gotten a ton of use. It charges in my truck and is always ready to rock. It does have a bit of weight but it's nice. I think for your scenario it'd of been great to get your hands back warm quick.

I think I paid 25 bucks. It lasted me 4 hours on medium.
 
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I remember duck hunting as a youth and absolutely freezing my ass off most days! My feet were always cold!

Yea feet suck but my hands are the worst. I used to never wear gloves or use hand warners. Didnt bother me a bit. Ever since that day, my hands get cold way easier and after a while they will lock up on me. Getting that cold did something to my body its really strange.


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Potentially nerve damage? My feet got pretty beat up a few years ago during a late season hunt. My boots leaked and I was standing in wet snow all day for a few days. Had to thaw my boots out with a warm Nalgene to put them on in the mornings. Cold feet is an understatement. They haven't been the same since and get real cold, real quick. Not sure if it will ever go away.
 

Tod osier

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Had to take my gloves off yesterday in single digit weather. When I finally got them back on they were numb. Then as they warmed they hurt…I think we’ve all been there, done that. What’s weird is that today they are tender! Just the tips of 3 of them that were cold. I’ve never had that happen before, the next day. If I press them against something it hurts and they’re super sensitive to hot or cold water! Has anybody else done something similar?

Yes, in my experience they will be fine in a day. I have had the same thing several times.

Since everyone is sharing their experience, my hands used to never get painfully cold, even around water in the teens or single duck hunting. They got cold, but warmed up fast. As I age, my fingers get cold like you explain at times. Some days without gloves if it is damp and 40 other days (like this morning) 25 and windy without gloves. Some days the same conditions nothing, but once it starts they stay cold. There is some trigger I don't understand. I'm typing now and a thumb nail feels like it has pressure under it and it wants to pop off. Will be fine.
 

7mm-08

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My Dad was a part-time school bus driver in the 60's. He was always in a hurry because he worked three jobs at the same time trying his best to make ends meet for our family. One morning during the winter and in -20F weather while on the way to school with a busload of kids, he came upon a lady (a school teacher we knew because everybody knew everybody where I grew up) stuck in a snowbank. Well, he proceeded to pull her out with a chain she had in the trunk of her car WITH NO GLOVES (see first sentence). He later told me that he believed he froze his hands because when he got done, he had to let one of the older teenagers drive the bus to school to drop off the kids because he was unable to move his hands or feel anything - for that entire day. This happened when he was in his 30's and he was the tough (read that "economically challenged") guy who didn't go to the doctor. This incident impacted his ability to do anything with his hands in subfreezing weather from that day forward. I recall that the skin on his hands was so adversely impacted that any little bump caused a huge blood blister to form for the rest of his life.

Moral of the (long and tortured) story - respect the cold with your extremities.

Hope you recover soon.
 
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Ucsdryder

Ucsdryder

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My Dad was a part-time school bus driver in the 60's. He was always in a hurry because he worked three jobs at the same time trying his best to make ends meet for our family. One morning during the winter and in -20F weather while on the way to school with a busload of kids, he came upon a lady (a school teacher we knew because everybody knew everybody where I grew up) stuck in a snowbank. Well, he proceeded to pull her out with a chain she had in the trunk of her car WITH NO GLOVES (see first sentence). He later told me that he believed he froze his hands because when he got done, he had to let one of the older teenagers drive the bus to school to drop off the kids because he was unable to move his hands or feel anything - for that entire day. This happened when he was in his 30's and he was the tough (read that "economically challenged") guy who didn't go to the doctor. This incident impacted his ability to do anything with his hands in subfreezing weather from that day forward. I recall that the skin on his hands was so adversely impacted that any little bump caused a huge blood blister to form for the rest of his life.

Moral of the (long and tortured) story - respect the cold with your extremities.

Hope you recover soon.
Pretty positive our dads and granddads were way tougher than us. Fingers are still tender to temperatures but not to pressure.
 
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Sounds like mild frostbite or "frostnip" as I've sometimes heard it called. I've had similar experiences a few times with my fingers or toes going numb then feeling sore for a day or two after a night of fish gigging in winter.
 

rclouse79

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Dec 10, 2019
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I stayed out too long ice fishing and had similar symptoms. A week or so later the skin peeled off my finger tips.
Now when I leave the truck I open two or three packets of hand warmers and throw them in my pockets. That lets you warm your hands up quick.
 

pewpew69

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Jun 20, 2023
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Sounds like frostnip. Had it happen to my toes skiing with wet socks. I was afraid they'd never go back to normal. They all did within one week except one, but a month or so later it went back to normal (or maybe I stopped noticing the numbness LOL)
 
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I spent the 70s and 80s trapping beaver without gloves during the winter in Montana. My hands always beamed off heat. Something happened when I turned 60. My trigger finger now gets cold before the rest but now my hands need to be in mitts to survive. I don't think there is a solution short of removing my memory of having warm hands.
 
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I have had numbness and tenderness that lasted a few days. I think you'll be fine. My billing department will contact you by PM.
 
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