It's all a bit of a blur now but i think i'm to blame there.
My point all along was that gram for gram a decent insulation layer would be a better option if hypothermia is a worry on a unexpected night on a mountainside.
If it's cold wet day out in the hills then i'm usually wearing a baselayer, a mid layer fleece and i'll have a waterproof jacket and trousers with me.
For stops possible emergencies i will throw in a down pullover in as well as my usual FAK, emergency bivvy bag etc.
I'm confident that if i wear my baselayer, fleece, down jacket and waterproof jacket i won't be cold even at -5c.
-10c i might need to do some star jumps, sit ups etc to get the blood flowing and warm up me up.
I'm not confident that a cup of tea would see me through a night of -5c temps IF i replaced my down jacket with a stove, fuel, lighter, tea bags/coffee and water.
The is also the question that IF an emergency occurred that necessitated a unexpected night on the mountainside, if i replaced my down jacket with a stove etc would i have the dexterity to light it, would i want to leave the shelter of my bivvy bag to boil the water and more importantly COULD i boil the water outside the shelter of my bivvy bag.
Might sound far fetched but i've had it before where the weather was THAT bad i couldn't get my trangia to light even after taking shelter in a natural cove.
I don't think anyone is disagreeing that given the choice between spending a unexpected night out with a cuppa, or a unexpected night out without a cuppa, a cuppa of anything warm would be grand, no if's but's or maybe's.
In my eyes the disagreement is over the fact that it's a risky plan to RELY on a cuppa to get through a cold wet night.
Far better to have enough insulation with you.
The side disagreement is even IF you chose to rely on a cuppa to get you through the night, can you find the water, fuel to make one, and even IF you have the fuel/water do you have the dexterity?
