How did Han keep Luke alive on Hoth?

Although Han Solo managed to reach Luke Skywalker in time to save him on Hoth in THE EMPIRE STRIKES BACK, it wasn't until the next morning that a Rebel Snowspeeder came to take them back to Echo Base. Han was able to prevent Luke from freezing to death by stuffing him into the carcass of Han's dead Tauntaun, but even without the severe cold, Luke had some serious injuries from his encounter with the Wampa. I'm not sure what the extent of Han's medical knowledge was, but how did he manage to keep Luke alive under those conditions?

 

At worst, Luke had a mild concussion, a fairly bad set of lacerations, and some exposure. Han came out on Tauntaun and probably had a first aide kit with him, enough to keep Luke alive until he could be dumped in bacta. To combat the freezing cold before the shelter was up and to make sure Luke's exposure didn't get any worse, the still-warm innards of the tauntaun would help a great deal. After the did cool down (probably wouldn't take long on Hoth), the tauntaun still provided one hell of a fur coat. Once inside the shelter, first aide/warmth would be easier.

 

I always think of "Freddy Got Fingered" when he had the roadkill wrapped over him...

 

He gave him a tender, loving, night-long manly massage to keep him warm

 

Thermal wraps and medical stims kept Luke stable (and, eventually, concious)

Of interest may be this excerpt from the ESB Radio Drama (though I've adpated some things so it's not 100% word-for-word, but probably 97% accurate)



INT. HOTH - SHELTER - NIGHT

A muted howling of wind can be heard from inside the shelter.

Han: (into comlink) This is Solo to base, Solo to base.

He only receives static in response.

Han: (into comlink) (cont?d) Command center, I don?t know if you can read me, but I?ve got Luke. He?s alive, but my tauntaun?s down for good. We?re in an emergency shelter. Do you copy?

More static replies.

Han: (into comlink) (cont?d) The storm?s kicking up pretty bad. I don?t know if this hut can take it. Just do your best for us, you guys.

LUKE begins to stir, the groans. HAN shuts off the comlink.

Luke: Han?
Han: Lay quiet, Luke; There?s not much room in here.
Luke: Han, I can?t see!
Han: You?re snowblind, Luke. But it?ll pass. We?ll get you taken care of soon, I promise. And keep that thermal wrap around you.
Luke: Han (laughs) It would be you. How?d you find me?
Han: Snoozing in the snow, that?s how I found you.
Luke: Nice going. You have some sense of timing. Where are we?
Han: Emergency shelter, north side of the glacier field.
Luke: You think this thing will hold up?
Han: Well, I?m sort of hoping for the best, buddy.
Luke: We picked a great time to field-test it, huh?
Han: Perfect. How you feeling?
Luke: Oh, terrific. How?d you get here?
Han: Tauntaun. Wasn?t any other way. She didn?t make it though.
Luke: So we?re here until the weather breaks?
Han: That?s about it.
Luke: Can?t feel much.
Han: Aw, you?re gonna be okay. There?s not a lot more I can do for you with the med-kit, but they?ll put you through nerve-therapy, dunk you in a bacta tank, and you?ll be as good as-
Luke: Too bad the nearest one is a couple kilometers away through a blizzard.
Han: No more talking like that! You?re gonna make it, y?hear? What happened to your face anyways? You look like you walked through a turboprop.
Luke: An ice creature of some kind. It jumped me on the ridge and killed my mount.
Han: I hope you killed it right back.
Luke: It seemed like the right thing to do at the time but- (sniffs) What smells so bad in here?
Han: You. You spent a little time inside my tauntaun while I was having a house-raising party.
Luke: I guess you can cancel all my social engagements for the evening.
Han: You were mumbling about Ben when I found you.
Luke: I went through strange dreams, or a hallucination or- something. I?m not sure exactly what happened to me, Han.
Han: Don?t let it throw you.
Luke: What?s your excuse this time?
Han: Huh? For what?
Luke: Coming out after me. I guess you can?t claim it was for money this time.
Han: I?ll figure something out.
Luke: I bet you will. Y?know, when General Rieekan told me the boss was killed off Derra IV, and told me that I?m a squadron commander now-
Han: Yeah?
Luke: It hit me kind of hard.
Han: Yeah, I noticed.
Luke: Yeah, and I walked away, to come out on this patrol, without remembering to say good-bye to Leia. I wish I?d gotten to say good-bye to her, Han.
Han: I?ve got an idea, pal: Why don?t you just settle down and relax? The shelter?s gonna hold and tommorow- you can say hello to her instead.


INT. HOTH - SHELTER - DAWN

HAN continues to try the comlink for a response. The storm has stopped outside.

Han: (into comlink) Echo Base, this is Solo. Is everybody taking a nap back there?
Luke: Yelling into the comlink won?t help Han. Why don?t you try choking it?
Han: Give it a rest, will ya? I?m trying to hitch us a ride here.

The shelter creaks.

Luke: Right. I?ll need all my strength when this shelter caves in on us from the weight of all that ice.
Han: Look, I don?t need you to depress me. I can depress myself. At least the door is still clear. (into comlink) Solo to base. Are you guys really looking for us, or are we just kind of a hobby?
Luke: (groans)
Han: You alright?
Luke: No, I?m not. I think I?ll as

 

"...until I get the shelter built."

He built a shelter from a kit.

 

or, depending one which version of the film you're watching..

"...until I get the shelter up."

:

 

Yes!! Freddy got fingered is in my mind as well!!

 

Date Posted: 4:26pm Subject: RE: How did Han keep Luke alive on Hoth?
or, depending one which version of the film you're watching..

"...until I get the shelter up."

Of course.

 

He used Lukes lightsaber to cut open his TaunTaun and placed Luke inside of his TaunTaun.

 

I always wondered where the shelter was. I knew both of them could go inside a nice frozen Tauntaun.

 

You can see the shelter when Han waves down the snowspeeder.