Staying Warm in COLD Temps

"There is no such thing as bad weather, just bad preparation"

Humans are inherently not built for the cold. We do not have fur or any natural adaptations that allow us to literally freeze solid and wait the winter out like amphibians or insects. We do however, have the adaptation to use and carry items with us to deal with our needs. Dressing in layers can be a huge lifesaver. Follow the COLD acronym: Clean, Overlapping, Loose, and Dry. Avoid tight fitting clothing and footwear as this can limit blood flow and prevent dead air space within your clothing. Dress with a quality base layer made of merino wool, with multiple layers of insulating layers (wool sweater, fleece jacket, down puffy, etc), followed by an oversized winter jacket or rain shell. Make sure you size up as you put on layers so that everything stays loose and does not compress your insulation. If you heat up, you can remove layers, if you cool down, put more on. Always bring an extra base layer hiking just in case you do end up sweating, you can change your shirt! Bring a few extra insulative layers as well. Stay hydrated with water or warm, non-diuretic teas. Eat extra natural fats, and make sure to move around to get that blood flowing. Ask your friends how they are doing to make sure everyone is warm, and monitor for folks getting too cold! Wear good quality winter boots with thick winter socks. You may need to size up a bit on your boots to fit the socks, you do not want them to be tight.

Get out there and have fun, and remember that a few extra precautions can save your life!