Winter sports and activities can be a lot of fun. It is a splendid time of the year when it seems that you are enveloped in the pristine whiteness of the snow. But it’s also a dangerous time of year for the outdoor adventurer. One has to stay warm to stay safe and enjoy this time of year. The essence of staying warm in the winter is having the right layers of clothing and knowing how to use them effectively. Here are some tips.

dress in layers

Our body loses heat through conduction, convection, evaporation, radiation, and perspiration. As activity levels increase, so does the heat produced in our bodies, and vice versa. Therefore, it becomes important to insulate our body to keep warm and this is done using the layering technique. When we layer our clothing, we ensure that there is enough dead air space (defined as any enclosed unit of air that is small enough that natural convection currents do not arise in it), that layer by layer can be shed. layer. , to balance the heat levels of your body. So while you should dress warm, you should also dress in layers to be prepared for changes in body temperature.

As the old adage goes, if your toes are cold, put on a hat.

You can lose up to 70% of your body heat through your head, so hats are essential for any winter activity. You may even need to get a face mask if you are at risk of high wind conditions and are susceptible to face frostbite.

put your hands in gloves

Mittens are considered warmer than gloves, since the fingers can keep each other warm instead of being isolated in the fingers of the glove. Here, too, you can apply the principle of layering by using an inner mitt and an outer layer. However, gloves are also essential, especially the waterproof variety, as several winter activities require a certain amount of dexterity, which mittens cannot provide.

cover your feet with socks

Wear several layers of socks starting with thin polypropylene-lined socks, which will keep your feet dry, followed by a layer or two of wool or wool-nylon blend socks. The outer layer of the socks must be large enough to accommodate the inner layers.

Wear a waterproof outer layer

While it would be ideal to have a waterproof outer shell, it is essential that the outer layer of clothing be windproof and at least waterproof. In addition, the garment must be able to ventilate. So sometimes it’s a compromise between the amount of ‘waterproofness’ you want and the ability to ventilate. Ventilation is important because a fully waterproof item will trap water moving through the other layers, adding weight and causing some heat loss.