Dressing for Cold Weather Activities

When the temperatures drop and the days grow shorter, it’s a time for many of us to head indoors and enjoy the warm comforts of a cozy home. We accept that our bodies weren’t designed to withstand howling winds and waist deep snow. Yet, those who choose to stay inside during the winter months miss out on their favorite outdoor areas being transformed into playgrounds of a magic white carpet. The summer crowds are often absent and you’re left to explore with only the soft crunch of snow beneath your feet.

However, the one aspect that can make or break an outdoor, winter adventure is how you and your family dress. Without enough or the wrong types of clothing, a simple trip for some crisp winter air can turn disastrous. Or, if you layer on too much clothing, your family might look like poor Ralphie’s little brother in A Christmas Story, so bundled up that he can barely make it out the front door much less enjoy all that a snowy day has to offer.

So here are the basics to dressing properly for activities during cold, snowy weather. The most important concept in dressing for any activity, winter or otherwise, is layering. The outdoor clothing company, Patagonia, is credited as one of the first to push the modern idea of layering. By layering, the amount of warm air that escapes is minimized while giving you the option to take off or add layers as needed. Layering includes three basics parts: the base layer, the insulating layer and the outer layer. In proper combination, these three layers will keep you and your family warm and dry through any activity.

The first part to layering is the base layer. This is the layer that is in contact with your body and includes underwear, shirts and socks. The more aerobic the activity, the more important this base layer becomes. As you exert yourself, your body naturally sweats to cool itself off. The more you sweat, the more you need this base layer to pull that sweat, or “wick” the sweat, away from your body. If this sweat isn’t pulled away from your skin, when you slow down during your activity, your body will become chilled from the moisture and will quickly lose warmth. The best clothing materials to accomplish this “wicking” is a polypropylene material. Polypropylene, or many other synthetic materials, pull the sweat away from your skin and let it evaporate quickly, keeping the material, as well as you, dry and warm. This is especially important for children as they often sporadically alternate between high activity levels and low activity levels. If their base layer is dry, then they will stay warm.

Unfortunately, cotton, the one material most of us have plenty of, can be disastrous as a base layer in cold, outdoor activities. Although cotton “wicks” away sweat, it does not allow that sweat to evaporate quickly, thus keeping cool moisture close to your body. Almost all outdoor retailers sell some variety of synthetic base layers. There are many options out there that consider the activity level and temperature you expect to be wearing the layers in. However, as long as it is made of a material that keeps the sweat away from your body, you’ll be fine. Any lack of warmth in the base layer can be made up for in the next layer, the insulating layer.

The second part to layering is the insulating layer. As the name suggests, this is the layer that is primarily responsible for keeping the warmth your body emits. When looking for a good insulating layer, the more air that the layer traps, the warmer it will be since air is a very good insulator. Materials such as down and fleeces are good insulating layers because they hold a lot of air and transfer heat very slowly. The one thing to keep in mind when picking an insulating layer is the aerobic level of your activity. Since your body produces heat, if you’re engaging in a high level of activity, say snowshoeing, the less the insulating layer needs to be. But, if you’re going to be doing a lot of standing around, your body will produce less heat and will need more of an insulating layer. Finding the right amount of insulating layer for your desired activity will insure that you stay warm without restricting your movement.

The final part to layering is the outer layer. This is the layer that has contact with the elements and should be windproof and most likely waterproof. It is important that the outer layer is windproof because this will stop a cold wind from penetrating your layers and taking all that warm air away that your body has created. Most waterproof clothing today is made out of some variation of GoreTex, which is windproof and breathable. Having a breathable outer layer allows the moisture that is “wicked” from your skin and pulled through the insulating layer to pass through outer layer as well. A good outer layer will keep your insulating layer dry and allow it to do its own job.

These are the basic principals of layering to stay warm during outdoor, winter activities. The amount and combination of the three layers will depend on you and your personal situation. But by following these basic guidelines you’ll be able to enjoy all that the winter season has to offer. Don’t forget to wear a hat!

Note: Patagonia offers a recycling program for old, worn out layers of all types and brands. You can drop off your old layers at any Patagonia store or service center. To learn more visit Patagonia’s website at www.patagonia.com

Written by Kyle Barker
Kyle Barker has been working with Avid4 Adventure since the summer of 2007. He draws upon a lifetime of outdoor experiences for his writing and tries to promote a positive relationship between people and their surrounding environments.