Dress For Success

There is no such thing as bad weather, just inadequate clothing. Dress right for what you are doing.

Thanks to high-tech fabrics, you can stay warm regardless of the weather. The key is layering. Materials now are made to be warm, to wick moisture but not be bulky. Even the thinnest materials these days are incredibly warm. Invest in good outdoor clothing. You can use it for multiple activities here or at home.

This advice is especially important for children. Children lose heat faster than adults do. Children have a larger head-to-body ratio than adults, making them more prone to heat loss through the head. Children may also ignore the cold because they’re having too much fun to think about it. They may not have the judgement to dress properly in cold weather or to get out of the cold when they should. This could apply to teenagers who want to be more fashion conscious than smart when dressing for cold weather.

Your first layer should be a wicking long-sleeved top, usually of soft mid-weight material that siphons sweat away before it cools you down. Forget cotton underwear and jeans. Cotton retains moisture. You can feel really cold wearing cotton of any variety. That especially goes for cotton socks. Cotton socks and ski boots or hiking boots are not meant for each other. Invest in a really good pair of socks. One pair of a polypropylene wool blend is all you need. You can use them anytime it’s cold. The only place layering is not good is on your feet. Additional socks will produce friction, causing your feet to get cold.

Your next layer is your warmth layer. Fleece is often a good choice but there are new materials that are very warm and not bulky. Cotton sweatshirts are not a good choice – avoid them.

• Your jacket or parka and pants must be of a water-resistant breathable fabric.
• If skiing, wear a helmet. A balaclava can be worn under your helmet for added warmth.
• If just outside playing, wear a fleece headband or hat.
• Cover your head, neck, and hands. These areas are most susceptible to heat loss. A great piece of clothing for warmth is a neck gaiter, a fleece tube that fits around the neck and can be pulled up to the mouth to keep out cold air and snow.
• Your footwear should be insulated, waterproofed boots or shoes.
• Use sunscreen that contains moisturizer. Apply the sunscreen on exposed skin such as neck, hands, and ears. (Sunscreen is only sunscreen for two years. After that the ability to chemically absorb UV rays is lost.)
• Use a lip balm that contains sunscreen and reapply every one to two hours to avoid chapped lips. Men are seven times more likely than women to develop lip cancer. Wearing lip balm cuts those chances by 50 percent.

Stay Warm, Be Protected

Don’t rely on temperature alone. Always check the wind-chill factor. If it is windy, it will feel colder than the thermometer reads. As the wind increases, heat is carried away from the body at a faster rate, driving the body temperature down. For example, if the temperature is 0 degrees, and the wind speed is 20 miles per hour, the wind chill makes it feel like it is minus 22 degrees. This is the wind chill factor.