I have seen so many people out at protests recently who are clearly New. This is WONDERFUL. It genuinely warms my heart to see Minnesotans turning out to protest the injustice and illegality that the federal occupation is perpetuating in the Twin Cities and the larger state.
That being said, it's been really fucking cold lately, and during last Friday's Day of Truth and Freedom activities, we had a temperature of 9* F and a real-feel (with windchill) of -20* F or so. There's a freaking EXTREME COLD WATCH. Minnesotans talk a big game about being used to the cold – and we are – but these are the kind of temps that smart Minnesotans try not to go out in.
Unfortunately, doing the just and good thing isn't always smart.
SO. If you are turning out for cold weather activities, how do you make sure that you can stay warm enough to remain effective? How do you make sure you recover as quickly as possible, so you can get up and do it again?
First off, my bona fides --
I've lived in Minnesota since I was a kid. You know those days where the sky is BLUE BLUE BLUE and the snowglare is bright and it's really freaking cold? Those are my favorite days. I enjoy a lot of cross-country skiing, winter biking, and hockey, although pond hockey isn't really feasible as a regular thing in the Cities anymore. I've done some winter hammock camping, and I've spent a lot of time volunteering to sit in parking lots during the Winter Carnival and the Holidazzle for youth fundraising. That last is actually the most relevant probably – moving and doing things helps keep you warm, but sitting in a parking lot and making change as folks pay to park there leaves you exposed to a LOT of wind.
What To Wear
Dressing for extreme cold is about two things -- keeping the warmth IN and the wind OUT.
You've probably heard about layering, but it's KEY. You want the air to be trapped in the fabric of your layers, and between them. You also want the location of seams – places where your warm air can ESCAPE – to be varied. When I say seams, I don't mean the specific ones on your clothes – I mean the places where one item of clothing ends and another begins. Overlapping them – tucking a long shirt into pants, long underwear into socks etc – is a good start, but ideally you want to vary them so there's no single point where something can get dislodged and let in the cold.
So, let's start from the skin out.
Anything close to your skin -- underwear, base layer, first socks, etc -- should be a moisture-wicking material. Moisture-wicking fabrics help with keeping the warmth in, because they move your sweat OFF your skin, which is one of the key ways your body tries to cool you. (See Evaporative Cooling for more info.) This means either a synthetic fabric intended for this purpose or wool. I prefer wool, but that's more about my laundry preferences than a factor of warmth. Silk is another pretty good option for natural fiber base layers. Do not forget your socks!! Start out with a thin pair, put the thicker ones on second. If you're a toe-sock person, put these on as a liner. Same thing with your hands -- start out with thin liner gloves (with the fingers).
Example Base Layers:
- wool tights
- wool base layer pants
- wool long-sleeved top
- athletic turtleneck
- Smartwool dress socks
- thinner summer hiking socks
Next, you want something to keep the warmth in. A sweater. A jumpsuit. Something. Ideally also wool, or some other warm material. Pile those layers on. If you're too warm indoors, that's a good sign -- but this is also why I put the top layers on right before I leave the house, and wander around the house in my base layers. Put on those heavier socks you stole from your dad/boyfriend/Bigfoot as a second layer. Put on a pair of mittens over those gloves.
For your outer shell, you want something that is WIND-PROOF. If all of your jackets are puffer-jackets, consider throwing a wind-breaker or rain-coat over the top. Puffers are great for warmth, but you lose heat to the wind. Wind-proof outer layer includes YOUR SHOES and your HANDS. If you have shoes or boots with mesh anywhere - cover them up. You can get boot-gaiters, but in a pinch -- duct tape. Hands are a little trickier, but again, look for a hard-shell fabric in your mittens, keep them primarily in your pockets, something. Make your sign a placard and hang it over your shoulders, rather than hold it up.
You'll note I have not talked about your head yet. That's because the head gets its own special little section.
People don't like not being able to see. They don't like not being able to turn their head easily to see. These are important things, but your should NOT sacrifice safety for them.
Start out with a balaclava or buff -- something that covers the neck and the jaw/ears. Layer over a scarf or something to cover your mouth and nose. I frequently wear a medical face-mask under my heavy winter buff. This is because we want the air coming into your lungs to be as warm as possible. We want the cold air OFF your skin.
Cover that skin up!!!! Any skin that's still exposed to the cold air, you need to cover it up with something like Vaseline or another wax-heavy balm (I like Warm Skin!). These act as a layer to protect your exposed skin from wind-burn, frostbite.
Similar to your skin, at extreme cold temps, you need to protect your EYES. This is why you see folks with ski goggles. They create a little pocket of warmth so your eyeballs aren't raw-dogging the cold, dry air. In a pinch, large sunglasses or PPE goggles DO help.
Put a hat over your damn head. Your head is one of the primary places warmth leaves. Then put your hood over that hat. Hood alone is not enough.
So. Now you look like the Abominable Snow Friend. But you are very warm. :D
What About Hot Hands?
Love these. But you want to be strategic in your placement. Put them on TOP of your toes in your boots, not on the bottom. Walking is awkward on the bottom, unless they're the type that specifically stick to the footbed. I also like to use an ace bandage and wrap these to my knees, because I've biffed a lot of spins trying to figure skate, and my knees get cold fast. You can also duct tape them to a layer -- most hot-hands type chemical hand warmer are optimized for long-lasting, all-day heat, so you can tape them on to a key place -- shoulders, thighs, whatever -- before you go out.
Before And After You Go Out
Being cold takes a lot of energy. You want to eat before you go out in it, and probably when you come back in. Protein, fat, carbs. Spaghetti is a classic jock pre-game food for a reason. Also, HYDRATE. You're going to sweat and have no idea.
