How did you do with your outdoor time last week? Did you pick an activity and give yourself that little push to get outside?
"I'm not a winter person." I hear that a lot, especially when I say that I love winter. The usual excuse is that it is too cold or too icy. Well, winter is a fact of life here in Alberta so you might as well find a way to enjoy it. It is going to happen every year.
Let's see if we can get you more comfortable by discussing how to dress. Your head and extremities must be covered. A warm touque that covers your entire head, including your ears, is important. As you begin your walk/hike, you don't want your body heat escaping.
Mittens are better than gloves because your fingers are not separated. They stay together, keeping your hands warmer. I usually have two layers; a thin pair of gloves inside the mittens because my hands usually start overheating about halfway through my outing. The gloves absorb perspiration so I remove them and put the mittens back on, keeping my fingers toasty for the remainder of the time that I am outside.
It's important to have a good pair of boots for walking in the snow. Removable liners allow you to dry the boots out quickly. I have removable felt liners in my boots that are rated to -40C. They keep my feet toasty warm.
Make sure the boots have soles made of rubber that stays soft in cold temperatures. They act just like snow tires. If the soles on your boots are not soft, the cold temperatures will freeze it solid and you will not have sure footing on the icy patches. You will tend to slide around on the ice and snow.
For added stability, wear some cleats on the bottom of your boots. My cleats are multi-purpose. I can use them for summer hiking as well.
Inside the boots, I wear long socks. They usually are made from a wool blend and reach my knees. The only reason I wear socks that are that tall, is that I don't like hiking and having my socks slide down to my toes inside the boots. This doesn't happen with the long socks!
Now that your head, fingers and toes are taken care of, let's discuss the rest of your body. Layering is the way to go. If you dress in layers, you can add or subtract them as required. The layer closest to your skin should be a wicking layer to keep wetness from your skin so you don't find yourself getting chilly after working up a sweat.
I use a wicking layer that is 100% polyester. On top of that is a thin merino wool layer with a thin fleece over that. The outer jacket is windproof and rated to -25C. This keeps me toasty. Most often I am opening zippers or removing layers as I heat up.
Last but not least, I don't like having cold legs. My layers depend on what I am doing and where I am going to be. Most often I wear leggings under a pair of fleece lined nylon pants that are windproof and water repellent. They are also wide enough to fit over top of my boots so snow doesn't fall into the top of them; especially if I am snowshoeing.
Add a neck tube if it is windy so you can cover your face. I find it better than a scarf as I can adjust it better for the conditions. I put the neck tube on over the touque, holding it secure.
Last but not least, don't forget sunglasses to take care of the glare off the snow, hiking poles for added stability and some sunscreen if you will be out for a long while. Take a package of hand warmers with you. If your fingers start getting cold, you can always add the warmers to your mittens.
That sounds like a lot but a winter outing is much more enjoyable if you are warm, comfortable and safe. Will this convince you to venture outside this week?
"I'm not a winter person." I hear that a lot, especially when I say that I love winter. The usual excuse is that it is too cold or too icy. Well, winter is a fact of life here in Alberta so you might as well find a way to enjoy it. It is going to happen every year.
Let's see if we can get you more comfortable by discussing how to dress. Your head and extremities must be covered. A warm touque that covers your entire head, including your ears, is important. As you begin your walk/hike, you don't want your body heat escaping.
Mittens are better than gloves because your fingers are not separated. They stay together, keeping your hands warmer. I usually have two layers; a thin pair of gloves inside the mittens because my hands usually start overheating about halfway through my outing. The gloves absorb perspiration so I remove them and put the mittens back on, keeping my fingers toasty for the remainder of the time that I am outside.
It's important to have a good pair of boots for walking in the snow. Removable liners allow you to dry the boots out quickly. I have removable felt liners in my boots that are rated to -40C. They keep my feet toasty warm.
Make sure the boots have soles made of rubber that stays soft in cold temperatures. They act just like snow tires. If the soles on your boots are not soft, the cold temperatures will freeze it solid and you will not have sure footing on the icy patches. You will tend to slide around on the ice and snow.
For added stability, wear some cleats on the bottom of your boots. My cleats are multi-purpose. I can use them for summer hiking as well.
Inside the boots, I wear long socks. They usually are made from a wool blend and reach my knees. The only reason I wear socks that are that tall, is that I don't like hiking and having my socks slide down to my toes inside the boots. This doesn't happen with the long socks!
Now that your head, fingers and toes are taken care of, let's discuss the rest of your body. Layering is the way to go. If you dress in layers, you can add or subtract them as required. The layer closest to your skin should be a wicking layer to keep wetness from your skin so you don't find yourself getting chilly after working up a sweat.
I use a wicking layer that is 100% polyester. On top of that is a thin merino wool layer with a thin fleece over that. The outer jacket is windproof and rated to -25C. This keeps me toasty. Most often I am opening zippers or removing layers as I heat up.
Last but not least, I don't like having cold legs. My layers depend on what I am doing and where I am going to be. Most often I wear leggings under a pair of fleece lined nylon pants that are windproof and water repellent. They are also wide enough to fit over top of my boots so snow doesn't fall into the top of them; especially if I am snowshoeing.
Add a neck tube if it is windy so you can cover your face. I find it better than a scarf as I can adjust it better for the conditions. I put the neck tube on over the touque, holding it secure.
Last but not least, don't forget sunglasses to take care of the glare off the snow, hiking poles for added stability and some sunscreen if you will be out for a long while. Take a package of hand warmers with you. If your fingers start getting cold, you can always add the warmers to your mittens.
That sounds like a lot but a winter outing is much more enjoyable if you are warm, comfortable and safe. Will this convince you to venture outside this week?
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| Fleece lined pants |
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| Cleats over rubber soled boots |
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| Fleece lined touque and mittens |
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| Enjoying a wintry day |
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