by Stein, Eric's Son
Clothes: Head, Hands And Feet
What do your head, hands and feet have in common? They
are all connected when it comes to staying warm. You can
lose over a fifth of your body's heat through your head
because of its rich blood supply and lack of skin protection.
There is a lot of good advice in the old saying that,
"if your feet are cold, put on a hat". Fingers
and toes have a lot of surface area, but small volume.
Since the production of heat is proportional to volume,
and the amount of heat loss is proportional to surface
area, this is why they get cold quickly. So, what can
you do about it?
Let's start with the head. Knit caps are generally warm
enough for all but polar conditions. The exception is
when a strong wind is blowing. This is when a hood on
your parka comes in handy. Knit hats are made out of wool,
wool-synthetic blends and pure synthetics. Wool is the
warmest, but wool can be itchy. Synthetics hold their
shape and do a better job of wicking moisture off your
face and hair. Some manufacturers solve this problem by
making wool hats with a sweat band made out of synthetic
material over the forehead area. If you wear glasses,
a hat with a visor is nice for when it is snowing. On
really warm days all you may need is ear muffs or a head
band. Swix makes a really thin pair of earmuffs that work
well.
Next let's turn to the hands. Mittens are the warmest
and gloves give the best control. "Lobster claw"
mittens fall in-between. Wool is a good material for warmth,
but gloves made from it will wear quickly if not covered
by leather or reinforced nylon. Your hands perspire, especially
when exercising and so gloves tend to get wet. You can
solve this problem by wearing medium weight gloves with
thin, polypropylene liners that you can change frequently;
or, you can just carry two pairs of gloves and switch
to the dry pair when the pair you are wearing gets wet.
Wearing thin glove liners is also recommended if you have
to remove your gloves a lot in cold weather. Photographers
find this system effective.
If your hands get cold there are several ways to warm
them. One is to stick them in a warm place, like your
armpits, for a few minutes (tip: you can take advantage
of someone else's warmth by asking your significant other
for a romantic hug and thereby getting the opportunity
to stick your hands inside their jacket). Another technique
to warm your hands is to vigorously swing them in large
circles to shake warm blood down into them. You can also
carry small chemical heat packs in your pocket and put
them in your gloves for awhile when your hands get chilly.
Lastly, let's consider your feet. Two things you want
to do are to insulate your feet and to keep them dry.
Most new boots have good insulation, but if your feet
still get cold you may want to put a foam or felt insole
in your boot. It will help insulate your foot from the
cold snow and your ski. The sock or socks that you wear
are also important. They need to keep you warm and help
prevent blisters. Neoprene socks keep your feet warm and
dry from snow, although they may feel a bit damp if you
don't wear an inner liner sock to absorb the perspiration
trapped in the sock while you are wearing it. Some folks
prefer a thick wool sock over a thinner polypropylene
or silk liner sock. Just make sure not to wear so many
socks that your become scrunched and you get cold feet
due to a loss of circulation.
