Winter Thriving: Clothing and Layering

Layering Up for Cold Weather

If you've spent time camping in cooler weather then this post will be familiar to you and you can skip to one of my other interesting posts on a different topic. This article is for the many people (and parents who are sending their kids to our wilderness classes) who have little to no experience spending an entire day or night outside in the winter. 

There's no such thing as poor weather, only poor choices in clothing. 
While it may be hard to believe, it's actually true that you can be outside all day in 25 degree weather and have a great time! But in order to do this you have to choose your clothing wisely. So let's read up and wise up.
First, we'll discuss various fabrics and their pros and cons. Then we'll discuss how to keep different parts of the body warm.

Fabric Considerations for All Layers:

Cotton: this is a nice natural fiber that is great in warm weather however, it does not insulate when wet and drys very slowly so it's not good for cold-weather conditions. It does hold up well against campfire sparks though.

Fleece/Synthetic Layers: quick drying and retains heat but campfire sparks will melt holes through it. Good for cold and wet conditions.

Soft Shell layers: look for waterproof and breathable in the label. If it doesn't say "waterproof" then it probably isn't. This material works great in rainy conditions but can easily get holes melted into it when around a campfire. 

Wool: this natural fiber tends to be a bit heavier and bulkier than fleece but is great at insulating even when wet and sparks from a campfire won't melt it. It's good for light rain but in heavier rain it can soak through. 

*Wild Nature Project instructors tend to use a combination of fabrics often with a wool outer layer unless it's raining heavy then we'll put on a rain poncho, soft shell, or umbrella. We often find wool sweaters in thrift stores for a great price.





Core Layers
Protect your core temperature with at least 3 layers as shown.

What about the rest of the body?!?!
Keeping your core warm is important but it's just the beginning. If you have cold feet, hands, legs, or head then that's not fun and it might cut your trip short. 
Apply the above principles of layering and fabrics to the rest of your body.

Hands
Read up on mittens for warming your hands here. 

Feet
For feet, go with a wool/synthetic blend sock but make sure it's the thicker(warmer) material. 
Sometimes I see kids show up to class with thin cotton socks and rubber rain boots and then wonder why their feet get cold (see image on right). These kinds of boots are waterproof but provide no insulation. If you wear these in cold weather you need to have at least 2 thick pairs of wool socks on your feet and have an insulating insert in the bottom of the boot. 
I like to wear footwear that is waterproof and insulated.

Legs
Don't neglect your legs! Wearing one pair of pants is not enough to keep warm. For legs, our instructors will wear synthetic base leggings and choose thicker fleece for colder conditions. You can spend a lot of money on these or look for the cheaper knock-offs, just avoid 100% cotton. Wearing a poly/cotton blend can work too for your outer or under layers. I often wear cotton pants or 60/40 poly/cotton blend(outer layer) unless it's under 30 degrees or rainy.

Head/Face
And lastly, cover your noggin! Most people know this but I'll say it anyway. Wearing a simple fleece beanie hat is good. Having a neck gator or scarf is better. And then there's the "bomber hats" that you can get with real fur (I love mine) that cover your cheeks.