Cold Weather Clothing
“When dressing for the cold, dress like an onion,” advises Dr. Murray Hamlet, director of operations at the United States Army Research Institute for Environmental Medicine (USARIEM). Three lighter layers of clothing are enormously better than one heavier layer. Multiple layers, like the layers of an onion, allow you to control how much body heat and moisture you retain near your skin (see “How to Wear Cold Weather Clothing” below). Staying dry equates with staying warm, and staying warm equates with staying comfortable. Note that when you go shopping for clothing you may need to buy larger sizes in outer garments in order to have them fit over underneath layers.

A long-sleeved undergarment top, synthetic or synthetic/wool blend, provides the best top layer next to your skin. A collar provides added warmth if you need it. Tops with a zip or snap front that opens permit partial ventilation. An long-legged undergarment bottom, synthetic or synthetic/wool blend, should go on as your first bottom layer. Note: When you wear this garment, you should wear no other underwear bottom. Some people prefer standard underwear beneath long undergarments, especially cotton underwear. If you’re one of them, remember it’s cotton. Take it off when you start feeling chilled.

As a mid-layer upper garment, a synthetic vest is an excellent choice. A vest adds warmth to vital body areas while allowing great ventilation and complete freedom of movement. Sweaters, wool or synthetic, are important mid-layer upper garments. In “warmer” cold weather, wear a light pile sweater. In colder weather, wear a heavy pile sweater in addition to the light one. Trousers, wool or synthetic, are best as mid-layer lower garments. Loose-fitting trousers work better by providing more comfort and insulation and by not sticking to your skin if they get damp and freeze.

For outer-layer wear, cold weather demands at least a synthetic shell that repels wet and wind from your upper and lower extremities. In intense cold, your outer layer should be insulated for maximum warmth.

A cap, wool or synthetic, that covers your ears and the back of your neck is a necessity. A close-knit stocking cap works well. A soft pile cap with earflaps and a drawstring to hold it closed around your head also works great.

Lightweight gloves, wool or synthetic, are the preferred inner layer for hands. Lightweight gloves will allow the performance of small tasks, such as opening your pack, without exposing your hands to the cold. Mittens, wool or synthetic, provide the insulation for your hands. Make sure your mittens fit over your gloves so you can dress your hands in layers. If you forgot your mittens, an extra pair of wool socks can be substituted as handwear in an emergency.

Cold Weather Clothing List

1. Long undergarment top
   
2. Long undergarment bottom
   
3. Vest
   
4. Sweater(s)
   
5. Shell garment top
   
6. Shell garment bottom
   
7. Trousers
   
8. Stocking cap
   
9. Gloves
   
10. Mittens

How to Wear Cold Weather Clothing
It’s not simply the fact that you’re wearing layers that protects you - you must ventilate the layers to allow the escape of moisture as you feel sweat being produced on your skin. You must peel off layers when ventilation no longer suffices. The layers, of course, are added back on when you feel a chill creeping in.

Better to start out from the car or cabin door feeling slightly cold. You’ll “break a sweat” with a rush of perspiration, and you may soak your inner layers before you realize it. Let’s say the trail begins to grow steeper, and you detect the wet warmth of sweat. Open an outer layer or two. The trail rises even more, so you take off an outer layer or two. At the top of the ridge you stop for a rest, and there you should replace a layer before all the heat you’ve produced has been lost. If you lose heat, your body will have to generate more heat. You’re balancing body heat and sweat production with body heat and sweat loss in order to stay dry. Instead of thinking, “How can I stay warm?,” think, “How can I stay dry?”

COLD Clothing Tips
C Clean clothes insulate better than soiled clothes. Clean fibers create more dead air space. Start with clean clothes and keep them as clean as possible.
O Overheating means more sweat to dampen clothes. Pace yourself and shed outer layers to prevent overheating.
L Layers of clothing are best. They provide better insulation and better ventilation.
D Dry clothes insulate better than damp clothes. Keep your clothes as dry as possible.