Tips For Staying Warm This Winter

1    1.  Avoid wearing cotton! - Cotton traps moisture against your skin. Through convection, cold air and moisture work together to replace the heat that your body generates with cold energy. Use moisture wicking polyesters or another synthetic material that will wick the moisture away from your skin.2

.        2.  Remember to layer up! -This refers to the way you dress. Start with soft layers against the skin and finish with a nylon material that will challenge wind, rain and snow. The idea is that as the temperature changes, you can add or remove clothing that will keep you warm enough.

3.      3.  Make sure you eat -Your body will generate heat as it burns the fuel you have fed it. Eat foods that are high in fat content and calories. Remember that a calorie is actually a unit of measure that measures heat! Warm foods and hot drinks will really warm you on a cold day.

4.     4.  Drink liquids - When it is below freezing the air will draw moisture out of you. If you are dehydrated it is harder for your body to keep you warm.5

5.      5.  Wear a Hat and Gloves - If your feet are cold put a hat on. Your body will close off circulation to your fingers and feet if you head gets cold. Your head will not feel cold but your feet will. By putting on a hat you will warm up your head and the circulation will return to your cold feet warming them up.

6.       6.  Keep moving! As your body works, it generates heat as a byproduct. Use those layers to keep the heat. Much of your body heat is circulated via the blood stream. Wiggle those toes and fingers to get heat there, too.

7.       7.  Create a Personal Heater -  If you are spending the night in the cold, try boiling water and putting it into a secure water bottle wrapped in a sock. Go ahead and throw the water bottle(s) in your sleeping bag while you sleep in the tent.