What to wear OUTDOORS in the winter

It’s that time of year when you can’t just throw on the bathrobe and run outside for the mail. You can’t walk your dog in your slippers and you can’t survive more than a few minutes before your whole body is iced over from fingers to toes.

If working and playing in the outdoors has taught me one thing, it’s to think in layers. Layers provide the flexibility you need when building up a sweat in a cold environment. If you’ve done it before, you can attest to the fact that even in the most frigid temperatures, once the body heats up, the layers come off. It is essential to first understand the role of every article of clothing on your body and then eventually, you can figure out the ideal combination of attire for your adventure.

It’s best to start with the inside layer and work your way out. Yes, quality wicking fabrics can be expensive. While, it’s tempting to skip the small stuff, always remember that adding bulk does not add warmth. If you have a nice warm jacket, but are wearing layers of cotton against your skin, then as soon as you perspire, even the slightest bit, that moisture will have nowhere to go but into the cotton fabric where it will stay for a long time, constantly drawing the heat away from your body, making you feel chilled. When hiking or skiing in cold weather, this is a major problem because as soon as you stop moving, your body temperature drops. If you sit still for more than a few minutes, you will start to shiver and the longer you sit, the more energy it will take to warm back up. If you were in a survival situation, you would have very little energy to spare.

So, to the base layer we go…

The key here is the industry’s oh so overused word: wicking. A “wicking” fabric does not absorb moisture, and is designed to pull it away from your body and push it to the surface where it can evaporate, thus keeping you dry. Many of the brand names we see in athletic and outfitting stores today market synthetic fabrics, mainly polyester and microfiber blends. Traditional base layer materials like wool and silk are also popular, but significantly pricier than their synthetic counterparts. The thing to look for when buying a base layer, obviously enough, is comfort. This is the layer that will be against your skin and if it’s itchy or too tight, you will be miserable. That said, it should be fitting, not baggy. Personally, I like to wear a very thin long sleeve wool or synthetic blend for a base layer, both top and bottom.

Next we look at mid-layers. This is the most flexible area and will vary greatly depending on which activity you are doing that day. When running, hiking or cross country skiing, I almost always chose to wear a base layer and either a fleece, down or synthetic down vest. Then, if I’m going further than a few miles or will be out longer than an hour, I put a long-sleeved fleece or synthetic down layer in my backpack as well. The trick is, you might be cold when you start down the trail, but with these faster-paced activities, it won’t take long to warm your body up and even when snowshoeing (especially in Montana), your route will likely take you up a hill straight off the bat, which will surely get your heart pumping. To save the inevitable stop to shed layers, I’ve learned to just suck it up, so to speak, for the first few minutes of the trip.

A piece of advice on fleece: it’s great for most things, but when it gets wet, fleece is heavy and does not dry out for a very long time. I once had a teammate pack a fleece in an adventure race that required us to paddle a canoe into the dark. His fleece was soaked through by the water that collects in the bottom of the boat and he was stuck hauling the water-logged brick in his bag for the rest of the night. I love my fleece vests for running, and even in the winter can often get away with a light long-sleeve and a vest, but on a longer trip, just beware.

Finally, the last layer you must consider, especially in the winter, is a shell. Even when going for a short trip, I always take a windproof shell. If it’s waterproof, even better. You can buy a very inexpensive rain shell, or you can invest in something that will last. Here’s the down-low on cheap versus bomb-proof shells and it all comes full circle back to breathability.

Have you ever been caught in a rainstorm and fashioned a poncho out of a trash bag? Sure, it worked great to keep you dry, but you would never want to use it as a ski jacket. Why? It doesn’t breathe. What good is a fancy base layer or a warm, wicking mid layer if all that moisture can’t escape the final layer? It will never evaporate and even those expensive fabrics will become saturated in your perspiration if you don’t have a breathable shell.

Quite honestly, even the Gore-Tex-type waterproof-breathable membranes don’t always work. If you’re sweating enough, sometimes the fabrics just can’t keep up. Or, if it’s raining on you, sometimes that moisture will condense inside the jacket. However, they are better than a trash bag and usually have features like pit-zips, or zippers under the arms or along the inside seams of the pant legs that you can open up and allow that moisture to escape.

Of course, there are things like socks, hats, gloves and scarves to consider as well. They are all important pieces to the puzzle when it comes to comfort and safety in the wintery outdoor playground. Stick to wool or wool blend socks. Cotton just doesn’t cut it for winter wears.

Glove liners are a big help for allowing you to regulate body temperature while hiking. You can find them with grippy finger tips so that you never have to expose your skin to the cold, too. Also, mittens are significantly warmer than gloves because you can keep your fingers together and trap more heat inside the insulation. If your fingers start to freeze up, swing your arms above your head and back down to your hips a few times. That will get the blood flowing and warm you up in no time.

Items like balaclavas and neoprene masks are helpful when skiing or mountaineering above tree line. Any bit of exposed skin is at risk of frostbite and it doesn’t take long to fall victim to its lifelong black scarring. Sometimes when you’re breathing hard, those masks have a difficult time releasing moisture, so to prevent a buildup of ice around your mouth, you can cut a hole the size of a silver dollar and focus on breathing out of the hole and not into the entire surface of the mask.

The trick is to always monitor your body temperature and don’t let yourself overheat. If you’re sweating, even a bit, that’s when you take off a layer — and that’s why layers work. When stopping on the trail for a snack or a break, it is always a good idea to immediately add a layer or two before your body cools off and you start to chill. If winter camping, a big, puffy, 650-plus-filled down jacket is prefect for this. It’s light enough to carry and will trap a whole lot of heat.

Don’t let the cold and snow keep you locked up this winter. With the right gear, anyone can enjoy the peaceful serenity of a winter wonderland.