What's your best protection against cold weather?
The answer is dry air.
Air is an excellent insulator. Good cold weather clothing is designed to trap warm, dry air among its fibers and between its layers. All that trapped air insulates the body against heat loss and prevents cold discomfort.
Use the acronym COLD when dressing for cold weather.
Layer clothing for maximum warmth and flexibility in cold
weather. Layering also allows you to adjust to various temperatures during
the day. Layering allow you to add and remove items to stay in your comfort
zone.
No hat or the wrong hat is a big mistake. The quickest heat loss is through
the head. A hat and scarf can help keep in the 40 - 50% of heat
lost through the head and neck. A balaclava will add warmth.
Mittens help keep hands warmer than gloves.
The best prevention against conductive heat loss is the use of
minimally
compressible insulation in the palms of your gloves or mitts
with easily
compressible insulation for the back of the hand
(to minimize weight and
maximize warmth).
Gloves made of neoprene are a good option.
Begin with the underwear
Begin with long underwear made of silk or lightweight,
moisture-wicking
polyester. Including socks.
This is a Thin light snug fit layer. Underneath it all you should wear
briefs made of synthetic fabric rather than cotton or a cotton blend. Nylon
or polyester is better.
NO COTTON FABRICS.
Cotton does not wick moisture and contains very little air if it gets wet, cotton is not a good cold weather choice, not even as underwear.
Cotton holds sweat and won't dry quickly
The second cold weather clothing Layer.
Next use a set of polypropylene (polypro) shirt and bottoms
with socks made
of merino wool .
Use a mid weight fleece shirt and pants to provide light insulation when the
day warms up
or an extra layer in colder conditions.
Top it off with a good set of wind/waterproof Gortex material Coat and
Pants.
Use an additional waterproof layer during prolonged, hard rain.
A good poncho works here.
Wear Water Proof Boots with good insulating properties. Make sure you can wiggle your toes with socks on.
Use a microfleece pull on style headcover.
Keep your neck covered.
More information on Dressing for the Cold.
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Keep skin covered:
Wear a hat or other protective covering to prevent body heat from escaping from your head, face and neck. Cover your hands with mittens instead of gloves. Mittens are more effective than gloves are because mittens keep your fingers in closer contact with one another.
Keep your clothes clean, dirt and grease fill up air spaces and weaken insulation.
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Avoid Overheating:
The key to staying warm is moisture management. If you get too warm, remove a layer or open some of the clothing's fasteners to get ventilation. The clothing's made so you can leave some parts open--such as the collar and cuffs--to let in cool air. You want to avoid overheating and sweating, Sweat makes clothing next to your skin wet, and wet clothing can't insulate well. What's more, as sweat evaporates, you'll chili in a hurry, especially in the wind. Sweating leads to rapid evaporative cooling. The latest Polartec fabrics by Malden Mills insulate and wick moisture away from the skin, while outer garments made with silicone-encapsulated fibers by Nextec Applications, Inc. allow sweat to escape while being highly water and wind-resistant. The idea is to remove moisture faster than it can be produced.
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Wear several layers of loose-fitting clothing:
The extra layers of air will keep you warmer than if you wore one or two heavy garments.
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Keep Clothes Dry:
Heat loss is about 20-30 times faster from wet clothes than dry clothes.
Moisture also acts as a barrier keeping your clothes from breathing.
ArkansasStripers.com
How
the Body Losses Heat
Field & Stream Article on what to do if you find yourself in the water
during cold weather.
Don't let a little cold weather stop you from catching Striped Bass