Outdoor activities have always been much preferable for both our physical and mental health but the weather could be a vital factor for roaming or camping outdoors. At night when the temperature stoops low it could be even more difficult to stay outdoors. Being in cold conditions can restrict your activity or pace. That could be a great bummer, especially for outdoor enthusiasts.
However, you don’t have to be anxious or confined indoors in winter. Cold weather should not be the reason that stops you from having fun outdoors. Plus there are several tips and tricks that you can use to keep yourself warm outdoors.
10 Tips for Staying Warm Outdoors
1. Carrying Hand Warmers
In winter your hands will more likely get cold easily as the blood vessels on your hands get narrower. To keep your hand’s warm outdoors, gloves may not always work the best or be a suitable option. In some specific circumstances, you will need more than gloves or mittens. That’s when hand warmers come in handy. With hand warmers, you can preheat your gloves on the go and don’t even have to bring any extra gloves. Your hands will get toasty the minute you put this under the gloves plus it will give you extra warmth.
2. Put On The Right Amount Of Layers
Being outdoors, the most useful and effective thing you can do is layering your clothes. You have to cover as much skin as possible while staying outdoors. You can layer your cloth with a puffy jacket, but with materials like wool or something that doesn’t lose its heat retention properties. It would help you to get isolated from the harsh cold weather. A pair of winter tights and thick leggings would be a perfect layer under your jeans or skirt.
3. Carrying A Rain Jacket
If you are trying to stay dry and protected, a rain jacket would be the best option to go for. It makes sure the snow doesn’t soak in the rest of your clothing layers. Staying warm is important but it also does a great job of blocking the wind.
4. Carrying Thermos Flask
Nothing is better than a steaming cup of your favorite hot beverage while staying outdoors in the cold. A pinch of sugar in your drink may also help as this would give you a quick energy boost. In cold conditions, your body will get more dehydrated than usual so, whether you are camping or hiking, or doing any activities a hot drink would wake you up and keep you warm. Thermos flask will help you to keep your drink temperature intact.
Pick up a thermal flask and enjoy the outdoor outing in winter as well. You’ll realize a thermal flask in these situations will be your savior in more ways than you can imagine
5. Lighting A Fire
A bonfire or campfire is always a great way to warm up while staying outdoors in the cold. To keep yourself warm you may not always need to light up a big fire. A small friendly fire is always better than a bonfire. There are several other options you can go for.
Camping stoves may come in handy in this situation or you can arrange many fire pits dispersed in a large place. If there is an existing firing pit try to use that one instead, thus it will have less impact on our environment, and make sure you are permitted to light a fire in that area. When there is high wind you need to be extra careful as small residues of fire could start a forest fire. After getting all warmed up don’t forget to extinguish the fire by pouring water on it until the ashes are cool to the touch.
6. Always Feet First
Feet are another part of our body that gets cold easily as they are close to the ground. We can keep our feet warm in multiple ways. Let’s start with picking up the right boots. Selecting non-breathable boots could keep your feet warm as they will retain the heat inside. Another thing you should be on the lookout for is choosing the correct socks. Wearing cotton socks may not be the smartest thing to do as your feet will be sweating at some point and the boots won’t be able to keep your feet warm for much longer. Once your feet get wet it’s difficult to make them warm. Picking up socks made of wool would be a perfect choice.
Whatever shoes or boots you are wearing, should provide a strong barrier between your feet and the cold surface. Sometimes boots and socks may not always keep your feet warm. Thus to create a strong barrier you may use insoles as extra padding in your shoes or boots. You can use thermal insoles which is even better as they will not let the heat dissipate.
7. Cover Your Head
Covering your head is as important as the rest of the body otherwise you will lose some amount of heat. It’s never too old school to use hats as it retains the most heat in your head. Covering your head and neck area could make you feel more warm and cozy. A scarf could easily be another option for you. It’s the most versatile piece of accessory you can have in these situations. Yes, it covers your head and neck area, also you can use this as an extra layer under your coat or jacket.
8. Foods That Help You Stay Warm
Sure correct clothing keeps us warm outdoors but so does a good nourishing meal. A full stomach will surely raise your body temperature and give you much-needed energy throughout your journey. Moreover, foods with fatty properties would keep you energetic and warm for much longer. Frequent snacking could also boost your metabolic system. You can go for some dried fruits, chocolate, or high-protein bars. These are easier to carry as you can easily slip some in your pocket.
9. Staying Active
Any kind of movement would be great for keeping yourself warm outdoors. Trust me it’s the quickest way to warm up. You can choose running, walking, hiking or even some small exercise would be good. Moreover, it would be much better if you can avoid sitting on a cold surface.
10. Bringing A Backpack
If you are indulging yourself in outdoor activities like hiking, canoeing, or camping you need to have a secured backpack. In that way, you can carry all your stuff like extra coats, jackets, thermos flask as well as other accessories of your needs.
Final Verdicts
It’s important to stay prepared and protected while outing outdoors as it would affect your whole journey and experience. Everybody has different needs thus the tips that work for someone else may not work for you. Take precautions in a way that you think is best for you. We hope this guide will give you a clear overview of how to stay warm and still enjoy the outdoor outing to the fullest.
Diana Miller, is a dedicated nature enthusiast and an outdoor adventurer. She began leading groups for excursions in her teens and never stopped. Following her passion for nature, she gathers her friends for outdoor trips every now and then. And for the last 10 years, she has executed workshops on backpacking, snow kayaking and traveling that included her main motive of lightweight packing while outdoors. During leisure, she loves planning for her next adventure.
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