Relative Something

Right on schedule, the bitter cold arrived to seize the region in its icy grip. It is something of a shock when it happens in such a short time. The messy slop that was on our driveway Wednesday, became rock-hard glacial ice yesterday, after the temperature plummeted from above freezing, to well below in a matter of hours. As I was walking up the quarter-mile distance of our driveway after taking the trash bin to the road in the dark last night, I noticed myself flinching tight against the biting breeze.

Relaxing your muscles in reaction to extreme cold is a little secret of mine to bring a moment of warmth. I tried for years to get Cyndie to embrace this trick, but she was a very reluctant student of my teachings. I eventually came to discover that her level of discomfort in the cold was much more extreme than I ever would have guessed. When she told me she couldn’t feel her feet while we were trying to play racquetball after a short trip to the gym one winter, I took off her shoes and put her feet to my stomach. They were like solid blocks of ice! I was dumbfounded, and insisted we would buy her a pair of sensible insulated winter boots to replace the shoes she had been using.

With Venus and the crescent moon demanding attention in the sky above me, I took a breath and consciously willed my muscles to relax tension. Instantly, I felt a sensation of calm, the transition of which provides a pleasant side effect of the feeling of not being as cold as it just seemed. It is a mental game, really. A psychological ploy.

It got me to thinking about the fact that our friends from Guatemala, which we have invited to stay with us for a couple of weeks this month, might be interested in learning some steps to being comfortable while taking part in activities outdoors here in the winter.

• 1 – Drink Water – The first thing we were given when we arrived at Sue and Paul Schurke’s Wintergreen Lodge for a dogsledding vacation was a personal water bottle for each member of our family. Not only is staying optimally hydrated the best thing you can do for yourself in everyday life, it is the MOST IMPORTANT thing you should do in order to stay comfortable outdoors in the winter. If your urine output is more than a hint of yellow colored, you are short-changing yourself of the multitude of benefits of optimal hydration. Give your fingers and toes the best advantage toward staying warm outdoors on cold winter days by drinking enough water.

• 2 – Wear Layers – There are a variety of clothing options that can work, but the important aspect of layering is to choose base layers that wick body moisture away from the skin, a middle layer that insulates, and an outer shell that repels water of snow or rain. Depending on my activity, I will often forgo the outer shell and choose a wool shirt or sweater. Wool can absorb a lot of moisture and not feel wet, and it will keep on insulating. I prefer it because it breathes, instead of trapping my heat.

• 3 – Don’t Constrict – If you are going to take full advantage of being optimally hydrated, don’t constrict your blood flow by wearing boots, gloves, or clothing that are too tight. When I first put on Steger mukluks like the ones that were worn on Paul Schurke and Will Steger’s expedition to the North Pole, it felt completely wrong to me. It feels like wearing slippers outdoors. I got used to it very fast. My feet have never, ever gotten cold in the surprisingly comfortable Steger mukluks. Let your blood flow. Don’t think that an extra sock is worth it, if it makes the fit of your boot too tight. Better to skip the extra sock and allow your foot room to wiggle your toes. Mittens work better than gloves, because your fingers can wiggle all over the place, and they aren’t isolated from each other, so they can share their warmth.

• 4 – Don’t Sweat – The important reason for wearing layers is so you can begin to shed your covering when you generate so much heat that you begin to sweat. Keep in mind that this list is based on the assumption of dressing for outdoor activity. If you are active, you generate your own heat. If you want to stay warm, the wetness of your own sweat will work against your goal. Pace your activity, and open your clothing to adjust your body temperature in order to avoid getting wet from the inside out.

• 5 – Stay Dry – If you put effort into keeping your base layer dry, don’t waste it by letting your outer layer get wet. If it is precipitating, have a waterproof shell. If you are going to have a lot of contact with snow (sledding or making an igloo) have waterproof pants. Don’t spill your drinking water down your front. Avoid stepping into standing water or reaching into open water. I like it cold, because then the snow is dry. Water in winter is a bummer, unless you are drinking it. Lately, I am having a hard time dealing with handling buckets of water in the barn for the horses when it is single-digit cold. I don’t like water getting me wet in the winter.

• 6 – Pick Smart – Make smart choices when selecting winter wear. Wool is better than cotton. Jeans make terrible snow pants. A neck gator and good hat provide a huge amount of benefit for being such simple accessories. Get the right fit for everything. Take drinking water with you while you are outside. Eat a substantial healthy breakfast. Be prepared to deal with wind. Don’t forget to be active and have fun.

It amazes me to watch the horses deal with the cold of winter. Sure, their coats grow longer and thicker as the hours of daylight shorten, but that’s about it. Otherwise, they just stand out in it like any other day, butts into the wind. I wish it were that easy for us, but with rather simple preparation, it is possible to come pretty close. If you tend to the 6 points above, all that is left is finding the balance of activity that generates enough heat, and then you can be out all day long having so much fun, you never bother stopping to think about feeling cold.

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