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It's
no fun being cold. As an ER Doc, experienced ski parent, back-country
enthusiast, cold-hater, and gear-head, I have learned a lot about staying warm.
Most of you know most of this, but a review never hurts. General
Concepts: Conserving
your own circulation is what keeps you warm. This means lots of insulation, wind
barriers, full coverage, ventilation options, and comfy fits. Your body's
internal regulation system will keep the vital organs warm at the expense of
your extremities, so you MUST keep the core warm. If your hands and feet are
cold, then a warm vest or fleece pullover is needed even before checking what's
on your hands and feet (this is true even if your body doesn't feel cold--that's
because it's hogging all of the warm blood to stay warm). Your skin is the final
barrier, whose enemies are: WET and WIND. Modern materials such as Gortex will
block wind, block outside moisture, and breath--IF USED PROPERLY. It must fit
right, and you need to use the zippers, pull cords, and vents to tighten up when
you're cold (the lift), and loosen up a little to let the steam out while skiing
and at the bottom for a few minutes. If you get wet from perspiration(we all
sweat all the time), snow, or whatever, YOU MUST DRY OUT or you'll never get
warm again. Heat loss is greatest from the head and neck--keep them warm to keep
your hands and feet warm! Finally, it's easier to take off a layer or take out
hand warmers than it is to get warm once you're frozen solid. Mornings are
coldest, so start off with the works, and reduce as the day goes on if you can.
One more thing: your body makes heat by "burning" fuel, ie, food and
water. When exercising in the cold, the fuel goes fast, and if you run out, you
freeze. Eat more, eat often, stay hydrated--stoke the fire! Let's
get into some specifics: Materials
NO
COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO COTTON NO
COTTON. It holds moisture and freezes your buns off. Very Bad. YES:
poly-propylene underwear, wool or synthetic socks, fleece or down middle layers,
Gortex (or equivalent) outer shells, and NO COTTON! Long
Underwear (base layer) This
is more for moisture wicking than for insulation. The goal is to keep the skin
dry, hence polypropylene which wicks but does not absorb moisture.(high tech
wool or silk does the same) It comes in different thicknesses, so you can get
some insulation from it as a bonus if you get thicker. I like the zip-turtle
neck style, so that I can un-zip if I get over-heated. Socks
Again,
the goal is moisture wicking more than insulation. There is a common
misconception about this. There is 20 times more insulation in your boot liners
than in any sock, so use the socks to wick moisture and to fine tune the fit of
the boot--thick if your boots are loose, and THIN if boots are snug (really!).
It doesn't hurt to bring an extra pair and change at lunch if your socks get wet
despite your best efforts. Smart Wool is a good brand. Boots
After
inadequate core insulation, the 2 main causes of cold feet are tight boots and
damp/cold liners. YOU MUST TAKE OUT YOUR BOOT LINERS AFTER SKIING AND DRY THEM
OUT INDOORS. Keep the boots in the house, not the garage. Never put them in the
car the night before! The boots must leave room to wiggle the toes freely, and
they ABSOLUTELY MUST NOT CLAMP THE TOP OF YOUR FOOT, or they'll cut off your
circulation to your toes--very very bad. I leave the bottom buckles loose on a
cold day--it really doesn't effect my skiing and my feet stay warmer. If you
have fit problems, go see the folks at Board and Buckle NOW. If you do
everything right and still have cold feet, by all means USE FOOT WARMERS---DUHHHHH!!!!
Gloves/Mittens
If
it's cold, mittens are a must. ( I don't think glove liners help--they may hurt
by separating your fingers and losing the "buddy" warming concept of
the mitten, which if well designed doesn't need extra liner). The good ones
aren't cheap, the cheap ones aren't good. Forget bargains, go get the name brand
stuff--the materials and workmanship make all the difference. I think they are
available at Gene Taylors, and with your PRC registration you get 40% off. If
your kid loses them, get over it and get another pair. You cannot skimp on this
one. Again, HAND WARMERS are miraculous inventions. Middle
Layers This
is the insulation. More important for the top than the bottom. With good long
underwear and good quality shell pant, you probably don't need another layer
down below, but the top is a different story. Again, this is where your
circulation lives, and you must keep the trunk very warm to convince your body
that it is OK to release that warm stuff to your Popsicle toes. After the
polypro turtle neck base layer, you need a really warm pull-over. Thick fleece
or down is best. Down is less bulky and the best insulator there is. Another
option is a medium weight fleece and a good down or wind-stopper fleece vest (I
like that for the versatility, but it's also more complicated). The trick is to
get a really warm trunk but still be able to vent if needed and not be so bulky
that you can't move or breath. Outer
Layers (shell) Gortex
and it's many imitators all work great. What did we do without it? The pants
should be long enough and have a built in elastic cuff to keep the snow out. The
jacket should have an insulating layer and a high enough neck that when you zip
it up it covers the chin. It should be a roomy fit, but be able to cinch/zip to
block all wind from above and below, but then un-zip/cinch to ventilate when
needed. Teach your kids to use the ventilation features--this makes a HUGE
difference over the course of a day. Neck/Face
covers I
think the neck gator is the cheapest, easiest, most effective warming piece of
all. A fleece (no cotton) gator costs $10 and provides instant warmth. It fits
in your pocket. What a deal! The only problems are: overheating (pull it
off!!!), and goggle fogging, which is serious. If you pull it up too high (over
the nose) you tend to exhale into the bottom vents of your goggles, and the
moisture freezes in there, and your goggles are done for, and so are you. If
your nose is freezing, pull up the neck gator and watch closely for fogging. If
it happens, immediately pull the goggle slightly away from your face to let the
moisture escape until your nose warms up. Repeat this cycle as needed. If you
tweak, you may find a position where the nose is partially covered and your
goggles are OK. A better plan for your face is a well made mask. These are made
of a synthetic material and have a nose guard that vents downward, and they
really work. A few of our kids have them, and they stayed pretty warm. Some have
a built in neck gator too. They are too hot for me, but for others are life
savers. Finally, your goggles warm half your face. Decent goggles are not
expensive for kids, so if yours are worn, scratched, ill fitting, whatever, go
get new ones. Use anti-fog stuff regularly, and keep them cleaned and protected.
They must fit right, so bring your helmet into the store when shopping. Helmets
They
are made to provide warmth and ventilation and do both well as long as it fits.
Head sizes and shapes vary allot, so hand-me-downs don't always work. Remember,
the head is a major source of heat transfer, so make sure the helmet fits well
and is in good condition. That's
all I can think of right now. Staying comfortable out there is a
make-it-or-break-it issue, so get good at it. It's a good educational piece for
the kids too, the principles of which will serve them well in other endeavors. Dressing
for races is a whole other topic--we'll do that one when it gets closer. |
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© 2006 Powderhorn
Racing Club - All rights reserved.
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