Winter clothes could be considered very
important for survival preparedness to have in hard times if living in
seasonal areas that cold weather is a normal thing. It should be
classified up there with food and water storage. You can
freeze to death faster than you can starve to death. It is a normal to have
Arctic conditions exist when the wind is blowing and the temperature drops
below 20 degrees F. There are only seven states in the US that do not
experience Arctic weather. If there is no gas or propane to use that we are so
accustom in using because of leaks or broken lines, we need to be
prepared for these times. Having wood and wood
stoves is also is something to consider.
So what preparation for winter clothes do
you need for you and your family in those cold survival times? For
winter clothes there are winter gloves, winter hats, winter coats, winter
jackets, winter boots, long johns, and winter pants. Many of these winter
clothes you might already have so you will be one step ahead here. Your
clothing must allow your body moisture to escape from your body otherwise your
own moister could cause you to freeze to death. So water proofing your
winter clothes isn't a good idea being that it will cause the moister to stay
in. What is better to do is to layer your winter clothes with the proper
clothing materials which will allow your perspiration to escape or if you know
anything about foam clothing you could consider having some made or make it
yourself. It is very breathable and works great in those sub zero
temperatures. If more sources on this are found it will be posted here.
To keep warm you should consider having different layers of winter clothing
on.
Long Johns:
The layer closes to your body should be able
to wick moisture away form your skin and trap a layer of
warm air next to your skin during activities. Long johns or long
underwear works well for this made of polyester, silk or polypropylene.
Modern synthetics are nonabsorbent and will do the job Avoid cotton
being that it will absorb your moister and trap it.
Winter Jackets
The middle layer of winter clothes provides
insulation and affords you the most versatility as your activity intensifies
or temps fluctuate. These winter jackets can be make of microfleece, wool, or
"Polartec". Acrylic sweater, heavy wool jackets or button up shirts also
work well for this. Keeping wind protection and capturing heated air
space for warmth is what you want to consider.
Winter Coats
The outer layer is focused less on warmth
and more on staying dry. It is the outer layer that protects insulating layers
from wind & water - the 2 prime culprits in convective and conductive heat
loss. Gore-Tex is something to consider that works well in allowing for
venting of internal heat and and is still water and windproof. Nylon and
Teflon coats offer good protection but have slightly less venting ability. PVC
or plastic coated rain jacket will not breathe, nor will a nylon jacket repel
rain for long periods of time if having to be out in wet and cold weather.
Leather coats can keep you warm and breath well for a outer layer winter coat.
Winter Pants
Being dressed for warmth at our chest area
will all know is important and do it but if you are only wearing
cotton jeans, you will be very cold still. Cotton is just a bad
insulator and doesn't hardly block the wind at all. Amazingly you
have more surface area on your lower body than you do your upper body.
So your upper body has to do more work in trying to keep your legs warm, but
if your body can't maintain it, it will constrict your blood vessels to your
legs trying to keep you core warm, so ultimately you get cold. Gore-Tex,
Teflon, or nylon shell pants are great bottom layers for winter pants. With
the lower body though, venting isn’t as much of a priority as it is around the
core of the body.
Winter Hats
Having a good winter hat on we all know is
crucial in not losing a lot of our heat through our heads. Wool
caps, fleece hats or a balaclava work great for this. Baseball caps do
not provide adequate insulation and shouldn't be considered. Keeping
your neck warm is also crucial and is usually neglected. You will find
keeping your neck warm with a fleece scarf, neck gaiter or balaclava, which
looks somewhat like a ski mask, will make a big difference in keeping the heat
in.
Winter
Gloves
Its been said that if you have your general
body core warm that your hands and feet will easily stay warm being that your
blood circulation will flow through out your body. Sometime mittens can
be more effective than gloves being that you need airspace around your fingers
to keep them warm. Gloves can be layered also to help this. Start
with a lightweight poly or silk glove liner, then an intermediate glove (wool, windstopper)
if you need it and finally an outer glove. If having to do detail work
as with working with gun paraphernalia than mittens and the advise above
should be considered.
Winter
Boots
Having winter boots to fit you properly is
important in keeping your feet warm or shoes if you have no winter boots.
You need to be able have them large enough room inside to let you wiggle your
toes and trap heat. If your shoes or winter boots are too small for these
layers, you'll compress the insulation making it less effective and your toes
will be jammed together, so they'll get cold. High insulated boots work well
because they cover your ankles and calves. Keeping your feet warm also
comes in layers like the rest of your body. First, put on a very light long
sock made of either polyester or silk. Second, goes on a heavier sock that
will cover your calves for the middle layer. Avoid cotton socks as they will
trap the moister in which will cause your feet to get cold. Wool or wool
blends for the middle layer will keep your feet warm and dry. Then of course
the winter boots is next. Avoid the snug fit of most leather hiking boots
which can limit the circulation of blood in the foot. The cloth
stitching in leather boots can also wick moisture into the shoe. Nothing is
worse than wet feet in the cold winter.
