How to Stay Warm

I love winter trips, the holiday spirit everywhere you go and the beauty of a place covered in a thick layer of snow. What I don’t love is the freezing cold that usually accompanies this season. Whether you are planning a cabin stay in Canada, hitting the slopes in Colorado, or having an European holiday in Paris, follow these tips to stay warm.

Why should I care….

You don’t have to visit a high elevation place or be in the arctic to experience extremely cold weather. Just put together humidity, wind and rain and you can get hypothermia at temperatures as high as 50 F. Plus, very cold weather during a vacation can be uncomfortable and ruin part of your trip.

Frostbite and hypothermia are the two most serious cold related injuries. Frostbite happens when part of your body freezes and causes damage to the tissue. This is most common in toes and fingers. Hypothermia occurs when your body’s temperature falls below 95 F making you feel confused and even clouding your judgement.

What can I do to stay warm….

The most common recommendation you’ll find for how to dress when traveling to cold weather locations is to dress in layers, because it works! When dressing in layers I think it is important to pick clothing with different degrees of thickness. I recommend you look for a thinner base layer to pair with a thicker sweater. If both layers are too thick you will feel uncomfortable. My go-to base layer involves shirts that are lined with fleece, like this one. Fleece is as warm as wool, but lighter and a lot less bulky.

Keeping your body warm involves staying as dry as possible so you want to avoid shoes that will get your feet wet. I recommend you invest in a good pair of waterproof boots or shoes to help you stay warm in places where it is very cold and rains a lot. Finding a good pair of waterproof shoes can be hard, but brands like Cole Haan have some really nice options. My favorites are the Winnie Ankle Boot and Newburg Waterproof Boots.

Your hands and head are the most exposed part of your body and hence the most at risk. Having a good pair of gloves and a hat to help cover you up is important. When looking for gloves try to stay away from anything with a price tag of $1-$5. These will most likely not work because they will not be thick enough or the material will easily allow heat to escape. As for hats, my favorites include wool berets and newsboy caps.

My last recommendation is to carry HotHands Warmers with you when you travel. I did not believe in this product until I used them during my trip to Europe last winter. HotHands are air activated and disposable that come in different sizes and styles. They last a long time, are easy to throw into your carry on, and really help keep your hands and feet warm. They are available as insoles for your feet and as smaller versions for your hands.

I hope you find this post helpful and if you have any tips for how you stay warm during those adventurous winter trips please share them below, I’d love to hear them. Until then, stay warm and go on exploring!