Tag Archives: cold weather

Did you know that the original founder of Mother’s Day was actually arrested for disturbing the peace? She was! Anna Jarvis and her sister were so upset that the holiday had become more about printed greeting cards and thoughtless gifts that they were arrested while campaigning against it. She said, “A printed card means nothing except that you are too lazy to write to the woman who has done more for you than anyone in the world. And candy! You take a box to Mother – and then eat most of it yourself. A petty sentiment.”

Mother’s day originated so that families would reunite after being divided during the Civil War. But since its establishment on May 9, 1905 I think most of us would agree with Anna. The mothers of the world deserve more than a generic card. Before we go any farther I should remind you . . .

Mother’s day is May 12

Let everyone else get their mother something from the gift card store. Getting something special for your mother or wife (from your kids of course) means you should find something she actually would enjoy. If yours is the outdoorsy type that likes to hike, camp, do gardening or anything else outside then we can help you with the following gift ideas.

The Port & Company Honeycomb Sling Pack – This is absolutely affordable at less than $6. This sling pack is cute and comfortable with a built in audio pocket and an exit port for headphones. It’s sling design gives it a more feminine appeal compared to a standard backpack, but if a different women’s pack sounds like a better fit there are plenty of options such as a Cinch Pack, Hydration Pack, or even an Xcape Computer Backpack for those who can’t part with technology in the wild. There is also a general rule of thumb that women love bags, purses, and anything that helps them stay organized and look good at the same time.

Sport Tek NRG Fitness Capri - Active women love workout capris but most men are too nervous to pick them out as a gift. So let me make it easy for you. She will love these workout capris! These capris have a waistband pocket to keep her locker key secure. They are made for comfort and freedom of movement so she will not only feel good but she will look good. Comfortable fitting workout capris are a hot item for women who want to stay fit and healthy. These Sport Tek NRG Fitness Capris are a great Mother's Day gift idea for those of you with mom's who like to be active.

Merino Wool Socks – In fact, anything made out of Merino Wool will quickly become one of her favorites. Women are often colder than men. Biologically speaking, women generally have more constricted blood vessels. This puts their blood flow closer to the surface of the skin making them feel colder. The body handles this by redirecting the warm blood flow to the vital organs, leaving their hands and feet freezing! Merino wool is the highest quality and thinnest fiber of wool available. It feels just like cotton against your skin but has all the moisture wicking, and thermal insulating properties you expect from wool. Every time she puts on her Merino Wool Socks or Thermals she will feel warm and toasty and think of you.

Layering - How Does It Work

Layering to keep warm in cold weather is really a matter of insulating your body so that you retain your body heat. Layering typically consists of two to four thermal layers depending on the temperatures you'll be exposed to. Each layer is designed to trap air. The more air that is trapped inside a material or fabric, the better it will insulate. The two most common layers are a base layer or thermal underwear layer and an outer layer. Then, depending on your level of comfort and how cold the temperature is, you can add middle layers for extra warmth.

The great thing about layering is that it allows you to adjust your comfort level as temperatures change or as your activity level increases or decreases. As you get hotter, you can remove a layer. As you get colder, you can add a layer. Once you understand how layering works, you can adjust your own layering system based on your own comfort requirements and the weather conditions you'll be experiencing.

Layering - Types of Material To Wear For Each Layer

Now that you have an idea of how layering works, let's go over the different types of layers that will insulate you most effectively. Your first layer is your base layer or long underwear layer. Depending on the temperatures you're expecting to face, this layer can either be a thin single layer garment, a midweight two layer garment or a heavyweight two layer garment. As mentioned earlier, as you come to understand how layering works, you will know what weight or thickness you will need as a next-to-skin base layer. The type of fabric you wear is important. You need a material that will wick sweat, retain heat, and dry quickly. Some examples of the most commonly used materials are merino wool, polyester , and polypropylene. Each of these fabrics retain heat even when wet. Cotton thermals do not. The only time you'd consider using cotton is if you were not going to be very active.

Now, let's skip to the outer layer. The outer layer's job is to block wind, snow, or rain from penetrating your inner layers and robbing you of heat needed to keep you warm. Your outer layer would be a coat, jacket, or parka that is waterproof, windproof, and breathable. Many coats will have built in insulation while jackets and parkas may just be a shell with the option to zip in an insulating liner.

The reason I skipped to the outer layeris because what you wear in between the base

Pick The Correct Layer According To Temperature

layer and the outer layer all depends on your level of activity as well as how cold the temperature will be. A good base layer and outer layer is often sufficient for most winter weather conditions. During an average winter season, a good base layer and outer layer would be sufficient for skiing and snowboarding. However, if your combined base layer and outer layer are not warm enough, then you'll need to add an additional middle layer. This layer is typically a thicker layer of fleece. A merino wool, polyester or polypropylene fleece jacket and pants are recommended. A fourth layer is only needed in extreme cold weather conditions such as winter snow camping or summitting a high mountain peak. A fourth layer would be a heavyweight baselayer over a lightweight or medium weight base layer.

Layering - Thermal Base Layer Is Critical

Your next-to-skin thermal base layer is key to your comfort in cold weather. You want something warm, soft and dry against your skin.  Not just any fabric can give you this. Cotton is still a very popular as a base layer because it is so soft. The problem with cotton is that if you begin to sweat, it absorbs all of that moisture holding it next to your skin. Cotton does not dry very quickly. When it gets wet, cotton loses it's ability to retain heat. This condition can lead to hypothermia if exposed long enough.

You need a performance fabric like merino wool, polyester, or polypropylene. Merino wool thermal underwear is super soft and 100% natural. It does a great job of managing moisture and keeping you dry. It also retains heat even when wet. It costs more than other thermals, but is well worth the price. Polyester and polypropylene are very similar. Both can be spun into a very fine thread making it extra soft and comfortable. Both of them are hydrophobic which means they repel water and dry quickly. Polypropylene retains more heat than any other fabric and it dries much quicker too. Polypropylene is probably the least expensive of these performance layering fabrics.

Layering - It's Never Too Cold With The Right Layers
Now that you know how to layer properly in cold weather, you can go out and enjoy the winter season. Don't be like so many others that sit inside depressed all winter long because they hate the cold. There is plenty of fun to be had throughout winter. All you need is the right layers!