Cozy in the Cold

If gift buying for the athlete in your life has you scratching your head, here are some great outdoor clothing ideas. And, hey, use them as hints to your significant other for things to buy you, too. We’ve chosen seasonal garments, so you can wear the new duds right out of the package, no matter how nasty the weather. But before you go shopping, let’s look at how to dress for cold, sleet, and gloom of night.

Dressing for exercise in cold weather is easy. That’s a good thing—because the penalties for doing it wrong start with discomfort and quickly escalate from misery to possible death from hypothermia. The trick to staying cozy in the cold is to dress in layers. That way you can shed garments as you heat up while doing active sports like snowshoeing, cross-country skiing, running and cycling. Then it’s easy to add insulating layers when you stop for a break, the weather takes a turn for the worse, or you have to wait for help if you or a companion gets injured.

Base Layers
Layering begins with a technical fabric next to the skin. Each manufacturer has a name for its version (CoolMax for instance) but the idea is the same: a fabric that wicks moisture away from the skin to outer layers where it can evaporate. No matter how much you sweat, you’ll stay relatively dry. Mock-turtleneck tops work great when it’s really cold. For vigorous exercise in moderate temperatures, opt for a zip neck, so you can zip it down for added cooling. Some excellent examples include:

Pearl Izumi Lightweight Mock T-neck
Polartec fabric is comfortable and soft. The cuff is designed to eliminate bulk.
(http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Pearl Izumi Vagabond top (see photo right)
Meant to be worn either as a base layer or light outer garment, the Vagabond has a low collar, zip neck, and saddle-cut shoulders for comfort.
(http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Patagonia R1 Flash Pullover ($98) and R1 Flash Pants ($75).
Made from new Polartec Regulator fabric, these garments stuff small and wick moisture fast. The pullover has a neck zipper and a chest pocket along with stretch panels on the sides for a slim fit.
(http://www.patagonia.com)

Insulating layers
Over the base layer, you’ll need an insulating layer. This used to be wool, but now some form of fleece is the standard. It’s light, wicks moisture well, and if it gets soaked, you can wring and shake it dry in field conditions, and it will still keep you warm. Try that with a wool sweater. Look for garments with a full zipper for ventilation. Pullovers work fine, if the zipper goes down to mid-chest. Cuffs should be snug without cutting off circulation. The garment should be roomy enough for easy movement although some newer versions are made of stretchy fleece for a form fit. This is especially true for insulating pants—if they’re tight and don’t stretch much, they make skiing or snowshoeing difficult.

Pearl Izumi Thermafleece Bib Tight
A medium-weight cycling tight with a zip ankle and comfortable mesh bib so the tight doesn’t ride down and expose your lower back. Small inside pocket and reflective logo. (http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Patagonia Activist Fleece pants ($100). (see photo right)
Designed for cold weather hiking, snowshoeing, and cross-country skiing, these pants have a harder outside finish with comfy fleece on the inside. They aren’t too heavy, so they’re useable in a wide range of temperatures and workout intensities. (http://www.patagonia.com)

Pearl Izumi Sirocco Fleece Vest
Windproof film in the low back area, a high stand-up collar for protection from those chilly drafts, a full-length zipper and two zipper front pockets. (http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Shell Garments
Over the base and insulating layers, you’ll need a shell garment to keep out wind and repel water. Choose the cut depending on the sport. Snowshoers usually like a looser fit while cross country skiers and cyclists choose a shell that doesn’t catch a lot of wind on descents. In any case, choose a size large enough to go over any insulating layers you plan to wear underneath. Make sure the zipper is long enough for good ventilation and look for cuffs that open wide.

A word on waterproof fabrics: No present fabric is truly waterproof while at the same time breathable no matter what the manufacturer’s propaganda states although some fabrics come close. In truly wet conditions and hard exercise, you’ll get soaked both from the rain and from your own sweat. Realizing this, some manufacturers offer parkas made from waterproof fabric (to keep you dry) and designed with big vents at the armpits and the chest to let in plenty of cooling air. The classic jacket of this type comes from Burley.

Burley Ultra Rider Jacket ($135) and Rain Pants ($58). (see photo right)
Waterproof Burlington Ultrex fabric. The jacket has vents everywhere. Designed for rainy Pacific Northwest conditions. Also shown are Burley’s booties and helmet covers. (http://www.burley.com)

Gill Moab Jacket
Windproof and breathable fabric with a light fleece lining for extra warmth. (http://www.gillbikegear.com)

Pearl Izumi Zephrr Jacket ($65)
Wind resistant and water repellent. The two-way, full-length zipper provides ventilation and the 3M Scotchlite Prism reflective piping assures that you’ll be seen. (http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Hand Protection
Keeping your hands warm is mainly a matter of choosing from the vast array of sport specific gloves and mittens available today. Ask at your local outdoor, cycling or running shop for models suited to your needs. If you need some manual dexterity for shifting gears and braking, choose gloves. If you’re after maximum warmth, mittens work better.

Feet Warmers
Keep your feet toasty by choosing the appropriate footwear for your sport. Runners aren’t usually out in snowy conditions long enough to get seriously cold feet. If you snowshoe, look for insulated bindings offered by manufacturers like RedFeather, so you can wear light hiking boots or even running shoes. Cyclists need shoe covers, which are available from Pearl Izumi, Cannondale, and many other companies.

Pearl Izumi Typhoon Bootie
This cycling neoprene shoe cover for cycling has a warm fleece inner lining, reflective straps, an easy-entry rear zipper, and a cut-out sole, so it’s equally useful for road or mountain bike shoes. They’ll keep your feet warm in the nastiest conditions.
(http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Accessories
Don’t forget to keep your neck and face warm in frigid temperatures. A good neck gaiter or balaclava will seal off your upper body, eliminating drafts that can penetrate your jacket.

Pearl Izumi Microsensor headband
This headband soaks up sweat, covers your ears and is thin enough to wear under a cycling helmet without altering the fit.(http://www.pearlizumi.com)

Patagonia Synchilla Neck Gaiter ($15) and Activist Balaclava ($29)
Two of the least expensive Patagonia products.
(http://www.patagonia.com)

Five Dressing Mistakes that Can Lead to Frostbite—or Worse

Wearing Cotton. Cotton is comfortable next to the skin; it doesn’t hold perspiration odors like some synthetics do, and it won’t generate static electricity, creating a small lightning show when you peel off your sweatshirt. Cotton also absorbs moisture well, but for cold weather clothing, that’s a problem. Once a cotton garment gets wet, it stays wet for a long time and has virtually no insulating qualities. Always wear moisture-wicking technical garments that keep you warm even when damp with rain, perspiration, or snow. Save the cotton T-shirt for mowing the lawn.
Not Covering Your Head. A huge percentage of precious body heat radiates into the cold air from an unprotected head. Remember the old saying: “If your feet are cold, cover your head.” Always carry a wool or synthetic stocking hat even if you’re working too hard to need it. If you’re cross-country skiing or snowshoeing and stop for lunch or get injured, put it on immediately.
Choosing Gloves Instead of Mittens. Gloves are great for sports where you need manual dexterity—like shifting gears on a cold-weather bike ride—but mittens hold in heat better because all four fingers are in the same compartment, sharing the warmth. For a good compromise, wear thin polypro liner gloves and mittens made of synthetic fleece, then cover both layers with a windproof outer mitten shell.
For Men Only: Forgetting to Protect your Private Parts. If you’ve ever ridden a bike in cold weather and writhed through the misery of penile frostbite, you won’t make this mistake again. Cold temperatures and wind chill, accentuated by the bike’s forward motion, can chill the family jewels in short order. Wear wind-front tights and tuck an extra insulating layer down the front of your cycling shorts. A square of fleece material about eight inches square works great.
Neglecting to Carry Extra Clothes. It’s easy to stay warm while doing most active winter sports—you’ll generate lots of body heat snowshoeing or skiing in the backcountry. It’s when you stop that the trouble begins. So tote an extra layer in your pack—a warm fleece jacket, mittens, a stocking hat and windshell pants. If you get injured and have to wait for help, extra duds are a lifesaver.