Layer up and LOVE WINTER!

Not everyone gets the gift of winter. It’s cold, we get it. But, exploring and going on winter adventures allows you to try new things, keep active outdoors year-round, find excitement in the snow and on the ice, and have FUN! In challenging times like these the outdoors is somewhere where you can safely see friends and family and adventure at a distance (stay at least a bike distance apart!).

Now, to make the most of it, the adventure planning starts before you leave the house. You need to make sure that you’re wearing the right gear. Keeping warm and comfortable is the key difference between surviving and questioning when is this over, to actually enjoying winter and scheduling more adventures!

• 1, 2, 3 – Layers. Layer up, we like to say! Up to three layers is great. Wearing multiple layers will keep you warmer, allows you to be agile and adapt to temperature changes and conditions when you’re outside and when you’re when heading in to warm up or have that post adventure snack. There’s also science behind the layers! Layers allow for trapped air which insulates you to keep you warmer. This is the same reason you don’t want that down jacket to be too snug. Multiple thin layers beat a single thick one any day.
• Warm your core. Keep your core warm to keep the rest of your body warm. Having warm fingers, toes, and extremities starts with keeping your core warm so the blood can flow to other areas of your body.
• Keep dry. Keep your body dry when outside. Wet clothes are cold clothes. Find clothing that keeps you dry on the outside from the snow and ice and on the inside from sweat. Fabrics are key! Look for protective coating on the outside and sweat-wicking properties for the inside. Make sure your clothing breathes so you don’t overheat. Once you get moving you warm up real quick
• Keep covered. Winter cold can be harmful to your skin so keep covered as much as possible. Keep exposed skin limited and keep it covered with clothing and gear. Goggles are great for all activities!
• Wind chill. Wind is powerful and with wind comes wind chill! Take the wind seriously as it can drop temperatures real quick making it feel colder. Have a top layer that is wind-resistant to help keep you warm and block the wind.
• Winter sunburns. This is not a typo! Be sun safe in winter and keep SPF top of mind with sunscreen and lip balm. Goggles or sunglasses are great and you should look at polarized options to help with brightness/glare of the snow.
• Feeling cold. Feeling cold is different for everyone so find the layers that work for you and personalize what you wear for adventures to keep yourself warm, dry and moving outside.
• Invest, if possible. Quality outdoor clothing can be an investment. But, overtime it is one that pays for itself, allowing you to adventure more and more comfortably. Invest in what you can when you can, and it doesn’t have to be all at once. Look for end of season sales and purchase for the following winter season, look at second-hand options, local community sales and thrift stores for quality at a fraction of the cost of new.

Winter is beautiful and full of adventure, give it a try, get moving, get fresh air, gest outside! Many of these tips work well for your furry friends as well. We’ll be back soon for another blog on more winter tips for making the most of the season.

Paw high fives, much love, Kendrick.