To pay my way through college, I worked as a tower hand for a tower services company in Cedar Rapids. For three years I spent my weekends climbing thousands of feet into the air to fix antennas, replace cables, and change light bulbs.
And that was the easy part–what I hated was the cold!
You see we did this year round–to include those Iowa winters where the temperature was freezing on the ground and even colder in the air, where winds would create wind chills easily below -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Climbing those towers covered with ice I learned very quickly how to dress for extreme cold weather. We had clothing needs similar to that of an outdoor athlete, as the climb up and the work was physically taxing and would cause sweating, while at other times we needed extra insulation as we would be sitting still for hours performing delicate tuning work.
tower-hand-working-ice
In order to add to the lessons I learned in the field on how to stay warm in freezing conditions, I spoke with the cold weather dressing experts at Carol Davis Sportswear and Northern Outfitters. And today I’ll be sharing the advice I gleaned from those conversations with you.
Understanding Layering
The key to cold weather dressing is layering.
Let me repeat that: The key to cold weather dressing is layering.
Layering basically means just what it sounds like: wearing multiple layers of garments, one on top of the next. Several lighter layers will keep you warmer than one very thick one–air is trapped between each layer and warmed by your body, surrounding you with a self-generated heat shield that insulates you from the cold.
Of course, some types of clothing do a better job than others. Layering regular street clothing until it will keep you warm in sub-zero temperatures will leave you so bulky that you might as well roll to wherever you’re going. That’s not our goal.
If you can't put your arms down, you know your attempt at layering has gone terribly wrong.
Instead, seek out the right clothing for each layer and then use it accordingly for optimum cold weather insulation protection.
Experts break layering into three sections:
1) the base layer
2) the insulating layer
3) the outer protection layer
Let’s cover each layer in detail.
1. Base Layer
Your cold weather base layer lies against your skin and is primarily meant to provide the first layer of insulation and most importantly deal with moisture removal. Staying warm and active means occasionally sweating, and sweating is bad if your clothing doesn’t allow it to move out and away from your skin. Water on the skin in cold weather can turn deadly as it can lead to rapid heat loss, so ensure you use an inner layer that pulls sweat away from the body.
Old fashioned solutions mostly relied on garments made from loose wool strings, which absorbed the moisture and had enough thickness for it to soak toward the outside of the clothing. More modern solutions use synthetic fibers in much the same way.
The process of drawing moisture away from the body is often referred to as “wicking.” Athletic and specialty cold weather garments are the best balance between moisture wicking properties and thin, lightweight construction. They add almost no bulk and if properly fitted allow extreme flexibility.
Your hands and feet need layers as well, and liner socks are key to any kind of warm weather outfit. Camping stores sell these quite inexpensively so don’t skip on this purchase; wear them under thicker socks to keep your feet dry. Fingerless liner gloves or very thin wool gloves make a useful base layer for the hands, where sweat is less of a concern but an extra layer still adds warmth by trapping air.
2. Insulating Layer
The job of your main insulating layer is to trap in heat.
Natural fibers like goose down and wool have excellent insulating properties. They provide a lot of heat for reasonably light weight, which is a concern for more active cold weather situations like skiing or hiking. Wool can absorb 30% of its weight and not feel wet and even continues to provide some insulation when soaked, while down loses its effectiveness when wet (but is lighter overall and has better insulating properties that wool).
Wool (to include cashmere and angora) sweaters are some of the dressiest options available that still provide serious winter warmth. A good wool sweater paired with a regular cotton dress shirt makes for a functional insulating layer for around the town needs on seriously cold days.
“Performance fleece”–actually a trademarked term, but widely used these days to describe any artificial fleece garment–is lightweight and a proven insulator. Its best property is that it continues to insulate when wet, but it offers little protection from the wind unless layered with a tightly woven, wind resistant fabric. These are often among the least expensive and most widely available options for insulating layers.
Thick wool or fleece trousers make the best insulating layer for your legs. Over a base layer they’re extremely warm. Jeans can serve as light protective wear, but they offer little if any insulating properties. Men that live and work in cold weather areas stay away from jeans unless they’ve been lined with an inner insulating layer.
3. Protective Layer
Your outer layer is the shell that keeps all the inner layers protected from the elements. It’s usually (though not always) a single layer, and doesn’t necessarily have to have any insulation.
The most important consideration for your protective layer is that it traps air and stops wind. It should also be breathable enough to allow moisture out–you don’t want your sweat trapped under your shell with you. That means that most outer layers are water-resistant but not fully water-proofed.
Most serious cold-weather shells are designed as outdoor gear. They don’t tend to have a lot of fashionable styling. If you’re primarily interested in dress or business clothing that can provide warmth as well, there are treated wool overcoats that have a windproofed layer or treatment with GOR-TEX and similar materials. Alternatively, buy your parka or shell in the plainest, darkest design you can find and don’t worry about it too much–once the temperature drops below zero people start making allowances for more functional-looking styles.
The outer layer also includes protection for your extremities. A layer of weather-proofed gloves or mittens and a wool stocking cap are the bare minimum of protection. An insulated headband, a scarf, and good winter boots also help. Waterproof hiking boots work up to a point, but in really cold weather the best winter boots are soft-sided, natural fiber-lined pieces with built-in insulation and thick, flexible soles.
I would like to note many cultures still make use of “skins” as natural outer protective layers. Any American visiting Ukraine during the winter will notice 1) that no one de-ices the sidewalks and 2) that everyone seems to own a large fur coat and ushanka.
And that was the easy part–what I hated was the cold!
You see we did this year round–to include those Iowa winters where the temperature was freezing on the ground and even colder in the air, where winds would create wind chills easily below -20 degrees Fahrenheit.
Climbing those towers covered with ice I learned very quickly how to dress for extreme cold weather. We had clothing needs similar to that of an outdoor athlete, as the climb up and the work was physically taxing and would cause sweating, while at other times we needed extra insulation as we would be sitting still for hours performing delicate tuning work.
tower-hand-working-ice
In order to add to the lessons I learned in the field on how to stay warm in freezing conditions, I spoke with the cold weather dressing experts at Carol Davis Sportswear and Northern Outfitters. And today I’ll be sharing the advice I gleaned from those conversations with you.
Understanding Layering
The key to cold weather dressing is layering.
Let me repeat that: The key to cold weather dressing is layering.
Layering basically means just what it sounds like: wearing multiple layers of garments, one on top of the next. Several lighter layers will keep you warmer than one very thick one–air is trapped between each layer and warmed by your body, surrounding you with a self-generated heat shield that insulates you from the cold.
Of course, some types of clothing do a better job than others. Layering regular street clothing until it will keep you warm in sub-zero temperatures will leave you so bulky that you might as well roll to wherever you’re going. That’s not our goal.
If you can't put your arms down, you know your attempt at layering has gone terribly wrong.
Instead, seek out the right clothing for each layer and then use it accordingly for optimum cold weather insulation protection.
Experts break layering into three sections:
1) the base layer
2) the insulating layer
3) the outer protection layer
Let’s cover each layer in detail.
1. Base Layer
Your cold weather base layer lies against your skin and is primarily meant to provide the first layer of insulation and most importantly deal with moisture removal. Staying warm and active means occasionally sweating, and sweating is bad if your clothing doesn’t allow it to move out and away from your skin. Water on the skin in cold weather can turn deadly as it can lead to rapid heat loss, so ensure you use an inner layer that pulls sweat away from the body.
Old fashioned solutions mostly relied on garments made from loose wool strings, which absorbed the moisture and had enough thickness for it to soak toward the outside of the clothing. More modern solutions use synthetic fibers in much the same way.
The process of drawing moisture away from the body is often referred to as “wicking.” Athletic and specialty cold weather garments are the best balance between moisture wicking properties and thin, lightweight construction. They add almost no bulk and if properly fitted allow extreme flexibility.
Your hands and feet need layers as well, and liner socks are key to any kind of warm weather outfit. Camping stores sell these quite inexpensively so don’t skip on this purchase; wear them under thicker socks to keep your feet dry. Fingerless liner gloves or very thin wool gloves make a useful base layer for the hands, where sweat is less of a concern but an extra layer still adds warmth by trapping air.
2. Insulating Layer
The job of your main insulating layer is to trap in heat.
Natural fibers like goose down and wool have excellent insulating properties. They provide a lot of heat for reasonably light weight, which is a concern for more active cold weather situations like skiing or hiking. Wool can absorb 30% of its weight and not feel wet and even continues to provide some insulation when soaked, while down loses its effectiveness when wet (but is lighter overall and has better insulating properties that wool).
Wool (to include cashmere and angora) sweaters are some of the dressiest options available that still provide serious winter warmth. A good wool sweater paired with a regular cotton dress shirt makes for a functional insulating layer for around the town needs on seriously cold days.
“Performance fleece”–actually a trademarked term, but widely used these days to describe any artificial fleece garment–is lightweight and a proven insulator. Its best property is that it continues to insulate when wet, but it offers little protection from the wind unless layered with a tightly woven, wind resistant fabric. These are often among the least expensive and most widely available options for insulating layers.
Thick wool or fleece trousers make the best insulating layer for your legs. Over a base layer they’re extremely warm. Jeans can serve as light protective wear, but they offer little if any insulating properties. Men that live and work in cold weather areas stay away from jeans unless they’ve been lined with an inner insulating layer.
3. Protective Layer
Your outer layer is the shell that keeps all the inner layers protected from the elements. It’s usually (though not always) a single layer, and doesn’t necessarily have to have any insulation.
The most important consideration for your protective layer is that it traps air and stops wind. It should also be breathable enough to allow moisture out–you don’t want your sweat trapped under your shell with you. That means that most outer layers are water-resistant but not fully water-proofed.
Most serious cold-weather shells are designed as outdoor gear. They don’t tend to have a lot of fashionable styling. If you’re primarily interested in dress or business clothing that can provide warmth as well, there are treated wool overcoats that have a windproofed layer or treatment with GOR-TEX and similar materials. Alternatively, buy your parka or shell in the plainest, darkest design you can find and don’t worry about it too much–once the temperature drops below zero people start making allowances for more functional-looking styles.
The outer layer also includes protection for your extremities. A layer of weather-proofed gloves or mittens and a wool stocking cap are the bare minimum of protection. An insulated headband, a scarf, and good winter boots also help. Waterproof hiking boots work up to a point, but in really cold weather the best winter boots are soft-sided, natural fiber-lined pieces with built-in insulation and thick, flexible soles.
I would like to note many cultures still make use of “skins” as natural outer protective layers. Any American visiting Ukraine during the winter will notice 1) that no one de-ices the sidewalks and 2) that everyone seems to own a large fur coat and ushanka.