Are you from a warm climate and visiting someplace cold? Or are you from a colder climate, but not used to spending so much time outside? Here are some tips to help you stay warm during your winter travels!
I fall into the latter category. I live in Ohio, USA, so we regularly get some pretty cold days every winter. However, I usually don't spend much time outside other than the occasional ski trip, so I've never really dressed for the cold. This time last year, I was in Utsjoki, Finland to see the Aurora Borealis, also known as the Northern Lights. Here are some things I did to keep warm while out and about!
I do use affiliate links, so if you buy one of my suggestions from those links, I might earn a little bit of money at no extra cost to you, so it's a win-win for us! In any case, I appreciate you taking the time to read my tips and stories! ♡
Here I am in Snowman World in Rovaniemi, 2021.
1. Hand Warmers!
If you're going to be out in the cold, you don't want to have your fingers and toes go numb. Warm gloves and thick socks can help, but they can only do so much. Even if you don't think you will need them, have at least a few ready to use, just in case. It's definitely a relief to have a little spot of warmth when spending extended amounts of time outside!
Hot Hands or Similar Disposable Hand WarmersThese are what I packed for the trip. At the time, I didn't know about reusable ones, and these ones were cheap in bulk. They kept us so warm, and the trip would not have been the same without them!
Pros:
Heat up to 100-180°F or 38-82°C
According to their website, the HotHands hand warmers are made from natural ingredients including: iron powder, water, salt, activated charcoal and vermiculite. The company says they are safe to throw away in regular garbage.
You can take them in your carry-on or in your checked bag on an airplane.
These got really hot and stayed hot for hours. (The reusable ones I'll talk about next do not stay hot for nearly as long.)
I know they're called HotHands, but I would throw them in the toes of my boots, and they kept my feet warm as well!
Cons:
Single use only.
There is a lot of plastic waste. Each one is wrapped individually in plastic because they react when they are exposed to air.
**Can be toxic to pets! According the the ASPCA website, the iron in the packets can give them an upset stomach and thermal burns if the warmer is not cooled. Like anything else pets eat that they shouldn't, the warmers can also cause blockage.
These can take up a lot of space if you're packing for a long trip.
Hot Snapz Reusable Hand Warmers: I just bought these for this winter because I wanted to try something that I could use again and again, while cutting down on plastic waste.
Pros:
Reusable hundreds of times! You "charge" them after use by boiling them until all of the crystals go away.
Heat is about 120-130°F or 49-54°C
Non-toxic ingredients: sodium acetate, water, and the metal activation disc
Can be used in water for activities like snorkeling!
Cons:
They only last for 30-60 minutes, depending on the size of the warmer and the conditions outside.
They are larger than the liquid allotment for your carryon bag, so they *must* be in your checked bag when flying.
They did still come wrapped in plastic packaging, but way less than the disposable handwarmers use.
It does take time to recharge them, and if you don't have a stove or other way to boil them safely, then they just become useless weight.
2. Dress in Warm Layers
When you spend time in the cold, you want to make sure you can regulate your temperature easily. If you only wear a tshirt and a heavy winter coat, and you get too hot, you have no way to adjust. However, if you are wearing a base layer and different midweight layers, you can easily remove a layer without cooling off too much. Where to start with your layers though?
Base layer: This should be something that wicks moisture away from your body. If youare like me and get hot quickly, you might start to sweat. This layer goes for your shirt and your pants/leggings! (I usually wear leggings, and yes, men can wear leggings too! Who's going to see them under your outer layer of pants anyway?)
NOT COTTON!! If you are wearing a cotton base layer, the cotton will hold the moisture in and cause you to cool off. That's not something you want in the winter!
Synthetic Many times base layers are synthetic fibers, like athletic shirts, because they are cheap and keep you dry.
Merino Wool If you have a little bit more money to use to invest in your base layers, merino wool is a better choice because it is warm, eco-friendly, and antibacterial! If you have never felt merino wool, you might be picturing the scratchy wool we all know. However, merino wool, especially as a blend with other fibers, is soft and comfortable! You can even find merino wool bras and underwear!
Finally, the thickness matters too! The amazon suggestion I gave you gives you the option of three different thicknesses, depending on how cold you will be expecting. I generally opt for medium weight and just add an extra layer if it will be extra cold. That way, I'm not packing too many thick layers that I might not even use because of how easily I get hot.
Middle Layers: You can wear just one midweight shirt or sweater, but I prefer to wear multiple thin-ish layers instead of one thick one. This allows me to adjust better because again, I get hot really easily. Merino wool is great for this! Even if you don't like it as your base layer, you can use merino wool as one of your mid-layers! On my trip, I wore a regular, everyday long sleeve shirt and switched off between my merino wool sweater and one of a few regular acrylic sweaters I packed because they were cute. If I were to take this trip again, I would have definitely cut back on the amount of sweaters I packed. They took up too much room, and none of them got dirty or smelly because they were shielded from my sweat by my base layer and kept safe from the outside by my outer layer.
Outer Layer: This will be your winter coat, and probably snow pants. This layer should be waterproof to keep you dry (even if it's not raining, snow can land on you and melt), and it should also be warm. If you get too hot, you take off your middle layer(s), and put your outer layer back on. Your coat should have a hood to block the wind, though I recommend wearing a hat and a scarf as well!
3. Gloves
I was never a gloves person. In fact, I really only ever wore them for when I actually planned to touch the snow, like when throwing snowballs or building a snowman. Otherwise, I usually opt for just keeping my hands in my pockets. For this trip though, I wore gloves. I actually brought three pairs of gloves.
Glove Liners: I had two pairs of glove liners. One pair, I actually used as glove liners in my bulkier waterproof gloves. I used the other pair as just a thin set of gloves because it was too cold for bare hands, but because the gloves were so thin, they weren't as cumbersome.
Waterproof, Insulated Gloves: Though I didn't wear these all the time, I was definitely grateful to have them when I was dogsledding because it was so cold! They do make it difficult to do some things like using your phone or zipping your coat, so that's why I wear glove liners underneath: I can take off the bulk gloves but still have my hands covered.
4: Hats
I am also not much of a hat person, but it was definitely a must-have for my winter adventure. I definitely recommend having maybe 2-3 different kinds of hats. A thin hat for when you're being active and don't want to get too hot, and a thicker hat for when it's just too cold.
Be sure to have at least two if you will be spending a lot of time outside in case one gets wet from sweat or snow.
When it comes to extreme cold, I instantly become a hat person!
5. Scarves
I love scarves because they are so versatile! I usually take larger scarves because I can do more with them. If it's super cold, I can cover my head, face, and neck without any gaps that a scarf/hat combo would have. I wear ones that hang in the front so I can leave my coat unzipped for ventilation, and the the scarf keeps me warm without making me too hot. When I get inside somewhere like a restaurant, I'm generally too hot for a jacket and sweater, so I take those off, and put the scarf over my arms and back to keep warm.
This is literally my favorite scarf ever. I bought it when I was in China, and I take it everywhere with me!
Final Thoughts
I hope these tips help you stay warm this winter, whether you are traveling somewhere cold or just staying at home in a cold climate. Be on the lookout for my post about my trip to Finland, coming soon!
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