Frozen assets: outdoor fun or a date with Mr. Freeze?Cold-weather comfort depends on the right combination of fabrics

Men's Fitness, Feb, 1999 by Jonathan Berkowitz

One way to deal with the cold of winter is to spend all your time hibernating indoors. But you're probably the kind of guy who believes the whole point of the snowy season is to go out and enjoy it. If so, you need to be prepared - otherwise, the freezing temperatures,ice, snow and harsh winds of the season can make you uncomfortable, increase your chances of sickness or even put you in mortal danger.

Cold-weather injuries are entirely preventable as long as you remember the three fundamental secrets to winter warmth: First, since moisture sucks heat from your body, you must stay dry. Second, you need the right amount of heat - too little will make you freeze, but too much will make you sweat. And third, you must dress appropriately for your expected activity.

With the right clothing and gear, you'll be virtually impervious to frostnip, frostbite or hypothermia. Here's what to look for if you want to stay safe and comfortable in the cold.

The right fabrics

Three qualities make a fabric useful for winter wear: water repellency, insulating ability and drying time. Many winter enthusiasts swear by wool, a superior insulator that can keep you toasty even when wet. Though warm, cotton text forever to dry and saps body heat when it gets damp. Silk, meanwhile, is a great insulator and dries quickly, but it's expensive and fragile. The bottom line: Stick to wool. Save the cotton and silk for the lodge.

What if wool makes you itch? Two synthetic fibers may provide adequate substitutes. Capilene (a trademarked product from the Patagonia brand), though a poor insulator, is great at wicking moisture away from your skin. And try fleece, aka pile, a fabric often made from old plastic bottles. It's an excellent insulator; even better, it's as soft as cashmere and comes in a variety of weights well suited to different activities. Along with wool, it's the preferred winter fabric for pants, shirts and sweaters.

The top coats

When shopping for a coat, the big guns are down and Gore-Tex. Down is nature's best insulator, good enough for a goose and good enough for you. Unfortunately, down is expensive - and virtually worthless when wet. If your budget is more pup-tent than Aspen lodge, try cheaper synthetics such as Thinsulate, Primaloft or Encapsil, all of which dry rapidly and retain insulating capacity even when damp.

Gore-Tex, while expensive, will keep you dry - it's windproof and waterproof, and it lets moisture out but not in. This means a down-and-Gore-Tex combo makes coats (as well as sleeping bags) comfy at temperatures well below freezing. (You could also try newer waterproof fabrics such as H2NO and Triple Point Ceramic, which are comparable to Gore-Tex in both quality and cost. Choosing is largely a matter of brandname loyalty.) Whatever you buy, be sure to look for waterproof fabrics rather than the merely water-repellent, which offer significantly less protection and versatility. Remember, being damp in a cold environment isn't just unpleasant, it's also dangerous.

Similar rules apply to jackets: Because too much insulation can cause excessive perspiration when you're exercising, many winter-sports enthusiasts wear a Gore-Tex shell with "pitzips" (zippers in the armpits) for extra ventilation. You can survive with a cheaper windproof, water-resistant jacket only if you're reasonably close to warm shelter. If you intend to be far from shelter, and if inclement weather is a possibility, Gore-Tex can be a lifesaver. And always keep an insulated jacket in your pack when hiking. Even if you're warm while moving, you'll discover that your body cools quickly when you stop to rest.

Accessory essentials

Remember Mom badgering you to put your hat on? She was right. As you probably know, most body heat escapes from the head and neck. Perhaps the best way of avoiding this is with a balaclava - a hat, scarf and face mask all in one. If you'd rather not look like a Siberian grandmother, just go with a good hat and scarf, but remember to let them dry out when you get home.

Meanwhile, there's mittens - not exactly macho, but a key to comfort in the cold. If you haven't worn them in a while, you'll be amazed how much warmer they can be than gloves, because they collect the heat of your entire hand. With mittens, all your fingers are together like one big happy family, keeping each other warm. If you're doing something that demands manual dexterity, wear a pair of silk gloves under your mittens, removing the mittens as needed. If you find down mittens too bulky, try a pair made with Thinsulate and covered with Gore-Tex.

The underneath

Most of us take buttons and zippers for granted, not realizing how versatile they are in shirts and sweaters. With a pullover, if you're still too hot after rolling up the sleeves, you have a choice of either sweating or taking the garment off, then finding yourself too cold. But being able to unbutton or unzip allows a more comfortable middle ground. The same goes for pants with a zipper along the leg if you're going to be playing outside. During intense exercise, you'd be amazed how much more comfortable you can feel with six inches of thigh exposed.