Dress in layers for the cold
Wear several loose layers, a hat, gloves and waterproof insulated boots, and carry spares.
- How often
- As needed
- Time
- On cold days
- Recommended for
- 22 factors
How to do it
- Wear several loose layers instead of one heavy coat. You can shed or add them as you warm up or cool down.
- Cover your head, ears, face and hands. A hat cuts the heat you lose from your head.
- Wear waterproof, insulated boots.
- Carry extra socks, gloves and a hat, and change out of anything that gets wet.
- Make sure layers don't restrict how you move, especially if you are working.
Why it helps
Cold, wind and wet clothing pull heat from your body faster than it can make it. Layers trap warm air and let you adjust as your activity changes, which helps prevent hypothermia and frostbite.
Be careful
Older adults are more vulnerable to cold. If you or someone else becomes very cold, confused or numb, get to warmth and get medical help. Keep a winter kit in the car. If you are stranded, stay with the vehicle and keep the tailpipe clear of snow when the engine runs, to avoid carbon monoxide.
Recommended for
Alaska
Months of low sun, deep cold and summer smoke from big wildfires.
hobbyHiking
Miles of uneven ground, steep descents and long days outdoors.
hobbyHunting
Gunfire, tree stands, cold dawns and heavy hauls out of the woods.
placeIdaho
Mountain radon, smoky summers, cold winters and weak winter sun.
placeIllinois
High-radon soil, dark winters, cold snaps and deadly summer heat waves.
placeIowa
Every county is high-radon country, and farm-country wells need testing.
placeMaine
One of the highest Lyme rates in the US, plus radon and arsenic in wells.
placeMassachusetts
Lyme country, cold winters and the original vitamin D winter study.
placeMichigan
Long gray winters, lake-effect cold and arsenic in some wells.
placeMinnesota
Deep cold, dark winters, high radon, Lyme ticks and arsenic in wells.
placeMontana
High-radon ground, smoky summers, bitter winters and a short winter sun.
placeNebraska
Radon under the house, mosquitoes in late summer, deep cold in winter.
placeNew Hampshire
Granite bedrock, tick-filled woods, and long, dark winters.
placeNew York
Lyme country upstate and on Long Island, with long, gray winters.
placeNorth Dakota
Radon in every county, brutal wind chill, and West Nile in summer.
placeOhio
High radon across much of the state and a gray, low-sun winter.
occupationRideshare and delivery driver
In and out of the car all day, on a clock, chasing the next order.
hobbySkiing and snowboarding
Speed, twisting falls and long days in cold, bright mountain air.
placeSouth Dakota
Radon in the east, West Nile in summer, and hard Plains winters.
placeVermont
Lyme ticks in green summers, little sun and deep cold in winter.
placeWisconsin
Lyme ticks in every county, nitrate in some wells, and long dark winters.
placeWyoming
High, windy, sun-blasted country with radon under nearly every county.