Vin T. Sparano, as excerpted from Complete Guide to Camping and Wilderness Survival
When temperatures drop to zero degrees and below, your life may depend on the clothing you wear.
The T-shirt and boxer shorts you wore in summer and fall should be the first clothes you put on. Follow with a full set of waffle-weave, quilted, or polypropylene underwear. The waffle-weave design traps body heat and permits moisture to escape at the neck, a more rapid exit point than the underwear itself. The quilted underwear gives warmth by stopping the circulation of air inside your clothing. Polypropylene is a synthetic fiber with the softness of cotton and the wicking ability to pull moisture away from the body for evaporation.
A properly fitted sock is snug enough not to bunch around the toe or heel, but is not so tight it causes discomfort.
Top-grade wool socks provide superior warmth and durability through many hard months and washings. Avoid colored wool, which may cause an allergic reaction, infect a blister, or discolor other clothing you may have thrown in your laundry pail.
Wool socks reinforced with a strong synthetic such as Dacron or nylon last longer and are less expensive in the long run, but lose some advantage in ventilation, softness, and warmth. Socks made totally of nylon, Dacron, Orlon, or another synthetic are also not on par with wool when it comes to softness and getting rid of moisture. Cotton socks are comfortable only until they’re soaked with water or perspiration.
The wisest choice, however, is a pair of good quality, wool socks worn over a pair of cotton socks. Whatever the height of your boots, select socks that are 3 inches higher. Lap the extra material over the boot.
Cuff-less wool pants and a lightweight wool shirt—with large buttons for ease of handling—furnish ample warmth when worn over the proper underwear. The advantage of wool to the camper who also hunts is that it is noiseless. Wool also does a fine job of shedding and repelling water. Similar fabrics include Polartec and fleece.
Take along a quilted jacket insulated with down or one of the better synthetics. The camper who feels too restricted in a quilted jacket might choose a less cumbersome vest insulated with down or a good synthetic. A vest with a good zipper front, a button-down collar, and a flap pocket on either side is a treasure; more so when it is low enough in the rear to cover the kidneys. In extreme cold, the topmost outer garment can also be an oversize wool hunting shirt or jacket.
Heavy wool or leather gloves worn over a pair of cotton work gloves protect the hands. Although mittens may keep you somewhat warmer, they inhibit your ability to grasp utensils and the like, so gloves are a better choice.
A wool cap with earflaps along with a wool or cotton scarf is suitable. In a windy area, this combo is perfect. Place the scarf around the neck or over your head under the cap. Hoods tend to restrict head movement and muffle sounds coming from the sides and back, but a scarf can be quickly loosened when necessary.
The watch cap and ski hat tend to hamper peripheral vision. They are acceptable substitutes for the wool cap, however, because they pull down completely to protect almost everything from the top of the head to the neck, revealing only the eyes, nose, and mouth.
About the author:
Vin T. Sparano is the author of Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia as well as three other guides for Rizzoli.
He has been an outdoor editor and writer for more than fifty years. He is editor emeritus of Outdoor Life, and has written and edited more than fifteen books about the outdoors. In 2013, he was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
About the Author: Vin T. Sparano is the author of Complete Outdoors Encyclopedia as well as three other guides for Rizzoli.
He has been an outdoor editor and writer for more than fifty years. He is editor emeritus of Outdoor Life, and has written and edited more than fifteen books about the outdoors. In 2013, he was inducted into the Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame.
