Top Tips For Staying Warm When You Are Out And About This Festive Season In Northumberland

Staying warm and comfortable in winter is a constant challenge – we wrap up, we sweat, our bodies get damp, then we get cold. This challenge can people some people off from leaving the warmth of their homes during the winter. If you follow these tips, you can be more comfortable on cold weather adventures.

This means you will be able to enjoy the festive outdoor activities on your Northumberland get away this season such as the Christmas Markets, Winter Wonderlands and Santa’s Grottos, without getting cold!

• Move

Clothing only helps to trap the heat, it is your body that keeps you warm. When you start to feel cold, start moving or increase your pace. Keep an eye on other members of the family, especially young children, who have less body fat and mass and cool down quicker than adults.

• Pace Yourself

Minimising how much you perspire in the cold is crucial to keeping you warm. Wet clothing conducts heat away from your body. Try to set a pace that keeps you warm without causing you to overheat.

• Adjust Layers

Sometimes, in some activities, it is impossible to avoid sweating, so adjust your layers. For example, if there is no wind, you may only need a breathable insulation layer (like fleece) over a fast-drying base layer. If it is windy, you may only need a waterproof, breathable hard shell or a windproof, breathable soft shell.

• Eat More

Your body needs more fuel in freezing temperatures to keep your internal fire burning. Eat high-fat snacks like chocolate and nuts, because fat is a slow-burning fuel that keeps your body going for longer.

• Drink Up

In cold, dry conditions you become dehydrated more quickly than you realise, even if you are not sweating much. Drink frequently. Carry a thermos with a hot drink. Add sugar to it (for quick energy) or a little dollop of butter for flavour and fat.

• Pre-Warm Boots and Gloves

Fingers and toes get cold most easily because they are the furthest parts of your body away from your heart. Once they are cold, your brain directs the capillaries in your extremities to cut of circulation to these parts. This is to protect the body’s core from cold blood returning to the heart. To try and combat this, pre-warm your boots and gloves by a heater before you go outside so your hands and feet are warm the minute you put them on.

When fingers and toes do get cold and wont rewarm on their own outdoors, put chemical hand and foot warmers into your gloves and boots.

• Carry Spare Gloves

If your fingers get cold easily, keep a second pair of gloves in your jacket pocket so your body heat keeps them warm. When your fingers get cold take off the gloves you are wearing and swap them with the ones in your pocket. Your fingers will soon warm back up.

• Sit on Your Bag

The ground, rocks, logs and all other natural objects are frozen in winter and will suck the heat from your body via thermal conduction if you sit on them. If there is nowhere else to sit down, lay your bag down first and sit on that.

• Worship the Sun

Just as you would look for shade on a hot day, in cold temperatures, take rest stops in warm sunshine and face the sun to get the most benefit.