# Dealing with the Bone-Deep Chills of Winter **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 26, 2006, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854 "2006-11-26T17:04:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Kythereia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/e8c25b/32.png) [@Kythereia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kythereia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/21 "2006-11-27T03:55:48Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] Don’t jump in puddles? Man, you really know how to suck all the fun out of life, don’t you? 😉 As for the gloves, I really can’t wear them while I’m working. I need to have complete dexterity to do delicate work. (And they’d get incredibly filthy and wet.) [/QUOTE] Of \*course \*everyone must jump in puddles–just during the spring. 😃 Are there stores around there that sell lightweight wool gloves? Failing that, maybe you can bring in a handwarmer… Slippers are a good idea at home. I second the notion of tea. Also, before going to sleep, toss your blanket and sheets in the dryer until sufficiently toasty–pure bliss. ---
**Author:** ![Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e480ec/32.png) [@Least\_Original\_User\_Name\_Ever](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Least_Original_User_Name_Ever)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/22 "2006-11-27T04:13:48Z")
[QUOTE=Kythereia] Of \*course \*everyone must jump in puddles–just during the spring. 😃 Are there stores around there that sell lightweight wool gloves? Failing that, maybe you can bring in a handwarmer… Slippers are a good idea at home. I second the notion of tea. Also, before going to sleep, toss your blanket and sheets in the dryer until sufficiently toasty–pure bliss. [/QUOTE] A similar effect can be had when bedding with two beagles. Beagles is VERY warm. Beagles also take over the bed and act like furry little glaciers in the middle of the night, moving you around without your knowledge. Many mornings have I woken up with Quincy curled up, all nice and comfy and sprawled out and me with little bed left. Poor **gonzomax** gets smashed against the wall with the female birth figure taking up most of the bed, Quincy sprawling out, and Nordberg taking up the foot of the bed. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/23 "2006-11-27T04:18:03Z")
Hot drinks cause temporary sweating in a hot climate, which can cool you down. But if you’re cold, in the cold, then a hot drink will help warm you up. I echo the hat idea. I’ve slept comfortably under two blankets (I hate sleeping bags) in below freezing whether with only two layers of clothing - as long as I have a hat on. Keeping your head warm makes all the difference in the world - something we’ve managed to unlearn in just three generations away from fireplaces and in central heat! If you can’t wear a hat, how bout a silk scarf wrapped 'round your head and shoulders? Even a thin babushka or hippie type head wrap will help. ---
**Author:** ![conurepete](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e57/32.png) [@conurepete](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/conurepete)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/24 "2006-11-27T04:28:24Z")
Silk thermal underwear is a start. Follow up with hot tea and microwaveable hot packs (the kind with herbs, rice or corn work well, I have never tried the gel ones). For emergencies those adhesive thermal pain patches containing activated charcoal. They take a while, but they do generate heat. You can buy hand and foot warmer versions of those from hunting supply stores. For instant heat, there are these little gel sacks with a metal clicker inside: when you click them the gel crystalizes and radiates warmth. They are not a front-line defense for cold because they cannot be microwaved, they must be boiled to recharge. ---
**Author:** ![Caridwen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c89c15/32.png) [@Caridwen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Caridwen)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/25 "2006-11-27T04:43:39Z")
Another vote for silk thermal underwear. I wear them all winter and you can’t really tell. You can wear them under anything. ---
**Author:** ![Triskadecamus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/b19c9b/32.png) [@Triskadecamus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Triskadecamus)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 4:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/26 "2006-11-27T04:50:08Z")
Long Johns, two layers, one silk, one fleece. Silk socks, with thick wool socks over them. Silk hood, wool watch cap. Very thin silk is incredibly warm, when covered by fleece, which is pretty warm itself. Change socks a lot. If you know there are going to be puddles, put heavy freezer bags over your socks, and then put on your shoes. Good boots with two types of waterproofing, one silicone, and one wax will keep your feet pretty dry, unless you are actually going wading. Take your boots off if you can, indoors. They will dry better, and you can put on an extra pair of socks to warm your feet up. Hot beverages. Hot, very wet air, like one of those old fashioned facial machines will work pretty well for cold feet. Just breathe in the hottest air you can stand, at 100% humidity. Tris ---
**Author:** ![Askia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/96bed5/32.png) [@Askia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askia)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/27 "2006-11-27T09:13:25Z")
Skull cap for your head – very fashionable. Chemical hand warmers for the fingers. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 11:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/28 "2006-11-27T11:08:05Z")
As well as all the other good avice given here, if you are sitting completely still for long periods of time it is very dificult to avoid getting cold. Try getting up and moving around a bit every now and then to generate some muscle heat and keep your circulation active. ---
**Author:** ![CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/crankyasanoldman/32/11670_2.png) [@CrankyAsAnOldMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CrankyAsAnOldMan)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/29 "2006-11-27T18:06:52Z")
I try to let as little cold air as possible get to my skin. That means close-fitting long underwear under whatever else I have on. I have also been amazed at how much a scarf helps, so I consider that great advice. ---
**Author:** ![ExTank](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/35a633/32.png) [@ExTank](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ExTank)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/30 "2006-11-27T21:53:50Z")
[QUOTE=Lissa] I know some of our Dopers work outside. How do you guys stay warm or warm up once you get back inside? What about other thin people? Do you suffer during the winter the way I do, and what do you do to deal with it? [/QUOTE] First of all, eat something. And I don’t mean a leaf of salad with a few saltines on the side, with a diet soft drink. Start off with two (or more) eggs, bacon or sausage (or both), a stack of flapjacks with butter and syrup, biscuit & gravy, and toast. Whole milk, juice, and coffee recommended. For lunch, go light with a bacon double cheeseburger, chili-chees fries, all washed down with at least a 16 ouncer of Guinness. Supper should be something like roast beef with mash and gravy, buttered dinner rolls (none of the lo-cal “margerine” crap!), and a hearty ale, rounded out with a nice 3,000 calorie desert, washed down with a bottle of port. And when the 9 PM munchies roll around, a bag of cookies and a pot of hot chocolate are just the thing. As for warmingup quickly after having been out in the cold, I find the Jamieson’s I keep in the hip flask lights a nice fire in the ol’ belly PDQ. YMMV 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Kalhoun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/3bc359/32.png) [@Kalhoun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kalhoun)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/31 "2006-11-27T22:02:04Z")
I like an electric blanket for when it gets really cold out. That and a hot bath. But not at the same time. ---
**Author:** ![Burrido](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@Burrido](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Burrido)\ **Post date:** [November 27, 2006, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/32 "2006-11-27T22:12:36Z")
I work outside about 6 hours a day. The difference maker for me is my Carhartt bibs and lined swampwalker boots. Combined with thermals and a nice windproof coat I do fine except on the coldest nights. The coldest temperature I ever had to work in was -44F and that was tough. When I get home I leave everything on except my bibs and slowly take layers off as I warm up. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 2:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/33 "2006-11-28T02:20:46Z")
> [@](#): > > Do hot drinks really warm you up? Vague memory tugs at the back of my mind, insisting that I once read something that suggested drinking hot liquids actually lowers your body’s temperature. (Something about your body being shocked by the heat and working to cool itself rapidly in response.) The way your body “works” to cool off is by sweating. So as long as you can keep yourself from sweating, a hot drink is a good way to dump some instant heat into your system. > [@](#): > > I know some of our Dopers work outside. How do you guys stay warm or warm up once you get back inside? What about other thin people? Once I come into a 70 degree room from a 30 degree outdoors, the temp increase of 40 degrees makes it feel like I’ve just walked into an oven. I actually start peeling off layers otherwise I’ll break into a sweat. Maybe my idle is stuck on high? I keep my feet warm with fleece socks from [Wyoming Wear](http://www.wyomingwear.com/store/agora.cgi?&user5=button2). I find that when I keep my feet warm, the rest of me stays warm with less covering. May I ask why you are scrawny? My friend is the same way but he’s scrawny because he’s deathly afraid of getting fat. So he eats a couple of hunks of boneless chicken breast and a cucumber for dinner. I’ve told him to stop being so self-conscious about his weight and put on a few pounds of fat. Fat actually serves a purpose, ya know. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Cat\_Whisperer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cat_whisperer/32/4839_2.png) [@Cat\_Whisperer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cat_Whisperer)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/34 "2006-11-28T04:14:29Z")
What works for me is what people have already said - turtlenecks, hats, layers, and a portable heater. Keep your head and feet warm, and the rest of you will probably be pretty warm, too. When you get to work, change your shoes into shoes that you keep at work, and change your socks, too, if putting warm shoes on doesn’t help - if your feet are even slightly sweaty, they won’t warm up at all. Moisture is the enemy in winter. If you find it hard to warm your feet up after you get to work, just hold your toes with your hands for a short time - the best heat for warming up cold body parts is body heat. ---
**Author:** ![Chotii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/71e660/32.png) [@Chotii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chotii)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 5:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/35 "2006-11-28T05:37:54Z")
Fill a cotton sock with a couple of cups full of dry white rice, and rubber-band or tie the neck shut tightly. Microwave until hot. (Or if you have a sewing machine, make a big rectangle of any fabric you have, or from an old, expendable sweatshirt, and fill with even more rice. This takes longer to heat up but will stay warm longer.) This will have ‘moist heat’. I have never figured out where the moisture comes from, but it will feel damp. Hold one against your chest under your sweater. Put it on your head. Lay it on your feet. Fold it in half and tuck your hands in the middle. Put it in bed to warm the bed before climb in, then curl around it or put it at your feet. Utterly delicious, and easily reheated. It will smell of toasted grain, alas. Eventually, it will smell of burned grain. Fortunately, rice is cheap. ---
**Author:** ![slaphead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e9bcb4/32.png) [@slaphead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/slaphead)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/36 "2006-11-28T09:33:14Z")
[QUOTE=ExTank] Start off with two (or more) eggs, bacon or sausage (or both), a stack of flapjacks with butter and syrup, biscuit & gravy, and toast. Whole milk, juice, and coffee recommended. [/QUOTE] When I was a little kid in Norway and used to ski to school in winter, my usual breakfast was a big bowl of porridge with a handful of raisins/dried fruit mixed in, a spoonful of butter in the middle, and a moat of whole milk round the edge. That kept the cold out all right. 😃 I remmeber reading an article bu some antarctic scientist who said that the only way to get really warm after a days work outside was to eat a whole block of butter :eek: [QUOTE=Patty O’Furniture] Once I come into a 70 degree room from a 30 degree outdoors, the temp increase of 40 degrees makes it feel like I’ve just walked into an oven [/QUOTE] This is totally normal. Like I said, I used to ski to school. I would wear down salopettes and jacket and be toasty warm even if it was -20c. Inside the school it was +20c, and I had literally about 30 seconds to get my outerwear off before it would get distressingly hot and I started stewing in my own sweat. But if you are tired or damp and have gotten chilled, then the only sensible options are to grill yourself in front of the fireplace with a dog lying on your lap or to have a long hot bath. Then to bed with a mug of hot milk & honey, and a good book. ---
**Author:** ![Cheez\_Whia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/d26b3c/32.png) [@Cheez\_Whia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cheez_Whia)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/37 "2006-11-28T13:52:42Z")
[QUOTE=Chotii] Fill a cotton sock with a couple of cups full of dry white rice, and rubber-band or tie the neck shut tightly. Microwave until hot. (Or if you have a sewing machine, make a big rectangle of any fabric you have, or from an old, expendable sweatshirt, and fill with even more rice. This takes longer to heat up but will stay warm longer.) This will have ‘moist heat’. I have never figured out where the moisture comes from, but it will feel damp. Hold one against your chest under your sweater. Put it on your head. Lay it on your feet. Fold it in half and tuck your hands in the middle. Put it in bed to warm the bed before climb in, then curl around it or put it at your feet. Utterly delicious, and easily reheated. It will smell of toasted grain, alas. Eventually, it will smell of burned grain. Fortunately, rice is cheap. [/QUOTE] I made rice bags out of fleece remnants from the fabric store, then rolled them inside hand towels to mitigate the wetness. They work like a charm. I’m taking one to work to warm up in the microwave. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/38 "2006-11-28T17:02:56Z")
lissa, I feel your pain. My work is freezing - right now I think my fingers are blue. I can’t tell - they’re stuck up inside the arms of my sweater - only the tips are sticking out. I usually get some hot tea - that warms me up. If I’m home, I crawl under a comforter. Unfortunately it’s usually the one that is on the couch - so I end up smelling like dog. ---
**Author:** ![Sattua](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sattua/32/11906_2.png) [@Sattua](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sattua)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/39 "2006-11-28T17:30:51Z")
**slaphead** , can we trade childhoods? That sounds so cozy and fun. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 28, 2006, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854/40 "2006-11-28T17:42:16Z")
I agree that fabric is a good area to explore. Hie ye to your local sporting goods store and converse with a teenager there about newer fabrics that insulate and wick. Buy some good layers, with something thin and soft against your skin. When it’s cold in the house or at work I wear synthetic sockliners plus my regular sock (or a wool sock if I’m going to be outside), a light insulating/wicking layer intended for cold-weather hiking/camping, my regular clothing over that, and a fleece vest. I might add a silk scarf and/or a fleece cap plus Thinsulate gloves (or fingerless gloves as noted above) if it’s really drafty. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/dealing-with-the-bone-deep-chills-of-winter/381854.md?page=3)