# Is it safe to walk for 5 minutes in single-digit cold? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 15, 2009, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432 "2009-01-15T15:05:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/21 "2009-01-15T16:34:32Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Was this question really asked in earnest? Look outside for other human beings. If you see any, it’s safe. I once worked outside from 6AM to 7PM on a day when the high was 7 degrees fahrenheit, and due to the nature of the job, I couldn’t wear gloves for any of the actual work. I’m still alive. I totally misused the word safe. That was really stupid. Obviously, folks are going on with their days, as usual. I didn’t mean “safe.” I guess it was kind of a dumb question, really. Hello, common sense? Can you dress warmly? I believe that I could, quite possibly, pull it off, yes. Then quit being a pantywaist! Thanks anyway, though! ---
**Author:** ![robby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robby/32/11048_2.png) [@robby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robby)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/22 "2009-01-15T16:37:32Z")
> [@Cisco](#): > > Was this question really asked in earnest? Look outside for other human beings. If you see any, it’s safe. I once worked outside from 6AM to 7PM on a day when the high was 7 degrees fahrenheit, and due to the nature of the job, I couldn’t wear gloves for any of the actual work. I’m still alive. Ditto. I’ve overseen drilling crews installing environmental monitoring wells in single-digit temperatures. I’ve sampled monitoring wells in single-digit temps. This work involved being outside for up to twelve hours, and I had my gloves off more often than not (to record things, manipulate the equipment, etc.). Heck, this morning it was in the single digits, and all I had on was my regular winter coat. Tomorrow, it’s supposed to be even colder, so I’ll probably wear my down parka. However, if you’re not used to the cold, or you will be out for any length of time, be sure to wear layers. ---
**Author:** ![KnitWit](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f0a364/32.png) [@KnitWit](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KnitWit)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/23 "2009-01-15T16:47:38Z")
Well, I think it’s a more or less fair question. I mean, sure there are people walking around outside, so you can assume you’re not going to DIE from the cold. But a better way to put the question might be, “I’m a normal human being who works in an office and has not grown accustomed to being out in harsh elements. Is it really good for me/healthy to be out in extreme, sub-zero temperatures for more than a few minutes.” And maybe, “How can I make sure that this is as comfortable as possible?” Because in my opinion, in a coat rated to take -30 temperatures, mittens, hat, hood up, handknit wook socks on, it’s frickin’ MISERABLE out there. Short of having gas heating units installed in my pants, I can’t think of anything to do to make this tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/24 "2009-01-15T16:55:11Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I totally misused the word safe. That was really stupid. Obviously, folks are going on with their days, as usual. I didn’t mean “safe.” I guess it was kind of a dumb question, really. Hello, common sense? Can you dress warmly? I believe that I could, quite possibly, pull it off, yes. Then quit being a pantywaist! > > Thanks anyway, though! It wasn’t a stupid question. Let me reiterate that many of the Wisconsin natives I know (who live in generally colder weather than your region) would never dream of walking that far when it’s cold outside. Plenty of people don’t do it, and so might have worries. Getting informed about it is the best way to handle those worries. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/25 "2009-01-15T16:57:27Z")
> [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](#): > > I think though, based on anecdotal experience, that it’s one of those body parts that affects your perception of hot and cold. Although, for me it’s more my _feet_. Keep the tootsies warm and I can trek in the snow for miles. Likewise, in the summer, if I’m too hot in bed, I just need to stick a foot out from under the covers and I’m good. > > I also think people under estimate how much their heads are exposed. The figure above of losing 7% body heat is based on some figure that it’s only 7% of your entire body surface. Still, that’s a lot to leave unprotected in the cold. I used to hear “head = 30%”. When the hell did it jump to 60-75%? 😕 > > My hat has flaps that cover my cheeks all the way down to my chin, and I wear my cycling glasses to protect my eyes from the wind (or I get all teary). The only parts of my entire body that’s exposed to the cold are my nose and mouth. I sorta wonder if those exaggerated numbers refer to the percent of heat you are losing through an exposed head and neck if that’s the only part that’s not protected and insulated. With that as a definition, why studies could easily show that “up to 75% of heat loss is through an exposed head and neck” because (unsaid), everything else is protected and insulated. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/26 "2009-01-15T17:00:05Z")
> [@Squink](#): > > Why would it not be safe? > It’s not like the CO[sub]2[/sub] is going to freeze out of the atmosphere in chunks, and hit you on the head or anything. Don’t be silly. That only happens in Antarctica and Saskatchewan. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@Diogenes\_the\_Cynic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Diogenes_the_Cynic)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/27 "2009-01-15T17:02:11Z")
Single digits is nothing. Just make sure you cover your head, ears, neck and hands – basically reduce the amount of exposed skin. Really, it’s the hat that matters most, though. ---
**Author:** ![Chief\_Pedant](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a6a055/32.png) [@Chief\_Pedant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chief_Pedant)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/28 "2009-01-15T17:07:12Z")
> [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](#): > > I’ll be taking the MetroLink over to St. Louis at one o’clock. It’s only 1 degree right now and will most likely still be at most in the higher single digits. I will probably have to wait about 5 minutes for the train and then I have a 5 minute walk when I get downtown. If I’m plenty bundled up with a scarf covering my face, will I be ok, or should I just drive? Get a nice down coat with a fur-faced long hood on a wire frame so you look out a long tunnel with just a peek through a narrow opening. Mine (Eddie Bauer\*) is rated to -70F. And my favorite response when I wear it in on a bitter day and someone asks me how cold it is outside: “I have no idea.” Guaranteed to make you feel like AGW has become a reality. \*They don’t make it anymore, but they have a pretty cheap -50 one (I think mine was $400 on sale years ago; the one here is on sale for $170): [http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/Outerwear/Mens-Outerwear/Weather-Rated-Outerwear/index.cat#ppl={type%3A"hide"}](http://www.eddiebauer.com/EB/Outerwear/Mens-Outerwear/Weather-Rated-Outerwear/index.cat#ppl=%7Btype%3A%22hide%22%7D) ---
**Author:** ![Cisco](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ccd318/32.png) [@Cisco](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cisco)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/29 "2009-01-15T17:14:04Z")
> [@CaerieD](#): > > I regularly walk to work, which is about a mile and a half away, and shock and horrify people by doing so when it’s cold like this (it’s currently -16F and supposedly -31 with the windchill). Doubly horrifying to them is the fact that I was raised in Nevada while they’re all Wisconsin natives. Apparently, I’m supposed to be afraid of the cold. > [@CaerieD](#): > > Let me reiterate that many of the Wisconsin natives I know (who live in generally colder weather than your region) would never dream of walking that far when it’s cold outside. Being a native just means you’ve heard how bad the weather is your whole life. It’s more often than not the Phoenix natives who refuse to go to lunch in the summer because they won’t walk out to the parking lot or get into a 175 degree car. I dealt with the first few summers after I moved here pretty well, but now as I’m achieving “native” status (it only takes a few years in Arizona) I’m complaining like a mother fuck :D. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/30 "2009-01-15T17:25:15Z")
No cotton socks, please. Wool if you have them, or some kind of “high-tech” fiber intended to keep your feet warm. (Walked 10 minutes outside this morning in -10 or colder to the train station; husband is a letter carrier and fortunately has the week off!) ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/31 "2009-01-15T17:25:45Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I sorta wonder if those exaggerated numbers refer to the percent of heat you are losing through an exposed head and neck if that’s the only part that’s not protected and insulated. With that as a definition, why studies could easily show that “up to 75% of heat loss is through an exposed head and neck” because (unsaid), everything else is protected and insulated. True, it would be a sneaky way to manipulate figures. ---
**Author:** ![CaerieD](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/da6949/32.png) [@CaerieD](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CaerieD)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/32 "2009-01-15T17:26:18Z")
**Cisco** , point. Maybe lacking a background in the “ZOMGIT’SFREEZING” attitude just gives me a logical view of the cold, instead of a visceral response. I still take a perverse pride in bundling up and going outside when it’s obscenely frigid. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/33 "2009-01-15T17:53:35Z")
Here’s some inspirational reading: [“To Build a Fire”](http://www.jacklondons.net/buildafire.html) by Jack London 😃 ---
**Author:** ![NurseCarmen](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/5daacb/32.png) [@NurseCarmen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NurseCarmen)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/34 "2009-01-15T18:07:01Z")
> [@Chief\_Pedant](#): > > I sorta wonder if those exaggerated numbers refer to the percent of heat you are losing through an exposed head and neck if that’s the only part that’s not protected and insulated. With that as a definition, why studies could easily show that “up to 75% of heat loss is through an exposed head and neck” because (unsaid), everything else is protected and insulated. I was going to say the same thing. If people walked around with pants that had one long leg and one short one, and they complained about being cold, people would point out the obvious. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/35 "2009-01-15T18:30:13Z")
We’re only talking about 5 minutes! I used to walk four miles to my office unless the temperature fell below -25C (-13F). I dressed warmly, so much that after a mile or so, I would start to sweat and the sweat dripped down my beard and froze so I ended up with 6 inch icicles hanging from my beard. But then I often had to walk five minutes to the classroom I taught in and I would just go out wearing nothing but a sweater. Nothing can happen in five minutes! One thing I did when walking any distance in the cold was wear fur-lined boots. Very important. Incidentally, I hate cold. I never got involved in any winter sports. They’re masochists. Not really, but I have little tolerance for cold for any length of time. About 40 years ago, I met someone in Chicago who, on a zero degree day was dressed the way I dress indoors. Just a light cotton shirt and pants, we walked about a half hour and he didn’t seem to notice. Maybe his stench protected him from the cold. ---
**Author:** ![Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Hazle\_Weatherfield](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hazle_Weatherfield)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 6:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/36 "2009-01-15T18:45:09Z")
Well, I’m off! Heavy socks, knee high Dr. Martens, leggings, jeans, long-sleeve shirt, short-sleeve shirt, wool turtleneck, Old Navy puffer, gloves, hat and earmuffs! Bring it on. Also, hope I get the job! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Shodan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9f8e36/32.png) [@Shodan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shodan)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/37 "2009-01-15T19:32:07Z")
Good luck! You have certainly shown that you can plan ahead. Regards, Shodan (who lives where it is currently -7 degrees Farenheit) ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/38 "2009-01-15T20:40:02Z")
A point, by the way: While the walk is safe, the alternative, driving, might not be. If your city/county/township/whatever seldom gets this cold, then they probably rely primarily on salt for keeping the roads safe, but when it gets that cold out, salt doesn’t work any more. So you might end up with roads that are a sheet of ice, with no extra measures taken for traction (since the city officials don’t realize that they need them). ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/47e85d/32.png) [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Lance_Murdoch)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 8:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/39 "2009-01-15T20:51:21Z")
I almost never wear a hat. It’s not like I’m some hard ass who laughs at the cold. It just isn’t a big deal. I go for the earmuffs. We haven’t seen 0 since Monday afternoon and I have spent more time outside that I would like, but the lack of a hat is no big deal. ---
**Author:** ![Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9d8465/32.png) [@Swallowed\_My\_Cellphone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Swallowed_My_Cellphone)\ **Post date:** [January 15, 2009, 9:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432/40 "2009-01-15T21:05:00Z")
> [@Captain\_Lance\_Murdoch](#): > > I almost never wear a hat. It’s not like I’m some hard ass who laughs at the cold. It just isn’t a big deal. I go for the earmuffs. We haven’t seen 0 since Monday afternoon and I have spent more time outside that I would like, but the lack of a hat is no big deal. When I had long emo hair I never wore a hat. Now with my Forrest Gump 'do I find that I’m noticeably more comfortable with one. If there’s no wind, no big deal though. Usually. But if it’s 1 F and there’s a wind or I’m on my bike, I swear I can feel my follicles freeze! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-it-safe-to-walk-for-5-minutes-in-single-digit-cold/481432.md?page=3)