Today when I left my house it was under freezing, the first truly
wintry day in recent memory. It took me an extra twenty minutes or so
to pick out my clothes before leaving the house because I wanted to
make sure I'd be comfortable all day. It paid off, and all day I've
been listening to people around me complain that they're uncomfortably
cold. The way I figure it, if people have been able to survive in
Russia and Alaska for the past thousand years, there's no excuse to get
flustered by slightly sub-freezing conditions. You just need to be
prepared.
If
you don't want to let cold weather stop you from getting your outdoor
activity time in, you need to dress right. If you wear too little,
you'll freeze, but if you wear the wrong clothes you'll get soggy,
sweaty, and chilled by the cold sweat trapped in your clothes. The
layer of clothing closest to your skin should be made of a material
that wicks moisture away from your body, so that your skin doesn't get
wet and cold as your body warms up. Silk and Wool are common natural
materials that wick water away pretty well. Cotton, on the other hand,
will absorb moisture and make you cold, so watch out for cotton base
clothing. The clothing should be tight, so that no sweat hangs out on
your skin and gives you chills, either. The next layer is your
mid-layer. It should be a little bit looser. The final layer is your
outerwear, and the most important thing for cold-weather outerwear to
do is protect your body from wind chills and precipitation. There's
nothing worse than getting suited up in cotton clothes, thinking your
about to be really warm, and then feeling a gust of wind rip right
through the porous fibers.
There are a number
of different moisture-wicking materials, and many of them are man made.
Synthetic fibers do a remarkable job of getting moisture away from
your body, but there are some health hazards involved in the use of
synthetic fibers, especially when they're close to your skin.
Synthetic fibers can irritate skin and the breathing process in some
individuals, and their long term effects are still not totally
understood. Clothing made with cotton that was grown using harmful
chemicals is very common as well, and lots of common clothing materials
are known to give off particles that aren't exactly good for you. One
easy way to counter this is to buy used clothing, which has in theory
already given off a significant fraction of its harmful biproducts.
Dress right and you'll enjoy being outside a lot more, shop smart and
you'll be healthier while supporting local businesses instead of
Wal-Mart type chain stores or the fashion industry.
Here in New York it's been raining on and off all week. It's a little
bit inconvenient, sure, but we were due for after a long dry spell.
These days, whenever the weather does something a little funny I get
into global-climate-change mode and start to worry about the atmosphere
more than usual. Every summer since I can remember, the late summer
and early fall have been characterized by hurricanes, tropical storms,
and other serious weather. According to this study,
the length of hurricane season has actually increased over the past
decade as a result of changes in water temperature, caused by (you
guessed it) greenhouse gas emissions.
I like to think about these things, but I try not to get too negative.
I like to think in terms of what I can do to make the best of things.
On the global warming front, I can try to reduce the amount of fossil fuels
that get burned on my behalf. I try to minimize my time traveling by
car and avoid buying products that were shipped from faraway places by
emission-creating trucks and airplanes. It's actually a fun game (if
you ask me), to read the labels on things and try to buy the product
manufactured closest to where you live.
On a more personal level, it's important not to let bad weather get you
down. A lack of bright sunlight can have adverse effects on peoples'
mental states. Doctors call it "Seasonal Affective Disorder",
and it's been shown that lots of peoples' moods are highly affected by
their environment. In order to avoid getting bummed on rainy days, I
like to do some yoga, pull out my balance board, and watch some skate
videos. Check the videos and get psyched on staying healthy and happy,
even when you can't go outside.
