How to stay warm in cold weather?

Basic rules to stay warm:

Cover each part of your body appropriately, particularly your head, face and mouth, chest, abdomen, hands and feet.

Stay dry: wet clothing chills the body quickly, sweating will cause your body to lose more heat, it is the body's mechanism to cool itself.

Shivering is a sign that your body is losing heat, it is the body's mechanism to warm up by tightening and relaxing the muscles in rapid succession. 

Your fingers, toes, ears and nose become colder faster because the body reduces the flow of blood to the extremities to preserve heat to keep the organs warm (in your chest and abdomen).

Breathing cold air can trigger asthma symptoms, especially when there's dryness in cold air.

How to dress in cold weather?

 As explained in the previous post, it is important to cover each part of your body appropriately. Apply the three layers system to stay warm and to regulate comfort by slipping layers on and off according to the weather changes and to your activity level. The goal is to stay warm and dry because excessive sweating will cause your body to lose more heat. 

 Inner Layer: warm and dry

The first layer should keep your body warm and dry, it should be made of fabric that doesn't absorb moisture. This layer requires a snug fit to wick sweat efficiently. Prefer polypropylene (synthetic), wool or silk rather than cotton. 

 Middle layer: insulation

The insulation layer will retain heat by trapping air close to your body, therefore it should be well fitted but not tight. Primary fabric choices are: wool, goose down, or polyester fleece.

 Outer Layer: wind and rain protection

The outermost layer must protect you from wind, rain, and snow. It can be waterproof or water-resistant, depending on the rain condition, but needs to be a breathable shield. These clothes are usually made of polyester fabrics.