Ep.04: Dressing for the Cold (Part 1)

The entire Appalachian Outdoorosity crew comes together to discuss their favorite ways to recreate when the weather outside is frightful. We mean cold. You knew that.  Joy, Becki and Melissa talk layering, cotton vs polypro and time tested tricks for not becoming hypothermic whilst backpacking, biking and camping. Along the way we discover some of their biggest fears and most embarrassing cold weather related moments. A jolly time is had by all. 

 

 

 

 

Transcript:

Becki Batista Welcome to the Outdoorosity podcast, where we encourage you to get outside and keep going outside. Here we will share Appalachian State stories that entertain, inspire and inform listeners about living an active outdoor lifestyle. Each episode features a story with the goal to get you outside and keep you going outside to improve your overall wellness. This podcast is presented by the Hope Lab, where our purpose is to investigate the role of outdoor physical activity, exercise and play on health, the environment and human development. Feel free to check us out at hopelab.appstate.edu.  Hi, my name is Becki Battista and I am a professor in exercise science at Appalachian State University and a self-proclaimed physical activity addict. I will be your host for this Outdoorosity podcast. On today's episode, Outdoorosity team members will share their advice about what they like to wear when it gets cold out, types of clothing and the importance of layering. Let's go to the conversation now. Joy James I'm Joy James. I teach in recreation management, working in the Hope Lab. I'm a Southerner, born and raised. So, I've lived in the southern climate. I've lived in North Dakota, Utah, I’ve had the heat extreme and the cold extreme and they all provide different challenges to us, but they don't keep you from going outdoors. Becki Battista I'm Becki Batista, and I am a team member in the Hope Lab. With the fact that I have lived in cold weather climates like Michigan and Wisconsin, I definitely have had to adjust my layering of clothing items. But we can certainly address any issues associated or ideas, tips, tricks and some good common sense about what to wear when you are being active outside. Melissa Weddell

And I'm Melissa Weddell. I think the one theme that we will collect today is that there is no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing choices. Becki, why don't you tell us your favorite outdoor activity and how you kind of plan and typically dress for outdoor recreation? Becki Battista Running is probably my favorite outdoor activity and over the years I have figured out what works in what temperature. Probably the most important thing that I always make sure I have is gloves. If my fingers are cold, then I'm cold. Sometimes I have to have two layers of gloves, just depending on what the temperature really is outside. I might have gloves and then added mittens. And I always thought mittens were kind of a weird concept, like, why would I wear mittens in the wintertime? That's what little kids wear. But mittens actually keep your fingers closer together. And so technically, mittens are much better in the really cold climates, like 30 degrees and lower. I'd say like a good weather wind resistant type mitten is really helpful for me when it's really cold and in this climate really cold as 20 degrees and lower than that is when I tend to put mittens on. I always dress in layers. I kind of I look at what is the temperature going to be like when I start my run? Now, keep in mind, I don't like to be cold at all. And so I probably over dress and over prepare, which that's just kind of how I am. So, if it's chilly out, I might just wear one layer, a top and then a jacket and hat and gloves if it's below 30, I tend to wear maybe two layers a jacket, hat and gloves. If any time I get hot, the first thing that I take off is my hat to just cool off a little bit. I think layering is a really important thing. So, for me it's my hands are the most critical part. I don't really have any problems with my feet, probably because I am running. And so the constant movement, they just usually stay warm. But I always think about the temperature and the temperature change and how to keep myself as warm as I can. Melissa Weddell Awesome. Great suggestions, Becki. Tell us one of your funniest outdoor experiences in cold weather, one of those times you'll never forget. Becki Battista So, I was actually laughing at myself the other day because when I lived in Michigan, I used to go for a run outside, but only if it was ten degrees or higher. Then I'd go outside and still go for a run. When I moved to Wisconsin, I had to change that temperature and so it had to be zero. And that didn't include the wind chill factor. So, if it was still above zero, I'd still go out for a run, except at the place where I worked. It was called La Crosse, Wisconsin, and it was a big exercise school and everybody in Wisconsin