5 Simple Tricks for Staying Warm When It's Deadly Cold
When things get really chilly, you need to take some precautions—even indoors.
It’s so cold outside, we don’t need to tell you that. But inside? Yeah, unfortunately. Fortunately, simple low-cost hacks can keep you warm.
Stay Upstairs
No cost to this. Stay warmer by staying upstairs, if you can. Heated air expands and loses density. Thus, it rises. Upstairs will be warmer than downstairs, all things being equal.
Choose the Right Materials
Thick materials have a higher R value (resistance to heat flow) than thinner materials and air-trapping materials like fleece, wool, and flannels are better still. The microscopic air pockets formed in these materials are poor conductors of heat, increasing the R value of the material. It’s the same concept with the fiberglass insulation in your walls and ceilings. It’s the air pockets that make the difference.
Avoid the Cold 70 Effect
Exterior walls, windows, and cold floors may be as warm as 70 degrees Fahrenheit, but the thermodynamics are not working in your favor. Your body’s temperature of 98.6 degrees radiates heat to these cold surfaces, making you feel cold in the process. This phenomenon is known as the Cold 70 Effect and explains why you can feel cold even in a 70-degree room.
There are several things you can do:
Avoid: The farther you get from cold surfaces, the better.
Insulate: Warm slippers are better than socks and certainly better than bare feet. Again, thicker slippers that cover the entire foot have a better R value.
Duck and cover: When you can’t avoid the Cold 70 Effect, cover your head and neck with a hooded sweatshirt, especially a fleece product.
Another good choice is a sleeved or hooded blanket. Head and neck coverage is important. Increasing R value in these regions is good thermodynamics but it’s also perception. Your head and neck are among the most cold-sensitive parts of your body. Feeling warmer mutes the body’s response to shiver, and you’ll feel more comfortable.
Keep the Heat Local
There are two ways you can do this, with an inexpensive heated blanket or with the tent-like blankets that have become popular as of late. Either one creates a micro climate, if you will. A heated blanket creates its own heat, which it traps in all those micro fleece pockets. Slankets trap your body heat not only in their fleece but in their many folds. The result is the same: warmth.
Warm Your Hands
Like your feet, your hands are nerve-rich surfaces. Keeping them warmer helps you feel warmer in general. Electrically heated and fleece are your best choices.
Roy Berendsohn has worked for more than 25 years at Popular Mechanics, where he has written on carpentry, masonry, painting, plumbing, electrical, woodworking, blacksmithing, welding, lawn care, chainsaw use, and outdoor power equipment. When he’s not working on his own house, he volunteers with Sovereign Grace Church doing home repair for families in rural, suburban and urban locations throughout central and southern New Jersey.
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