Top five winter-trip items you might not think to travel with

by Catherine Bodry on

Yesterday I posted on packing light for a cold trip – definitely something new for me since I live in Alaska and prefer escaping to warm climates. As I stuff my small backpack with fleecy bulk, a few items have come to light as being practical yet not necessarily things you would think of for when packing for cold. Here are the top five I’ve discovered:

1. A headlamp. Since, generally speaking, colder weather usually means winter, and winter usually means less daylight, a headlamp will come in handy more hours of the day than a summer trip. I keep mine in my purse whenever I travel.

2. A bandanna. A cotton kerchief isn’t going to save your life in a blizzard, but it packs down small and will keep your ears warm. As someone who requires clip-on earmuffs year-round, I rely on the bandanna both for ear warmth and bed hair. Additionally, it can come in handy as toilet paper, tissue, and as a bandage.

3. A scarf. Sure, it makes sense in the city, but if you’re a gear-head like me you might not think to use up pack space with a scarf. Think again. What’s great about a simple black scarf is it can work multiple-duty as a wrap, headpiece, neck-warmer, pillow and outfit dresser-upper. Wrap it under your jacket or accessorize your dressy clothes with it — or both.

4. A down sleeping bag. I want to emphasize down here: it is lighter and packs down much smaller than synthetics do, and is much warmer than that cotton or silk bag you use in hostels. If you’re sleeping in huts (rather than a tent), you can probably get away with a tiny down bag, and it will also keep you toasty in chilly hostels. I have a 15-year-old North Face that is rated to 25 degrees Fahrenheit and takes up less room than my fleece hoodie.

5. Tights. Ladies, the 80s are back in style. You can now use footless tights as long underwear, running pants, pajamas, or simply under a skirt to stave off a chill. Gentlemen, you can use them for all of the above as well, if you so please. Pick out a synthetic pair to keep you warm(er) in wet weather.

Five things to do to survive freakishly cold weather

by Brenda Yun on

Even though I’m sitting pretty here in soggy Hawaii (at least it’s 70 degrees), it is downright freezing in New England, and I’ve experienced that too. My five year stint in New England taught me many things, but most importantly it taught me how to be creative when the weather is frightful. I remember stepping out of my dorm on numerous occasions, taking a deep breath, and choking on the cold air. I remember, too, the Ice Storm of 1998 (it doesn’t feel like a decade ago, but oh well): inches of ice around grass blades and tree branches decorated the roadside — whole trees would snap under the weight.

I attended college in Maine to experience the extreme. Call me crazy, but I chose Maine because I actually hoped my eyes would freeze shut. I thought the weather would keep me inside so that I could study like the nerd that I was. I didn’t anticipate, however, the awfully fun, spontaneous experiences I would have.
Here are five things you can do to survive the cold:

  1. Tubing/Sledding: Twas past midnight in college, and I remember distinctly walking back to my dorm after a long night of studying in the library (I told you I was a nerd). I heard an ecstatic squeal coming from the chapel hill. Amid the curtain of snow I witnessed the most ironic sight: my two neighbors wearing their bathing suits, winter boots and ear mufflers careening down the hill in an inflatable tube.
  2. Ice fishing/Smelting: This is a guy kind of thing, but girls can enjoy this too. Rent a little shack on the water, cut out a hole in the ice, and fish your blues away. It’s not as cold as you think. There’s a little wood stove to provide you with heat, and you can even bed down for the night if you so please.
  3. Hiking/Cross-country skiing: The barren, icy woods are so calm and beautiful when it’s cold out. There’s no one on the streets. Once your body warms up, you can enjoy your own private winter wonderland.
  4. Hot chocolate &/or apple cider: Mmmmm… need I say more?
  5. Volunteer: Shelters need extra help especially when the weather is cold and the power is out. Take some time to lend a hand for an hour or two at your local emergency or homeless shelter.

To be certain, living in very cold weather was the best thing I could have done for my spirit. I have thicker skin in more ways than one, thanks to living in New England, and you can too — right now, even if the power is out and you’re shivering in ten layers of thermal underwear, curled up in a ball under an emergency blanket.

Enjoy the cold! You only live once.