How to dress for winter?
It is snowy, there is no sunlight for hours and hours and it is really really … cold! Welcome to Winter Wonderland!
The coldest temperature ever recorded in Helsinki from 1987 was -34.3°C. Luckily those kind of temperatures are rare, but it can still easily get to -20 there on a normal winter. In the North, the degrees are generally 5-10 degrees more, (or less) depending how you look at it.
In order for you to enjoy the Finnish climate, you need to dress properly and in layers and to avoid frostbites. So, how should you do it? Read on.
There are three (or four) basic layers. As a rule of thumb, jeans and denim clothing are not good during the winter. Any cotton is not good for winter. This is because when cotton gets wet, it will no longer help insulate the air around your body.
Keep dry
Keeping dry means wearing clothes that absorb the moisture out from your skin when you move. Being damp (and cold) puts you at higher risk. If you have a habit of sweating excessively, you have to pay extra attention to this. If your skin is damp, your body will want to start cooling your skin to evaporate the moisture, and that will cause shivering and a chill that can be impossible to stop.
Clothes at your base layer should be made of polyester and elastic. Any winter long/technical underwear will do as long as it is meant for winter use. A good quality underwear is fast drying and fits you well, but it is not too tight to move.
Stay warm
Allowing air to circulate between your layers is one of the most effective ways to stay warm. In your middle layer you are safest with wool, merino wool is very nice. Also fleece and flannel are functional. The main point should be this layer keeping you warm while still being non-restrictive for movement and fun activities!
I remember an unfortunate story while I was working in Lapland.
There was a family with a small boy going on a snowmobile trip for a half a day. They were given instructions for what to wear. However, the family wanted to be sure that their child would not definitely be cold. So his parents packed his feet with three layers of woollen socks which caused his feet being crammed too tight in his shoes. His blood circulation was obstructed and after 5 hours in the cold, they returned to the hotel with the boy having frozen his toes during the trip.
So instead of giving him the insulating layer he received quite the opposite.
The lesson here is that no matter what you do, do not pack yourself full of clothes that do not allow your blood to circulate or prevent the air from staying between your layers.
The air in your layered clothing is the vital thing that insulates your body from the cold.
Protect yourself from the elements
On the top layer you should protect yourself from the wind, cold and water. The main purpose of this shell is to keep yourself dry and protect the below layers. If you skip the first or second layer, the outer shell alone is not enough to accomplish keeping you safe and comfortable.
It is also important that your shell is highly breathable. Air ventilation is the key in winter clothing. The outer layer can be water-resistant or water-repellent.
What? Fourth layer?
Depending on whether you prefer and what type of shell jacket you are wearing and where you are moving about, you may need a fourth layer.
In such a case, add a light down jacket underneath your top layer for a heat bubble. Your outer layer jacket should be large enough to accommodate additional jackets this way.
Other clothing
A beanie hat with an insulating thermal layer is the best option for your head, in a city environment, just a plain beanie will do, if you are not outside for hours. In either case, you can always add the hood from your jacket for wind protection.
As gloves, you can use anything from a cheap one-size-fits-all knitted elastic gloves you get from any shop. However, if you are looking for staying outside for an extended period of time, please invest in a good pair for thermal insulation gloves. Leather gloves are generally too cold, but OK for shorter periods or staying in the city.
For the lower part of your body, the same layering method applies. Long underwear, and winter trousers, lined with material that insulates.
I published this blog post originally on the Finnish Online Language Support Community hosted on EU Academy, which is my day job. This is according to the copyright notice of all the European Commission's website: https://european-union.europa.eu/legal-notice_en