Staying Warm | Knowledge & Wisdom

Dr. Murray Hamlet knows more about what cold can do to a human body than almost anyone on earth. Because of what he has seen in his 30 years as a cold-weather expert with the Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine in Natick, Massachusetts, he spends much of his time keeping people warm.

Dr. Murray’s Prescription for Staying Warm

You need more calories in winter. You need more fatty, slow-burning foods.

Drink at least one or two quarts of water each day. Dehydration can be as severe in winter as in summer.

If you go winter camping, know that by insulating your feet and hands at night, you’ll double the effectiveness of your sleeping bag (which you should also fluff up before entering). And since any moisture you bring in with you will condense and make for a wet, chilly night, sit up in the bag before burrowing in, to be sure you’re dry.

If you are out snowmobiling or cross-country skiing and you’re going to spend the night outside—and it’s snowing or wet and cold—you must be able to start a fire fast. Kick over logs and rotting stumps. Mice build their nests there, and a mouse nest is always dry. It lights like gangbusters.

You want your skin a little cool (not cold) all the time. That’s why you dress in proper layers—you don’t want to perspire.

Abridged from “Staying Warm Is His Business,” by Mel Allen, January 2000