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 goes outside anyway. It doesn't matter the weather. I think they all looked at me funny because not only did I have my running tights, probably two layers like a t-shirt and then another shirt, another jacket. But on top of that, I also was able to get sweat pants on a sweatshirt from the exercise science department. You could get t shirts, shorts, sweatshirts and sweat pants from the department. I added those on and then had my hat. I had two pairs of gloves on and I went for a run. I would run by some of the cross-country runners and they're in like shorts and a long sleeve shirt and I have 3 to 4 layers of clothing on and I looked like an idiot, but I was warm and I just did not care as long as I was comfortable. It didn't matter to me.



Melissa Weddell

That's great, Becki. It's great that you could actually run with all this clothes on.



Becki Battista

It was a challenge. Add in snow and ice and then it gets even more challenging.



Melissa Weddell

That's definitely true. Joy, why don't you share with us your favorite outdoor activity and how you prepare?



Joy James

I love most outdoor activities camping, hiking and biking. Most recently, I probably do more hiking than anything else. Been doing that since I was a kid. I’m going to go on the theme of what Becki kind of said with I didn't really care if I was warm. When I go outdoors and I don't really care what I look like and that has changed up my ability to stay warm or stay cool. If I was looking at dressing for the weather, I would echo what Becki has to say with the cap and mittens. I do have really warm socks that I put on because there's nothing like having your feet be cold and your fingers be cold. Another thing that I found useful, particularly when I was in college, polypro started coming out. So, the technology has really advanced and now you can even wear athletic wear that is wicking. It doesn't have to be fancy like Patagonia or North Face. It can be Walmart or I'm even finding athletic T-shirts that I go look at in the Walmart and TJ Max in the men's section and find their athletic shirts. And I put those on because I'm a larger woman and sometimes it's more difficult to find outdoor gear that fits me or that wicks in the same way. Surprisingly, I still wear cotton t shirts when it's hot. But if I know it's going to be a hot, cold or a lot of variation, then I go to wearing technical gear so that I can wick moisture away because there's nothing like being sweaty and then getting cold. The other key for me as I like vests, you can warm up your chest really well. They're lightweight. You can put them in your backpack really easily and paired with a long-sleeved shirt, it can go a long way. And the other thing that I really have enjoyed are buffs. You can wear a buff around your neck, you can wear it as a hairband. I wear it a lot as covering my ears. So it's not for like zero degree weather like Becki was talking about, but it was for kind of like this, 30 degrees, 40 degrees. My ears get cold when that's windy I can pull the buff down or I can pull the buff up. So, I think that's been a key piece of wear that is important and good boots. Good solid shoes. And those shoes will keep you warm and dry. So, if you kind of like can't afford boots, then what I would tell you is that we got Re-Gearin town and you can waterproof your boots and just get work boots and go out there. It’ll help your ankles. That'll keep you warm. And when you have to go through creeks, it makes a difference in terms of your ability to stay dry.



Melissa Weddell

Absolutely. And I think also you bring up a good point when you pick hikes or different things, if I know it's going to be really cold and they'll be a lot of water crossings, I might pick a different trail that day knowing I can come back to that, but those are really good suggestions. Tell us a story from being cold in the outdoors that's memorable for you.



Joy James

Well, you know, it's interesting. I had to think about it was like, what are some memorable stories? And Melissa, you may need to add to the story because I repress things that are bad. You know, I always remember the positive. I don't know what's happening. I'm a Pollyanna or something. Melissa and I, I was working for Clemson. We're both in school at that time and I was teaching a backpacking class.

We were down near Brevard area and it was a really kind of an easy trail. But the students at the time didn't know how easy it was because it was still challenging. Wearing a bunch of weight on you and they may not have dressed appropriately. It was before we had like weather at our palms, so I don't recall even checking the weather. We didn't know what the weather's going to be like. It was a fall, maybe October or late Octobe