As bitter cold and snow continue in our area, Midwesterners are exposed to severe weather conditions that can pose great physical/medical risks. Wearing the right clothing and taking a few precautions can protect you and your loved ones.

Alpine Shop and The Pathfinder, the Midwest's homes for outdoor adventure for the past 52 years, strongly suggests a proper layering system to ensure safety and comfort—something to keep in mind whether your particular adventure is shoveling your driveway, sledding in the backyard, or heading out to ski Hidden Valley near St. Louis.  

Over the years, we’ve all repeatedly heard that it’s important to “bundle-up”... but Alpine Shop urges you to choose your layers wisely!  

The number one reason we get cold is our own sweat. Many might think a cotton shirt is a good start, but they’d be wrong!  In the outdoor retail industry, we have an adage: “cotton kills”. That’s because cotton loses all insulation properties when wet. So, if you sweat under your jacket as you shovel the driveway, and your cotton t-shirt gets soaked, you will slowly lose all your body heat.  

Instead, follow Alpine Shop’s proper layering tips to keep you toasty—head-to-toe—this winter (or in any cold weather situation):

•    The first or “base” layer (next to your skin) should be either wool or polyester. Both of those materials will wick sweat away from your body and dry quickly.

•    The second layer is your main insulation. In general, this will be a thicker piece than your base layer and will be made from wool, down, polyester, or another synthetic insulation.

•    The final layer should block wind and precipitation while allowing your sweat to evaporate through it. 

•    As your activity level increases or decreases, each layer can be alternately unzipped, removed or zipped up to release heat or trap it.

About Alpine Shop: What began in 1973 as a small climbing shop in Webster Groves, Missouri, has grown into a national award-winning outdoor retailer, serving almost every type of outdoor enthusiast from backpackers, hikers, campers, climbers, paddlers, and cyclists, to trail runners, travelers, snowboarders, and skiers. With four stores across Missouri and Kansas, it is Alpine Shop's vision to help more people experience "Generations Transformed by Discovery Outdoors"