Clothing and Footwear

What should I wear today?

This section goes deeper: why each layer and fabric works, what to buy and what to skip, and how to stay warm, dry and safe on your feet and in the sun. Check the forecast page for the day’s high, low and wind.

Dressing for our swings

Southern Alberta weather changes fast. Chinook winds can raise the temperature sharply in a few hours in winter, and the cold can come back just as quickly when the chinook ends. Summer can bring a cold morning, a hot afternoon and a thunderstorm on the same day. Strong wind is common all year.

So the goal isn’t one perfect coat. It’s a set of pieces you can add and take off as the day changes:

• Dress for the coldest part of your day, not the temperature when you leave the house.
• Carry the layer you took off. A jacket in the vehicle or your bag is worth more than a warmer one at home.
• Plan for wind. A windproof outer layer often matters more here than a thicker sweater.
• Plan for wet. Rain, wet snow and sweat all steal heat.

For how chinooks work and how to dress for them, see Chinook days on the What to Wear page.

The layering system

Health Canada’s cold-weather advice is to dress in layers with a wind-resistant outer layer, and to take layers off before you start sweating or add one if you get cold. The basic three layers are explained on the What to Wear page’s How layering works. In short:

Fabrics that work

Health Canada says synthetic and wool fabrics provide better insulation, and that some synthetics are designed to pull perspiration away from the body.

Down or synthetic insulation

Insulated jackets, vests and parkas are filled with either down (the soft under-feathers of ducks or geese) or synthetic fibre.

Down is often described by “fill power”: higher numbers mean the down is fluffier and gives more warmth for its weight. But the amount of fill and the design matter just as much, so compare jackets in person.

• Store insulated garments loose, not crushed in a stuff sack, so they keep their loft.
• Wash according to the label. Down needs a gentle wash and a long, low-heat dry to fluff back up.

Shells: wind and rain

• Windproof shell. A light, tightly woven jacket that stops wind. In Lethbridge this may be the single most useful piece of clothing you own. Over a fleece it can turn a raw, windy day into a comfortable one.
• Waterproof-breathable shell. Keeps rain and wet snow out while letting some sweat vapour escape. Look for taped seams and a hood that moves with your head. No shell breathes well enough to keep you dry if you work hard in it, so open the vents and zips.
• Soft shell. Stretchy, wind-resistant and water-resistant (not waterproof). Comfortable for active days in dry cold.
• Insulated parka. Shell and insulation in one. Warmest for standing around in real cold, but too warm for hard work.
• Rain pants or wind pants are as important as the jacket on a wet or windy day.

Why cotton and denim fail

Gary’s rule is ABC: Anything But Cotton. He considers cotton and denim extremely cold materials. His story is on our Camp gear page.

Cotton soaks up water from rain, snow or sweat, holds it against your skin and dries slowly. Water takes heat away from the body much faster than air does. The Canada Safety Council says wet clothing is a common cause of hypothermia, and that hypothermia can happen at temperatures under 10°C. That’s an ordinary summer night here. Health Canada’s advice is to change into dry clothing as soon as possible if you get wet.

• Jeans are the worst offender. Heavy, slow to dry, and cold and stiff once wet. Wear wool or synthetic pants, or put wind or rain pants over them.
• Cotton T-shirts and hoodies make poor base layers for anything active. Save them for the drive home.
• Cotton socks lead to cold, wet feet and blisters. See Socks.
• Cotton is fine for hot, dry summer days, where staying cool matters more than staying warm.

The What to Wear page explains why cotton fails in more detail.

The warmest base layers

A good base layer, a long-sleeved “warm tee” and long underwear, does more for comfort in our winters than almost anything else. What makes one warmer than another:

Head, hands and neck

• A toque or warm hat that covers the ears. It’s the easiest layer to add and remove.
• Mittens are warmer than gloves, because fingers kept together share warmth. Thin liner gloves under mittens let you do fiddly jobs without bare skin.
• A neck warmer or face covering on windy days. Health Canada suggests covering your nose in the cold. For children, Alberta Health Services recommends neck warmers rather than scarves, which can catch; see Dressing kids and babies.
• Carry spares. Wet gloves and hats lose most of their warmth. A spare dry pair in a pocket or the vehicle makes a big difference.

Heated clothing and battery safety

Heated vests, jackets, gloves, socks and insoles, usually run from a rechargeable lithium-ion battery pack or a USB power bank, can help people who feel the cold or stand still outdoors for long periods. They also bring fire and burn risks, especially for anyone who can’t feel heat well.

Choosing

• Look for a recognized Canadian certification mark on chargers, such as CSA, cUL or cETL. Health Canada says chargers without these marks may not meet electrical safety standards.
• Use the charger that came with the product. If you need a replacement, Health Canada advises buying from a trusted source and matching the voltage and current.
• Check for recalls on the Government of Canada’s Recalls and safety alerts website. Heated gloves with rechargeable batteries have been recalled in the past because the batteries could overheat while charging.

Using and charging

• Charge indoors at room temperature, away from soft surfaces such as a couch or bed that can trap heat, and away from exit doors. Health Canada says not to charge lithium-ion batteries in below-zero temperatures, so don’t charge them in a cold vehicle or garage.
• Don’t charge longer than recommended, and unplug when full.
• Don’t leave batteries in the sun or in a hot or cold car. Cold also drains them much faster; keep a spare in an inside pocket.
• Stop using any battery that is swollen, dented or has a torn wrapper, and any garment with damaged wires, scorch marks or hot spots.
• Start on low and check your skin often. Take extra care with children and older adults. Don’t use heated clothing on babies or toddlers, or on anyone who can’t tell you it’s too hot or take it off. If you have diabetes, poor circulation or reduced feeling, ask your health care provider before using heated socks, insoles or gloves: Alberta Health Services’ foot-care advice is not to use hot water bottles or heating pads on your feet.
• Dispose of batteries properly. Health Canada says they are hazardous waste and shouldn’t go in household garbage. Check with the City for drop-off options.

Clothes in the vehicle

If you break down on a highway in a ground blizzard, you’ll be wearing whatever is in the vehicle. Gary keeps his truck well stocked. In his words, it’s “a complete setup: emergency kits, extra clothing, cookware, stoves, you name it.”

• A warm jacket, toque, mittens and a neck warmer for each person who usually rides along.
• Warm, waterproof boots and wool socks. See Footwear.
• A wool blanket or sleeping bag.
• Rain gear and a sun hat in summer.

For a full vehicle kit, see Everyday carry and vehicle kit.

The whole guide

Sources

• Health Canada, Extreme cold (layers, wind-resistant outer layer, synthetic and wool fabrics, wet clothing, covering your nose): canada.ca
• Canada Safety Council, The cold facts on hypothermia (wet clothing, under 10°C, layering): canadasafetycouncil.org
• Health Canada, Battery safety: Lithium-ion batteries (certification marks, chargers, charging temperature, damaged batteries, disposal): canada.ca
• Health Canada, Recalls and safety alerts, recall of heated gloves with lithium-ion rechargeable batteries (fire hazard, 2014), at recalls-rappels.canada.ca. Not linked here because the notice names a brand.
• Alberta Health Services, MyHealth.Alberta.ca, Clothing safety for children (neck warmers, not scarves), as cited on our What to Wear page.
• Alberta Health Services, MyHealth.Alberta.ca, How to take care of your feet (no heating pads or hot water bottles on the feet): myhealth.alberta.ca
• Fabric and insulation comparisons follow general outdoor-clothing practice.