Thought I'd take a minute to explain some basic cold weather clothing. I know not every one can afford the latest high tech material cold weather gear. But a little knowledge goes a very long ways. So here goes:

Cotton is for warm weather, its a cool fabric. It does not retain heat when it gets wet. I don't even wear it for an undershirt in cold weather. Check you longjohns.

Wool and polypropylein (sp?) do retain warmth when wet. I'm sure there's others but these are the big two that stick to mind. Silk how could I forget. Check you socks, be cautuous of blends some have so little of the good stuff their of no value.

Wal mart sells a knock off of underarmor, moister wicking material for cheap. availible in heavy and light weight.

Shoes waterproof and insulated is best. A well oiled full grain leather will go a long ways too, least amount of seems as possible. I do love gortex.

A jacket that can protect against the weather, keep the wet off and the wind out. Some times I just wear a gortex shell over my other layers and stay quite warm.

I mentioned layers, well thats the key. Don't over dress you'll sweat which can cause problems and you'll smell bad too

Remove layers when indoors, allows your layers and body to work together to stay warm.

I won't take this into a full block of instruction, this is just ment as a reminder for those that know already and a few pointers for those that are getting into winter outdoor fun. Last year I saw some things that could have been much worse than they turned out to be. Think about these thinks now while your sitting in front of the computer not after you've got your truck sitting on its frame and your tires in iced out routs while your wearing you favorite hoody and basketball shorts in you best sandals Thanks for looking.

 

To that list I would add a medium weight polar fleece jacket. It works great for cool conditions by itself, and makes a great intermediate layer when things get really cold.

Make sure you keep your haed warm, too (since you can lose LOTS of body heat through it!) I usually use a fleece or heavy knit cap, and I almost always keep a neck gaiter with me, as well.