4 ms·

I've known this one for years and years but it always surprises a few of my students (who come from warmer climates) when I mention it: The scarf goes on the i

I've known this one for years and years but it always surprises a few of my students (who come from warmer climates) when I mention it: The scarf goes on the inside of the coat. If you put the scarf on the outside, like you think you've seen in TV and movies, it's just decoration. Put it on the inside and it's an insulation layer and it blocks the cold air from blowing down your front. Absolutely game-changing. (Also, have a good coat, but that one seems more obvious to people.)

scohesc 4y ago
I found out if I tie the scarf around my face with the knot at the back of my neck, so the scarf covers the front of my face (mouth/nose/part of ears) and the loose ends loop around and get tucked between my jacket and my chest - I've been infinitely warmer since! Hollywood doesn't know what winter is :P
- chewonbananas 4y ago
  I've been tying my scarf like that for quite some time! Haven't seen anyone else use it like that, though.
- mikewarot 4y ago
  Hollywood does it that way so you can see the actors face.
phyzome 4y ago
That makes sense, sort of like a gasket. But for biking, I wear it on the outside so I can keep it over my mouth, allowing me to retain some warmth in my breath.
- orange_fritter 4y ago
  I use a gaiter for this and it's crucial. It gets damp with breathing, haven't really figured out a good solution besides spinning the gaiter around every once in a while.
  - crazygringo 4y ago
    I switched from a gaiter to a scarf precisely because of the dampness. I can tie a scarf to be just slightly looser than the gaiter, and the extra space decreases the dampness massively, while still retaining almost all of the warmth.
- tasuki 4y ago
  I never understood putting things over one's mouth to keep warm. Doesn't it become moist and have a cooling effect?
  - phyzome 4y ago
    What I have is a fleece scarf. I wrap it around my head (over my mouth in the front, back of neck in the back) and tie the rest under my chin. The part that's over my mouth is under moderate tension, but my beard pushes it away, so my breath goes up and down over my chin (not through the material). I then have the upper edge rolled to tighten it so that air can't escape upwards and fog my glasses. It does get a bit moist after prolonged biking, but not badly, and that's not really against my skin. The main effect is that there's a little pocket of exhaled warm air, just enough to mix with the next inhalation and help warm it a bit.
- atoav 4y ago
  As someone who routinly runs practically half marathons in sub zero (during winter) I used to be like this as well, but if you do this type of activity often at some point cold air literally stops being a problem. I don't know what happened but it is as if this was never a problem at all. And it is not "getting used to the bad thing" I just don't feel bad at all. Breathing through the nose only helps.
  - IIsi50MHz 4y ago
    Not for me. I have to breath only out through my nose, in cold weather, or my cilia stop moving and I need a pack of tissues. Ew.
    - atoav 4y ago
      That was me three years ago, before I started running 30 km per week regardless of weather. After two weeks of doing that (I started around Christmas) it was not a problem anymore.
    - SAI_Peregrinus 4y ago
      Get a balaclava, they work very well.
  - phyzome 4y ago
    Interesting. I think I may have acclimated somewhat, but I still find that biking hard below freezing makes me prone to respiratory infections—unless I breathe through/under a scarf.
wruza 4y ago
Wait, some people wear scarfs outside unironically?
- blahedo 4y ago
  Yes, especially if they've lived their whole lives in places that never really get below 40F/5C and have just learned about scarves from a) fashion and b) TV, but are now faced with a Midwestern winter for the first time as an adult. They'll buy a heavier knit scarf to keep warm and then not understand why it doesn't work very well. When I taught in western Illinois I made a point to tell my freshmen this every November or so and always always caught at least a few whose jaws dropped and had never really thought about it that way.
dghughes 4y ago
As a Canadian my tips are: At my local college there are a lot of people from the Bahamas. They often wear hoodies and sandals with socks in the winter! It can get to -20C here and hoodies just won't cut it and sandals with socks could very quickly mean frost bite. Yes scarfs are great since necks are a prime spot to loose heat during winter. A scarf or even a hood both together are even better. Long coats too none of these waits level ones get a coat at least past your waist preferably past your butt. Layers are important more for temperature control. Even a hoodies and some sweaters can be warm if you have enough and one outside with wind protection. Boots not sneakers to keep warm and the grip. So many people wear sneakers all winter now it blows me away. They're slippery, cold, and they probably cost more than winter boots these days.
Doxin 4y ago
Similarly: make sure either your coat or your gloves keep the wind from blowing up your sleeves. Coats without cuffs are awful unless worn with gloves that fit over the coat sleeves.

scohesc 4y ago

I found out if I tie the scarf around my face with the knot at the back of my neck, so the scarf covers the front of my face (mouth/nose/part of ears) and the loose ends loop around and get tucked between my jacket and my chest - I've been infinitely warmer since! Hollywood doesn't know what winter is :P

chewonbananas 4y ago
I've been tying my scarf like that for quite some time! Haven't seen anyone else use it like that, though.
mikewarot 4y ago
Hollywood does it that way so you can see the actors face.

phyzome 4y ago

That makes sense, sort of like a gasket. But for biking, I wear it on the outside so I can keep it over my mouth, allowing me to retain some warmth in my breath.

orange_fritter 4y ago
I use a gaiter for this and it's crucial. It gets damp with breathing, haven't really figured out a good solution besides spinning the gaiter around every once in a while.
- crazygringo 4y ago
  I switched from a gaiter to a scarf precisely because of the dampness. I can tie a scarf to be just slightly looser than the gaiter, and the extra space decreases the dampness massively, while still retaining almost all of the warmth.
tasuki 4y ago
I never understood putting things over one's mouth to keep warm. Doesn't it become moist and have a cooling effect?
- phyzome 4y ago
  What I have is a fleece scarf. I wrap it around my head (over my mouth in the front, back of neck in the back) and tie the rest under my chin. The part that's over my mouth is under moderate tension, but my beard pushes it away, so my breath goes up and down over my chin (not through the material). I then have the upper edge rolled to tighten it so that air can't escape upwards and fog my glasses. It does get a bit moist after prolonged biking, but not badly, and that's not really against my skin. The main effect is that there's a little pocket of exhaled warm air, just enough to mix with the next inhalation and help warm it a bit.
atoav 4y ago
As someone who routinly runs practically half marathons in sub zero (during winter) I used to be like this as well, but if you do this type of activity often at some point cold air literally stops being a problem. I don't know what happened but it is as if this was never a problem at all. And it is not "getting used to the bad thing" I just don't feel bad at all. Breathing through the nose only helps.
- IIsi50MHz 4y ago
  Not for me. I have to breath only out through my nose, in cold weather, or my cilia stop moving and I need a pack of tissues. Ew.
  - atoav 4y ago
    That was me three years ago, before I started running 30 km per week regardless of weather. After two weeks of doing that (I started around Christmas) it was not a problem anymore.
  - SAI_Peregrinus 4y ago
    Get a balaclava, they work very well.
- phyzome 4y ago
  Interesting. I think I may have acclimated somewhat, but I still find that biking hard below freezing makes me prone to respiratory infections—unless I breathe through/under a scarf.

wruza 4y ago

Wait, some people wear scarfs outside unironically?

blahedo 4y ago
Yes, especially if they've lived their whole lives in places that never really get below 40F/5C and have just learned about scarves from a) fashion and b) TV, but are now faced with a Midwestern winter for the first time as an adult. They'll buy a heavier knit scarf to keep warm and then not understand why it doesn't work very well. When I taught in western Illinois I made a point to tell my freshmen this every November or so and always always caught at least a few whose jaws dropped and had never really thought about it that way.

dghughes 4y ago

As a Canadian my tips are: At my local college there are a lot of people from the Bahamas. They often wear hoodies and sandals with socks in the winter! It can get to -20C here and hoodies just won't cut it and sandals with socks could very quickly mean frost bite. Yes scarfs are great since necks are a prime spot to loose heat during winter. A scarf or even a hood both together are even better. Long coats too none of these waits level ones get a coat at least past your waist preferably past your butt. Layers are important more for temperature control. Even a hoodies and some sweaters can be warm if you have enough and one outside with wind protection. Boots not sneakers to keep warm and the grip. So many people wear sneakers all winter now it blows me away. They're slippery, cold, and they probably cost more than winter boots these days.

Doxin 4y ago

Similarly: make sure either your coat or your gloves keep the wind from blowing up your sleeves. Coats without cuffs are awful unless worn with gloves that fit over the coat sleeves.