5 Tips to Stay Warm When Working Outdoors During the Winter

Does your job require you to work outdoors? With winter right around the corner, you'll need to take precautions to stay warm. Working in cold weather isn't just uncomfortable; it can place you at risk for hypothermia. As your body temperature begins to drop, you may develop hypothermia. You can stay warm when outdoors during the winter, however, by following these five tips.

#1) Choose Thick Socks

You should choose thick socks when working outdoors during the winter. If it's snowing or raining, you'll inevitably step in water. Thick socks will keep your feet warm. Rather than cotton socks, for instance, you may want to choose wool socks. Wool socks are naturally thicker than cotton socks, so they offer greater warmth for your feet. And if one pair isn't enough, you can always double up by wearing two pairs of socks.

#2) Bring an Extra Pair of Gloves

Gloves are an essential accessory to wear when working outdoors during the winter. As you may know, they will keep your hands dry and protected against the elements. If you're going to wear gloves, though, you should bring an extra pair. Maybe your gloves become saturated in water, or perhaps they become damaged. If you have an extra pair on hand, you can replace them during scenarios such as these.

#3) Cover Your Ears

A common mistake workers make during the winter is not covering their ears. Your feet and hands will inevitably get cold, but your ears will probably be the most vulnerable to the cold winter weather. Without some form of protection, you may develop frostbite on your ears. You can protect your ears by wearing a headband, scarf or some other form of protective ear covering.

#4) Wear a Waterproof Outer Layer

Another tip to stay warm when working outdoors during the winter is to wear a waterproof outer layer. Your jacket and pants, for instance, should be waterproof. With a waterproof outer layer, you don't have to worry about getting wet. You can work in the rain, snow and sleet while staying dry.

#5) Use Hand Warmers

When it's really cold outside, you may want to use hand warmers. Hand warmers are single-use heating pads with which you can warm your hands. After taking a hand warmer out of the packet, you may need to bend and crack it. This will activate the heating pad so that it releases heat.