How to Enjoy a Walk in the Wild in Any Weather
I just came back from a cold brisk walk in about 50 degree weather. I'd brought cotton gloves... but they weren't warm enough. Everything else was just OK.
I like starting off my day with a walk no matter what the weather, so on my not as comfortable as I'd like to have it been walk, I decided to write how to do this so the weather doesn't interfere with our enjoyment. Bad weather is what we call it when we aren't suitably dressed. Oh, everyone feels better on a bright sunny day... except if there are gnats buzzing around your head. If there's a slight breeze, that keeps them away, but you can't order the weather. But what you CAN do is dress for it. About the ONLY thing to do about insects is find a repellent that gnats aren't instead attracted to. I usually don't think of repellents until I'm on the trail. But, I have kept a fly swatter or a fan with me most of the summer-like weather. I use trekking poles, so it isn't easy juggling the fan as well as the poles. However, once... a long time ago... I had found at a fabric's shop a string of 2" dangly black fringe, and bought about a yard of it so it would go around a brimmed hat. I remember it being the most adequate way to deal with those damned insects.
Since we are talking about summer... we'll deal with that first. Do not wear flip flops in the woods... they get kicked up debris with which you'll have to stop every ten feet and goose step your leg one at a time out front to shake the stuff out or have to take them off and bang them against a tree. I even wear socks, sneakers, and bermuda shorts. I wear a sleeveless or short sleeved shirt unless there's a lot of mosquitoes. When it's buggy, muggy and hot, it's the only time it's difficult to dress properly... but there is more people walking that time of year than any other, save in the Fall perhaps.
Anyhow. Let's take a rainy day. For walking or shopping, and umbrella is nice. One of those pop open ones, and not too large a spread of the canopy or you can't get through the path in the woods, nor, if out shopping, easily carry it in the shopping cart. When you stop the car to get out, you get the umbrella ready against the door of the car so you can quickly pop it to protect almost instantaneously when you open the car door. In the woods, the smaller of the canopy's to the umbrella is good for wrangling your way through narrow walkways between trees.
Wear something under a Gortex raincoat that isn't insulated. The whole idea of Gortex is so that the moisture from your skin will escape rather than your natural sweat getting you wet no matter how repellent the coat is... and the rain on the outside of Gortex, does the job of the sweat whether a warm rain or not, making you feel cooler than the temperature outside. Wear a polyester or even woolen sweater...even on a hot rainy day unless you're in an African jungle [is my guess... never been there]. If it's that warm... hey, go without a raincoat and enjoy the rain on your skin... it also will leave your hair so soft and clean you can skip your next scheduled shampoo. It would be nice if the coat was long enough to keep your jeans from getting wet. I never bothered with that and if really rainy, usually have to change into something dry when I return... but this will not keep me from a walk because of rain. And, remember, on even 70 degree days, your hands can get cold. Nice if you have some woolen gloves or, better than that, water repellent, especially if you use trekking poles, or are walking a dog on a leash where one or both hands are going to be exposed to the elements.
For your feet. Get yourself a pair of insulated boots that have Gortex. I have a clunky pair, but they are great any time of year when it's rainy or snowy. I don't like rubber boots. If they are the old fashioned Macintoshes that you wear over your shoes, keep an old pair of shoes in them rather than to have to pull them on each time. As for those rubber boots requiring only socks, they don't give at least MY feet any support. I've tried my husband's... we're about the same size feet... and I got so tired in those things my walk was no pleasure. There are also lightweight boots that are less insulated... but sometimes I have had New Balance or Keds sneakers that were almost waterproof to the dew or the rain that would reach your feet if in the woods.
Okay... Now for the sleet and snow, or just frigid weather. Dress warmly ALL OVER. Get one of those face protecting pullover hats, and remember to take it off if your walk goes by a convenience store where you want to stop and buy coffee. You look dressed for a stick-up!
If you don't have or like wearing that, get yourself a scarf that you can pull up over your nose as well as have it comfortably around your neck. When you buy that winter coat, think about a collar that will stand up and button in front so you can actually breathe into your coat. It helps if the air isn't so cold that deep breaths aren't freezing your tonsils. [If that cold, keep the scarf over your nose and mouth, but loose enough so breathing out goes down into your coat. Wear a hat even if you have a hood. Hoods usually let the breeze sail right into the coat. Pulling the cord that coils it in around your face deafens me. I like hearing things. You can hear better through a knit cap.
The knits you wear can be anything under a thermal coat, but for your head, a warm enough had is a necessity, and for your hands, if you can get lined gloves with wool... sheep's or alpaca is great.
Socks: Get a slew of those standard woolen utility type socks. Put your regular socks under them. Remember to try on winter boots that way so you don't short change your zero degree needs for keeping your feet warm.
Have I covered it all? Probably not. What I'm trying to say here is, you can enjoy nature and the outdoors even in inclement weather, and to stay inside sometimes just increases the blues that sometimes gray skies promote. Do yourself a favor: Go outside. Note the colors of moss and litchen in the rain. The glisten of the leaves... if winter rain, note in downpours the foam at the bottom of some trees that looks like suds on beer. Listen to the rainfall... and with an umbrella it is a charming sound. I hope for you that you'll also hear some singing birds that like the rain, or see water birds when you get to a lake or pond destination ...where those wild animals don't expect people around on such a rainy day.
Have fun. Enjoy nature. Stay comfortably cool or warm. It's the best way to start a day.
I like starting off my day with a walk no matter what the weather, so on my not as comfortable as I'd like to have it been walk, I decided to write how to do this so the weather doesn't interfere with our enjoyment. Bad weather is what we call it when we aren't suitably dressed. Oh, everyone feels better on a bright sunny day... except if there are gnats buzzing around your head. If there's a slight breeze, that keeps them away, but you can't order the weather. But what you CAN do is dress for it. About the ONLY thing to do about insects is find a repellent that gnats aren't instead attracted to. I usually don't think of repellents until I'm on the trail. But, I have kept a fly swatter or a fan with me most of the summer-like weather. I use trekking poles, so it isn't easy juggling the fan as well as the poles. However, once... a long time ago... I had found at a fabric's shop a string of 2" dangly black fringe, and bought about a yard of it so it would go around a brimmed hat. I remember it being the most adequate way to deal with those damned insects.
Since we are talking about summer... we'll deal with that first. Do not wear flip flops in the woods... they get kicked up debris with which you'll have to stop every ten feet and goose step your leg one at a time out front to shake the stuff out or have to take them off and bang them against a tree. I even wear socks, sneakers, and bermuda shorts. I wear a sleeveless or short sleeved shirt unless there's a lot of mosquitoes. When it's buggy, muggy and hot, it's the only time it's difficult to dress properly... but there is more people walking that time of year than any other, save in the Fall perhaps.
Anyhow. Let's take a rainy day. For walking or shopping, and umbrella is nice. One of those pop open ones, and not too large a spread of the canopy or you can't get through the path in the woods, nor, if out shopping, easily carry it in the shopping cart. When you stop the car to get out, you get the umbrella ready against the door of the car so you can quickly pop it to protect almost instantaneously when you open the car door. In the woods, the smaller of the canopy's to the umbrella is good for wrangling your way through narrow walkways between trees.
Wear something under a Gortex raincoat that isn't insulated. The whole idea of Gortex is so that the moisture from your skin will escape rather than your natural sweat getting you wet no matter how repellent the coat is... and the rain on the outside of Gortex, does the job of the sweat whether a warm rain or not, making you feel cooler than the temperature outside. Wear a polyester or even woolen sweater...even on a hot rainy day unless you're in an African jungle [is my guess... never been there]. If it's that warm... hey, go without a raincoat and enjoy the rain on your skin... it also will leave your hair so soft and clean you can skip your next scheduled shampoo. It would be nice if the coat was long enough to keep your jeans from getting wet. I never bothered with that and if really rainy, usually have to change into something dry when I return... but this will not keep me from a walk because of rain. And, remember, on even 70 degree days, your hands can get cold. Nice if you have some woolen gloves or, better than that, water repellent, especially if you use trekking poles, or are walking a dog on a leash where one or both hands are going to be exposed to the elements.
For your feet. Get yourself a pair of insulated boots that have Gortex. I have a clunky pair, but they are great any time of year when it's rainy or snowy. I don't like rubber boots. If they are the old fashioned Macintoshes that you wear over your shoes, keep an old pair of shoes in them rather than to have to pull them on each time. As for those rubber boots requiring only socks, they don't give at least MY feet any support. I've tried my husband's... we're about the same size feet... and I got so tired in those things my walk was no pleasure. There are also lightweight boots that are less insulated... but sometimes I have had New Balance or Keds sneakers that were almost waterproof to the dew or the rain that would reach your feet if in the woods.
Okay... Now for the sleet and snow, or just frigid weather. Dress warmly ALL OVER. Get one of those face protecting pullover hats, and remember to take it off if your walk goes by a convenience store where you want to stop and buy coffee. You look dressed for a stick-up!
If you don't have or like wearing that, get yourself a scarf that you can pull up over your nose as well as have it comfortably around your neck. When you buy that winter coat, think about a collar that will stand up and button in front so you can actually breathe into your coat. It helps if the air isn't so cold that deep breaths aren't freezing your tonsils. [If that cold, keep the scarf over your nose and mouth, but loose enough so breathing out goes down into your coat. Wear a hat even if you have a hood. Hoods usually let the breeze sail right into the coat. Pulling the cord that coils it in around your face deafens me. I like hearing things. You can hear better through a knit cap.
The knits you wear can be anything under a thermal coat, but for your head, a warm enough had is a necessity, and for your hands, if you can get lined gloves with wool... sheep's or alpaca is great.
Socks: Get a slew of those standard woolen utility type socks. Put your regular socks under them. Remember to try on winter boots that way so you don't short change your zero degree needs for keeping your feet warm.
Have I covered it all? Probably not. What I'm trying to say here is, you can enjoy nature and the outdoors even in inclement weather, and to stay inside sometimes just increases the blues that sometimes gray skies promote. Do yourself a favor: Go outside. Note the colors of moss and litchen in the rain. The glisten of the leaves... if winter rain, note in downpours the foam at the bottom of some trees that looks like suds on beer. Listen to the rainfall... and with an umbrella it is a charming sound. I hope for you that you'll also hear some singing birds that like the rain, or see water birds when you get to a lake or pond destination ...where those wild animals don't expect people around on such a rainy day.
Have fun. Enjoy nature. Stay comfortably cool or warm. It's the best way to start a day.
posted by Cranberry Jo @ 9/23/2013 12:32:00 PM
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