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#1 GLOVES
First up on this list is gloves. When the weather is cold and nasty, it’s very easy for your hands
to get cold. Once they get cold, it becomes every hard to do anything with your hands, including texting, taking pictures, opening food, etc. Anything that requires fine motor skills goes out the window when your hands get cold, not to mention, you just become miserable.
According to mayoclinic.org:
“Risk increases as air temperature falls below 5 F (minus 15 C), even with low wind speeds. In wind chill of minus 16.6 F (minus 27 C), frostbite can occur on exposed skin in less than 30 minutes.”
In the long run, gloves are a small thing to pack that make a BIG difference.
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# 2 JACKET
Next on our list is a jacket. This may seem natural to some, while troublesome to others. Jackets can be very bulky and not very fun to lug around, but they have an essential job, keeping you warm. During the winter, you never know when it might start snowing or a wind could pick up and drop the temperature sheerly through windchill. A jacket is the answer to this problem, where if you take it, you don’t have to worry about the weather or the temperature, you can keep exploring without the windchill biting through your heart.
#3 HAT
According to the India Times:
“When your scalp is exposed to the cold weather, you lose more heat from the body and you are at a greater risk of cold and flu. Keeping your scalp warm is as important as keeping your body warm.”
For men, this isn’t usually a problem, most men wear hats all the time. But for women, that like to keep their hair nice, wearing a hat doesn’t come as natural. If you want to stay warm this winter while traveling, wear a hat.
#4 BLANKET
The reasons for traveling with a blanket are a kin to those for traveling with a jacket, hat, and gloves. A blanket will help you stay warm and cozy. If all your clothes get wet from rain, snow, or even falling through some ice, you can take your clothes off and get warm in a blanket. If your car breaks down and you need to spend the night it in, a blanket will help you insulate from the cold. Any way you look at it, a blanket is a life saver and is essential for traveling in the Winter.
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#5 WATER
Next on our list, and definitely one of the most important is bringing along drinkable water. The human body is over 70% water and while a person can survive up to a month with out food, they cannot survive more than three days without water.
Aside from survivability, water is a great cleanser. You can wash your hands, face, feet. If someone from your travel party gets hurt, you can use water to wash out the wound.
During the winter, pipes can freeze and clean water can become inaccessible. If you travel with some water, you never have to worry about facing the consequences of being without.
#6 FLASHLIGHT
If you've ever been in complete darkness before, you know exactly how important light is for the humanity. While the human body has other senses that it can navigate with, our eyes are the primary way we comprehend the world around us. In order to see, we must have light.
While a phone flashlight can work adequately, we here at Geogiraffe recommend that you travel with a separate, battery operated one so that you don't need to worry about the flashlight draining your phone battery.
Also, flashlights make great signaling devices, and if you have some wire or aluminum foil with you, you can use the batteries to start a fire.
#7 FOOD
As stated above, in extreme circumstances, the human body can go without food for up to a month. However, if you are in the cold, your body will require more calories so that it can stay warm and continue to function. In other words, a fed body is a warm body, and if you can stay warm in the winter cold, you can stay sane and happy.
#8 SOCKS
If you've ever had cold feet, you know just how wonderful a clean pair of socks can be. Sock will help your feet warm up, staving off frostbite, and will help you stay happy. During the wintertime especially, it's easy for your feet to get wet, leaving you cold a miserable. If you pack an extra pair, you can dry off your feet and warm them back up again.
#9 EXTERNAL BATTERY
As with everything else on this list, a prepared traveler is a happy traveler. Next time you go anywhere, take an external battery power pack with you so that you can charge your phone, your flashlight, or whatever.
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