Guest Post: 8 Winter Layering Tips by Jody Schwartz

With temperatures dropping to below 20°F and rising to 50°F throughout the week, it seems almost impossible to dress yourself (and your little ones) appropriately in these drastic weather conditions.

Courtesy of Weather Channel

Our friends over at Free Country have sent over some great winter layering tips for you today!

First Layer: Fabrics, fabrics, fabrics!

1. The first and most important step to layering your tot in cold temperatures is the fabric – there are a variety of fabrics out there to choose from, but only some will keep you (and your little one) warm and cozy, while others can actually make the cold worse

2. Avoid cotton as the first layer when bundling up yourself and your children, because it absorbs moisture keeping you cold and wet

3.Choose synthetic and natural fiber (such as wool) fabrics, as they wick the moisture away from the body

Second Layer: Keep the cold out and the warmth in

4. The second layer's purpose is to keep your body's natural heat in – fleeces, synthetic layers or light weight down jackets are the best options for layer number two

Courtesy of WikiCommons

5.Choose layers appropriate to the activity you child will partake in – if you are skiing, if your kids playing outside in the snow or having a snowball fight a thin or medium fleece will work best because you/they will be  exerting a lot of energy and generating a lot of body heat; if you plan to take a nice wintery walk you will want to try a thicker layer

Top Layer: A shield for your body

6.The top layer acts like a shell that reflects the biting cold elements away from your body, protecting them from wind and rain – find jackets that are water and wind resistant and contain insulating and shielding fabrics

Tips: Keep your head warm

7.Although you may hate wearing hat in the cold, it’s extremely important you do – children and adults can lose about 10% of body heat by not properly covering their feet, hands and head

8.Be sure that you (and your tot) have a good hat, mittens or gloves and waterproof boots

Free Country, the leading lifestyle apparel brand that produces recreational outerwear, active wear and swimwear for men, women and children, offers high-quality, affordably priced apparel. The Free Country systems jackets are not only value driven, as they are three jackets in one, but they are also fashion-forward, as they are embellished with pop colors and tapered waistlines. With an insulated outer shell and polyfil inner jacket, this water and wind resistant jacket prepares the entire family for these extreme wintery weather conditions.