Tips and Tricks to Not Freeze this Winter
We are submerged in the cold Geneseo winter. With temperatures floating around the single digits, it can be a struggle to get up and venture to class. Geneseo winters can be brutal, and one’s experience can only worsen if they are not properly equipped. To offer some warm advice in these freezing times, I scoured the internet and asked fellow students to find tips and tricks for surviving the winter. Here is a quick guide highlighting how to dress warm, keeping your car winter-safe and hypothermia.
Getting dressed: the struggle of deciding to wear something cute and cool, or something to keep you warm. Why can’t we have both? Oh wait—we actually can.
Layers will become your best friend this winter. Want to wear jeans but it’s too cold? Layer a pair of leggings under them! You can barely notice them, and you will be considerably warmer. Want to wear a skirt? Layer tights under it! You can layer multiple pairs of tights at a time, and they will leave you warm and protect you from colder winds.
Cosmopolitan’s article “8 Amazing Ways to Party Your Ass Off Without Freezing Your Ass Off” throws in the technique of utilizing hand warmers. Try putting hand warmers in your pockets, the lining of your bra—basically anywhere and everywhere you can.
Although these tricks will leave you warmer, don’t forget your coat, hat, gloves, scarves, and boots! They are a necessity in the colder months.
Dressing warm is a must in the winter, but so is making sure your car is ready for the road. Let’s start at the parking lot. When it snows, it can be a pain to get your car out of a plowed in spot. Sophomore childhood special education major Elisabeth Schumacher is a pro at driving in the winter and shared with me one of her winter tips: “If your car is in front wheel drive, back it [into the spot].” Doing this will make it easier to pull out of a spot when there is significant snowfall.
Another lifesaving tip she shared was to carry a shovel in your car—this way, if you get snowed in, you can shovel your way out. Another tip is to carry kitty litter in your car—you can put this under your tires to create traction if you get stuck on ice.
Lastly, try to keep your gas tank full or close to full. When the temperature fluctuates, condensation can form inside the gas tank. According to Southern Living, this condensation can freeze and create “blockages of ice that stop fuel from flowing.” These tips can help you from getting stranded.
Hypothermia is especially dangerous, so it is important to take measures to make sure that you and your friends are staying safe. Low body temperature will affect the brain and the victim’s ability to think clearly. According to Oregon Health, “a person may not know it [hypothermia] is happening and won’t be able to do anything about it.” The symptoms of hypothermia are “shivering, exhaustion, confusion, fumbling hands, memory loss, and slurred speech.” These symptoms can easily be confused as common signs of inebriation, so it is important to be alert, especially when walking back from a night out.
When treating minor hypothermia, it’s important “to gradually rewarm” the victim. This can be done through applying “heat to the groin, head, neck and sides of the chest.” You can give the victim warm beverages to help increase body temperature. That being said, Oregon Health warns never to give someone alcoholic beverages, as these lower the body’s temperature. All these tips will help treat and reduce the chances of getting hypothermia, but “if the person’s body temperature is less than 95 degrees call 911.”
Hoping these tips leave you warmer and safer this winter!
https://experthometips.com/how-to-stay-warm-outside
https://www.southernliving.com/travel/full-gas-tank-in-cold-weather