7 tips to stay warm and save dough

From fleece to wool, the best materials to keep cold at bay this winter 

Cold weather is upon us, and with it come tips from the Gadget Guy on how to stay warm, avoid the chill, and keep your wallet safe from sudden leaks. 

That’s right: With the advent of new, high-tech fabrics and materials, most people assume that it will cost hundreds, maybe even thousands of dollars to keep their family warm and outfit everybody for the cold. But with a couple of easy-to-implement suggestions (some of which only require you to look at labels in your closet) and a reminder that retailers are offering great deals, you can stay warm and dry for less.

First, a word about warmth: Staying warm is not about trapping heat inside your jacket. Too much heat is as bad as too little. Anybody who has gone sledding in too much clothing (and ended up damp and miserable) knows that letting out a little heat is one key to staying comfortable in the cold.

But here’s another surprise: Cold-weather warmth is not literally about keeping out cold. It’s about reducing the movement of air across your skin and managing moisture buildup. Even in extreme environments like the Rocky Mountains or at the Poles, where there are added technical challenges, the principles remain the same.
So here’s what you should know:

Get cotton away from your skin, now.
Cotton is a sponge. Never ever make it your next-to-skin layer. When it absorbs sweat (it ALWAYS absorbs sweat, even when you’re sitting still), the moisture stays on your skin. Any air movement at all inside your jacket will continually draw heat away from you, making you cold. Again, as long as you’re breathing, your sweaty T-shirt will have a nearly endless supply of moisture. And it will guarantee that you stay cold.

Fleece is a commodity. Fleece is fleece!
Nobody makes fleece that’s better than anybody else’s. In fact, Polartec in Lawrence, Mass., makes most of it for most brands. On their Web site, they list 45 different companies who use their fleece. If you have old fleece, it’s as good as new fleece. And fleece is great because it “wicks” moisture away from your skin, quickly. A very light, thin layer of fleece is great next to your skin. Got to have new fleece? Consider store brands like EMS or L.L. Bean or Land’s End, which are MUCH less expensive than the trendier labels.

Wool is the best. By far.
Why? It moves moisture away from your skin faster and better than any other fabric, including fleece (see above). Plus, it’s incredibly good at trapping warm, dry air next to you, thereby keeping the breeze from moving across your skin. Yes, some of the newest ultra-comfy merino weaves and knits are a little more expensive, but they happen to be incredibly comfortable, insulate even when wet and will last for decades. (Just think: Have you ever heard of a cold sheep?) Consider brands like Icebreaker and Smartwool. And realize that Web sites like REI, EMS and L.L. Bean all are offering specials right now, including free shipping.

Down offers the best insulation per unit of weight.
In other words, it keeps you very warm but doesn’t weigh much doing it. But big problem: It won’t work when it’s wet. So having a down jacket is great, unless it’s really wet and snowy outside, or if it’s covered in a waterproof, breathable fabric, like GORE-TEX, which is often expensive. Down is great, but it doesn't make for the most versatile jacket.

Vests are efficient heaters, are highly versatile and often cost less.
Remember that kids get cold faster than grown-ups, and women get cold faster than men. One key to success: Kids and women should consider a lightweight fleece vest in their wardrobe; it keeps the heart and body warm, which means warmer blood is sent out to the body’s extremities. You can find a really nice Columbia fleece vest for women at Campmor for $24 and a toddler’s fleece vest at altrec.com for $16. It will quickly become the most-used item in your cold-weather arsenal.

Layering is a great way to avoid bulk, maximize warmth and save money.
You’ve heard it before, and it’s true: Layering works. The fact is, a couple of lighter layers are better than one big (expensive) one. Start with a nice, water-wicking next-to-skin layer (fleece or wool). Follow that with a medium-weight fleece layer, and then a shell of moderate water repellent (nylon won’t work; GORE-TEX is best but is by far the most expensive; treated fabrics are the most economical).

Listen to your mother!
Finally, when your mom told you to wear a hat, she was right. Earmuffs are a stylish way to freeze.
Stay warm, stay dry, and keep your money in your wallet. We’ll weather this storm just fine.

How to Stay Warm at Home Without a Heater

So maybe you're a poor college student, or your parents are cheap. Maybe your landlord didn't fix the furnace yet. Maybe you live in an old drafty house. Perhaps you want to curb CO₂ emissions. For some reason it's cold and you need new ways of keeping warm. Here are some of those tricks!

Steps:

1. 
   Close all of your windows properly. This includes making sure storm windows are installed and closed in place if you have them. Windows should be latched. Open them during the day if the outside temperature is higher than the inside.
2. Keep your windows air-tight. You may want to purchase removable window-caulk or plastic to better seal them. At a minimum, stuff a towel or shirt in front of any noticeable leaks.
3. Use cheap clear shower curtains over the windows that receive sun light. This will keep the cold air out, and the warmth from the sun will heat your house without cold air coming in. You could also cover your windows with clear plastic sheets and make it airtight.
4. Seal your doors. Check around the door frame and also under the door. You may want to buy weather stripping or a door sweep. Again, at minimum, make a draft dodger or stuff a towel at the bottom of the door.
5. Use smaller rooms. If, for example, you have a bedroom that is much smaller than your living room you could choose to use it as your bed-sitting room.
6. Close off any un-used rooms. The closed door makes that room another barrier between you and the frigid outdoors. It also stops air from circulating as much, which reduces heat loss. Also, home improvement stores sell magnetic register covers to 'shut off' forced air furnace registers in unused rooms. That way when the heater does click on, only the registers in the rooms you use will pump out heat. Makes for more efficient use of the heater. Check that all heat registers are adjusted open, especially where plumbing pipes might freeze. Unblock cold air returns in heated rooms [they may be blocked with furniture or rug] so heat can circulate efficiently.
7. 
   Put up curtains. A set of heavy curtains can block a draft. Open them when the sun is shining and close them when it's not.
8. Put down a rug or carpet.
9. Add insulation in the attic and the crawl space.
10. Exercise; get in shape. 20 minutes of vigorous exercise can warm you up and keep you warm well after the exercise session. And your healthy body is generally more tolerant of the cold.
11. Dress warmly. A hat is your number one friend at a time like this. A large percentage of body heat loss occurs in the head region so it is crucial to keep your head covered. A turtleneck sweater can work wonders. Dress in layers, especially with wool or cotton clothing. Wear slippers or warm socks. When you are sitting still put on a blanket.
12. Tights. If you still get cold legs then you could buy a 2 pack of black tights from your local shop, make sure they are opaques. Wear one or more pairs over each other under your clothes, this will provide your body with another layer of clothing to trap warm air in. It is ok for men to do this as well.
13. Cook. Steam will raise the moisture level in your home, making the air more dense, and it uses more energy to heat humid air. Limit cooking that gives off steam, as this will increase the humidity in the air and make your house damp. Make cookies or a pie instead, as your oven will help to dry the air and heat the kitchen. The kitchen will be warm while you are cooking, and then you can have a great home cooked meal too!
    • Raising humidity in the winter time helps. Humid air holds heat better and can be a blessing when your heating system dries out the air to an uncomfortable level. It does not take more energy to heat humid air.
14. Drink warm beverages. Make a cup of tea or coffee. Sip some warm broth.
15. Light a candle. A candle/candles can produce a lot of heat, just be mindful of where they are placed and do not leave them unattended. A trip to most any grocery store or discount store can provide you with a number of candles cheap!
16. Find a friend or pet to snuggle with. The living body of any warm-blooded being is a furnace unto itself.
17. Be active. Moving around produces body heat! The more you are active, the better your blood circulation will be. This will mean that hot blood gets to your fingers and toes, keeping them warm.
18. Evaluate and Plan. Consider how you got yourself into this position. If you are suffering a cold house due to an energy blackout, the above tips will help you get through this short term emergency. But if you are living with a non-working heater because you don't have enough money to pay for heat repairs, you will need to start saving money in the bank for exactly this type of emergency. Pay yourself first so that you can get through any and all emergencies as they arise. Don't leave yourself out in the cold.
19. Let as much sun hit your house as possible. Check for obstructions (e.g. plants,sheds )to the sun's light reaching your house and remove items leaning against walls etc. on the sunny side ( ideally put them back again at night for additional insulation ). One note though, if your home is in an exposed location you will have to balance the wind/sun break effect to suit.
20. Sit on a 50 watt heating pad. Rather than heating the whole house or room, sit on a low wattage heating pad.[Warning! Safety instructions for heating pads say not to do this.--a reader.]
21. Buy a thick bathrobe or dressing gown. Think of it as a big, fluffy blanket with sleeves. They are very warm and comfortable, and you can even sleep in them!
22. Go visiting. Purposefully spend time in a location that is heated at no cost to you: library, church, a friend's house.
23. Get a dehumidifier. Dehumidifiers are designed to remove the moisture from the air, not to cool. The way they remove this moisture is to reheat the air to further dry it after it releases its moisture. Basically, the room temperature humid air enters the dehumidifier where it is cooled to its dew point which results in its releasing its moisture. This dried air is then heated by the combination of latent heat of condensation, which is a natural result of the process, and by circulating through the condenser where heat is exchanged from it to the air. The result is the air going back into the room will be slightly warmer than it was going in, usually around 2 to 5 degrees.

Tips

• If you can not afford to heat your home, contact a few energy suppliers. They will work with you to find a payment plan you can afford. In addition to this, you may be eligible for federal assistance paying your bill.
• Eat enough fat! This will keep your thyroid and metabolism functioning properly, and you'll stay much warmer.
• Take a hot shower or bath and use oil or lotion on your skin when you get out. It's almost like putting on another thin layer of clothing. But if the cold got to you and you caught a cold, try running down to the shops and getting one of those portable bathroom heaters. They work a dream! But they cost money to buy and can make the bills you pay more expensive, so how about trying to set limits on how long you use the heaters and they'll warm you up quick as ever!
• Humidity holds heat. Increased humidity will make a significant difference in your comfort level. Whenever you take a shower or bath, leave the warm water in the bathtub to increase the humidity in the air.
• Use a hot water bottle. Great for warming your hands & lap while sitting; also put it under the covers at the foot of the bed.
• If the air is too cold when you're trying to sleep, consider rigging a makeshift cloth "tent" over your bed. Your own breathing will warm up the inside of the tent very quickly. There's a good reason those antique beds had roofs and curtains...
• Use a humidifier. The added moisture in the air can increase the apparent temperature of your home by as much as 15 degrees.
• Use electricity for household devices and appliances. Turn on the lights. Incandescent and halogen bulbs create light through heat, and can significantly increase temperatures in a room. Other electronic devices such as a powerful PC, large television, refrigerator, etc., all dissipate heat inside of a house. Keep the devices that you normally use inside the same living area to help maintain indoor warmth.
• Use a candle heater. It doesn't create as much heat as a fireplace or real heater, but will create warmth very cheaply.
• Take advantage of solar energy; place a dark rug in sunny areas of your house during the day to absorb the sun's heat.
• From macrobiotics: eat buckwheat groats: they'll heat you up when cold. Russian athletes never travel without their "kasha," apparently. Also from macrobiotics: there is a Japanese cummerbund, possibly made of angora if remembered, and about 12 inches wide, which if worn around your middle will keep you warm as toast. It is not tight; is comfortable. It is slightly stretchy, not much. Do not remember its name; probably on macrobiotic store sites.
• Place short fans set to their lowest settings so that they blow across radiant style heaters to circulate the warm air away from the heater, allowing the heater to warm new air.
• Microwave socks or small homemade "pillows" (also known as heat packs) filled with rice, dried corn, or beans for one minute in the microwave and use as a heating pad or bed-warmer (if you don't have a microwave, use a hot water bottle).
• If you can afford it, leave other heat-producing appliances on, such as computers/monitors or strong lamps.
• After cooking, leave the oven door open to let the heat escape and warm up the area of the room around it.
• Leave your house! Go stay with friends, or spend all day at your local coffee shop, public library, shopping center, or senior center.

Warnings

• Do not use unapproved materials for safely covering registers. (Call your local hardware store for safe covers). The material could potentially heat up and start a fire.
• Be aware that the more you seal off air circulation to the outside, you increase the possibility of a dangerous buildup of carbon monoxide in the air -- especially if you use natural gas or propane in the home. Be sure to install a carbon monoxide detector if you don't have one already. If you do, be sure to test it on a regular basis.
• Devices that produce heat as a by-product of their main function, such as incandescent bulbs, stoves and computers, will be less efficient and more expensive than appliances designed for space heating.
• Heating methods that increase air moisture (bathtub, humidifier) might encourage mold growth and condensation damage. Regularly check behind furniture that's standing against outside-facing walls, and around windows.

 

7 Ways to Stay Warm

feel like the Cowardly Lion from The Wizard of Oz.  The difference is the mantra.  His was affirming his belief in spooks, mine is fighting my dread of winter: “I do believe winter can be fun. I do believe winter can be fun.  I do, I do, I do!”  Because truth be told, I don’t think it’s a whole lot of fun.  This is because I’d prefer being in a tank dress over a down coat any day of the week.  But, my current reality is that I live where it’s cold half of the year.  And I am a fun girl.  So I’ve got to find a way to make it work.

5 Ways to Stay Balanced in Winter
I was told by a friend it’s all about the clothes.  To enjoy being outside, you need to be wearing the right gear in order to be warm and still able to move (were you ever or do you have the overstuffed snowsuit kid?)  There’s a method to layering clothes for warmth.  Following these tips from Back to Basics: A Complete Guide to Traditional Skills by Abigail R. Gehring (Skyhorse Publishing, Inc., 2008) should keep you and your kids both warm and comfortable.

1. Before thinking about the clothes, realize that food supplies heat to the body; the clothes provide protection so that it isn’t wasted.  Make sure you eat a good meal before spending an extended amount of time outdoors in winter.

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2. Several light, comfortably fitted layers are preferable to a single heavy layer.  Generally an outer, mid, and under layer suffice.

3. Underlayer. Two-ply long johns and undershirts, (cotton on the inside for comfort, wool on the outside for warmth, are warmer than thermal-knit underwear.  Two pairs of socks–a thin pair of cotton socks beneath a heavier wool pair–are warmer and more comfortable than a single thick pair.

4. Mid-layer. For warmth and ventilation, wear a tightly woven wool shirt that opens down the front and a quilted jacket over it that also opens in the front.  Pants should be of tightly woven wool, cuffless, with plenty of room in the seat and legs, and flaps over the pockets to help keep snow out.  For added ventilation use suspenders rather than a belt.  A woolen stocking hat or mask-like hat will greatly reduce loss of heat from the head.

5. Outer layer. The main job of the outermost layer is to protect against wind, rain and snow.  A parka that covers the hips and has a hood with a full-length zipper is best.  If you’re planning on going above the timberline or along windswept ridges, you’ll need a windproof face mask.  Down pants, mittens and booties are fine around camp, but are too warm for the trail.  Two-piece mittens–a wool liner and a nylon outer shell with a leather palm–are better than gloves.

6. A good pair of boots are essential.  Double boots–a felt inner liner and high-top outer boot–are warm and comfortable, but very expensive.  A rugged mountaineering boot has many of the benefits of the double boot at a lower cost.  Foam-insulated rubber boots will keep your feet warm, but will also make them perspire.
7. While down provides maximum warmth at minimum weight, wool has the important advantage of retaining its warmth even when wet.

 

How to Warm up Your Voice

Warming up plays the most important role for any professional voice user and also for any human being interested in keeping his voice healthy for all the good reasons he can think of. You can think of warming up as a magical tuning of your voice box to encompass any kind of vocal production and vocal abuse. One of best programs available is the "Pro Singers Warm Up" program

Steps:

1. Know that there are two registers in your voice. Lower register equivalent to the chest voice and the upper register equivalent to the falsetto and what people usually term as false voice.
2. Warm up to give more blood circulation around your voice box,give more flexibility and stamina to stay healthy for major part of the day.
3. Most effective way to warm up is to first strengthen your chest register which heals the vocal folds if used properly.
4. Strengthen your chest voice by doing the "kharaj riyaaz"(as called in India which means low note practice).
5. For 3-5 times, for a male take up mid c# as your scale. Take a deep breath and sing a long hmmmm in mid c#.
6. Move a half note lower. i.e. c. Now sing a long hmmmm in C. Do it 3-5 times and so on..slowly and steadily until you reach your lower possible note. which is for most low c#.
7. Go upwards from mid c# to mid A in a similar fashion.
8. Remember that volume of your voice should not be too loud or too low. It should be as comfortable as speaking volume.
9. Start to feel an ease in your voice.
10. Stop completely for 20-25 minutes; don't sing or speak.
11. After half an hour your voice will be fully open and you can sing anything in your vocal range.

Tips:

• Drink lots of water to hydrate your voice.
• Take proper sleep.
• Don't eat too many oily foods.
• Exercise daily.
• Having a healthy voice means being able to produce any kind of voice or sing any kind of song with effortless ease.
• A warmed up voice recovers much faster from a vocal abuse than a non-warmed up voice.

Warnings:

• Nothing to fear about, you are protected all the time. Go for it.