How to Keep Hands Warm While Skiing

When the temperature drops, but the skiing is great, it's sometimes difficult to run inside to warm your hands and feet. But, experienced skiers know how to deal with the cold by keeping their extremities toasty and warm, even their hands. A professional ski instructor tells you how to keep your hands warm even on the coldest days.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• A good quality pair of gloves
• A package of hand warmers
• Glove liners
• Electric glove heaters

1. 
    
   Quality ski gloves

   When you're outdoors enjoying a day on the slopes, nothing can ruin your day faster than cold hands. To avoid getting cold hands, the first thing to consider buying is a quality pair of ski gloves that are made from leather or some other sturdy material that repels snow and water. Once your gloves get cold and wet, it's almost impossible to dry them out while you're out on the hill.

2. 
    
   Silk glove liners

   If the temperature continues to drop, consider buying a pair of glove liners. Glove liners are thin gloves made from cotton or blends of breathable fabrics, are worn inside your regular gloves and provide an extra layer of insulation.

3. 
    
   Disposable hand warmers

   Buy a package (or two) of disposable hand warmers. Hand warmers usually come in pairs and run between $2 to $4 a package. When you open the packaging material, exposure to the air activates the warmers. Most disposable hand warmers will last for up to 5 hours.

4. Consider buying a pair of electric hand warmers. Electric hand warmers are glove liners that made from a wool/synthetic blend and have wires running through the fingers - much like an electric blanket. The ends of the wires are connected to a rechargeable battery that can be adjusted to the desired temperature.

5. If your hands are especially sensitive to the cold, consider switching from gloves to mittens. Mittens trap heat from all of your fingers and contain it in a common space.

6. When pausing to take a break, remove your hands from your ski poles and swing your hands forward and backward, swinging your entire arm from the shoulder joint. The warm blood from your shoulder area (where much of your body heat accumulates) will be sent to your finger tips through the centrifugal force or your swinging arm.

Tips & Warnings

• Buy a quality pair of ski gloves at a reputable ski shop. A good pair of gloves or mittens can run as much as $75.00 to $150.00 but are well worth it.
• In really cold weather, take frequent breaks to warm up your hands and feet.
• Stay away from gloves that are designed for purposes other than outdoor sports - they usually won't be durable enough or water resistant.
• Avoid getting dehydrated by drinking plenty of water. Getting dehydrated will make you feel colder than you really are.