DOES ANYONE ELSE DO THIS???

[lives2fish]

 So I started doing this years ago and was wondering if anyone else does this or if there is any truth to this. Around October, as the temps start to fall I try to stay in the summer clothes as long as I can. As we hit November I am still in short sleeve shirts and light weight clothes all the way through december. The reason for this is as follows...
I read an article years ago that said, As your body becomes cold, it sends more blood to the area to keep it warm. Thus resulting in the bloodvessels becoming larger and keeping you warmer. Over the years it seems like it has worked more and more. I spend six days a week on the ice and though  I am not a Dr. it makes logical sense. I was wondering if anyone else does this? Or if anyone else could give me a definative answer on wether or not this is true.

[akdube]

i once heard that u can train ur hands to be more tolerant of the cold by getting them wet exposeing them to cold warming them then repeat over and over. not sure it works but along the same lines i would think

[jopes]

I down right hate the hot weather.  My wife feels the need to turn on the heat when it hits 70 degrees, I feel the need to turn on the AC when it is 60 degrees.  I also work in a fairly cooler environment, well maybe not Alaska cold.  But it sure is cold and windy here in Wyoming.   

[Grumpyoldman]

I think it's by body type and by type of outdoor activity.
 
I think your blood will thicken up as you expose your body to cold, making it acclimate. But, only to a certain point.
 

[Doubles Shooter]

I'm also not a warm weather person. I usually wear shorts all year long. You should hear the comments when I'm shooting Trap in shorts and light jacket in a snow storm. I just tell them it's a form of messing with their minds to throw them off their game.
My wife is just the opposite, she can't get close enough to the wood stove and complains about the air conditioner all summer.
I love winter!

[fishnfacts]

WOW, I thouht I was the only one!
I wear a light jacket all winter for normal activites and only put on gear for ice fishing. 4 years ago I was in Antigo for a tournament and with the wind it was -60. No shanty allowed and I was one of 8 that stayed out for the entire 6 hours.
Great post L2F!

[cold_feet]

All you are doing is climatizing yourself. As far as I understand from this it is ok to a point but the blood being pushed to areas that need it to stay warm is being robbed from areas and Organs that also need it to function. So while you are feeling fine you might be doing your internal organs some harm. Be carefull in this. This is how people die from hypothermia.

[kb]

I normally wear the minimum to keep warm.  I like things on the cool side, a total opposite from the wife.  I try to climatise myself to the cooler temps by pretty much doing the same.
You'd usually find me in a tshirt down to mid thirty's.

This year is going to be a little tough due to some health issues, but I'm determined to beat it.     

[WARRIOR_ON_ICE]

As I posted here a few days ago, being in good physical condition is the key to tolerating weather extremes, both cold and hot. When I am out of shape, the cold bothers me a lot more. Also, avoiding excessive alcohol while on the ice is a good idea, and be sure to eat enough since homeostasis will cause your body to burn a lot more calories trying to stay warm.

[Mr. Shanny]

This is how people die from hypothermia.

My wife is a nurse and she said that if everyone's blood thickened in the winter, we would all be on blood thinners in the winter.  She does believe that a person can condition the body to its surroundings to an extent, but again be careful because of hypothermia. If that was true, you would see people swimming in cold water to condition themselves against hypothermia.......it's just not going to happen. She did say that the blood does protect the core (internal organs) first and that is why your feet and hands get cold. The best way is to just layer with the correct clothing.

For what is worth!!?? 

[GrizlyGarou]

I do the same every fall. Seems to work for me, I already have people telling me I'm crazy for wearing a tshirt while they're in two shirts, hooded sweatshirt, vest and carhart jacket. I just laugh and ask then what they're going to do when it actually gets cold.

I'm also a much bigger fan of cold weather than hot, though. Either way, I think ice fishers get a lot of people telling them they're crazy year-round...

[backwoodswalker]

Back in 81 while doing arctic survival training we learned that blood actually thinned during exposure to cold to flow better to extremeties to keep warm. Cappillaries expanded to allow more blood to exposed areas, hence the redness of cold skin. You must keep core temp up by either insulation (clothing) or food and warm liquid. As stated avoid alcohol in the cold. A good pair of boots and a good hat are essential in the cold. You must also know signs of hypothermia and watch for them. It is a silent killer. I know alot of people around here, Myself included who seem to be able to take the cold much better than most. I believe it is better physical condition than anything and the clothes we wear are proper for the climate. We could start a whole new post on what to wear when out in the cold and I bet we would get a zillion different answers. Learn to listen to your body and add or remove clothing as it tells you.  Steve

[Rat-Man]

Back in 81 while doing arctic survival training we learned that blood actually thinned during exposure to cold to flow better to extremeties to keep warm. Cappillaries expanded to allow more blood to exposed areas, hence the redness of cold skin. You must keep core temp up by either insulation (clothing) or food and warm liquid. As stated avoid alcohol in the cold. A good pair of boots and a good hat are essential in the cold. You must also know signs of hypothermia and watch for them. It is a silent killer. I know alot of people around here, Myself included who seem to be able to take the cold much better than most. I believe it is better physical condition than anything and the clothes we wear are proper for the climate. We could start a whole new post on what to wear when out in the cold and I bet we would get a zillion different answers. Learn to listen to your body and add or remove clothing as it tells you.  Steve

I agree with you, and another thing don't where cotton underwear !

[rudder]

I wear shorts year round

[jaklakmak]

Everyone that goes fishing with me thinks I'm crazy. I never wear gloves. I think my hands get climatized to the cold temperatures after dipping them in the ice hole to grab a fish or clean a few ice chunks out even when its -20 outside. I do pay for it later however as my hands and fingers tend to crack and get dry. Gloves just get in the way and take away the sensitivity of the rod as I'm holding it so that why I don't wear gloves.

[kasilofchrisn]

Yup I am definitely a cold lover. I also hate the heat and 70 seems hot to me nowadays.
Guess that's why I live in Alaska and work in the Arctic in Alaska's North slope oil fields.
 A few years ago I spent a good week and a half of a two week work hitch outside most of a 12 hour day in -35 to -45 ambient. When I got home I had a cabin rented in the mountains for some ice fishing.
It was -15 when I left the parking lot on my snowmachine.
Had just enough cell reception to call my sister in town the next morning.
She asked me how cold it was where I was at.
I said I did not have a thermometer.
She said it is -35 here at the house I said then it must be at least -35 here.
She said aren't you scared?
I replied the only thing that scares me is that darn plastic toilet seat in the outhouse LOL.
She says what are you going to do?
I said its a no brain-er I am going fishing!
The -15 when I left did not feel cold at all. even the -35 didn't phase me all that much. I did dress properly though.
Last winter I got a lecture about dressing properly at work when they spotted me several times outside at -30 to -45 ambient with only my hard hat and winter liner on my head lined leather gloves on my hands my indoor boots and socks and my coveralls over a t-shirt and blue jeans.
I said I know my body and was only outside for 10-15 minutes to change a frozen fuel dock hose.
I warm up as necessary but can almost always stay out way longer than most people.
I have worked with a few Inupiat Eskimos who could give me a run for my money in the cold though.
A person can definitely get acclimated to colder weather.
Weather or not you should tempt fate and force your body to acclimate by staying in the cold in shorts at home or dipping your hands in ice water I couldn't say. I just let it happen naturally as the seasons progress.

[iceice]

Acclimating to cold weather is in my thoughts every fall.My family thinks I'm nuts! ???Their are no jackets in my closet.

[IcePirate6]

The best way to get your body ready for the cold is to get in shape. Helps the blood vessels push the blood and to the areas that will need it.

[danakaiggy]

i believe your body adjusts to the climate.  otherwise we all would be living in a place where it is exactly our body temp.
people in desert adjust to it and people in the Arctic adjust to it also. 

[ice dawg]

I worked outside all of my life and the people that I worked with said they could always tell when the coldest part of winter had arrived because I had zipped my sweatshirt up.

[SPADED]

alot of good infor here, i do know that you lose most your heat from your head, so a stocking hat helps tons,.. thats why in between rounds in ufc and boxing they put cold towel on the head of the fighter, it cools the entire body down without cramping the arms ect by putting ice on them... i could walk around in a long sleeve as long as i have my trusty rabbit hat on