Cold-weather larping requires more work than just carrying extra socks: while larping in the heat can be rough, the cold offers unique problems that can wear you down. Huddling together in the dark can make for great role-play, but not if the player is uncomfortable or unhappy. Here’s some tips for staying warm enough to enjoy a cold-weather larp.
Stay Dry
Unlike hot weather, you’re unlikely to get a serious injury in the cold… unless you get wet. Your body can produce heat much more efficiently than it can cool you down, but if you’re wet, it can’t keep up. Not only will you be more comfortable if you stay dry, you’ll also avoid hypothermia and frostbite.
While you hear the advice, “change your socks” often, what you’re actually doing is removing sweaty clothing and replacing it with dry clothing. Sweat is your biggest enemy in the cold; if you’re warm walking around, you’re probably sweating as soon as you start fighting. You need a base layer of clothing that wicks sweat away from the skin, and it’s essential to stay hydrated. Be hyper aware of any damp clothing, and change it immediately.
If You’re Cold, You’re Thirsty; If You’re Tired, You’re Hungry
Your body regulates temperature with fluids: your blood warms your extremities, and your sweat cools you off. If you’re not well-hydrated, this system doesn’t work as efficiently. You need to drink as much water when the temperature is below freezing as you do when it’s hot… only it’s harder to do so because you’re probably not as thirsty. Similarly, it’s a lot of work to keep you warm, and your body needs fuel to do it. If you feel tired or rundown, it’s probably because you didn’t eat enough.
A common scenario in cold-weather larp: early in the evening (about 8 pm), people start going to bed early, exhausted. Usually, it’s because they didn’t eat enough throughout the day. Without food, no amount of rest is going to refresh you. Make sure that if you’re tired, you get some calories in you.
More Layers Does Not Equal More Comfort
You only need your clothes to do three things in the cold: keep the moisture away from your skin, trap the heat around your body, and protect you from the elements. Generally, this means three layers of clothing: a base layer to wick sweat away from the skin, an insulating layer to create pockets of warm air around your body, and an outer layer to keep the wind and precipitation from stripping that warm air away. A good pair of thermal underwear is designed to do the first two, but generally, you want to add a loose layer of warm clothes around your arms, leg, and torso as well. Then protect that layer with a waterproof (and windproof) outer garment, and ensure you have as little exposed skin as possible.
Adding additional layers doesn’t really help, especially if there is no air between layers. For example, two pairs of socks aren’t really warmer than one pair of socks (there’s no space between them). Further, constricting your blood flow will make your hands and feet cold, and might make you vulnerable to frostbite. You should look “puffy” when you go out in the cold, as you surround yourself with air pockets your body will warm up. Don’t add layers that don’t have space between them; they’re just more likely to make you sweat when you come inside.
Also: when you come inside, take the outer layer off, and open up your insulating layer. You don’t want to overheat. Remember, sweat is your number one enemy.
Why You Wear Your Hat & Gloves
You don’t lose most of your body heat through your head (that’s a myth). Instead, your head and hands are the most likely parts to be left uncovered, and exposure is the second easiest way to lose body heat (the first is moisture). Your wool hat probably isn’t that much warmer than your baseball cap: it just covers more of your head.
You do lose a lot of heat by breathing, which is why a face covering is a good idea for more than just the pandemic. Also, be careful what you touch with your bare skin. You can probably put your hands in your pockets and be fine (they’re close to your body and pockets trap heat), but when you take them out, they’re going to get cold quick when you touch something.
Think Systemically
Your clothes, your hydration and nutrition, and your location… these all work together. Limit your time outside, and when you are, make sure you have as little exposed skin as possible, and all your layers are zipped up. Once you go inside, realize your location has changed. Now you want the heat to get to your body, and you don’t want to overheat and start sweating. Drink water before you go outside to hydrate, and eat when you come back in to refuel.
Sleeping
Last, but most important: the time you’re most vulnerable to the cold is when you’re sleeping. Your body temperature naturally drops, and you produce less warm air around you to regulate your temperature. It’s imperative that your bedding is warm enough for the weather. Luckily, the cabins at our site are heated, but make sure you can cover your arms and neck, and consider an extra blanket for your feet.
What do you wear? Just your base layer. Your sleeping bag is your insulating layer; your cabin is your protection from the elements. You don’t want to wear much more or you’ll cut off circulation, or worse, start sweating.