MAKE YOUR OWN COLD-WEATHER CLOTHING

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WARM ADVICE

For best results, the foam should be worn right next to your skin. Also, you may want to use suspenders to help keep the pants up.

If you have foam left over, make bun and knee pads. These are slipped in between the pants and the foam liner to give added warmth, in case you do any kneeling or sitting on the snow.

To keep your feet frostbite-free, Jim recommends using an old pair of Moon Boots or waders. Cut off the uppers, leaving only the soles, then sew on a cloth upper and wrap your feet in foam. Without socks you can be warm in weather as cold as 60° below—right down to your toes. Jim has used the same foam and a nylon shell to make mittens and even an arctic parka (which he made from an old Penny's jacket he bought at a garage sale for $2.00).

So, as you can see, with these simple materials you can make everything you need in order to live comfortably at extremely cold temperatures. All that padding may make you look like an overstuffed Santa ... but you'll be a warm one!…

EDITOR'S NOTE: The folks here at MOTHER have not had a chance to try these clothes (at this writing, we're still waiting for our first frost!), so we recommend that you test them yourself on short outings before venturing out on a full winter expedition.

Jim Philips runs a school that teaches arctic living, winter camping, and cold-weather survival firsthand. For information about upcoming expeditions, write him at Without Fire or Shelter, 940 N. Sage Dr., Pleasant Grove, UT 84062.

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