Winter Preparation Tips: How to Stock Up on Cold Weather Gear

When cold weather arrives, you want to be ready to meet it. By stocking up ahead of time, you can avoid scrambling at the last minute to find the cold-weather work gear you need to stay productive on the job. If you’re ready to start choosing your cold-weather work gear now, read on. We’ll talk about the essentials that you need and how to make sure you’re choosing the right cold-weather work gear for you. 

What Should Cold-Weather Work Gear Protect Against? 

Proper cold weather clothing can offer great protection against a variety of different hazards. Here are some of the major factors that your gear may need to protect against: 

• Cold Stress: Allowing your skin to get too cold can cause an unsafe drop in your body’s core temperature, potentially leading to conditions like hypothermia. Solution: Insulated clothing that preserves your body’s warmth. 
• Moisture and Precipitation: Getting wet in a cold environment can cause you to quickly become much colder and make the effects of cold stress more severe. Solution: Waterproof and moisture-wicking clothing that helps keep you dry all day long. 
• Slips and Falls: Wet conditions are common in the winter, leading to a greater risk of slip and fall accidents. Solution: Winter work boots with a treaded grip on the soles. 
• Visibility Problems: Snow and rain can make it difficult to see other people on the job, increasing the probability of accidents. Solution: High visibility winter clothing designed to make every worker easier to see on the job. 

What Cold Weather Work Gear Do You Need? 

Every job and every climate requires different kinds of cold weather work gear. Before you start browsing, take a minute to think about your specific needs, including:  

• How active you are at your job
• The average temperatures you encounter at your job
• Clothing features, such as extra pockets, that you need to do your job
• Degree of movement flexibility that you need to do your job 
• High visibility clothing you need to stay safe at your job

The answers to these questions will help determine the correct gear for your workplace winter safety. 

Cold Weather Work Gear Essentials 

Here are the essential elements of a well-equipped cold-weather gear set. Not every element will be necessary for every cold-weather worker, and the design of each piece will vary according to the individual’s needs. 

• Cold Weather Jacket: A hi vis winter jacket can be anything from a heavy-duty parka to a light rain jacket. Often, you’ll need to have both in your collection. Sometimes you can also find a multi-layer jacket that can be very versatile by offering both wet weather protection and cold weather warmth. Each combination of the layers can protect you from a cool Autumn morning and a frigid, late winter night shift. 
• Cold Weather Pants: In extremely cold environments, you’ll often need more leg protection than just a good pair of work pants. A pair of insulated pants are a great investment. 
• Cold Weather Headwear: Your head can lose warmth quickly if you’re not careful, so pack some cold weather headwear like a balaclava or beanie. 
• Cold Weather Boots: You’ll need a pair of comfortable and durable cold weather boots for many jobs. Make sure to grab a pair with an ASTM safety toe if your job requires it, and pick a pair with treaded soles.  
• Cold Weather Socks: Don’t neglect your socks when buying cold-weather footwear. They help keep your feet warm and dry. It’s a good idea to choose socks with a moisture-wicking design to help manage foot sweat while you’re at work, as sweaty feet can turn into cold feet remarkably quickly. 
• Cold Weather Gloves: Keeping your hands warm and protected is a key part of keeping them ready to work. Your insulated gloves should be flexible enough to give you plenty of manual dexterity for job tasks. 
• Cold Weather Accessories: Your cold-weather outfit may also need accessories such as hand warmers, eye protection, or hard hat accessories. 

Storing Cold Weather Work Gear

Storing your winter work gear is fairly easy if you follow a few simple rules:

• Don’t store your winter clothes bunched up or stuffed into a small space. Hang them up or put them in a box with plenty of space. 
• Find a clean, cool, dry place for storing your gear.
• Don’t hang your winter gear in direct sunlight. 
• Follow the label’s instructions for how to correctly clean and store your garments. 

HiVis Supply is a one-stop source for all of your high visibility winter work gear needs. Browse our complete winter work gear selection today, or see our guide to choosing a winter coat to learn more about the basics of winter clothing selection.