With all this ice and snow, Spring Semester feels anything but springy. Successfully making it through January and February for any Ohio State student means avoiding a serious slip on the Oval and taking on the chilling winds with grace. Here are a few ways your wardrobe can work to your benefit.
Real snow boots: Uggs were some of the most sought-after shoes this holiday season, however, when it comes to keeping your cool over black ice, these shoes are a no-go. With little traction and no waterproofing, it’s time to seek out some shoes up to the task of handling an Ohio winter. Sorel boots are a good option, even those made by North Face, and these will run about $100 to $150. Look for shoes with rubber soles that feel more like sandpaper. The rough exterior of the shoes will dig into the snow and ice to give you more grip on your trek across campus.
Knee-length bubble jacket: The puffier, the better. In addition to keeping your butt warm, these jackets will give you some cushion should you take a tumble anywhere on or off campus. Look for interiors made of goose-down. It’s a higher quality material that actually traps heat as opposed to man-made fibers that simply repel cold air and are sometimes thinner. Avoid jackets with furry hoods since it will impair your vision. These jackets are available for $150 to $250.
Fingerless gloves: As college students, it’s a known fact that we’re attached to our phones – consider them extra appendages. For those long walks across campus that involve changing the song on your iPhone, texting your new best friend or just answering a phone call, fingerless gloves are the way to go. Your fingertips might be colder than you’d like, but you’ll avoid cracked hands and dry skin, and these gloves will only cost you about $10 to $30.
Wool socks: Cold feet can lead to unsightly spills on campus. Your feet don’t move naturally when they’re freezing so you are more likely to lose your balance and fall. A quick fix to this problem is wool socks. Wool is known to be a heat-trapping fiber that works with the atmosphere it’s in to prevent overheating or freezing. Wool socks are generally safe for all skin types and can be found at any sporting goods store for about $15 to $20 per pair. If your skin doesn’t respond well to the itchy fibers, look into merino wool socks. Merino wool is a higher quality of wool that has been spun thinner to prevent itching.
A hat: Remember when your mom told you that if your head is warm your body is warm? Well, it’s true. Body heat escapes most quickly from your head when you walk outside – think about how cold your ears get. A hat of any kind can help keep you warmer and happier on your walk to class. My personal favorite right now are hats with earflaps, and they tend to run between $15 and $30.
Bundling up is going to be completely necessary for the next few months. Keep in mind that with the snow and ice it might take you longer to get to class – you’ll walk slower and get colder. Newcomers: don’t be fooled by the 50-degree days that seem to pop up every once in a while. It’s Mother Nature playing a sick joke.
