The key to enjoying winter is staying warm. (Thank you, Captain Obvious.) The key to staying warm? Besides hot chocolate, it’s all about having the right winter gear. There’s a #1 bestselling piece of gear (http://amzn.to/11Cxx94) that I always bring along – even if it does make me look like a professional criminal. What gear am I referencing?
For extra warmth in wintertime, go for a "warmskin" balaclava! (CLICK THE PIC for more info.)
Why, it’s my balaclava, of course.
The highly regarded Warmskin Balaclava is now available for a mere $10.48 (give or take a few pennies).
Yes, I said balaclava.
Anytime you must venture outside into the arctic tundra, it’s money well spent.
No, I’m not talking about a delicious sweet dessert made of layers of filo pastry filled with chopped nuts and sweetened with syrup or honey – that’s baklava.
And yes, baklava can be eaten while wearing a balaclava – if you pull the mask up to expose your mouth.
A balaclava is a form of cloth headgear that covers the whole head, exposing only part of the face. Often only the eyes are left exposed.
A balaclava offers wonderful warmth for the face and head in winter. It can also be an important safety device when windy conditions threaten to invoke frostbite.
The name “balaclava” comes from the town of Balaklava in the Ukraine.
I’ve visited the Ukraine before – in February. Just say the word “Ukraine” and my teeth instantly start chattering in a Pavlovian response. If Ukrainians know anything, they know cold weather. (Wasn’t Pavlov Russian? But I digress…)
When I bought my first balaclava, a black fleece number with only a slender eye opening, my wife was skeptical.
“You look like a bank robber,” she said with a laugh.
Some fashion choices my wife simply doesn't understand. (Click the pic for more info.)
She had a point. If you’re in the bank robbing business, a balaclava looks much more respectable than stretching pantyhose over your face.
“Laugh all you want now,” I replied. “but I’ll have the last laugh when we are camping in the freezing cold in Alaska!”
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A few months later, we were camping in Alaska. At night. In the FREEZING cold.
We huddled together for warmth inside our Airstream. It was so cold we had two heaters going at once – our propane heat furnace and a small space heater (powered by our generator).
But when bedtime arrived, someone needed to go outside into the arctic chill and turn off the generator.
My wife was nestled beneath her fleece blanket, drinking a hot cup of coffee.
“You’ve got that nice balaclava,” she said. “Why don’t you go outside and do it?”
So I guess she had the last laugh.
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BAKLAVA - good for eating, not so good for wearing. (Click the pic to try baklava!)
Since we got home from Alaska, I picked up a second balaclava – a camouflage one with an open top.
One benefit to this style is the ability to easily add a hat or headlamp, or just to go open top on warmer days.
While many would wear camouflage for hunting, I use it for bird and wildlife photography.
In a pinch, I suppose it would work for bank robbing as well.