Whether you’re watching your kid play or rooting for your favorite team, there’s nothing quite like enjoying a game with your friends and family. But as the temperature drops and the wind kicks up, things can become uncomfortable quickly. If you want to enjoy the whole game without suffering from the cold, here are a few tips to help you stay warm at any outdoor sporting event.
Keep Your Eye on the Weather
While this sounds obvious, it’s not just the temperature you need to keep an eye on. You want to pay attention to what the weather will be like when you get there and how it will change throughout the event. Keep in mind that the wind chill will affect the temperature. Fortunately, there are wind trackers that make this easy.
Additionally, prepare if there is any chance of inclement weather. Even if it’s just a light rain, at least you know to bring a hoodie.
Layer Up the Right Way
Dress accordingly if it’s cold, raining, snowy, or windy. Fortunately, this doesn’t mean you need to sacrifice repping your team’s merch. In fact, plenty of teams sell winter gear, so be sure to stock up.
To stay warm, you need to know the basics of layering. This means, at the very least, wearing a thermal under the rest of your clothes to keep out some cold and wick away sweat. Depending on how cold it will be, you’ll need a lightweight, midweight, or heavyweight thermal, but don’t go overboard. If your thermal is too heavy for the weather, you’ll just sweat and be more uncomfortable than if you were cold.
Must-Have Game-Day Accessories
Plenty of game-day accessories can keep you warm if you’re dedicated to staying out near the field. Heated gloves, rechargeable hand warmers, portable heaters, and heated stadium pads can make even the most frigid events feel like a light breeze. If you want to go the extra mile, personal weather pods are small tents with seats you can zip up to keep out wind, rain, and cold. However, that may not be the most viable option for bleachers or seated stadiums.
Warm Food Is Good Food
This may go without saying, but don’t eat cold food on a cold day—even cold water! The best thing you can do to raise your internal body temperature is to bring warm or room-temperature food, although hot food is ideal. That means hot chocolate, coffee, warm water, and spicy foods! Unfortunately, though it is tempting, you may want to avoid alcoholic beverages if it’s seriously cold. While alcohol makes you feel warm and can even make you sweat, it actually brings down your body temperature.
Now that you know how to stay warm at any outdoor sporting event, what’s your strategy of choice for game day? Whatever you choose, don’t forget to bring what makes you comfortable, stay safe, and have fun!