Now that you know to dress in layers when you ride your ATV in the Winter. You should know the basics for avoiding frostbite and hypothermia, both of which can creep up on you and overtake you before you know it.
Hypothermia is a silent killer and claims more victims per year than wild animals, avalanches and lightning. Hypothermia has three basic tools it uses to get you under its spell and those are : cold, wind, and wetness.
If your clothing gets wet, change it immediately. Hypothermia works quickly because the high concentration of blood in your head makes it a major source of radiant heat loss. At 40 degrees, up to half of the body's heat can be lost through the head, and at 5 degrees that jumps up to 75%, so always wear a warm hat when your helmet is off to help maintain your body heat.
Wet clothing can cause you to lose body heat 200 times faster than dry clothing, remember that fact and if you get wet or sweaty. Stop as soon as possible and change into something dry. The few moments in the cold it takes to change may save your life. Once again the reason for wearing layers is made plain. If you keep your clothing in layers, a layer of heat is kept next to your body and you stay warmer. This is effective Wintertime dressing for riding your ATV.
Evaporation is another way that heat is lost. Again the key is dressing in layers and keeping your clothing next to your body dry. If you get sweaty, vent or change as quickly as you can so you can stop the loss of body heat.
The final source of heat loss is respiration from your breath. Make your heavy breathing a minimum and breath through your nose rather than your mouth whenever possible and you will be safer from frostbite and hypothermia when you ride your ATV in the Winter.
