I didn’t want to hold the others up. I didn’t want to slow down our progress. We had miles to go until we sleep, and I didn’t want to be that annoying one faffing around with my kit. And so now I was suffering. My hands burning with cold. My body wracked with shivers. For hundreds and hundreds of miles in every direction was nothing but ice, snow and rock. We were alone in a wild corner of Arctic Greenland, our survival dependent entirely on our skills, decisions, and the equipment that we hauled along with us.

I tried to ski harder, to get the blood pumping as I hauled the heavy sledge across the bumpy ice. But it was not working. The wind was too fierce and too cold. My body could not cope. I knew that to continue like this was to risk hypothermia and a really serious situation. Frostbite used to be deemed a court martial offence in the Norwegian Army: if you look after yourself properly in the Arctic, the argument went, then you should not suffer in the cold.

I knew what to do.

I stopped skiing. As quick as I could I hauled a windproof jacket from my sled, zipped it up, and pulled up the hood. I shouted above the wind to my two friends, who were waiting behind me in my ski tracks, “Sorry for stopping, guys! I just needed more clothes.”

And then I continued skiing up the steady incline towards the ice cap. Without the wind biting through my clothes, I felt the warmth begin to flow round my body in moments. Within a few minutes the icy hell I had been in had disappeared, and I was able to enjoy the journey once more through the beautiful, icy emptiness. 

The simple act of donning a windproof jacket reminded me how critical the right clothing is for cold-weather journeys. Whether you are going for a winter hike, planning a cycling journey that will take you through cold climates, or heading to the polar regions for a more extreme expedition, the principles of cold-weather clothing remain exactly the same.

1. Layers are king. Regardless of whether you can afford lots of specialised clothing, or if you just have to make do with what you already own, make sure to take lots of layers. In other words, you’re better off wearing four shirts than one woolly jumper. Layers give you more control to fine tune your temperature as conditions and exertion levels vary. It’s really important on cold journeys not to get too hot: sweating is a bad thing to do as later, when the sweat cools and your clothes are damp, you risk becoming very cold, very quickly.
2. For this reason, wicking is an important word when you’re packing for a cold adventure. Clothes that ‘wick’ draw perspiration away from your body towards the outside of the garment where it can better evaporate. Specialist adventure clothing base layers are made from natural wools like merino or from polyester and microfibre. Merino is popular because it doesn’t smell quite so bad if you’re on a trip that involves not changing your clothes for days, weeks or months at a time! At the other end of the scale, materials such as cotton t-shirts wick poorly. They take a long time to dry and are unsuitable for cold weather travel.
3. On top of the wicking base layer, most travellers wear a variety of ‘mid layers’ – insulating fleece jackets and the like. I personally feel that this is the area of clothing where you can save some cash: two cheap fleeces work more or less as well as one expensive one. The main penalty will be in extra weight.
4. Mid layers are not windproof. They allow the evaporated perspiration to pass to the outside air. If the weather is cold but still, then this is all you need to wear. But once a wind picks up, you will need a “shell” layer. Wind, and windchill, make conditions feel significantly colder and can be very dangerous. A windproof shell will keep the wind out and is essential in winter. The more you pay, the more breathable the shell will be. Cheap shells that are not breathable do not allow the evaporated perspiration to pass out of your jacket, so problematic condensation starts to build up on the inside. Wearing a bin bag, for example, would do a great job at keeping the wind out. It would do a terrible job of releasing perspiration or making you look sexy…
5. It’s important to look after your delicate extremities in the cold. Frostbite strikes first on fingers, toes, ears and noses. Make sure to wear a thin pair of gloves inside a loose thick pair of either gloves or mittens. Mittens are warmer than gloves but less dextrous. Having a few different hats, balaclavas and head bands in easy reach is a simple way of regulating your body temperature. The old adage of the outdoors is true: if your toes are cold, put on a woolly hat. Make sure your socks are layered and not so tight as to restrict blood flow. If the temperature is really low and the wind is strong, then a face mask will protect your noses and cheeks.
6. Keep some kit in reserve. A big fat down jacket will bring a smile to your face when you stop for the day to set up camp. Your temperature drops quickly when you stop physically exerting yourself, so be sure to have clothes in reserve ready for camping in the evening. 
7. It’s worth investing in a good sleeping mat, or even two of them if it’s very cold. You lose a lot of heat this way when camping. A good sleeping bag goes without saying. Make sure you wear loose layers inside the bag, and a woolly hat. Never wear wet clothes in a sleeping bag – much better to strip off, climb into your sleeping bag, then do 100 press ups to warm yourself up! 
8. Sleeping bags do not warm you up: they keep you warm. The difference is important: make sure to go to bed warm – a hot, high-calorie evening meal is vital in the cold.
9. Be prepared for some “Type 2 Fun”… Type 1 Fun is easy, wimpy stuff like summer journeys, warm weather travel, sleeping on a beach under the stars. Type 2 Fun is miserable, painful, character-building, filled with suffering… and you’ll look back on it later and think “Those were the Best Days of my Life…”!

Here some veterans of cold expeditions share their tips and tricks for keeping warm out there this winter:

• Leon McCarron: walked through Mongolia in winter (www.leonmccarron.com)
• A decent sleeping mat makes all the difference. Not sleeping well on a cold weather trip is miserable, and takes its toll eventually on your energy and productivity. For real sub-zero stuff, I use something like this from Big Agnes – https://www.bigagnes.com/Products/Detail/Pad/InsulatedAirCore
• Be organised enough so that you don’t have to stop regularly or for too long (see top of this article!!) Make sure the people you travel with are equally well-versed in efficient protocol otherwise you will begin to really resent them!
• Martin Hartley, a veteran of more polar expeditions than I have had shiitake mushroom risotto (http://martinhartley.com).
• A down jacket is essential. It will get you “out of trouble”, or at least offer a psychological advantage knowing that you have it if you need it.
• Know that the cold is just a phase and it will pass. “When you are in hell keep going…”
• Felicity Aston is the first woman to ski across Antarctica alone. http://www.felicityaston.co.uk/
• I call this my ‘happy jacket’ (http://www.montane.co.uk/range/men/insulation/deep-cold-down-jacket) – unlike other down jackets that are predominantly aimed at climbers, this jacket is longer and covers bum and thighs! And these are my favourite gloves – they are two mitts in one: http://www.mountain-equipment.co.uk/fitzroy-mitt
• A helpful tip is to fill a water bottle with hot water and pop it into the bottom of your sleeping bag to warm it before you go to bed. In the morning re-fill it with hot water and put it in your boots to warm them before you have to put them on!
• Rob Lilwall cycled through Siberia in winter. http://roblilwall.com/
• Having a Camelback to wear under your coat is good to prevent water freezing. Pogies are great for cycling or kayaking journeys.
• Tom Allen cycled through Lapland in winter. http://tomsbiketrip.com
• A thermos flask and just keeping moving is all you need to know!
• Andy Ward – managed North Pole and South Pole expeditions. http://www.alastairhumphreys.com/adventures/
• A layering system with a breathable thermal base layer is essential. I’m currently loving Mountain Equipment’s Eclipse Hooded Zip T which is so versatile and warm.
• Be sure to keep refuelling with hot drinks from a flask and snacks every 90 minutes or so when you’re on the hoof.
• Sarah Outen, currently cycling through the Canadian snow on her way round the world. http://www.sarahouten.com/
• KEEN Summit County boots are super warm. A fleecy Buff, balaclava and neoprene face mask are a must too.
• Keeping bits of food in a pocket close to your body will keep it warm (relatively) and mean your stopping time is minimised while riding.

This piece first appeared on Adventure.com