The Hand and Foot in the Cold

In brief: Physiological and physical methods were used to study the effects of chilling on the hands and feet and to compare various mittens and footwear. The woolen liner-leather shell mitten is effective protection for the hands, and the woolen sock-felt liner-shoepac combination was good for protecting the feet. Direct contact with the ground greatly increases heat loss, so the thickness of the sole is important. Superficial rewarming of the hand will stimulate blood flow to it, but blood flow will not return to the foot unless the whole body is sufficiently warm. Therefore, torso protection is as important as extremity protection for long exposures.