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The snow and winter season seem so enticing to people who live in a tropical country. Don’t the icy roads and trees just look so nice? Though the winter and snow are pretty to look at, how it feels to experience them is a whole different story.
It is a dream for many to experience a white, icy, holiday. Who wouldn’t want to sip a freshly made hot chocolate or hot coffee while watching the snow fall? That scenario would be perfect only if the temperature doesn’t start to hit a negative.
The cold season is fun and dreamlike until you experience a -15 degree dilemma. Wait until you can’t seem to think straight or move around comfortably while wearing 5 layers of clothing. But, here’s an interesting fact. -15 degrees is nothing to people who live in low-temperature countries.
Russia, Canada, Mongolia, Norway, Finland, and Iceland are just some of the countries that experience intense low temperatures during the cold season. Though it’s not a country, Antarctica is the continent that lives through the cold the entire year. Even though Antarctica has summer for 6 months, the weather is still cold.
Now, the question is, how do these places survive the cold season? Let’s read on to see how.
They rely on steam boilers for hot water and heat.
A steam boiler is a big piece of machinery that uses water and gas to produce heat and steam. Its main purpose is for hot water, central heating, cooking, sanitation, and other processes utilised in different industries.
If you live in a tropical country, steam boilers aren’t that common. Unless you’ve been in a processing factory or other business that relies on steam boilers for their operation. There are two kinds of steam boilers that are commonly used. They are the water tube boiler and the fire tube boiler.
The difference between the two is that water tube boilers are capable of producing higher pressures and temperatures. In low-temperature regions, boilers are essential to help them get through the cold days. It would be so hard to live through the cold without any hot water or centralised heat.
If even during summer most people use hot water for showers, can you imagine what it would be like if you were to take a bath without a water heater? Also, central heating is a must and serves as a refuge for people during the lowest temperatures that they get to experience.
Thick parkas and layers of clothes are the way to go.
The thing is, even though your place has centralised heat or a fireplace, those aren’t enough to keep you warm. Yes, your steam boilers and electric heaters can provide you comfort, but, what you wear gives you another layer of relief so you get to live and do your errands as needed.
If you plan to visit one of the countries I mentioned earlier, and you have outfit ideas to wear on your sightseeing, it’s best to forego them. Instead, go look for parkas and thick jackets that will help you get through the negative degree weather.
If it’s your first time visiting a cold country and experiencing winter, prepare at least 3 to 5 layers of inner wear to keep you warm. It’s better to come prepared than not. You surely wouldn’t want to waste and stay indoors during your first winter experience.
People who live in low-temperature countries surely hate the winter as much as people who live in tropical countries feel about the summer heat. Wearing 3 to 5 layers of clothing just to keep you warm can be heavy and uncomfortable. It is also hard to move around and do the things that you have to do while wearing those. But, that’s just one helpful way of how to survive the cold.
Staying hydrated and moving your body around is a must.
It’s easy to forget and disregard the importance of staying hydrated during the cold. After all, it’s likely that you wouldn’t feel thirsty since you’re busy battling the low temperatures. But, drinking your water during the cold is as important as it is during a heatwave.
To avoid frostbite, hypothermia, and other not-so-nice cold-related effects, keeping your body hydrated is a must. You don’t have to drink cold water. You can drink hot tea or other hot beverages to keep your blood flowing. One great habit is to monitor your hydration. If you can, try to drink at least 6 ounces of fluids every hour. Your body will thank you for that.
Another thing that people tend to do during winter is to curl up in their beds and stay at home all day long. Though it feels comforting to just lay around and do nothing, it’s important to move your body around. Do your best to pull yourself out of the bed and move. It can be as simple as walking around the house. Or, you can do your chores and clean.
You can also just run in place for 20 to 30 minutes. If you have stairs, walk up and down for 10 minutes. This will help your blood circulate well and strengthen your immune system. Even though the cold can drain your energy, do your best to fight it by moving around.
The key is to gear up, combat the cold, and live through it like a pro.
People say that the best way to get through something is to live through it until you make it. That saying surely applies when experiencing a negative degree temperature for the first time. Best to believe, even those who live in low-temperature areas are still living through it yearly like it’s their first time.
Every year, the cold season is the time when people have to adjust and relive a feeling they hoped would never occur again. Surely, people who live in low-temperature areas are winter soldiers. It’s not just the steam boilers, thick cloth layers, and the willingness to move around that’s astonishing about this. Rather, it is the mental strength of those people to get through the cold that will always be unrivalled.
