Heat loss through the head

[DougPaul]

Ahhhh. Science trumps common sense. I wonder if there are more important myths to debunk. Meanwhile, I'll continue to wear my hat ... sometimes two.

IMO, sloppy science.

IMO, both conclusions are correct--they just depend on different experimental conditions.

Doug

 

[giggy]

when I am cold, I put the hat on - when I heat up, I take it off.

It seems to have worked for the last 36 years for me...

 

[Jay H]

Is there a study on how much brain is lost through the head when it's cold? Sometimes I think there should be.

Jay

 

[Little Rickie]

The neck alone gives off more heat through the carotids and jugulars than the skull region itself.

I agree. I now use a neck gator and it adds considerable to my comfort.

I also think a lot of heat is lost from the upper chest from the heat exchange with cold air when breathing hard and breathing subfreezing air.

I'm thinking of having a two way zipper put on my vest so I can keep my upper chest warm, zipped down, and vent warm air, zipped up, from my well insulated midsection.

Thus insulating my head, neck and upper chest more when I need them to be.

 

[Grumpy]

Having shed my hair within the last few weeks due to a chemotherapy regimen, I have come to believe (all over again) that the noggin is a big time heat radiator. Now if only I could get a good wool watch cap to stay solidly put on my nekkid dome …

I also agree that the neck-chest region is a great source of heat loss. As a child back in the 1950s I learned the utility of a good wool muffler (scarf) worn around the neck and on the chest. One of the nicest things about it is the adjustability – it can be worn to seal off or provide for ventilation as circumstances warrant. It also can cover the ears and help protect them from Jack Frost’s nip.

G.

 

[Little Rickie]

A scarf for a casual walk or hike is OK but It's been a distraction on steeper climbs and tighter spaces. Since you mentioned it I will make them a base camp item though. Thanks for the idea.

 

[The Hikers]

I agree with Giggy. The fastest and easiest method of heat control on the trail is to remove or put on a hat.That and various zippers make heat control possible while on the move

 

[Grumpy]

I learned as a child to wrap my scarf (muffler) around the back of my neck and cross it beneath my chin, with the long tails lying across my chest, under my jacket (or parka, windbreaker, etc.). That way everything is kept neatly under control and readily adjustable, and the muffler even provides a little extra insulation on my chest. A scarf is a very versatile clothing item.

G.

 

[SAR-EMT40]

I learned as a child to wrap my scarf (muffler) around the back of my neck and cross it beneath my chin, with the long tails lying across my chest, under my jacket (or parka, windbreaker, etc.). That way everything is kept neatly under control and reaqdily adjustable, and the muffler even provides a little extra insulation on my chest. A scarf is a very versatile clothing item.

G.

I learned this on some seriously cold patrols on border duty in the Army in the winter. I use to use mine while sleeping also. A tube type of scarf can be made to do all sorts of useful things in the winter.

I still have mine somewhere. I should dig it out. I would still use it.

Keith

 

[Hobbitling]

seems more like a lame publicity stunt to me than legit science. the first red flag was the fact that it was a "winter top 5 list". not exactly a scientifically relevant criteria for grouping studies. I wonder if they put out a Christmas album too.
they're just setting up a straw man to knock down.
It's easy to disprove the idiotic claim that "naked people lose most of their heat through their head", Except that nobody is making that claim.
Assuming that the person has clothes on, obviously a hatless person will lose most heat through the head.
so to any arctic nudists, this is a must read study.

(update: I found the actual article in the British Journal of Medicine. It was an editorial and was probably not intended to be read as a rigorous scientific study. for example, another article in this section of the journal presented a list of musician illnesses, including "guitarist's nipple, flautist's cheek, Satchmo's syndrome, and cello scrotum".)

 

[1ADAM12]

I am totally bald....I shave it that way. When I am winter hiking sometimes I get to hot and will take my hat off and you can see the steam rolling off

 

[The Hikers]

We watched these two "researchers" on TV the other morning....I think on GMA. Having watched our three kids grow up, and having worked with kid's choirs, basketball teams, and various scouts we just couldn't bring ourselves to believe that sweets didn't make kids bounce off the walls.
Science.....poo

 

[TrishandAlex]

We watched these two "researchers" on TV the other morning....I think on GMA. Having watched our three kids grow up, and having worked with kid's choirs, basketball teams, and various scouts we just couldn't bring ourselves to believe that sweets didn't make kids bounce off the walls.
Science.....poo

Good science and responsible conclusions are good. Psuedo, pop-science is bad.

I haven't read the papers and so don't have an opinion of the validity of the research.

That being said -- for us, it's definitely NOT sugar that makes our kids bounce of the walls.

It's artificial colors and flavors, and high fructose corn syrup. That crap affects their brains and bodies in a massive way. We usually avoid all foods that have any of that stuff in it (we do make some exceptions around the holidays).

 

[Maddy]

I don't care what they say about the percentages.
My reality is I feel much colder if I do not have my hat on.
I can sometimes get away with wearing a lighter jacket if I wear my hat but the colder it is, the more I need to wear the industrial strength ski hat, with ear flaps. The hood is often put to good use as well.

 

[Ed'n Lauky]

"A pound on your feet is equivalent to 5 on your back". Supposedly from an Army experiment. I can believe it for a quick-march on smooth level terrain, but on a rugged hiking trail? Maybe or maybe not. Doug

Thanks for this last tidbit. That's something I've often wondered about.

 

[Kevin Rooney]

I learned as a child to wrap my scarf (muffler) around the back of my neck and cross it beneath my chin, with the long tails lying across my chest, under my jacket (or parka, windbreaker, etc.). That way everything is kept neatly under control and readily adjustable, and the muffler even provides a little extra insulation on my chest. A scarf is a very versatile clothing item.

G.

Makes you looks suave and debonair as well ...

 

[Grumpy]

Thanks, Kevin. That is the first time "suave and debonair" ever has been used in reference or connection to Yours Truly. It is a great thing to read on Christmas Eve.

BTW, I like your hat, with what looks like a tie-under-the-chin gizmo. It seems like just the right kind of thing for keeping my noggin cozy.

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays to all!

G.

 

[Mike P.]

as a member of the I'm sweating in the parking lot club, I'll hike most often in winter with just an ear warmer. I usually do not wear my shell below treeline although I've been experimenting with a poly T or long sleeve, light shirt & the shell on 20-30 degree days.

If my feet do get cold or I am sitting a while, I'll add the hat. The head has a small profile facing the wind as opposed to your chest or back so on a windy day, the larger surface areas are going to feel colder.

As I age, the forehead isn't moving but I may not need the ear warmer much longer either

 

[jniehof]

I agree with everyone who's said they're neglecting the shell-core effect. I also have to wonder about proximity of blood vessels to the surface. Scalp wounds bleed like gangbusters, supposedly because there's a lot of bloodflow near the surface there. I imagine that would contribute to heat loss.

A lot of other stuff in the article sounds like "We proved we were smarter than everyone else before lunch." Definitely knocking over straw men. A lot of the inaccuracy in common wisdom comes from overstating real effects...this "research" has the same problem. The world's complex; sometimes more than one thing is happening.

 

[NH_Mtn_Hiker]

The world's complex; sometimes more than one thing is happening.

Well, I'll certainly agree with that!