Do your hands get cold and numb too easily? Years ago I learned of a treatment that can make hands more resistant to the chill. The idea is that since hands react to cold by shutting off blood supply (capillary shunt), one could short circuit that process by shocking the nerves with alternating hot and cold water treatments. Try this at your own risk and don’t do it if you have a medical condition such as Raynauds, but it worked for me and now my son is giving it a go.
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| The treatment in process. |
The process is simple. Fill one bucket full of ice cubes and water, and another with water so hot you can barely stand placing your hands in it, but not so hot it would scald you. Alternate placing your hands in each bucket. Leave your hands in each plunge long enough to “shock” them, but not long enough to get used to the temperature or damage your hands in the case of the ice water. At most a couple of minutes in each plunge. Multiple sessions are required — end each session when the hot water cools down enough to be lukewarm and comfortable, or after a half hour or so. A DVD player or VCR is useful as well (smile).
(It’s worth adding that caffeine is a vaso constrictor. If your hands and feet easily get cold, consider cutting down your caffeine intake or giving it up entirely. Same with smoking.)
That’s it, Friday’s gear tip — in this case the gear is your hands.
This process probably works for some people and not for others. Use moderation and prudence if you give it a go — this is not a machismo test. As always, while the authors and editors of the information on this website make every effort to present useful information, due to human error the information, text and images contained within this website may be inaccurate, false, or out-of-date. By using, reading or viewing the information provided on this website, you agree to absolve the owners of WildSnow.com of any liability for injuries or losses incurred while using such information, and waive Wildsnow.com its owners and contributors of any liability.
WildSnow.com publisher emeritus and founder Lou (Louis Dawson) has a 50+ years career in climbing, backcountry skiing and ski mountaineering. He was the first person in history to ski down all 54 Colorado 14,000-foot peaks, has authored numerous books about about backcountry skiing, and has skied from the summit of Denali in Alaska, North America’s highest mountain.
