Forget your jacket.

My trip is getting closer (just a few weeks now before I leave) and I've been thinking about what kind of clothes to pack for my trip.   I'll generally not be anywhere cold my whole trip, but who knows, in the Canadian Rockies I'm sure a freak summer snowstorm is possible.  I was talking to my Mom and like all mom's she wants me to be safe, secure and comfortable and bring a heavy coat.  I'm sure everyone's moms have told them "wear your jacket or you'll get a cold" at least once in their lives.  And while they may care deeply about your well being I don't think staying comfortable is always the way to go.

I think forgetting my jacket and shivering a little bit is good for me. I think like lifting weights, it's uncomfortable, but it makes me a stronger individual.

 I remember watching something on the science channel about these guys who were studying a human's ability to adapt to cold temperatures.  They went out onto a frozen lake at subzero temperatures and lived there for a few months to study it's affect on their bodies.  They had heavy winter coats on all the time, but initially they were extremely uncomfortable. They did not get so cold that they experienced frostbite or hypothermia, they were just uncomfortably cold for a very long period of time.   They had no heat source except for their own bodies an when they changed clothes they were in a simple nylon tent.  It was brutally cold for them and extremely uncomfortable....for awhile.  But after only a few weeks their bodies started to adapt and there shivers started to disappear. They trained their bodies to be able to handle cold temperatures, just like a weight lifter trains his muscles to lift heavier objects.

I've had my own personal experiences too.  When I was a teenager I deer hunted a lot more.  And I REALLY wanted to shoot a deer.  So much so that I went out on extremely cold days to sit and wait for one to pass my stand.  During this time,  I remember several times thinking I had frostbite on my toes even with army style winter boots and several layers of wool socks.  But during that time I realized that my body developed the ability to handle cold way better.  Was it uncomfortable? Definitely.  But, did it strengthen my body's ability to handle less than ideal conditions.  Absolutely.

One can even see this process on a seasonal basis.  40's in the fall seems really cold after a hot summer of 80's and 90's.  But in the spring time 40's is a relief from the completely frozen conditions of January.  It's because your body has adapted a little bit over the winter to handle the temperature.

I think one should not only forget wearing a jacket when going out, but you should also take cold showers and swim in cool water.  But, just like you shouldn't over do weight training and pull a muscle, you also should be careful not to overdo it while "temperature training" and get frostbite or hypothermia.

So even though our mom's want only the best for us, lets ignore their advice and strengthen our bodies instead.  Be a man, not a pussy.  Don't let a little bit of cold ruin your day.