Let's end cold by making heat, and sharing it.

Omni-Heat® Thermal Reflective: Keep the heat you make. Trouble viewing images? Read our blog Inside Out » MEN WOMEN KIDS FOOTWEAR ACCESSORIES OUTLET EXPLORE COLUMBIA 1. Cover your body in tiny metallic dots. In the Columbia spirit of trying stuff to keep you warm, dry, cool and protected during outdoor activities, we came up with the idea of covering people in metallic dots. Metal just felt like the jelly to warmth's peanut butter, but was much easier to wear. Omni-Heat® Thermal Reflective technology helps regulate temperature by using these metallic dots to reflect and retain the warmth your body generates, while dissipating moisture and excess heat to keep you comfortable. The little dots on the inside of Omni-Heat® garments boost heat retention by an average of 20%. So, when you step outside for some cold-weather activities in an Omni-Heat® jacket, you're going to be nice and warm, without the need for tons of bulky gear. We may be biased, but we think this little metallic dot idea is the best way to stay warm this winter. Shop Omni-Heat® Thermal Reflective » Got a cool way of making heat? Best one wins a $100 gift card. » 2. Build a snow cave. Imagine: You're out in the backcountry and the wind chill factor has the temperature down to 0ºF. Fear not, an emergency snow cave can bring up the temp to a balmy 32ºF, which, all kidding aside could make all the difference. To make a cave, find a well-packed snowbank and dig a compartment large enough inside for you to sit upright. Make the walls at least 12" thick, with the base the thickest part. Place your pack in front of the entrance hole and use whatever you brought with you as an emergency bivy sack. Use tree bows or other natural materials to insulate yourself from the ground. Light at least one candle. Create a small vent hole for your oxygen, and for the candle. If you think a search party might be out, make the site as visible as possible from the ground, and the air, by placing clothing or sticks around the cave, or by stomping an unusual pattern in the snow. Remember, when you're inside the cave, you most like won't be able to hear anything outside. 3. Make heat. Spoon. Share heat. Wrap your body as close as possible to another warm-blooded being and boost each other's warmth. Heat is shared three ways: 1. direct contact (convection); 2. on energy waves between bodies (radiation); and 3. by the flow of gases (breath, etc...) between you (convection). Surface area is also reduced, meaning less area that cold air can get to. Next time you're out in the cold, look around. Would you feel comfortable spooning with any of the people with you? Who's going to be little spoon? Or, if these questions aren't what you'd like to ask yourself while out on the slopes this winter, may we recommend wearing an Omni-Heat® jacket? That way, you get a proven 20% heat boost without wondering why your hands are stuck between two pillows. 4. Make a fire with junk food. All you need is a soda can, a bar of dark chocolate and sunlight. First, smear some chocolate on the bottom of the can. Then, use the wrapper as a cloth to polish the can. Your aim is to give the brushed look of the metal a more mirrored appearance. Expect to spend at least 3o mins polishing. Do not, under any circumstances, eat the chocolate you rubbed on the can. Once the can's bottom is nice and shiny, point it directly at the sun. Hold a piece of the chocolate bar wrapper (the darker the better) about an inch away from the focal point of the can bottom. A small dot of light should be focused on the wrapper, as long you are pointing directly at the axis of the sun's rays. Sunglasses are recommended for your protection. Do not look directly into the sun, or into the bottom of the can. Within a few short moments, the wrapper should start to smolder and fire should appear. And who said junk food was bad for you? 5. Eat a lot of chili. Anyone seen the Mel Brooks movie "Blazing Saddles"? If you have, you know where this is going. The magical fruit is known to make us all rather gassy. More important than the noise though, is that said gas comes from your core and leaves your body at temperatures near 98º F, thus warming the air around you. Also, while any hot food will make you feel warm, chili is high in iron. Iron is essential for thyroid function, and your thyroid plays an important role in regulating body heat. According to the CDC, symptoms of iron deficiency include "difficulty maintaining body temperature." Another huge plus is that while often loud, the gas we emit after eating beans tends not to be stinky. That, we can blame on whomever ate the cabbage. Submit your heat making techniques. Tell us your methods. Do you burn your old, non-Columbia winter gear? Perhaps you eat tamales and blow into your sleeves, or call your spouse names so that he or she will chase you. We want some creative suggestions. And, if you can beat the 20% heat boost of Omni-Heat® Thermal Reflective, extra kudos to you. We'll read all the ideas, and the one we decide is the best will win a $100 Columbia Gift Card. Keep the posts PC and PG, please. The winner will be featured on our blog. Got a cool way of making heat? Best one wins a $100 gift card. » NICE TRY Valiant attempts gone terribly awry Some people try to stay warm by running with giant snowballs. We'll just wear our jackets and hold the camera. Men's Melting Point™ Parka » When you need a jacket you can rely on in the cold, the Melting Point™ is just the right companion. GO HERE/DO THIS Away.com lists out the top 10 ski resorts in North America. Perfect places to make your own heat. Top North American Ski Resorts » EAT OUT Ice Cream? No, not the way you or I might think of it, but ice cream none the less. This yummy mixing together of the finest in cold-climate ingredients dates back a long time, and often meant survival for some the most experienced cold weather people on the planet. AKUTAQ ICE CREAM Ingredients (three dozen): 1 cup reindeer, caribou, or   moose fat (back fat) 1 cup seal oil, divided 1/2 cup water or 2 cups loose    snow 4 1/2 cups fresh berries    (blueberries, cloudberries,    cranberries, salmonberries, or blackberries) Grate or grind fat into small pieces. In a large pot over low heat, add the fat and stir until it becomes a liquid (the fat should never get hotter than it is comfortable to your hand). Add 1/3 cup seal oil, mixing until it is all liquid. Remove from heat and continue stirring the fat in big circles. While continuing to stir at a steady rate, add 1/4 cup water or 1 cup snow, and another 1/3 cup seal oil. As the fat slowly cools and starts to get fluffy and white, add remaining 1/4 cup water or 1 cup snow, and remaining 1/3 cup seal oil, continuing to stir. When the Akutaq is as white and fluffy as you can make it, fold in berries. Form into desired shape. Cover and freeze to firm up.