Cold-Weather Walks: How to Keep Moving Outside in October

The thermometer finally caught up with the calendar this week. Mid-October mornings start in the 40s, the sun shows up late, and the first thing most of us quietly give up is the daily walk. It usually isn't the cold that ends the habit — it's cold ears, cold hands, and nothing warm to drink when you get back. Fix those three things and October becomes one of the best months of the year to be outside.

Start With Your Ears, Not a Bigger Coat

Most people are already warm enough from the neck down in fall weather. It's the exposed parts that cut a walk short. A headband is the smallest, least bulky way to solve it: it covers the ears without the sweaty, flattened-hair problem of a full hat, and it fits under a hood if the wind picks up.

Our Ear Warmer Headband is made from fleece with a 94% polyester, 6% spandex blend, so it stretches to a snug fit over the ears and stays put while you're moving. It comes in black, blue and pink.

• Keep it in your coat pocket, not a drawer — you'll actually use it.
• Pull it down over the ears before you head out, while you're still warm.
• If your route is windy, wear it under a hood for a second layer.

Warm Hands Change the Whole Walk

Gloves help, but they make it awkward to check a phone, hold a leash or carry a cup. A pocket warmer is the easier answer, especially on the first ten minutes of a walk when your body hasn't warmed up yet.

The Hand Warmer Electronic Portable Hand Warmer heats up in less than two minutes and warms on both sides, so it works in either hand. It runs for three to four hours on a full charge and measures 60 x 60 x 22 mm, which is small enough to close your fist around and slip into a jacket pocket.

Carry Something Warm, Bring Something Home Cold

A hot drink turns a chilly walk into a pleasant one, and the same bottle handles the afternoon when the sun is out. A stainless steel vacuum insulated bottle keeps drinks hot for 12 hours and cold for 24, is made from BPA-free food-grade 18/8 stainless steel, and is leak proof and spill proof. The double wall means no condensation on the outside, so your hands stay dry, and it fits a standard car cup holder for the drive to a trailhead.

Three Habits That Keep You Going Out

• Dress for ten minutes in, not for the first step. You'll warm up fast, so aim for slightly underdressed through the core and well covered at the ears and hands.
• Walk into the wind first. You finish with it at your back, when you're damp and cooling down.
• Build a by-the-door kit. Headband, hand warmer, filled bottle. When the gear is staged, a 40-degree morning stops being a decision.

Cold mornings are only a problem if you're unprepared for them. Browse the full VIGOR collection to put your own cool-weather walking kit together.