Tips, tricks and gadgets for staying warm

PHILADELPHIA -- From plain old long-johns to high-tech toys, there are plenty of ways to stay warm on this bitterly cold weekend.

For a look at some of those tricks, we went to REI - which has been outfitting mountain climbers and others who deal with cold and wind.

Manager Dannielle Cubberly showed us how she dressed today to come to work. First, wind resistant gloves and a wind resistant outer coat.

"Below that I have insulating layers. Below that a jacket that is nice and thin," Cubberly said.

And, under that, she wore an insulated vest.

"The advantage of layers is it gives me more places for the heat to get trapped," she said.

Zippers are also important, letting you open your coats and vests so you don't overheat while inside.

Something to stay away from is cotton as a base layer. It traps moisture that can chill if you sweat. Better choices are wool or, less expensively, a synthetic.

"Synthetic works just as well as the natural," Cubberly said.

In some case it can be smart to add heat. At Buckman's Ski Shop, we saw gloves with built in compartments for chemical hand warmers.

Also available: electrically heated gloves.

"It's a battery-operated system," said Pat Jones of Buckman's ski shop. "It has settings, it will tell you where you're at, whether high, medium or low."

Here are some tips to make sure you're ready for the cold weather:

-Be wary of frostbite. Signs could include tingling, a changing color of skin and pain. If that happens, be sure to slowly warm the area.

-You lose the most heat from your head and torso, but smaller areas such as fingers, toes, ears and nose typically suffer frostbite first.

-Hypothermia is also a risk, especially for the very young, very old and mentally ill.

-Babies should never sleep in a cold room. They lose body heat easily, and unlike adults, can't shiver.

-Older adults also lose heat more quickly. Check to make sure their homes are adequately and safely heated.

-Early signs of hypothermia include shivering. If it progresses, shivering can stop and nd other problems set in such as confusion, lethargy and headaches.

-If you have heart problems, be warned that the heart has to work harder in the cold to keep your body warm. Limit your activity outside.