No more frozen hands and feet

Now we know: women do get colder than men, and this has resulted in a newly developed sleepingbag aimed at female outdoor enthusiasts. The Norwegian company Helsport AS asked for a scientific study of freezing female bodies before it started to develop its latest product. Both a literature study and laboratory tests carried out by SINTEF confirmed what had been a myth; that women’s hands and feet get colder than men’s.

While the ladies felt cold and uncomfortable at ten degrees below zero, men slept like logs. But why? Muscule tissue is what generates heat, and women have more fat and less muscle than men. In women, the ratio of body surface area to volume is also greater than in men. The result was a sleepingbag designed to accommodate the female length and body shape, with extra insulation around the shoulders and for the feet.