Outfitters Help Shoppers Gear Up for Arctic Blast

Shoppers Have Been Reluctant to Buy Heavy Winter Gear

If you haven’t heard, the Northland is expecting the coldest temperatures of the winter so far this weekend.

And that has some gearing up for winter a little late.

At Trail Fitters in Duluth, shoppers are greeted with just about anything they’d need for extreme conditions outdoors.

Those at the store recommend dressing layers, not just to prevent sweat and moisture, but to also prevent harsh wind from cooling your body.

But as mild temperatures have persisted, the heaviest coats and hats haven’t quite flown off the shelves so far this winter.

“I think there’s been a little bit of a reluctance to pull the trigger on the heavily insulated items right now,” says Trail Fitters store manager Larry Zelenz. “Just because people are waiting to see if they can get through the winter without. But obviously these temperatures will make a difference in that.”

Zelenz says that it’s important to have multiple layers, and to remember that in extreme conditions your clothes are a tool.

“They’re not magic, they don’t create warmth. They just hold onto the warmth that you develop, and help you manage your temperature,” he said.

The first below-zero temperatures of the season are expected to arrive late Saturday night.