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Although global warming is in the headlines, it has yet to put a chill on the army/navy store business.
"We have no slow down in winter weather sales. As soon as the weather turns cold, we stock up, said Harold Hirsch of Schreck Wholesale.

The hands, feet and head are particularly vulnerable to cold. Protecting these extremities seals in warmth through the whole body. Socks, gloves and headwear are as important to staying warm as apparel that covers larger portions of the body.

It doesn't get much colder in the United States than in Anchorage, Alaska, where in any given winter temperatures drop for several weeks to 20 below, said Jeff Stultz, manager of the Army Store in Anchorage.

Understandably, Stultz sells huge amounts of cold weather gloves, hats and socks. But he emphasizes the importance of protective dressing for the entire body.

"There is no one item that is the solution in cold weather wear," he said. "It is the combination of dressing from head to toes."

Two of Stultz's most popular sock lines are thick wool socks from Fox River Outdoors and mountaineer socks from Smart Wool.

"Smart Wool is a more high tech sock, a nice Marino wool," said Stultz. "Socks are a part of the whole set of equipment.One's ability to stay warm will depend on the rest of the equipment."

Stultz also sells a variety of gloves. Workers on the north slope oil fields, where temperatures can drop to 60 below, wear a cotton work glove inside a large insulated arctic mitt. For tasks requiring dexterity, they remove the mitt.

The arctic mitt, also known as the EWAC mitt, is a standard protective item for people living or working in extreme cold. The large leather mitten is lined with Thinsulate™ and foam, and there is usually a layer of fur on the back of one hand for wiping the face without removing the mitt.