How to Make Removable Thermal Leg Warmers and Other Alternate Layering Methods

When you work a job in extreme conditions, be it snowplowing, a landscaping job with no changing facility within reach, or alternating between 70 degree greenhouses and subzero temperatures during the work day, I have found out that basic layering, although beneficial, is still lacking. Here is how to make the ultimate adjustable layering for on-the job. For this project, you will need the necessary clothes, an old T-shirt or leftover T-shirt sleeves, and scissors.

T-shirts are inadequate in winter, and sweatshirts are too short and leave you chilly in the middle. Wearing the sweatshirt or a thermal under the t-shirt at work is usually a solution to this problem. However, when alternating between hot and cold, even the sweatshirt or thermal can be too hot. To remedy this, take old sweatshirts and cut off the sleeves. Or cut the sleeves off of any thermal top. Cutting the thermal top is actually the preferred method because the sleeves make better leg warmers than do the sweatshirt sleeves. Wear the sleeveless top under the T-shirt and in most cases, removing and replacing an outer sweater on the job will work.

Now we move on to thermal bottoms. On warmer days, a pair of sweatpants cut off halfway between the knees and the ankles usually provides most of the protection of thermal underwear while also allowing for ventilation to prevent overheating and sweating on the job. However, for outdoor jobs on colder days, the sweatpants just aren't enough. On the flip side, there are mornings on the job that start out frigid but then develop into warm afternoons. Warm afternoons then chill into frigid evenings. Pretty challenging, isn't it?

The solution to the challenges of the changing weather is removable leg warmers, worn under the sweatpants shorts if it is colder or in place of the sweatpants shorts if warmer. To make the leg warmers, procure the sleeves from a thermal top or cut a pair of thermal underwear. Cut the legs about halfway between the knees and the elastic. That way, the thermal can also be reused as a pair of winter boxers. Take the T-shirt sleeve, or old T-shirt, and begin to cut a strand of cloth. The strand of cloth should be about two inches thick and a foot and a half long. Stretch it gently to make a piece of T-shirt yarn. Sew one end of the T-shirt yarn to the outside side of the thermal leg warmers. You now have a pair of removable leg warmers.

To use the leg warmers, put them on and run the T-shirt yarn up and wrap it around a belt loop or belt. Wrap it around thrice to prevent it from coming off. An alternate is to make a loop in the T-shirt yarn at waist level. However you will need a snap or button, so you can undo it without having to remove a belt. When it warms up, discreetly unwind the T-shirt yarn, and then tug the leg warmer down by pulling at the ankle of it. Stuff the wider part of the warmer under the cuff of the warmer or under a sock. Make sure the yarn tucks in as well. Or simply remove the shoe and take off the warmer entirely. However, pulling the leg warmers back up requires a changing room. It does save the embarrassment of walking to the changing room carrying a thermal, as the leg warmers can be discreetly carried in your pants pockets.