Winter is fast approaching and with that will comes snow, wind, and that bitter cold that makes breaking hurt. If you are going to The Game and don’t prepare, you will quickly learn to huddle like penguins deeply regret the fact that you didn’t wear more layers and wool socks. This blog post is for those of you have never experienced a Northeastern winter (or aren’t from someplace like Chicago, Montana or Canada). We got you; here are tips to help you suffer as little as possible.

First of all, you might think that a jacket is the most important part of staying warm. You would be wrong! The most important part of staying warm is having a good pair of wool socks and a hat. Keeping your toes and your ears warm is key to preventing misery.

For events such as The Game, hats, socks, and gloves are key. When you’re out in the cold for an hour or two, and your extremities are cold, the only thing you will be able to think or talk about is how friggin’ cold you are. Your conversation will go from, “Wow! Yale is kicking Harvard’s butt!” to “Oh my goodness I am so cold. Please huddle with me like a penguin. Please. No really. PLEASE!” And if you don’t have a blanket to sit on at an event like this, the cold is going to kick your butt.

This isn’t to say that a warm jacket isn’t important. Ideally, one should buy one that covers your rear end, because otherwise the wind is going to slip up your jacket, find your back, and you’re going to think, “Man, why didn’t I buy a jacket that covers my butt?”

On a day-to-day basis, smart gloves are also a worthwhile investment, particularly if you’re the kind of person who simply needs to answer your phone when it buzzes. When it’s 15 degrees outside, I promise you that you will not want to take your gloves off to answer that text, but you will have to freak out about being cold AND the fact that you can’t answer that text simultaneously.

Now, onto the topic of snow boots—you may think those super cute boots you have will work for when it’s snowing, but guess what? Snow is wet, and water ruins super cute boots. So what’s the answer? Super cute, waterproof boots. In case you’re wondering, uggs are not waterproof.

“Imagine rain boots with Uggs on the inside,” Tara Shea ’18, a native Northeasterner said. This is sort of what you’re aiming for.

To be fair, the industry of cute, waterproof boots has not been explored nearly enough, and if you’re looking for a way to start making your fortune, this might be a very lucrative avenue.