Cold Digits

S

sean1

Location
UK Northwest
Hello. Its just come in to the cold frosty mornings in England and its been a years since I last climbed in the cold. I've had some trouble keeping my hands from turning into ice blocks and I'm wondering what the general consensus is with other climbers on the subject. I know there are some pretty good gloves available for climbing but I'd prefer to use a warm up exercise of some sort. Its just on the first tree of the day that I get that cold buzzing feeling in my hands and find it difficult to work properly. After the first tree they are back to normal temperature and properly functioning. Any advice?

Cheers
 
"Below zero" came by in Holland too since thursday. It's a lot better than the rainy week before.

I always climb with the orange "criscross" gloves and they work perfect for me. During the summertime they are hot sweaty things but in the wintertime they are great. Got a whole pile of them in the van, so when they are getting wet I change them during the coffee/lunchbreak.
 
I've used them before also. I'll try them again. Its going to be a very cold winter for northern Europe but I agree that it is much better than those wet days.
 
First of all, leave any cotton clothing at home on work days.

Remember that Cotton Cools and Kotton Kills

I won't go into how synthetics wick moisture and cotton absorbs water.

To keep your hands warm, keep your head warm. Get a thin skull cap to go under your helmet. Fleece rules!

Find some thin fleece glove liners and then get some XL grippy gloves. Some of them are made with thicker fleece liners and more coating to keep your hands a bit drier.

Have an extra pair of gloves. When one pair gets wet slide them inside your shirt/jacket and your body heat will dry them in no time.

Use some wind protection gear. The wind will take away a lot of your body heat.

Don't smoke, nicotine is a vasodialator. Your blood vessels open and let a lot of heat go.
 
My favorite shirts for next to skin are zip tee necks. The zips allow me to vent heat or batten down the hatches. Next some insulation. Polar fleece is great. Next some wind protection.

Check out Sierra Outfitters. Opening their catalog can be as expensive as opening the Fresco or Sherrill wish book :)

There are too many different micro-fibers available to talk about specific fabrics. There is a lot of flap about Armor Alls. Way over-priced and no more effective than many other fabrics.

The next jacket I get will be from this company:

http://www.beyondfleece.com/

They use some nice fabrics and have customizing options. They also make the jackets to your body measurements. Off the rack jackets are a comprimise. My arms fit an XL length but my torso would fit a M or L. The extra cost to get the perfect jacket is worth it to me. Clothing is tools too.
 
Well up here we tend to just start layering like you wouldn't beleive. Long johns are a must but A good brand of under armor underneith is great. Also you guys may laugh but I was taught this by a cop, best way to keep your legs warm is Panty hose. Then a pair of jogging pants then I have a pair of ski liner pants for watering proofing and wind proof, but I still stack some jeans on the top of all them for strength

Now feet we all get toe warmers and put them in our boots and gloves, Two pairss of wool socks should be enough to keep your feet warm if your moving around. If your not you better be sitting in the truck.

Top half Under armor, long johns, long sleave shirt or depending on the temp, sweatshirt, windbreaking jacket and then a parka.

Head Depending on the situation, I normally wear what people call a "woogie" in these parts, It basicaly a hood that is made of fleece with a draw string at bothe ends, if its colder I also where something called a balaklava, not a baklava which is a tastie pastry, this is basically a ski mask but with out the little holes it just has one big one for your eyes. And of course the big beard that grows on most males who work outside in this area.
 
At the worst it gets a few degrees below freezing. I've not known it to go below -10c in my time but I'm on an Island after all and we are affected by the north sea, atlantic ocean and the irish sea so we get all sorts of crap.

I don't smoke but my team leader does and quite often in the cab of the truck. Would passive smoking open up my blood vessels? I'll have to get onto him about that!

Those fleeces in the beyondfleece.com website look excellent. I might get one sent over from the states if they aren't available here. I'm thinking of getting one of those pile shirts. Does anyone use them? They are lined with pertex which is fast wicking and insulated with pile. They are designed to be worn close to the skin so at the most a fast wicking base layer shirt should be worn underneath. So really its an all in one, windproof, water repellant and warm. Check this out:

http://www.militarykit.com/products/jackets/snugpak_pile_shirt_elite.htm

The most important thing to me is a close fit so that you can see your gear when you look down and a jacket that doesn't ride up when you reach. I'll try one on tomorrow and let you all know what I think to em.
 
The best thing to go next to the skin for treeworkers is Smartwool. Merino wool feels good and doesn't quickly get a stench that i often find with Capilene, DriFit, etc fabrics (often referred to a polypro)

It took me a long time to learn that to keep my hands and feet warm, I gotta keep my torso warm. Torso can create it's own heat, hands can't.

love
nick
 
My problem is sweating and getting wet. I bought one UnderArmor tee for $30. I put it on first and then a cotten shirt. I'll see how it goes.
 
I froze in Bavaria today. I have mastered the cold part. What is killing me is the wet part. It has only been 0c or slightly under. The snow is dumping, big and wet. It is about 6 inches deep, and slush. My normal insulated atlas or showa grippy gloves get so wet I have to wring the water out every 20 minutes. My StrechAirs are soaked. I wish it would just be cold so it all stayed frozen. At times I think my nose has frozen off until a twig slaps it and remids me that it is very much alive. grrr

Cold is ok, but I have noticed, that once you are wet, the game is over.

Just 4 weeks and then operation escape winter begins /forum/images/graemlins/vroam.gif
 
Nathan,

YOu wrote about the key to staying warm in the winter, water management. Working in the 'taint temperatures, 'taing rain, 'taint snow, is the absolute worst! That's hypothermia weather.

Have you considered using any of the NikWax products? They have many formulas for wash-in water proofing. They have a good reputation for being effective.
 
They don't appear to be that impressive, kinda delicate looking.

pFOGXREF2-368234reg.jpg


So, you think they're the shizznit?
 
I'm currently doing clean-up from hurricane Wilma. It got cold the other day. A cold front is pushing through the area, it got into the low 60's, maybe even the high 50's. It will be OK though, back to t-shirt weather by Saturday.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Are you kidding me Eric?!!! You do know that it was below freezing where you live, right?

[/ QUOTE ]

Yeah, I heard. Also heard that there was a couple of inches of wet sloppy snow, THAT, I don't miss. I might be getting soft, enjoying the shorts and flips right now.
 
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