MN winters

[jim454]

Gary taught me a lot about keeping warm.

He also wraps his knees with an ace bandage, he claims it helps to keep his feet warm.

I never did try that one.

 

[southsoundtree]

Insulated boots.

Down Jacket.

Thin hat under helmet, Thick hat over helmet.

Thermos of hot beverage/ soup.

Hydration.

Avoid caffiene and nicotene, vasoconstrictors.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

I learned the knee wrap trick from Will Steger. he learned it from the Inuit. Who knows more about staying warm in the winter than them?

 

[Sam Hodgson]

Its not so much staying warm. Its staying warm without having so many thick layers. As long as I stay busy I dont get cold. It just sucks climbing in all that gear. If the budget can afford it im going to try to buy some new winter stuff and get rid of the cotton.

 

[Adkpk]

I didn't see anyone post, gore tex. I do some extreme camping/hiking at times and I am in wool or gore tex. Once you manage to keep out the wind your pretty close to comfort with your own body heat. I use all kinds of synthetics for layers from cool max to silk they are all pretty equal to me. I don't think I would be using my gore tex along with my chainsaw but then again I don't work in MN.

 

[Fred_Berkelhammer]

I hang the layers I shed on branches in the tree, in case it gets colder while I'm in it. Sun goes behind a cloud, and the temp can drop 30 or 40 degrees here. The wind usually starts up as soon as the sun goes, too.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Beyond Fleece makes clothing using a computer driven pattern cutter. They have a form that you fill out with a lot of your body dimensions and then the clothing is made to order.

When I was looking at soft shell jackets I was close to ordering one from them. They can be customized with extra pockets, zippered vents, etc. Since my body needs XL sleeves and a medium chest I have to compromise a lot with fitting. When I checked the costs with off the rack soft shells they compared really well.

I just saw that Arborwear has come out with a fleece jacket now!!! Yippeee! There will be extra space in my bag when I go to Expo. The space will be filled with a new jacket coming home!

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

So, I gave the bread bag idea a test run this week... I like it

Without bread bags, near the end of the day my feet would be so sweaty from working, that my toes would be cold. Now, the bread bags literally leave my toes warm (and down right hot if you're indoors too long).

The only down side it the odor.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

[ QUOTE ]


The only down side it the odor.

[/ QUOTE ]

Just take your boots off before you go inside

 

[Frax]

Appropriate thread! It's minus 20 today (which is minus 4 in Imperial). Obviously, I'm not out in it since I'm sitting on my butt at the computer, but I will be on Monday and it will be at least as cold as it is now.
Great article Tom. I learned a few new tricks even though I've lived my whole life in cold places.
I occasionally use those little toe and finger warmers - the ones that you remove from a package and shake up. I actually don't really like them but if I'm not moving enough on the bitterst days, they can make a difference. Like some of you have mentioned - food is fuel and if you don't eat enough you'll get cold. Take off a layer if you are climbing - add a layer if you are staying on the ground. Move as much as you can. That ususlly works for me (other than my left-hand fingertips which are permanently frostbitten).

Little side story - a long time ago when I had a desk job that required calling down to Texas every day (natural gas pipeline gas volume nominations) it was minus 40 outside. Our Texas counterparts asked us how cold it was and we told them. Aha they said - but that's in your measurements! Always sounds colder in metric. What is it in ours, they asked? I told them it was still minus 40 (where the two scales cross). All they could say was "shee-it!"
Nobody works outside when its that cold. The trees would crack, not to mention the equipment.

Who works in the coldest average place? I nominate any of you Winnipeggers who might be out there!

How about the hottest (not a problem here!) (Aussies, I bet)

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Austin is dang hot...check out the record---

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/images/ewx/wxevent/augdaily2010.pdf

I spent the summer of '07 in New Orleans. The heat and humidity there was NASTY!

 

[Frax]

Shee-it

 

[Sam Hodgson]

So the hole bread bag idea do you put them over your socks? I would think this would just hold in all the heat and you would sweet more.

 

[Jamin_Mayer]

I have thin (really thin) poly sock liners, then the bread bag, then wool socks. It retains heat, thus will cause sweating, but the sock liner absorbs and helps wick away the sweat. My first day of trying this I imagined the bread bags to be full of sweat by the end of the day. But, to my surprise, the bread bags were completely dry; stinky... but, dry.

Give it a try.

 

[Tom Dunlap]

Read up on 'vapor barrier liners'

Here's the short version.

Wear some light, synthetic or wool/silk
Put on VBL socks or plastic bags
Put on your insulation socks

When your feet sweat they are in a 'greenhouse' sorta. Once the environment reaches a certain humidity your feet don't sweat anymore. When the bags come off you won't pour water out, believe me!

By keeping your sweat in the bag it doesn't dampen your insulation layer so you don't waste calories vaporizing the water.

If you want to see for yourself, put a bag on one foot and compare. At lunch, switch the bag for the afternoon.

VBLs work best when the air temps are below about 15F.

 

[Raven27]

Poly pro, if you can get the military " ninja suit", it's GREAT for a starter layer, I'm not sure if you can buy them anywher, don't know the real name. I have 2 sets from army, super thin, you feel the warmth instantly. Check an Army Navy store, maybe Rangerjoes.com

Socks, smart wool, wool, seal skins, etc..