Winter outerwear for treework

For years now I live the 'whole year round' (except for the hot summer months) in jackets from Bergans. At this moment It's the Dynamic http://www.bergans.com/products/default....ml1=2&ml2=1
It's the best breathing wind proof and water resistant jacket in the world. I wear lots of layers under it during the cold months using mostly Craft underwear as the first layer.
When the rain is poring down whole day I use their rain pants over my saw pants as well http://www.bergans.com/products/default....;t=Rask%20Pants
They come with zippers along the sides of the legs so you can put them on and off in a jiffy.
Working whole day in the rain doesn't make you sweat any more and this combo keeps you really dry on the inside.
I do not have any shares at the Bergans company and I really don't care what you all wear, but if you really want to feel the comfort of working with a dry body when it is raining, do yourself a favour an buy Bergans. Once you tried it you never want any other brand on your body.
 
I agree...new wool spinning techniques has left itching in the past. A friend of mine used to say that he was more allergic to cold that wool itch. Anyway you slice it, get away from cotton.

For foot warmth, keep your feet dry. Use vapor barrier socks or just bread bags to keep the moisture out of your insulating layer. Google VBL or vapor barrier liner to find out more about this technique.

I wore LaCrosse pac boots. I don't know the model but the feature that was key was that the insulation layer in the foot part was sealed inside the rubber so it would always be dry even if your foot went in the water...DAMHIKT!

Keeping your knees warm will keep your feet warm. Blood looses heat when it gets pumped past our knobby knees. Wear somen knee socks or cut the feet off of socks. I have some dancers leg warmers that I double up to add insulation.
 
Fantastic replys so far, thankyou all.

Interesting note; today we worked in wind the likes of which I don't believe I ever have before- for 9 hrs straight 20-25mph, gusts to 30-35mph,temp was 25-30*F all day, it was nuts. Called my wife to drop off extra clothes for us... Freakin chilly, it beat me up. On a bare hill 200' from LI sound.

And probably due indirectly at least to the weather, around 2pm, I made the worst mistake I can ever remember making in treework, but got away lucky: went up in the bucket without outriggers down... Got the lower boom vert and upper boom horizontal reaching out directly to side when I felt some movement in the truck, looked down and saw the prob, was surprised the truck wouldn't tip over from that position, musta been up at least 30' and 25' to the side.

Knucklehead.
 
Jesus Cory! Take the day off next time. That kind of wind is bad when it's warm out, nuts doesn't begin to describe it. I'm glad the stabilizer thing didn't go wrong, I would hate to hear about that.

BTW: We moved Bryce to East Chapel Hill, you should see this group of kids, if fall ball was any indicator, they have a shot at the state title with only 3 seniors playing.
 
I'm a bread bag convert for keeping the toes warm!
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Im a Smartwool convert from Synthetics. I used to be 100% Patagonia Capilene. I started with Smartwool socks, then hats, then their slippers and finally took the $ plunge and bought Smartwool next to skin (NTS) base layers. FAR more comfortable than the Capilene, TechWick, or REI gear I own. All are tough. Wool is just what I prefer, and what I will try and sell anyone on who will listen to me. I wear wool socks 365, even with dress shoes.
 
I wear wool socks to work yearround too, BB. And today my feet were fine, everything else was a bit chilly. Making sure the boots aren't tight is key.

Never tried the bread bag, J.

Thanks Blink. Yeah a no-harm-done major mishap like that is weird. I'm looking forward to Spring lax too. Of course for college lax it'll still be wintertime-Feb 5th is first scrimmage- brrrr! Good luck with the state 'ship hunt.
 
It does warm a old wool fan's heart to see all the americans now chiming inn for wool. For 10 or 20 years ago the syntetic companys had litteraly won with their propaganda that wool was outdated and syntetic underwear was the way to go. In most countries you would even have a hard time finding woolen underwear.

One other positive thing with wool is that it can be used many days in a row, without the smell becoming intolerable.

Oh well, sorry for my small digression, back to topic.
 
As for the vapour sock or bread bag I'm no big fan. Reason is that this method is hard for your feet (besides becoming a smelly mess). Your feet get damp over long time and I dont think thats good (allthough you do provide good conditions for growing foot fungus).

The vapour barrier has been developed for use when your out in the wilderderness, sleeping in a tent, and you dont have a possibility to dry your boots in the evening/night. Then it is a option to concider.

But as most of us live more or less civilized, we have the posibility to dry our boots, and therefore the moisture that acumulates through the day in the boot isn't that big a problem. Buy a booot where you can wear a thin woolen sock next to your skin and a thick woolen ragg sock outide of that. This way the moisture will be absored in the sock and boot, and the you'll be nice and dry.

If you sweat a lot on your feet, there is a posibility to use antiperspirant on your feet, you can even get some special stuff designed for you feet!
 
What about gloves. What are the best winter gloves you guys have found that work, and that you can work in.

I usually wear a thin insulating liner under whatever outer glove I am wearing. Atlas rubber grips, leather, or a light insulated glove. The rubber grips I think have no insulating properties, and actually make my hands colder. IMO
 
I think the best gear has been covered, but there are some tips that I have found to keep the hands and feet warm above the best gear.
For your feet, don't put on your warm boots or even the warm socks until you get to your work site. Putting slightly cool but dry feet into dry apparel is the key to keeping your feet warmer, longer. If my feet sweat at all before I get out in the cold, the gig is up and my feet get cold quick. Even with the warmest socks and boots.
As for my hands, they don't get cold as long as my arms are warm and my hands can breathe. I have found if my hands get sweaty and can't breathe, then they get cold, but if I wear a thiner glove and I stay active and keep my core warm, my hands generally stay warm as well.

This works for me...

Great thread!
 
It IS a great thread. I've been wearing a nylon dress sock under woolys year round for many years and it's worked but now I want to try some different things especially since I'm now released to work! YAAAAY! Anyway, I do want to try an NTS base layer and I'll try the bag trick but I'm skeptical because I worry my feet may drift around in the boot even with a tight fit. I rely on my toes for purchase and braking. Is this an issue Tom? I NEVER thought I'd pay $20. for a pair of socks but I did, almost as a joke and what a difference. Smartwool hikers are SO nice. I did compromise and got the Wigwam Trail Mix Fusion also though. No it doesn't have nuts and rasins...it's a sock with Merino wool, nylon, Olefin (whatever that is), lycra and spandex. Bull I know you wear a high end advanced hiker typically. Do you change out for the winter?
 
So true about the knees. First thing I do when I dress is put neoprene sleeves over both knees...year round. They help protect them and help in my climbing too. After my base layer and socks I put cheap soccer shin guards on for the same reasons...year round. (Thanks Chad wherever you are). GLOVES! OMG I could go on for days about this. I have Ranaud's disease. Tom knows. It's auto immune and it's typically from running vibrating tools, a bad diet and smoking. A flair up leaves the fingers or your whole hand white and waxy. People get it in their feet too. Loss of dexterity ect. but recovery is excruciating. It feels like closing your hands in a car door sometimes. I keep disposable hand warmers with me (Rex Quando) "AT ALL TIMES". I use a thin synthetic liner, drop a hand warmer into my outer glove and manipulate my samwich clamps into them so that bulky hand warmer is on the back side of my hands to warm the blood going into my hand (thanks Tom). It's ok for a few hours, great stocking stuffers. I own a pair of Ironclad Troy waterproof, protective gloves. They are NOT warm (for me) and dexterity is lost (for me)...$50. oops
 
-Craft thermo shirt
-Thin Snickers fleece shirt with collar
-Thin mammut windstopper
-Thin mammut raincoat

-thermo gloves (Towa)
-haix chainsaw shoes with gore tex
-craft thermo trousers for cold knees ;-)

lots off layers - just like mountaineering.

Craft are perfect and I use 'm year round. Exept the real hot days.

Snickers workwear is nice well and the fleece's are indestructible.

climb safe - keep 'm warm
 
Gloves: I have used a pair of Mountain Hardware gloves, a thinner model, under my regular work gloves. I've had the same pair for four years. They last as long as you keep them under the work gloves. When it's really cold, like this week, I'll put on a pair of polypro or smartwool glove liners first then the Mountain Hardware gloves then the regular work gloves.

http://www.mountainhardwear.com/on/deman...gloves%26liners

All other base layers gotta be Merino Wool for me. My whole xmas list this year is new smartwool head to toe.

For an outerwear layer I use a Northface Shell, it has a hood which is nice when the wind is blowing.
Something like this might be good too: http://www.chromebagsstore.com/apparel/mens-apparel/champ.html

I'm adding this to my list too, mainly because I bike 11.5 miles to and from work most days.

Layering and keeping bulk down is key.
 
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