Extreme cold conditions - what to wear

[HeatherLocklearRocks 1]

I haven't really ever been to a REALLY cold place yet but am interested in doing so sometime but I wouldn't know what to get geared up in. I'd be interested to know what you guys wear to protect yourself against exteme cold - not just headwear but everything?

 

Hope it's not a stoopid question, but I'm sure the answer isn't just wearing more shirts (or not the full answer anyway).

 

Thanks!

[Kumapix 0]

down jacket should do the trick. balaclava for your head/face

[HeatherLocklearRocks 1]

OK thanks simple as that? What about under the jacket and trousers?

[longboardsk8man 0]

polypro thermal pants and 100% wool thermal top as my first layer. Normally a quickdry t-shirt (or cotton) over the top of that and then a shell jacket. if im heading somewhere cold i'll put on another woolen top over the t-shirt. Thats kept me pretty toasty for the day even in some pretty cold conditions.

 

Up top I now wear a skid-lid, but prior to that it was 2 beanies. the helmet is so much warmer than both those beanies....

[YellowSnow 0]

One bad thing about snowboarding for me is that in the last few years there is a strong move toward shell type jackets, they are a bit thin and only are used to break the wind.

Underneath though, I wear, one of thoes sport thermal nylon type things, a thin wool jumper, and a cotton shirt. All long sleeves. I dont want to over do it because sweat turns very cold going up on the lifts.

 

For legs I wear surprisingly little, often just a pair of surfing shorts. In the past that has been good for me for -10c with a furthur -5 to 10 in wind chill .

 

The best thing is keeping your extremities warm, face protector is good, also a hood with a fur edge.

 

And boots are really important, both ski and snowboard. If you were caught in a blizzard and couldn't come down, your nose and toes are the first to get frostbite. If you are wearing rental boots, expect not to have any toes.

[Kumapix 0]

longboardsk8man, you should have the quick dry next your skin then the wool. the wool doesn't dry very quickly = cold body

[longboardsk8man 0]

yeah - I thought that as well, but this one is apparently supposed to be worn next to the skin...

 

It's made by a kiwi company called Icebreaker, and made from 100% merino wool. My brother worked in an outdoor shop for a few years and couldnt stop raving about them, so got him to sort me out with a few tops..

 

http://www.icebreaker.com/site/icebreaker_man_bodyfit260_slalom_crewe.html

 

(how do i copy just the image in??)

[daver 0]

i spent a several seasons teaching/waiting in the canadian rockies, i know cold weather. it is not the going down that will get you, but rather the lifts. how does sitting on a 25 minute long slow open chair in -60 degree weather sound to you? i can assure you it is not fun. any, and i mean ANY exposed skin will freeze within seconds.

 

so here is the deal; you must wear multiple layers of everything. and you must keep any moisture off you body. so a silk layer, then a heavy weight layer of thermals is a good place to start. this is for both top and bottom. next, take an old pair of fleece, and make them into shorts, this will help to keep your butt warm when you are sitting on the only lift that hasn't frozen yet insists on stalling every 5minutes. finally, you must wear a fleece layer, heavy weight will do the trick for bottoms, if you are only wearing a gortex shell, if you are wearing insulated pants, use a mid weight.

 

for your top, get a thin light weight fleece vest. this will do wonders between your base layers and you mid layers. core warmth is key. if you core is warm, your toes and fingers are warm. if you core is cold, your appendiges don't receive as much blood. they turn black, and then they fall off. afterwards, down is key. bulky, but it will keep you warm. finally, shell.

 

now for your boots, get a pair of "intuition" liners. they reflect body heat much like emergency blanket. but they are not good as far as performance is concerned. wear two pairs of socks, THIN, and keep you boots are loose as you can with out slipping out of them. circulation is everything.

 

hands; mitts, mitts, mitts. wear a thin base layer glove inside a mid layer fleece glove, inside a big fleece mitt, inside a gortex shell. make sure the shell extend over your jacket. once again bulky, and you will have trouble holding your poles, but at the end of the day you will have fingers.

 

head; rabbit skin hat. no exceptions. big, fuzzy, alaskan style rabbit skin hat. one that covers your ears nice and good and straps under your chin.

 

for your face, you will have to be careful, goggles are of course a must, but you also have to be sure you have NO GAP between your goggles and you hat. as well, YOU WILL NEED to cover the rest of your face. a neck warmer of muffler will NOT do the trick. yes it will keep you warm but it will also collect moisture, and when you breath this moisture will end up in your lungs. pneumonia sucks. get a polyurethane type mask that has proper breathing vents.

 

now, you may ask, with all of that clothing on, and with all of the gear limitations said clothing brings, how much fun can you possibly have? the answer is simple; none. at that temperature it is nearly impossible to ski as the snow can hardly melt and display, and thus you can hardly move. the better question might be, why on earth would you want to go out into that sort of weather unless you were forced to? skiing isn't that important, go watch a movie, or read a book by a fire place.

[dizzy 0]

a cheap fix option is pocket warmers. you can buy them at any pharmacy. just open and in ten minutes it warms up. lasts 6-8 hours. the brand i use a lot is called HOKKAIRO.　

[Fubuki 0]

I just wear a down one-piece suit over a layer of capaliene and it"s like being in the tropics.

[Mudguts 0]

I agree about down. I've got an Oakley down jacket and in any conditions that I've encountered in Japan it's warm as toast. Sometimes too warm! Seems alot easier than putting on 5 layers of different undergarments followed by a shell to me. I like to keep things simple and light so a long sleeve t-shirt under my down jacket has worked perfectly for me for years.

[Oyuki kigan 0]

a warm taun-taun belly, if you can stand the aroma.

[AK 77 0]

SF nerd!

[eskimobasecamp 0]

take a small furry animal onto the mountain with you and snuggle on the chairlift... or even better capture a kamoshika! has anyone seen any this season? i saw so many last winter, but none so far this winter.

[samurai 0]

I eat a stick of butter in the morning before those super cold days, just drop it right in your coffee. the calories help. that or mayo- I just spoon it right out of the jar, goes down quick.

[journey_man 0]

Icebreaker, icebreaker, icebreaker!!!

 

This stuff rocks. It works way better than the polyprops I used to use and doesn't need to be washed as often.

 

No one has mentioned sweating. I've found that overdressing makes me sweat like crazy - which in turn makes me very cold on the lift. Yes all the hi tech gear to wick sweat away is awesome, however if you sweat enough it simply gets overwhelmed and it is quite a while before you dry off. I've found (even in minus twenty) that getting the balance right makes for a much more comfortable day.

 

Do other people find this or do I just sweat a lot?

[samurai 0]

no journey man. I belive you that you don't dry off. that is why natural fibers are nice, they maintain warmth when damp. silk and merino all the way. I just discovered the combo of layers this winter and will never go back to polys. they're just not as comfortable.

 

Actually, I'm so impressed with my new silk base/merino mid that I've already decided to stock up again.

 

I just see no reason for poly after riding with silk and wool--- other than camping.

[journey_man 0]

Using silks for warmth is new to me. Are you still using the merino base layer over the silk or have you gone for one of the mid layer products?

 

What brand silks do you use? I'll look out for them.

[journey_man 0]

Mudguts, how do you cope with a -1 day compared with a -20 day? I'd die with a jacket like that on a -1 day.

[BagOfCrisps 24]

I have a down jacket.

 

I'll tell you what though I would take too warm over too cold any day on the slopes. Too cold just takes all enjoyment out of it. I have had a few days in the past up top when it has been a quest to get to the bottom of the slope alive in time to get warmed up.

[thursday 1]

DaveR, that's good advice. I'll definitely keep it in mind when I go to Antartica for a coupla months, or the Rockies.

[samurai 0]

 Quote:

Originally posted by journey_man:
Using silks for warmth is new to me. Are you still using the merino base layer over the silk or have you gone for one of the mid layer products?

What brand silks do you use? I'll look out for them.

nothing special, just sierratradingpost.com for reasonable silk and merino. Nothing brand name, but reasonable and good quality.

silk base, merino base, wicking poly mid. no odor, and loving the set up.