I enjoy taking long walks outside, but it’s starting to get cold out. I’d like to continue my walks, but I need better protective gear.
People who live in cold climates: How do you dress up to stay warm for long periods outside when it’s freezing / windy / snowing? What advice would you give for choosing appropriate clothing? Any specific brands you’d recommend? Any links to guides for choosing appropriate clothing?
My area (Baltimore, MD) doesn’t usually get much colder than around 0 degrees Fahrenheit even with the wind chill, so I don’t need the type of gear that really cold climates require.
If you want to be comfortable for an extended period the key is to have insulation everywhere.
Find boots that keep your feet dry and warm, use thick socks. You can cheap out on everything but boots, buy good boots.
Get two layers on your legs, long underwear and pants might cut it, but ski pants make a night and day difference.
Find a coat that is not drafty, if it is not warm enough, layer sweaters and long sleeve shirts until it is.
Toque (I’ve heard them called beanies) and scarf. Always cover your head and neck.
Gloves or mitts, go overboard on these nothing ruins your fun like cold hands. Wool is always warmer than it looks.
I touched on layering a few times, if you are not familiar with it it is the secret to staying warm (and comfortable, if the day warms up you just shed layers). Layers trap warm air and become more than a sum of the parts, for your core you don’t need high quality attire, just something to block the wind and a few layers to trap air.
Seconding much of this advice, especially high quality attire for the feet and the head. See also Suvorov’s famous saying: “keep your stomach hungry, your head cool, and your feet warm.” Russian flappy “Ushanka” hats (especially from real fur) are amazing. I am still trying to figure out a good compromise between hand dexterity and warmth, probably some high tech skiing gloves exist for this.
Qualifications: once visited relatives in Novosibirsk for Christmas.
edit: re: gloves: you know, it occurs me a simple thing you can do is have a kind of combination glove/mitten, where you have a regular thin glove but with an outer fur mitten pocket sown around it, so you are free to take the glove out of there if needed to manipulate something, or keep the gloves in the mitten for warmth if you just need to grasp something, like ski sticks or public transport handlebars.
For our readers who like to use SI units: That is about −17.7°C
The trick to surviving in colder climates is layering. T-Shirt plus shirt plus pullover plus a good winter jacket should do the trick. Some people like to layer trousers but for me a good pair of jeans does the trick. Look for good winter boots as feet loose a lot of heat. Cover your head with a hat, wear a scarf. Experiment with these things as there is comfort and aesthetics to be considered. Wear gloves or start getting used to walking with your hands in your pockets. If you do wear gloves take them off to shake someones hand, anything else is extremely rude.
Being under 25 and going on a lot of ski trips? It’s great because when you get back to the cabin you can just strip down to pajama pants and laze in front of the fire.
A simple way to do this is flannel-lined jeans. The version of these made by L.L. Bean have worked well for me. They trade off a bit of extra bulkiness for substantially greater warmth and mildly improved wind protection. Random forum searches suggest that the fleece-lined ones are even warmer, but you lose the cool plaid patterning on the rolled up cuffs.
One approach is to acclimate. I live in central NY and walked home from school (~30 minutes) every day of the year in t-shirt and jeans. My body adapted to the cold so, even though my ears and, to a lesser extent, fingers were being frozen off, I was sufficiently warm.
The one thing you don’t want to do is overdress so you wind up sweating. In particular, you’re going to want to wear less than you would if you were just standing around outside. If you’re going to be at different periods of activity, then layering is a must so you can layer down before the activity and layer up after. If not, layering is still a good idea.
Boots should be insulated, waterproof, and thick-soled. Mittens have less surface area than gloves and therefore keep hands warmer. Hats should cover ears. Pants should go most of the way down boots and belong on the outside, so if you walk through snow, it doesn’t get caught on top of the boot and fall in, and generally benefit from being waterproof. Avoid cotton (it absorbs and holds onto moisture and loses all insulative properties when wet.)
This is likely overkill. You are going from indoors to plowed streets to indoors. There’s things that you must do if you’re going to survive multi-day winter camping trips, but “put on things to cover parts that are getting cold” is all you really need.
The important thing about avoiding sweating is, you need to notice that you’re too warm and unbundle just a little so you aren’t, before you get wet. Once you’re sweating, it’s too late and you’re kind of screwed.
If you want to geek out about stuff like that :-) the recommendations depend on how heavily you sweat and so how good must your clothing be at getting rid of excess moisture produced by your body. The usual recommendations here go along the lines of “don’t wear cotton” (aka “cotton kills”) and “have a breathable shell”.
In the case of Baltimore, if you don’t anticipate walks in the rain, get a fleece and a down jacket, zip up or unzip as needed. If you do, you’ll need a waterproof shell (Gore-Tex or equivalent). Or an umbrella.
Polartec as a base/insulating layers all over the body, anything {wind,water}proof or +1 layer on top of them if i’m planning to go slow (like, 15l/m²/day) steam-permeable waterproof membrane if the rain or powerful wind is probably an issue. Does the job better than wool as it doesn’t get wet. Balaklava on my head.
// Russia/St. Petersburg here.
Layering is good, but it’s much easier to apply to the torso and arms than the legs. So a coat that goes at least down to your knees is very handy. I also recommend wool socks and mittens, since unlike many fibers wool is just as insulating when wet. Source: used to live in Boston.
American Northeast proof: layers, as other posters have said. My strategy is, from bottom to top: sneakers (I don’t have boots at the moment), thick socks, long underwear or pajama bottoms, pants, T-shirt, sweater or sweatshirt, waterproof winter jacket, balaclava, beanie or other warm and flexible hat, hood over the hat. This is enough to get you through the coldest day of the year almost everywhere people live, but since I mostly walk between heated building, this lets me strip down to long pants and a T-shirt if I need to.
If it’s windy out, you might want to cover your face with something, such as a scarf.
When choosing clothing, pay attention to what type of fabric it is made of. You want something that is warm, but also that can dry quickly. If you get snow on you, it will melt at some point, even if you can brush most of it off. Twill is pretty good for pants and dries faster than denim. Knit fabrics like yoga pants aren’t warm enough to be used in the freezing cold by themselves, but they can be ok as a layer underneath. Polartec is a nice fabric for hats. It is soft and warm and breathable and dries quickly. A waterproof and windproof outer layer on a jacket helps keep out the wind.
You might want to have more than one set of hat and gloves so that one set can dry while you use the other set. Having a place set to dry them helps, even if it’s just a coat peg or hanger in a closet.
It helps to anticipate just what conditions you are going to face while you are out, and prepare for that. There won’t necessarily be just one approach needed. If you are going to be out for both day while it is sunny and while it is cold at night, you might need to take more clothes with you. It might be as simple as an extra set of gloves that are warmer, to put on at night.
Checking the weather prediction, and thinking through in your mind all of the environments you will encounter, and at what times of day, can help with clothing choice.
For footwear traction matters, and how much maintenance is required to deal with the salt from the roads.
If you will be spending time sitting outside, much warmer clothing is required. Snow pants are helpful for this.
Snow pants and ski jackets sold at ski hills, or at stores that have skiers as clientele, are usually warmer and of higher quality than ones found in department stores. They are designed for people who spend an entire day outside in the cold.
Ah, thank you for pointing that out. I think maybe the word I meant was chino. Which is also a twill made from cotton, but using finer threads. Or so Google tells me.
Change yourself so you will better tolerate the cold. At the end of your showers lower the water temperature as much as you can stand for a few minutes. Keep doing this until you can handle a shower of just cold water.
I enjoy taking long walks outside, but it’s starting to get cold out. I’d like to continue my walks, but I need better protective gear.
People who live in cold climates: How do you dress up to stay warm for long periods outside when it’s freezing / windy / snowing? What advice would you give for choosing appropriate clothing? Any specific brands you’d recommend? Any links to guides for choosing appropriate clothing?
My area (Baltimore, MD) doesn’t usually get much colder than around 0 degrees Fahrenheit even with the wind chill, so I don’t need the type of gear that really cold climates require.
If you want to be comfortable for an extended period the key is to have insulation everywhere.
Find boots that keep your feet dry and warm, use thick socks. You can cheap out on everything but boots, buy good boots.
Get two layers on your legs, long underwear and pants might cut it, but ski pants make a night and day difference.
Find a coat that is not drafty, if it is not warm enough, layer sweaters and long sleeve shirts until it is.
Toque (I’ve heard them called beanies) and scarf. Always cover your head and neck.
Gloves or mitts, go overboard on these nothing ruins your fun like cold hands. Wool is always warmer than it looks.
I touched on layering a few times, if you are not familiar with it it is the secret to staying warm (and comfortable, if the day warms up you just shed layers). Layers trap warm air and become more than a sum of the parts, for your core you don’t need high quality attire, just something to block the wind and a few layers to trap air.
Seconding much of this advice, especially high quality attire for the feet and the head. See also Suvorov’s famous saying: “keep your stomach hungry, your head cool, and your feet warm.” Russian flappy “Ushanka” hats (especially from real fur) are amazing. I am still trying to figure out a good compromise between hand dexterity and warmth, probably some high tech skiing gloves exist for this.
Qualifications: once visited relatives in Novosibirsk for Christmas.
edit: re: gloves: you know, it occurs me a simple thing you can do is have a kind of combination glove/mitten, where you have a regular thin glove but with an outer fur mitten pocket sown around it, so you are free to take the glove out of there if needed to manipulate something, or keep the gloves in the mitten for warmth if you just need to grasp something, like ski sticks or public transport handlebars.
I wonder if anyone invented that.
Or, you know, just get mittens and gloves.
These are the mittens you are looking for.
Yup, thanks. This seemed like the kind of obvious thing someone would already patent.
For our readers who like to use SI units: That is about −17.7°C
The trick to surviving in colder climates is layering. T-Shirt plus shirt plus pullover plus a good winter jacket should do the trick. Some people like to layer trousers but for me a good pair of jeans does the trick. Look for good winter boots as feet loose a lot of heat. Cover your head with a hat, wear a scarf. Experiment with these things as there is comfort and aesthetics to be considered. Wear gloves or start getting used to walking with your hands in your pockets. If you do wear gloves take them off to shake someones hand, anything else is extremely rude.
Long underwear is less ridiculous than actually layering trousers.
Don’t forget to layer your socks! Feet are really important.
Pajama pants are an effective, more socially normal substitute for long underwear underneath jeans or trousers.
where do you live that long underwear would come up in such a situation as to be “socially abnormal”?
More to the point, what are you doing that people both know you’re wearing long underwear and care about it to any substantial degree?
Being under 25 and going on a lot of ski trips? It’s great because when you get back to the cabin you can just strip down to pajama pants and laze in front of the fire.
A simple way to do this is flannel-lined jeans. The version of these made by L.L. Bean have worked well for me. They trade off a bit of extra bulkiness for substantially greater warmth and mildly improved wind protection. Random forum searches suggest that the fleece-lined ones are even warmer, but you lose the cool plaid patterning on the rolled up cuffs.
Anecdote: I have several of these and love them. If you live in the Frozen North, I recommend them highly.
One approach is to acclimate. I live in central NY and walked home from school (~30 minutes) every day of the year in t-shirt and jeans. My body adapted to the cold so, even though my ears and, to a lesser extent, fingers were being frozen off, I was sufficiently warm.
The one thing you don’t want to do is overdress so you wind up sweating. In particular, you’re going to want to wear less than you would if you were just standing around outside. If you’re going to be at different periods of activity, then layering is a must so you can layer down before the activity and layer up after. If not, layering is still a good idea.
Boots should be insulated, waterproof, and thick-soled. Mittens have less surface area than gloves and therefore keep hands warmer. Hats should cover ears. Pants should go most of the way down boots and belong on the outside, so if you walk through snow, it doesn’t get caught on top of the boot and fall in, and generally benefit from being waterproof. Avoid cotton (it absorbs and holds onto moisture and loses all insulative properties when wet.)
This is likely overkill. You are going from indoors to plowed streets to indoors. There’s things that you must do if you’re going to survive multi-day winter camping trips, but “put on things to cover parts that are getting cold” is all you really need.
The important thing about avoiding sweating is, you need to notice that you’re too warm and unbundle just a little so you aren’t, before you get wet. Once you’re sweating, it’s too late and you’re kind of screwed.
You’re overthinking it—just get a jacket.
If you want to geek out about stuff like that :-) the recommendations depend on how heavily you sweat and so how good must your clothing be at getting rid of excess moisture produced by your body. The usual recommendations here go along the lines of “don’t wear cotton” (aka “cotton kills”) and “have a breathable shell”.
In the case of Baltimore, if you don’t anticipate walks in the rain, get a fleece and a down jacket, zip up or unzip as needed. If you do, you’ll need a waterproof shell (Gore-Tex or equivalent). Or an umbrella.
Simple, durable and sufficiently stylish, good from −10 down to −40 Celsius if I’m moving:
wool coat, long so you don’t necessarily need long underpants
thick wool sweater with buttons, t-shirt or shirt with collar underneath
loose leather mittens with wool lining, fingerless gloves underneath
wool cap that reaches the bottom of your ear lobes, wool scarf
slightly thicker jeans than usual, no long underpants needed with long coat
thick leather boots with plenty of room for your toes, wool socks on top of normal socks if really cold
Dressing warm enough depends on your own thermoregulation. If you frequently feel cold, doing sports can help you in a natural way to feel warmer.
Feeling warm enough is quite valuable. In addition to simply bad, feeling cold leads to bad body language, that can make you come across as closed.
When it’s really cold I have found long underwear to be important. A jacket simply does nothing against lowing heat via your legs.
Polartec as a base/insulating layers all over the body, anything {wind,water}proof or +1 layer on top of them if i’m planning to go slow (like, 15l/m²/day) steam-permeable waterproof membrane if the rain or powerful wind is probably an issue. Does the job better than wool as it doesn’t get wet. Balaklava on my head. // Russia/St. Petersburg here.
Layering is good, but it’s much easier to apply to the torso and arms than the legs. So a coat that goes at least down to your knees is very handy. I also recommend wool socks and mittens, since unlike many fibers wool is just as insulating when wet. Source: used to live in Boston.
American Northeast proof: layers, as other posters have said. My strategy is, from bottom to top: sneakers (I don’t have boots at the moment), thick socks, long underwear or pajama bottoms, pants, T-shirt, sweater or sweatshirt, waterproof winter jacket, balaclava, beanie or other warm and flexible hat, hood over the hat. This is enough to get you through the coldest day of the year almost everywhere people live, but since I mostly walk between heated building, this lets me strip down to long pants and a T-shirt if I need to.
If it’s windy out, you might want to cover your face with something, such as a scarf.
When choosing clothing, pay attention to what type of fabric it is made of. You want something that is warm, but also that can dry quickly. If you get snow on you, it will melt at some point, even if you can brush most of it off. Twill is pretty good for pants and dries faster than denim. Knit fabrics like yoga pants aren’t warm enough to be used in the freezing cold by themselves, but they can be ok as a layer underneath. Polartec is a nice fabric for hats. It is soft and warm and breathable and dries quickly. A waterproof and windproof outer layer on a jacket helps keep out the wind.
You might want to have more than one set of hat and gloves so that one set can dry while you use the other set. Having a place set to dry them helps, even if it’s just a coat peg or hanger in a closet.
It helps to anticipate just what conditions you are going to face while you are out, and prepare for that. There won’t necessarily be just one approach needed. If you are going to be out for both day while it is sunny and while it is cold at night, you might need to take more clothes with you. It might be as simple as an extra set of gloves that are warmer, to put on at night.
Checking the weather prediction, and thinking through in your mind all of the environments you will encounter, and at what times of day, can help with clothing choice.
For footwear traction matters, and how much maintenance is required to deal with the salt from the roads.
If you will be spending time sitting outside, much warmer clothing is required. Snow pants are helpful for this.
Snow pants and ski jackets sold at ski hills, or at stores that have skiers as clientele, are usually warmer and of higher quality than ones found in department stores. They are designed for people who spend an entire day outside in the cold.
Denim is just a specific type of twill that’s made from cotton. Fiber type is generally more relevant than how it’s woven.
Ah, thank you for pointing that out. I think maybe the word I meant was chino. Which is also a twill made from cotton, but using finer threads. Or so Google tells me.
Change yourself so you will better tolerate the cold. At the end of your showers lower the water temperature as much as you can stand for a few minutes. Keep doing this until you can handle a shower of just cold water.