The "living in cold places" advice thread - share yours!

In My Humble Opinion
221

My cats haven’t bothered. They’re sacked out in front of the wood stove.

(Which would be less practical in cities, of course.)

I might have missed it in this thread, but was just reminded by a neighbor’s story of an issue which is more likely to be a problem if you’re out beyond the pavement but might come up even in city areas if snowdrifted. Be careful about pulling into parking spaces that might turn out not to be solid. What looks solid and dry enough to hold your car just fine may turn out to be only half-frozen mud or to be snow drifted over a hole; in either situation you can wind up stuck.

Years ago, I lived in a house with no indoor plumbing. We used to keep a toilet seat for the outhouse hung behind the wood/coal heating stove, and carry it out to the outhouse when going out to use it.

The combined sensation of almost-too-hot toilet seat and cold air coming up from the outhouse hole was interesting.

222

Oh lawdy, the icy draft from an outhouse in winter is one of the worst feelings ever. Makes everything want to crawl back up lol.

I attended an event at a Boy Scount camp down in southern CA where someone had misplumbed one of the toilets to the hot water line rather than the cold. I do have to admit it was kinda comfy settling down atop that warm bowl but it was also kind of gross to think about making poop soup all up in there.

223

As a child, I lived in a house supplied with hot ground water: the parents didn’t even turn on the water heater until they bought a dishwasher. My memory (it was a long time ago), was that the toilet was plumbed with two taps down below the cistern. It’s an odd memory, and I have no way of checking now.

224

The most dangerous thing about winter driving is drivers who do not leave enough space behind you and who drive too fast for the conditions. Assume that they are out to get you. Don’t become one of them by driving too fast for the conditions or by driving without winter tires.

For a daily driver, a Subaru with All Wheel Drive and winter tires is your best bet for winter driving. (I say this as someone who drives a lifted Jeep Rubicon with winter studded tires in Northern Ontario.) When it comes to winter driving, slow it down. No matter what you drive, slow it down. No matter how grippy the winter tires feel, slow it down. No matter that there is a road warrior on your tail, slow it down.

For very cold morning starts, it will make a big difference if you were to have plugged in your car’s block heater overnight, so if you do not already have one, get one installed (most cars permit you to screw one into their block).

Change to a lighter/thinner engine oil at the start of winter and change to a heaver/thicker engine oil once winter is over. Change your window washer fluid to window washer anti-freeze at the start of winter.

Chart what you wear in different weather conditions to get a handle on what to wear: 1 moisture wicking base layer, 2 breathable insulative layer, 3 breathable windproof waterproof external shell lawyer. The emphasis on keeping dry. If you get damp you will get cold much more easily, for water conducts heat about 25 times faster than air. Hypothermia and Cold Weather Injuries - Seo Title.

Fingers and toes need TLC in the winter, for they can’t handle cold very well. If you are active, change into dry socks regularly. Leather shell mittens with removable fleece liners/inner mitts work on the same principle – change the liners frequently. POLAR MITT | Unisex – Baffin - Born in the North '79

Pack boots replaceable liners can keep your toes and fingers warm and happy in the deep freeze, but they are a bit ponderous, can be difficult to fit in the peddle area of small cars, and tend to pull your socks off when you walk, so consider an insulated winter hiking boot for commuting and grocery errands HIKE | Women's Boot – Baffin - Born in the North '79 and a full blown pack boot for when you will be outside when it is very cold. IMPACT | Women's Boot – Baffin - Born in the North '79 .

There is no such thing as an unfashionable balaclava, toque or ski mask in the winter. What is unfashionable is ear, cheek and nose frostbite and exercise-induced exercise-induced bronchoconstriction.

Keep an eye on your mental health during the winter, for many people suffer seasonal affective disorder during the winter: losing interest in activities, tiredness, low energy, over sleeping, appetite changes, craving for foods high in carbohydrates. feeling sluggish or agitated, having difficulty concentrating, feeling hopeless, worthless or guilty, having frequent thoughts of death or suicide. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - Symptoms and causes - Mayo Clinic

So much for the bad stuff about a mid-west winter. The good side of it is that there will be a winter wonderland. There is more ice skating, cross-country skiing and beginner lift area skiing in Michigan than you can shake a pole at, and once you get the hang of it, there’s Mt. Bohemia out in the middle of Lake Superior on da UP that was ranked as #3 in North American ski resorts by USA Today readers in 2019 due to the phenomenal powder tree skiing. A day out exerting yourself in the sun and the snow followed by löyly in a hot sauna makes winter something that many people wait eagerly for. Mount Bohemia TV Episode 18 - YouTube

Don’t just prepare for the cold of the winter – prepare for the fun and cherish every moment of it!

225

A lot of winter clothing is dark colored which is not what you want when walking in a poorly lit area. Choose bright colors for the headgear to help people see you. Also helpful when trying to find something you threw in the back of the car. Also counts for gloves and scarves.

226

How cold is the climate the op is moving to? I know there are places where this is needed, but there are a lot of parts of the US substantially colder than Texas where this is overkill.

(But don’t dilute the window washer fluid with water, even if it’s just going to be a little below freezing.)

227

Another cold weather tip: Bring your horse’s bits and bridals indoors so that the bit isn’t ice cold when you put it in your horse’s mouth.

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Northern Michigan, very near a lake.

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My heartfelt congratulations to the happy equine couple !

[I’m not sure *why* I couldn’t resist…]

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Your avatar certainly supports your credibility!

231

That’s just his spring and fall gear. Should see his winter outfit.

:wink:

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One thing about cold places is they seem to be getting less cold, although bad weather is always relative to what you have both remotely and recently experienced.

I remember climbing up a mountain back to my university residence with the wind chill going down to minus forty - so cold it doesn’t matter which common temperature scale you choose. This year, in the Toronto area in January, so far, there are a few bare patches on the ground and no days with highs in the negative double digits. I both fear and hope this is the future.

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I’ve seen it …

234

From what I see here in the Chicago area, I agree with this as a general trend. We’re right now in what is usually the coldest part of the winter, and in the past, we could expect to have cold snaps, lasting a few days, in which the lows would be substantially below zero (Fahrenheit), and highs would be in the single digits. This winter, we’ve had none of that so far – highs have consistently been in the high 20s or low 30s, and that’s going to be continuing for at least the next week. And, that’s been generally true for the past few years – we seem to get a handful of really cold days, but that’s it.

We’ve also gotten very little snow so far this year (and last year was light on snow, too), but that seems to be more variable, and I’m not sure that we’ve had a downward trend in that.

235

We’ve had (relatively) very little snow here too. Last few winters I have not had to shovel my driveway more than twice. Nine years ago, it was a different story where there were six feet of snow and just partially clearing out enough vehicle space took many hours.

236

Western, but not really northern.

Muskegon, y’all, I moved to Muskegon. About half an hour west of Grand Rapids, and yes, spitting distance from Lake Michigan.

I’ve heard (oh, have I heard!) about “lake effect” snow, but except for one day of 3-4" in an hour or so, we’ve mostly gotten gentle sprinkles. So far. Although I’m given to understand that late January and February is when winter really shows its teeth.

My job requires me to be outside (we run curbside orders to customers out in their cars) but we all trade off switching tasks inside, and it’s not like I’m in the middle of some exposed field.
But I have definitely learned that good, warm socks are crucial. I’m partial to SmartWool, but recently got a couple of pairs of Dickie’s that I’m happy with - they’re quite cushioned, and that’s important when I’m standing/walking all day.

If y’all wanna throw sock recommendations at me, I will happily try different brands.

Oh, and I drive a front-wheel-drive hatchback. Yes, I know not having AWD will make a lot of you clutch your pearls, but my job is less than ten minutes from home (in good weather) and I drive like a blind 87-year-old with an open pot of soup in the backseat, when the roads get slick.

237

Socks are banned here, don’cha know.

238

Yeh, when I’m bundled up it’s a bit bulky to say the least, but in the winter, warmth = happiness. (BTY, I live in sight of Michigan, albeit not a part that people live on.)

Before ownership and hill management changed, the hourly paid operations manager (a friend) simply did not close down the lift at night if I was skiing even when it was very cold. He’d sit in the heated lift hut and let me self-load. Not being one to ignore an opportunity, I set off on a quest to see how cold I a temp I could ski in including wind chill. Following are my dressing notes that I used to ensure that I was dressed appropriately in minimal time.

It was interesting. Despite being bundled up my chest was chilled within half a minute. Unfortunately, my speed usually topped out at about 60 kph / 37 mph due to the crystal points of cold snow and the difficulty of seeing on a very poorly lit pitch prevented me from going very fast. By comparison, my last run before the hill was closed for covid-19 was on a lovey sunny relatively warm day on hard ice with moisture on top topped out at over 110 kph / 68 mph, so I still don’t know how cold it would feel at full speed simply because cold snow is slow snow.

Here’s the checklist that I used:

Assembly line for getting it all on in the right order when dressing for skiing when with wind chill Celsius meets Fahrenheit at – 40.

Dress quickly in a cool room to avoid overheating, for perspiration impinges insulative clothing

Talcum powder on toes (possibly carcinogenic)

Thin wicking socks

Thin wicking briefs

Thin wicking long bottoms

Thick wool socks

Mid-thick codpiece

Mid-thick long fleece bottoms

Thin wicking top

Second thin wicking top

Mid-thick long fleece top

Thick wool pants with suspenders

Thick down vest

Pack boots with thick felt insulation

Windproof bib pants with suspenders

Windproof knee length thick down parka with full hood, long hood ruff and hood neck cover

Close fitting goggles

Thin wicking full balaclava

Windproof balaclava with breathing chamber and breath deflector

Thin wicking gloves

Thick wicking inner mittens

Windproof and durable outer mittens

By comparison, here is the dressing chart that I use when it is not too cold so that I’m comfy and warm without overheating. It makes winter a wonderful time of year despite the cold.

Temp Conditions Activity Ski Clothing Temperature Chart
-1 Night Telemark Very thick socks, briefs, cargo pants, wool pants, light long base layer top, MEC fleece windbreaker, Very thick Norwegian wool sweater, silk glove liners, brown/black leather/fabric gloves, ski helmet, goggles.
-2
-3
-4
-5 Sunny Telemark Very thick socks, briefs, cargo pants, wool pants, light long base layer top, Kuhl medium fleece top, spray jacket, Very thick Norwegian wool sweater, silk glove liners, brown/black leather/fabric gloves, helmet, goggles.
-6
-7
-8
-9
-10 Sunny Telemark Thick socks, very thick socks, briefs two light long base layer bottoms, windproof bib pants, wool pants, light long base top, thick blue North Face fleece jacket liner, Red and black North Face ski hacket, Baffin mittens with mitten liners but not extra glove liners, face mask, helmet, goggles.
-10 Overcast Telemark Thick socks, very thick socks, briefs, light long base layer bottoms, cargo pants, wool pants, medium long base layer top, Kuhl medium fleece top, spray jacket, Very thick Norwegian wool sweater, silk glove liners, Baffin mittens, face mask, helmet, goggles.
-11
-12 Overcast Telemark Nylon socks, Very thick socks, briefs, medium long base layer bottoms, cargo pants, bib pant shell, three medium long base layer tops, Kuhl medium fleece top, North Face ski jacket, Baffin mitten liners, Baffin mittens, face mask, helmet, goggles.
-13
-14
-13 Night Telemark Nylon socks, Very thick socks, briefs, medium long base layer bottoms, cargo pants, wo+A14:D32ol pants, medium long base layer top, Kuhl medium fleece top, spray jacket, Very thick Norwegian wool sweater, Baffin mitten liners, Baffin mittens, face mask, helmet, goggles.
-14
-15
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Don’t let the cold get in the way of a good time. And yes, over time many folks get used to it.Telemark Lesson Vimeo

240

Not a quibble but my son lives in Ann Arbor and Muskegon is ~75 north of him so I said northern without looking at a map. Western, mid-Michigan is more precise. You and Thomas may both freeze your adorable little asses off in February regardless of my lack of precision. I hope not. The world needs all the cute little asses it can get.

I concur about Smartwool socks. They are great. Lands End is starting their really good sales of winter stuff. Might be worth checking them out online or socks or other specialized layering needs. A sale down coat, long, may become your best friend. I haven’t worn anything but down for 30 years. I do have a Lands End Primaloft jacket that is unbelievably warm considering how thin it seems to be.