As I was digging out my super-warm gloves to venture outdoors today (it’s below zero here) I was pondering if people who live in warmer climates keep cold weather gear on hand.
It’s not unusual for people I know here in Ohio to have a box or a bin full of hats, gloves and scarves. Plus we tend to have various levels of warm coat.
If you live in a warm-weather climate, like Southern California or, I dunno, Belize - do you keep this sort of stuff around? What about places like Georgia or North Carolina where it may possibly snow a bit sometimes?
I didn’t. When I moved to Minnesota from Berkeley, I stopped at a London Fog factory outlet in Nebraska to buy a down jacket and some thinsulate gloves. Some people in California keep some cold weather gear, but that’s just because they go skiing or hiking in the Sierras. Or they’re wusses.
Yes, I have cold weather gear because:
a) It sometimes get quite cold at night, and I’m the dog walker.
b) I used to ski.
c) I get sent to cold places on business.
d) I have family who live in miserable climates like NJ & DC.
I didn’t even have much warm weather gear when I lived in Colorado’s front range, at least not when compared to da UP. Sure, I had my ski gear, but that was only used when I went skiing.
I did not own a heavy coat or the bin of hats/gloves/scarves that ZipperJJ mentions.
You can bet we accumulated ALL this stuff upon our return to the Great White North, as well as a few pairs of winter boots. I hadn’t even realized it, but I went 11 years in Colorado without owning winter boots, because they simply weren’t necessary.
No–we went to Chicago last year and had a helluva time even finding a light jacket here in deep south Texas. It was in the 50s up there, and we nearly froze to death. I don’t have any gloves, scarves, or hats. It’s actually fairly rare to even be able to wear jeans here–much less long sleeved shirts. Basically it’s a shorts, t-shirt, and flip-flop climate here.
We do now, but I had to stock up a couple of years ago. My husband and I had some cold weather stuff left from the years we lived in cold weather, but when we were scheduled to go camping at a site where the night-time low would hit below 30, I had to go out and get hats, coats, gloves and long underwear for the the kids. Fortunately it was in January and all the stores had clearance sales going on for that sort of thing. We use them about twice a year. We’ll be going back to the same campsite this weekend, but the expected overnight low is only about 50 degrees this time.
Back in the early 80’s my husband headed off to college in Cambridge, MA from San Diego with nothing warmer than a light windbreaker. It turned out that the college had a fund to enable cashless and clueless kids from sunnier climes to outfit themselves, so he survived the winter. He did exclaim frequently over his surprise at weather that was out to kill you.
I’m near the top of Monterey Bay in California and I have one very dressy cashmere/wool coat that I can only wear on the coldest days here, a short black wool dressy coat that isn’t all that warm, some lightweight and suede jackets that would be useless in a real winter, a few heavy sweaters and a 30 year old down vest from college that I found in the back of the closet. When I go back east to visit relatives I have to borrow coats that don’t fit right and I look like a refugee. I don’t own any gloves, warm hats and my only scarves are decorative.
Not cold weather gear, but colder weather gear. No long johns or parkas or anything. I have a leather jacket that I wear when it gets “cold” (rarely below 40, and usually for only a couple of days). I do have a ski jacket and bibs, but only for when I go up north to ski.
Southern California here. I have very limited cold weather gear, purchased either when I was living in Chicago or in anticipation of a trip to a cold place. But I don’t have multiples – I have one “dressy” coat, one warm rain jacket, two pairs of gloves, and a hat. When I left Chicago for LA, I donated most of my cold weather gear to goodwill, on the theory that paying to move it to LA then donating it to LA goodwill wouldn’t be a very bright idea.
Yes. While I live along the Gulf Coast we still vacation in cold climes fairly often to ski or snowmobile; Canada, Alaska, Colorado, Wyoming, etc. Also, I do a fair bit of hunting which usually puts me in some pretty dicey weather. I’d say half a closet is dedicated to various uses and intensities of cold weather gear.
We trace amounts of snow every few years once a year, and an inch or three that stays on the ground most of the day every decade or so.
While I dont have a large selection. I have about a weeks worth of stuff thats good for 30 degrees give or take, as long as its not really windy.
And I could probably come up with two days worth of stuff that would work down to about zero.
I used to camp alot in the winter around here, and its not so much you often need cold weather gear, as that I frickin hate being cold. But I actually prefer cold weather most of the time if I am prepared for it.
I’m in north Alabama (where it was 7 degrees this morning!) and I don’t have much cold weather gear. I have a couple of wool coats that I call “heavy” but I don’t think they would be considered heavy in a northern climate. I have no shoes or socks suitable for long exposure to cold weather. I have one flimsy knit hat and a pair of leather gloves. I don’t think I own a scarf.
On the rare occasions we get snow we will be scrounging for enough clothing to put on so we can go out and play in it.
I have enough to get me through a short visit, but not enough to LIVE anywhere cold.
I have two scarves, a pair of thin gloves, a fleece hat, and a heavier jacket. That’s enough for a winter trip somewhere, paired with various layers on top. But if I had to live in Chicago (especially the past few days!) there would be a lot of stuff I’d probably want to acquire.
I have a couple of heavy coats, but I’m sure by northern standards, they’re laughably inappropriate. I have one pair of gloves, and I’m only wearing a hat today because my hair hasn’t grown in enough to keep my head warm.
SoCal and Hawaii resident. I’ve always had colder weather clothing but nothing suitable for really cold places. When I moved and traveled, I had to buy clothes, such as gloves, a hat, long underwear, a wool coat, and a ski jacket.
I use the wool coat when it gets cold here in the winter, but the rest of the stuff stays buried in a drawer somewhere.
It helps that almost all of it is backpacking/camping gear. We are out in the boonies every Thanksgiving, and it can get a mite chilly. So there are various parkas, jackets, vests and the like either hanging in the closet or packed in the kits. Ditto gloves, wind pants, wool socks and such. Nothing like the gear I had when I lived in Alaska, mind you, but sufficient unto the day.
When I moved down to NC from Chicago I did bring some of my cold weather gear with me because I knew I was going to be visiting Chicago occasionally. Good thing, too, because right now we’re having a cold spell - it may get below ten degrees tonight.
I did leave my heaviest coat with a friend in Chicago, so if I ever visit when the weather there is below zero I’ll be prepared.
Central Mississippi: and no, not really. I have a heavy coat that I had in Kentucky, but it’s in storage right now. I have a light jacket, and half the time, I’ll carry it with me. This morning here, it was 23 degrees. I probably would have worn it to work this morning, but not zipped, and would have removed it in the car.
