I would like to take an opportunity to endorse the notion of a ski mask. Unless the use of such on a city street would place you in violation of a USA Patriot Act-era ordinance. Even if it doesn’t slow down mucus production, it can hide the nostril corks.
As to the issue of nostril cork (or Kleenex) disposal, I suggest that you obtain a plastic Ziploc[sup]TM[/sup] bag (sandwich-sized) and place it into your pocket. This will enable you to place other things, including your hand, into the pocket without risking contamination.
Hey, I’m not the one that started it - I just agreed with it. I have nothing but sympathy for people who get extreme cold who aren’t used to it. Okay, maybe a teensy bit of thinking they’re pansies, but that’s it. Besides, bragging about handling the cold is one of the very few benefits of living someplace this cold. And the funny part is, Calgary isn’t even that cold, compared to further north/the rest of the prairies.
Dude, buy a humidifier! We have one on our furnace and it makes a huge difference. If you don’t want to go to that much trouble just get a little portable one to keep in your bedroom and it will make you feel better. Plus it keeps you from getting static shocks everytime you touch something metal (I live in constant fear at my office where the air is very dry - I look like an idiot bracing myself every time I have to open a door. I am like a lab mouse who has been shock-conditioned to not touch door knobs, but has to touch them to survive.)
Heck, my sister just boils water on the stove and it helps.
Fur and leather outerwear, 'cause vinyl, Gore-Tex, and other synthetics used to (and sometimes still do) shatter in the cold. Thermal undies from October to March. Facemasks and scarves don’t work as well as you might think after they’re iced over. Plus they fog up your glasses. But you don’t want to take your glasses off, 'cause the wind’ll make you tear up, and then the tears freeze to your face. (BTW, this is part of the reason for the deep deep hoods on industrial parkas. Keeps the wind far away from your face. And wolverine fur edging keeps the frost off.)
The amazing drain on one’s vitality that begins by day four or five…GingeroftheNorth and a couple of the Alaskans can prolly back me on this one…that makes just bringing in wood for the fire exhausting. And feeling fortunate you’re using wood, 'cause the guy who converted to propane is in serious trouble (cut anecdote about doofus who tried to use a tiger torch to thaw his house propane supply).
The hour of planning for a fifteen-minute expedition, to ensure that you have all your survival gear. (Lemme tell ya about the guy who froze to death in Rabbit’s Foot Canyon on his way to grab a pack of smokes…).
The vehicle that won’t start, even though it has a block heater and a battery blanket. Oooh, and the doors that freeze open on the city buses 'cause they were bought from a company in Louisiana. A right treat at -50C, lemme tell ya.
On the other hand, y’all should SEE the expressions on the faces of the staff at Tim Horton’s when you ask for an IceCap on day four of the cold snap. Priceless, I tell ya.
Fragile flowers, I say!
(Actually, Calgary’s been colder’n us more than a few times over the past few years. I Do Not Approve of this global warming nonsense. Makes it hard to be convincing in these types of situations.)
A true saviour when it gets really cold. Can’t say enough about how effective a long parka with a deep hood is. Although it is a fashion faus pas, on cold days I wear one of these when skiing – keeps me comfy in the worst weather!
Concerning the boot liners pulling off the socks, I could be wrong in stating that it is caused by the liners. It could just be that your feet, when stuffed into bulky winter boots and taken for a stroll out in the deep freeze, are rebelling by stripping off their socks and crying out, “I need to run naked on the beach with hot sand between my toes! I need to be warm and free!”
