Ask Dethroner: How Do I Stay Warm in Winter?
Published by Joel September 26th, 2006 in Ask Dethroner, Clothes. Share This
Dan T. writes:
I have lived most of my life in a sub-tropical city (Brisbane, Queensland, Australia) and now find myself in sub sub-tropical city of Toronto, On. I have ever had experienced a real winter before and am really struggling with what kind of winter gear to buy. Do I wear all ten of my t-shirts under my business shirt? Do I buy a $700 Goretex jacket to wear over a suit? Please, for the sake of my soon-to-be frozen extremities, help - its already getting colder than my previous coldest winter!
Friend, let me introduce you to the majesty of “long johns,” more commonly known outside of the Ozarks as “thermal underwear.” New technologies have produced lightweight tops and bottoms that can be worn comfortably under your normal clothing. A pair of bottoms can even make jeans, which are otherwise rubbish in a gelid gale, serviceable. Take a look at the selections available on Altrec.com, a site I pulled out of Google for no particular reason.
You also want a scarf, gloves, and warm socks—probably a hat, too, if you can stand it. There’s a reason they, you know, sell that stuff. Bundle up. The trick to cold weather is not to buy that $700 Goretex parka but to use layers of relatively simple fabrics to keep you as warm as you need to be while out, while not completely over-toasting yourself when you’re finally inside the warm office.
Totally agree. Layers is the ticket in cold weather. You want to trap that air close to your body so that it warms up and thus keeps you nice and toasty.
But the #1 thing to have on you to keep yourself warm. Gloves and a Hat. A good pair of gloves and a good warm hat (no that baseball cap will NOT work) will keep you warmer than you ever thought possible.
After years of coaching winter soccer here in NorCal for the High School (yes, not as cold as Canada, but hey..cold for California!), the single most important item to keep me warm is a double layered hat; otherwise known as a beenie. Layers, yes, but without the hat trapping the escaping body heat from your dome…still freeze your proverbial melons off.
Remember the 3 Ls: Lots of Loose Layers
In college I would wear a t-shirt, then a hoodie, then a winter coat over top of that (the winter coat I got at Aeropostale for $20 on sale once - totally awesome). For pants I wore sweats under my jeans. I might wear two pairs of socks, but usually just one. Then I’d have on a hat and gloves, and pull the hoodie’s hood out of the jacket and wear that up too. We used to call people “Shedders” after the TMNTs because they had the same deal going on but with scarves (which I never found comfortable). Anyways, to make a long reply longer, I like c0bra’s answer. Lots of layers.
Spot on.
Capilene is your friend. Or silk. Either in longjohns will give you a lightweight, thin and above all comfortable base layer of warmth. Also, my jacket is a nylon Columbia parka with the hood zipped off and a zip-out fleece liner (which can, itself, be worn as a jacket). Maybe not office-wear, but rugged and comfortable.
Hatwise, I wear a fleece beanie job I got at the local Renfair one year (to the editors: sit down, already…I know what you think of Renfairs, but it’s where the seller was, and the hat doesn’t _look_ like a Renfair hat, okay?). Very warm, with a rollover edge I can lower over my ears when required.
I prefer mittens to gloves, unless I’m doing manual work outside. Fingers stay warmer in mittens. Of course, you look a little dorky, but them’s the breaks. You can also get mittens that are essentially 3/4-finger gloves with a foldover mitten-type cover for the fingers. I love having them when I need to use the camera outside in cold weather.
Silk longjohns are awesome. I moved from southern california to boston and the only thing that got me through last winter was silk longjohns. I never wore the top, just the pants. A good pair of waterproof boots will also help considerably.
Disclaimer: I am a polar bear.
Everyone knows that you lose most of your body heat through your head but damned if a cold wind at the back of your neck doesn’t sap the warmth from you as well.
I have found that a scarf and stocking cap are ideal for keeping warm. For me, nothing beats wool for heat retention. It’s not the itchy fabric I remember from my childhood. The combo has performed quite nice here or at my father-in-law’s place out in Wyoming.
My favorite scarf and hat come from an Ireland based company called Fisherman out of Ireland. I’ve been very pleased with the look and fit of their clothes. I’m also a fan of their sweaters. I usually get compliments on them and it’s nice to have clothes that not everyone else is wearing.
I do some biking in the winter, and also snowboard avidly, so here’s what I do:
Bottom Layer: Silk (pricy, but good) or Polyester tights for the legs and a tight shirt for the top. DO NOT use cotton - bacteria festers in cotton because cotton doesn’t do a great job in wicking sweat away from your body. Polyester, Nylon and Silk do a much better job. UnderArmour is a good choice, Nike DriFit is AWESOME. You can find a whole lot of this type of layer material at http://www.sierratradingpost.com. Also great deals!
Middle Layer: some type of shirt for the top and pants for the bottom. These are really up to you, depending on how cold it is, you might want to wear more or less. I still prefer the performance fabrics for this, as they wick away sweat, so you don’t get as cold if you are active while it’s cold (sports, cleaning off the car, etc).
Top Layer: Gore-Tex baby!! If it’s actively snowing or sleeting like it does on the east coast, you should have a waterproof (NOT water resistant) jacket. This doesn’t necessarily need to be warm. My best waterproof jacket is just a shell - the warmth comes from the layers, not from the extra padding on the jacket - plus, a thin jacket is usable in all seasons, but a thick jacket is really only for when it’s cold. Marmot makes great jackets, as does North Face and obviously Gore. These will be pretty expensive ($150 for a shell), however, they are indespensible, and if they are made from a high performance hydrophobic material, they also wick the sweat away (no more clammy arms when it rains in the spring!!).
Head: You should have a hat. Try one with some synthetic liner around the ears (they get really cold on my head).
Hands: Snowboarding gloves are great, as the better ones come with inserts which you can use as everyday gloves, and the actual snowboarding “outserts” (gloves) are great if you need to play/clean off snow. Make sure that these too are made from Gore-Tex or a similar fabric.
Feet: snowboarding socks are king - they are synthetic, warm and very comfy.
Shoes: boots or whatever shoes you have. Just don’t step in puddles. If you like puddles, however, try Gore-Tex shoes. They are expensive, but worth it!
Dan, welcome to Toronto. Its not as cold as you think, especially if you’re in the downtown. I’ve lived here for years, and walk everywhere, with a bit of public transit mixed in. I’ve found the best outfit to be hat, very warm scarf, and a wool overcoat. I’ve been surviving with a wool car coat from Old Navy, believe it or not. If you’re going to be on public transit at all, make sure you can quickly take off your scarf, hat and unbutton your coat: they heat those blasted to streetcars to a ridiculous temperature. With all the moisture coming off of people’s jackets, it gets really steamy in there. And get a good umbrella (I love my Fulton). It rains and sleets a lot in the winter.
PS - for some reason, winter in Toronto means all black.
Thanks everybody, for your superb advice! Its kind of exciting getting ready for my first ‘real’ winter.
Dan
I lived somewhere far colder than Toronto. And gave up and moved to Northern California.
Anyway, layering is only for people who perform outdoor activities.
Buy a good, truly warm jacket. Your exposure to the cold will be in bursts, and in between those you will be inside. The ability to easily regulate your temperature between those two extremes (yeah, room temperature is the other extreme in Canada) is what will make you happy and possibly stave off suicide for a few months before the ever-present darkness saps your will to live even just one more day.
If you can handle a hat/toque, do it. And remember - the best gloves are the ones you wear, not the ones that look goofy and you leave at home.
If you’re some kind of fashion freak who wants to look hip and own something other than the proper windproof, down-filled parka, you should probably invest in a short scarf with a very tight knit, or fleece. Cable-knits are for fashion. The wind is the enemy here.
I’d like to add to Andrew White’s excellent advice…
Toronto is warmer than you think, which means wetter and slushier. If you walk, water-resistant ankle boots and warm, wooly socks are a must. There is no shame in wearing Sorels with a suit on Bay Street.
While most of what’s here is taken as accepted truth and/or wisdom; in general, it’s woefully inaccurate…
Staying warm in cold weather is a function of keeping moisture away from the body and wearing insulating garments that trap and keep the air around the body warm.
Layering is a good approach however you need a fabric that doesn’t allow moisture/sweat to condense on your skin. It’s basically hypothermia. The first layer should NOT be UnderArmour, nylon silk, or any other fabric that completely covers the skin. The best stuff to do that is–and I’m serious here, no laughing–is fishnet. Loose fitting, but allowing air to circulate. The next layer could be almost anything, but wool probably works best. The fibers release heat, keeping you warm. The top layer should NOT be Gore-tex or any other membrane fabric. They do not breathe. They will trap moisture. You will get cold. Most of their waterproof properties are the result of the coating on the outer layer.
Those are the basics. For the best gear, go here:
http://www.wiggys.com
These are the best garments and gear at ANY price. Made in the USA. And the owner may even answer the phone. You can ask for him, for sure. And he responds to email. I’ve never had a problem with any of his stuff.
I grew up in Ottawa Ont. and my advice for dressing for the cold always involves layers. A pair of atheletic socks underneath a pair of wool socks. A t-shirt, a long shirt over it, a thick sweather (preferably with a hood) and a spring jacket over. This will keep you warm yet give you the ability to shed some if you get too warm (yes, it does happen). As for legs, long johns. If you can, get the full-body long johns. Man, are they comfortable. You can walk in strip down to the johnnies and lounge like no-one’s business.
Mittens work better than gloves, but may be inconvenient. You don’t need huge boots unless you’re going to be outside for hours at a time, which no one does in the winter in Canada. Something waterproof and with a bit of a lining.
Beef
buck up.
Hi all,
Great help redaing these posts.
I grew up in Singapore and spend ALL my time here in the tropics.
However will be going to Turkey for Holidays in Dec / Jan and as of now the weather is already -3 Celcius in Ankara!!
I bought wool socks, long john (top only), Pashima scarf and a beenie.
Could anyone advise me if gloves are necessary, as well as long john bottoms??
Thanks in advance.
Jac
Jacque,
It sounds like you’ve got the basics down, but once it gets below freezing it can really sap it out of you. (Especially if it is windy.)
I’d look into the thermal underwear bottoms. The thing is with cold weather is that most of the clothing for the cold is on top - coats, scarves, hats, etc - but usually you’ve got nothing on the legs up pants. The thermal underwear adds a very comfortable later.
As for gloves, well, they aren’t super necessary if you can keep your hands deep in your pockets most of the time. If you can’t, gloves are relatively cheap. Get a pair and see if you find it worth the hassle. (I suspect you will!)
Hi Joel,
Thanks for the reply…
Looks like I need to go out and get my long john bottom and gloves then ( I’ll most definietly not be able to keep my hands in my pocket all the time as I plan to take some winter photos :))
Thanks and happy Holidays to all!!
Jac
one of the entries said wiggys. yes go to him. get away from those synthetics like underarmor, polyproplene, blah, blah. get fishnets!!!! i wish wiggy would even sell short sleeve fishnets. very few people understand how they work. when i explain i get looked at like i’m crazy. when i’m seen with them on i know friends or someone who doesn’t know me well think i’m from chippendales, the village people or san francisco. those synthetics are like a coat of plastic. they don’t breathe. i.e., they don’t let water vapor out. that is what makes you cold–the water. that is why water is put on a fire. it absorbs heat. that is why you sweat to keep cool,but if the vapor can’t escape you get chilled. with fishnets you feel coolish, the water escapes to the absorbing layer then out your neck line. i go hunting in the winter. my friends are cold. they wear long johns from synthetics. granted they are warm when they are active, then cold when they stop because of the moisture build up. i am relative the same temp as the water has mostly escaped. they are cold in their sleeping bags because they are sleeping in their long johns or even in dry longjohns. but after a couple of nights those dry are again “wet” then they are cold again. log on to wiggys.com and he’ll explain the whole thing to you. i have been wearing the same two fish net t-shirts since 1965 during winter hunting seasons. also, they work great even in the summer as a cushioning between my pack straps and me. they aren’t as heavy as a t-shirt, they let the sweat evaporate, then not chiled if it is early a.m. or early evening when i stop.