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Keeping Warm

Anubis

By Anubis
in The Astro Lounge

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Anubis

Anubis

Posted
Posted

What secrets do you have for keeping warm?

I was out the other night in my usual outdoors gear (camo jacket, Hiking trainers, two pairs of socks, gloves, fleece hat, and jeans) and it was still FREEZING!

My trunk, legs and hands were ok, but my face and especially my feet were ice... any recomendations?

I though maybe the buff I have for my motorcycle would help... but then again it is pretty thin.

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Black Shuck

Black Shuck

Posted
Posted

What secrets do you have for keeping warm?

Go to the pub instead!! :(

Seriously though a good set of thermal underwear would be a good buy (Marks and Spencers were always good for motorcycling). A lot of the sports clothing brands do training "base layers" which are designed to keep you warm but they are quite expensive?

The main objective is to keep the central part of your body warm. Have something to eat + hot drink, etc, that should help.

I always find the more socks I put on the colder my feet got - something to do with restricting the blood flow!

Hope this is helpful.

Cheers

Bill£ :D

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beamish

beamish

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Posted

I remember being told to avoid jeans as they hold the damp, Aldi have some fantastic quilted thermal trousers-I have 2x pairs and my legs are toasty. Long johns, silk gloves(use as a liner) fingerless gloves with mitten bits to go over the fingers when not being used, a balaclava, thermal,fleeced lined hat BASICALLY think Antartic expedition and you can't go go far wrong. You might also want think about something like a rubber mat or something to insulate your feet from the ground . :(:D :D

Karlo

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saturn5

saturn5

Posted
Posted

I wear a quilted/padded boiler suit and if there is a breeze blowing i put on my old golf waterproof trousers which keeps the wind out.

As for keeping feet warm...my scope sits on three patio slabs and area surrounding the slabs is gravel,if find that gravel is the least cold material to stand on,patio slabs are like standing on blocks of ice in winter and grass which usually ends up as mud is worse,i think the reason gravel is better is because there is air trapped between your feet and the uneven gravel,one thing i do know for certain is since putting the gravel down i haven't been bothered with cold feet and also dont wear tight socks,a thin pair and then a loose pair of thermal socks does the trick.I bought a good pair of hiking boots a size bigger than i need so when i have the extra socks on the boots are a nice snug fit.If anything is too tight especially socks or boots then you're gonna get cold,Bill is spot on,it does restrict bloodflow and there is no air trapped between the layers and trapping air is best way to keep warm(just ask a sparrow :D )

If you dress for temperatures 15C lower than they are you should be ok,as Billy Connolly said"there is no such thing as bad ,cold weather,your just wearing the wrong clothes" :(

Oh yes one other item.12y.o Highland Park in moderation :drunken: :D

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aderyn

aderyn

Posted
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Definitely thermal underwear and a really good hat. My husband had a pair of thermal-lined trousers from an outdoor company (Rohan winter bags, I think) some years ago which were wonderful in really cold conditions. He recently pointed these out - http://www.iwantoneofthose.com/selk-bags/index.html. Having spent a number of years working outdoors, I generally take the view that so long I'm warm, I don't care what I look like, but I think I draw the line here, especially as they rather remind me of a bright yellow babygro our son had when he was tiny. Might amuse the neighbours though.

I like Karlo's suggestion of fingerless gloves with mitten bits and the balaclava!

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Jeff RV

Jeff RV

Posted
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Wearing some head cover is imperative, as you body loses +- 15% body heat through your head!

I always find no matter how warmly i dress, if i forget to cover my head with a thick beanie or the like i get noticeably cold very quickly.

Make you right there,I'm as bald as a coot, my head feels like an iceberg (assuming i know what one feels like) :(

Jeff.

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canuck

canuck

Posted
Posted

OK...here's my soapbox moment!

I worked in and was responsible for running ski and mountaineering shops for years, and until a few years ago, spent 8 hours a day selling gear to keep people warm...here's what I wear.

Boots:

Something with a thick, solid sole that provides lots of space between you and the ground, and leave enough space for liner socks and insulators.

Socks:

Liner socks...Smartwool or silk

Insulator socks:

money no object...Smartwool mountaineering or similar

money an object...ski shops own brand (normally synthetic)

Boots:

Treat yourself here...get a pair of Sorels. These were originally made in Canada (Vietnam, now) and were designed for non-stop snow use. The toe cap is sealed rubber, which (admittedly, cuts down on breathability, but the leather upper compensates for that). The sealed toe cap means your toes own body heat is not lost as easily.

Thermals/socks (base layer):

...money no object? Icebreaker (NZ Merino wool, very soft/not itchy...probably not the wool you're thinking of)

...money a concern? Polypropylene (usually own brand stuff)

Mid layer:

...money no object? Get a mid layer jacket that uses Primaloft, a fantastic synthetic insulation, very light and compact)

...money a concern? Fleece (fleece traps air, and is your insulation layer) thickness and bulk is its' downside.

...is it REALLY cold? Use a lightweight down jacket as a mid layer

External layer:

A down jacket:

...money no object? Get a Mountain Hardware, Mountain Equipment, The North Face or other technical down gear. A serious one will have a down filled hood...mmm...toasty

...money an object? Anything that uses a reasonably high percentage of down (80-85% + up if possible). Down jackets all have feathers of some amount, simply to give the insulation some structure. Down provides the loft which traps the air, and continues the insulation system.

Yes...a good jackets and thermals are expensive, but you shouldn't need multiples (unlike a skier), so if you shop carefully you should be able to get a good system for far less than the price of a Type 5 Nagler!

Don't wear jeans...they absolutely do hold moisture...as do anything cotton. Avoid these two. If it's windy, consider putting a windproof shell over the top of your down jacket...wind can lower tempertaure drastically, so keep it from clearing out the warm air your body has stored in your layers...annnnnddd...Please, please, please don't buy a battery powered vest? :nono: it's just a bit too far... :(

While observing we stand around alot...this is a real problem. To help counteract this, try to keep your extremities moving...wiggle your toes regularly in your boots...this will help stimulate blood flow and produce internal warmth.

These are my thoughts after years of winter sports use and sales (including training from various sources).

Layering is king.

8)

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The Warthog

The Warthog

Posted
Posted

What secrets do you have for keeping warm?

I was out the other night in my usual outdoors gear (camo jacket, Hiking trainers, two pairs of socks, gloves, fleece hat, and jeans) and it was still FREEZING!

My trunk, legs and hands were ok, but my face and especially my feet were ice... any recomendations?

I though maybe the buff I have for my motorcycle would help... but then again it is pretty thin.

Put on another sweater, and some longjohns wouldn't hurt. Try a pair of felt-lined or similarly insulated boots. The trainers won't do it.

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James

James

Posted
Posted

and a hip flask containg scotlands finest warming juice.

Irn Bru?? :(

Slightly baggy layers and lots of them do the trick for me. I end up looking like the Michelin Man (well, slightly bigger actually) but last winter I was able to go out one night from 8pm till 5.30am without feeling cold at all and the temperature hit -6oC by about 10pm. I had two balaclava's on (a woollen one and another one of a different material on top and the hood from my jacket up) which helped.

The other thing I did was put a couple of rubber mats down (I was observing on concrete) and parked my car to block off as much of the light breeze as possible.

It helps that I have a certain amount of natural padding but I'm pretty confident that with all my layers on etc that I could probably observe at -15oC without any problems (cue for our Canadian and American members to have a laugh... "Call -15o cold eh?)

James

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James

James

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I had two balaclava's on (a woollen one and another one of a different material on top and the hood from my jacket up) which helped.

Did the neighbours call the cops ? :(

Matt

Nah, this is Taunton, I just blended in with the rest of the thugs :D ... actually I was on private land and the only person that saw me was the farmer who owned the land.

Incidentally he keeps warm at night by wearing a thick woollen top with a shirt on that then another thick woollen top with a jacket on top of that. He's often out at all hours tending to his chickens so needs to keep warm. I couldn't cope with that much wool but it must be well insulating.

James

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