What to wear when it is cold...outside that is...

[WesternGuy]

I have been wondering what people wear from the "hips down" so to speak when they are out in the cold and whitestuff taking pictures. I am okay for parkas, jackets, scarves, toques and gloves, and all the other stuff one needs from the hips up, but I am unclear as to what I should be looking for to keep the lower half warm and comfy.

I can find long-johns and wool pants and a good pair of winter boots, but I am wondering if all I need on top of this is a good pair of wind pants or should I be looking at something like the bottoms of a snowmobile suit (if not the whole thing). I am talking temperatures of -10° to -20° C with winds giving another 10 to 15° C degrees of windchill sometimes. Understand, I am not going for day long hikes in the wilderness or anything like that - this old guy just cannot tolerate the cold like he used to be able to - I am talking an hour or two here and there around the bird sanctuary - yes there are birds there year around as long as the river is open -or an hour or so walking for scenic and macro photography in one of the many city parks or some of the mountain parks to the west - way west.

Now I know this does not apply to a number of you who are lucky enough to live where it is Spring or Summer most of the year, but for those who frequent the more northern latitudes, any thoughts or ideas are greatly appreciated. Thanks.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[freygr]

I have found wind pants, or ski pants if you wish to be a little warmer, work good.

[WesternGuy]

freygr, thanks for the idea, never thought of ski pants. I will check that out.

WesternGuy

[EOSThree]

If I am going to be out in the snow and cold for very long, I put on my Carhartt Bibs.

[Franglais]

I have a lot of Rohan gear. This looks pretty much like normal clothing but in fact it's cunningly designed with technological material to deal with specific weather conditions. It's explained on their web site here:

http://www.rohan.co.uk/Content1.aspx...language=en-GB

I stock up when I go to the UK at Christmas. This year I bought two pairs of trousers which are smart enough to wear with my work suits indoors all day but which are quite windproof and warm enough for minus 5 degrees (tested personally).

I don't know if Rohan are imported in the USA. Otherwise there might be a local equivalent.

[w.slayman]

WesternGuy,

Years ago the Army assigned to attend an artic survival course east of Barrow, Alaska. At the temperaures you are talking about a person can get in real trouble in a very short time, just a couple of minutes not hours. I am not to date on modern equipment, so I suggest you consult someone like Photo John, who spends time in the back country on a regular basis, and knows the current clothing and equipment. Also I would strongly suggest that you use a buddy system, or at the minimum leave a iteniary with someone.

[mjs1973]

Here is an old thread about keeping warm in the winter that might be of some use.

I have tried to dress in layers but that always leaves me feeling way to bulky and uncomfortable. My biggest problem I have is getting all bundled up and then going on a hike. Before long I'm sweating and being damp in the cold is not a good combo. A couple years ago I finally bought a decent pair of insulated bib overalls like these. They are pretty water resistant so I don't worry about the snow, they are very warm and with a full leg zipper they are easy to get on and off without taking your shoes/boots off. They are basically the same things as what EOS Three mentioned, just a different brand. They come up high on the chest so it's almost like having a vest on as well. For hiking, the full leg zippers are great. I can unzip them from the top down to allow in extra air to keep me cool while hiking, then zip them up again when I want to stay put for a while. My only regret with them is that I didn't buy them zooner!

[speedracer 36]

So this solves how to keep me warm... What about my camera, what is some good cold weather practice for my camera? The manual says that the operating temp is about 32 or 34 degrees F to about 104 F. What can I do to protect my camera from the subzero days here in Minnesota? Right now it is 2 degrees F.

[Lori11]

I bought ski bibs, yes I live in Alabama! The wind here is horrible, and I hate being cold. They are awesome in wind and rain (and sleet) good hiking boots rock. As for the camera, I dont know lol It only gets as low as the teens here and not for long

[WesternGuy]

To all who replied, thank you very much, you have given me many good ideas to think about and followup on. I guess I will give a visit to my local Mountain Equipment Coop (Canadian Co.) and see what I can match to what you folks have contributed. The other thought is a sporting goods store that deals in ski-doo equipment, because they often sell the clothes to go with it, as well, a store that sells work gear for those (poor souls) who have to work outside in our often incredibly cold winter days. (FYI, about -25° C here today, with light snow, although they say it will get warmer??) :blush2:

Speedracer, as far as your camera goes, my "research" for what it's worth, has suggested that the really important thing is to keep the batteries warm - maybe keep them in an inside pocket next to your warm sweater or whatever you wear on top and then place them in your camera or grip before using and remove them afterward until next use to keep them warm, alternatively have two sets of batteries and alternate them. The othe thing I have learned is to have a big, sealable plastic bag of some sort and put the camera and any other equipment that gets cold (may need more than one bag) inside and seal the bag before bringing the camera and other equipment into a warm environment like your car, cabin, or house. Let it all warm up until they reach room temperature, this way, so my "research" says, you avoid condensation inside your equipment. Someone please correct me if my "research" is incorrect or misleading. :thumbsup:

Again, Thanks to all and the best in the New Year.

WesternGuy

[mjs1973]

I will second what WesternGuy said. The main problem with cameras in the cold is the batteries dieing. Keep an extra set o batteries warm so they are ready to go when your first set dies. When you switch, but the fist set somewhere so they can warm up. As they get cold, the chemical reaction that takes place in them slows down causing them to loose power. As you warm them up again, you speed up that chemical reaction and give them more power.

Condensation is another issue. Like WG said, putting everything in a plastic bag to warm up works well. Keeping them in your camera bag and all closed up work too, but it may take longer to warm up since most bags are padded and basically insulated. You may want to take your memory cards and put them in your pocket to warm up faster so you don't have to wait for everything to warm up so you can get to them.

I'm heading out this morning and the thermometer said zero. I'm not worried about my gear at all, only the batteries.

[Grandpaw]

Personally with temperatures like that I would be more interested in recommendations for moving companies than worrying about getting different clothes, Jeff

[Loupey]

I have found that hunting clothes work best for me. Almost always waterproof, insulated, silent, camouflaged, and typically reasonably priced. I prefer insulated pants for mobility (compared to bibs). I would suggest something like this.


Put on a layer or two of thermal underwear and you're good to go all day. My shutter finger is typically the first to freeze on me and dictates when I'm done

[mjs1973]

I spent 2 hours out in the cold this morning. It was 10F when I got home. If I know I'm going to be sitting in the cold for long time I will take my portable hunting blind with me, along with a portable heater. That is what I did this morning. I packed most of my stuff onto a plastic sled and pulled it down the trail. Much easier than having to carry it all. I was able to pack my blind, a heater, extra can of fuel, tripod & chair onto the sled. I carried my camera and 1 lens in a shoulder bag. Worked great and kept me becoming an ice cube. I stayed warm enough that I didn't need to wear my gloves which is nice when it comes to running a camera. No way I would have lasted more than a few minutes just sitting this morning without it. Now only if the kingfisher would have cooperated...

[WesternGuy]

Jeff, LOL about moving trucks. I am afraid I don't have much of a choice...I enjoy where I live most of the year and I would not want to move from here as I am only less than an hour's drive from some of the most beautiful mountain scenery and wilderness in Canada.

The reason I asked about the cold weather gear is that I get a little antsy sitting indoors for three months of the year, when I know that with the right kind of clothing gear, I can be outside capturing some great winter scenery and landscapes, or, as in the case of today, I managed to find a couple of snowy owls that didn't mind posing for a few pics, but then it was a bit warmer today, only about -10° C.

Loupey, thanks for your input, and Mike, sounds like you have this cold weather stuff down to a science.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[calexp]

Well, unless temp goes below -10° C, i will continue to wear my t-shirt
As for the batteries, better forget Ion-Lithium, they tend to die at very low temp.
Better go with NiMH if your cam support it.

[Grandpaw]

If you can't move maybe some window cleaner and a longer lens would do the trick! It is supposed to get into the 20's here this week at night. If this keeps up I may have to purchase some long pants and give my shorts a rest, Jeff :mad2:

[daq7]

The only photos I have taken in the cold have been from the back of a motorcycle, hence the 60-70 mph wind chill dominates. Waste down who cares. Easy to keep legs warm. Just wear some thick wool socks. Waste up, massive layering of light fleece things and a heavy armored jacket. Makes shooting pictures hard.

[WesternGuy]

Jeff, LOL, longer lens and window cleaner won't help, but I appreciate the sentiment. Why it was almost shorts weather here today only -5 ° C with the next week or so promising temperatures in the minus single digits. I am not quite sure how to compare Fahrenheit and Celsius, but the two scales cross at -40 ° (I'll not be taking pictures at that temperature) and 0° F is about -18° C. So there you have it - if you are getting into the 20s (I assume that is above zero), then we here in the Great White North would be in the -5° to -10° Celsius, and because it is so dry here, these temperatures are quite tolerable with the right outer wear, no shorts though, but I still want to be warm below the belt as it were.

Cheers,

WesternGuy

[w.slayman]

Hey Jeff,

What is happening, I thought we had Global Warming, last night 20 F, tonight 18???? burrrr. I guess I did not move far enough south. :lol: NWS says below freezing overnight temps for at least a week.

[Lori11]

Its so cold in Dixie my camera has a Do Not Disturb sign on the lens cap

[Dylan8i]

if im outside moving around ( skiing hiking etc) i put on some underarmor pants, and then my (insulated - water proof, wind proof, with zippers for ventelation) ski pants, and that keeps me nice and toasty ( and the underarmor wicks away any sweat i would have). if im going to be sitting, i would throw on a pair of sweat pants or more between the under armor and ski pants. usually my toes or hands will get to cold before my legs would. also if your sitting a pad to insulate from the ground would be helpful. if i was really desperate id bring somethign like my 0 degree sleeping bag and get in it ( or like Mike said a blind tent etc with a portable heater)

im not worried abtou my gear, liek others said switch batteries and keep one warm, and jsut when you go inside keep your gear in a water proof something til it warms up.

[mn shutterbug]

Recently, I was out blowing snow in -33 degree windchills, and only my fingers got cold. A cheap pair of insulated coveralls over jeans, work for me. In these extreme temps, I'll also wear a parka over the top.

[drg]

I have a 'magic' word to remember

polypropolene

Also known by the trade/brand name Olefin. Great for socks or anywhere high wicking is needed to move moisture away from the skin. Wears like steel, washes easily and does not grow nasty molds/mildews/fungi etc.

A warning about 'polyester' or other 'poly's' in fleece. Some of it will literally fall apart below various temperatures. 25-30 below F air temp, not wind chill, seems to be the starting point for it to become so brittle that it cannot recover from even minor flexing. There is polar rated fleece that is more costly and holds up to temps you don't want to be in for any length of time unless you are a researcher or a butcher. Some fleece will fail/rip/tear/shred if it is exposed to a dramatic temp change, say 30+ degrees all at once if the starting temp is below freezing.

I did some work around commercial food processing off and on over the years and the first warning was if you are going into the lockers/freezers wear the right gear. I even saw shoes freeze to the floor of one location. Converse basketball shoes just don't like to be suddenly placed on -30 degree F oak flooring. They adhere and then the soles just shatter. Pretty neat to see, but I would not want to be wearing them!

Some companies make recycled fleece from materials of all types including milk/water jugs that can be the worst offender. Problem is that you don't always know the original material composition. It is mechanically recycled, i.e. shredded and re-woven. Not always successfully for cold. Works great for wet and damp and wind but not extreme cold.

Break the wind, keep dry, and always remember -

Never perspire out in the real cold weather or you can have a problem unless you can dry off in a warmer place.

[_sydnee_]

Hmm.... I guess it depends on how long you're taking pictures, and how adapted to the cold your lower half is.

Being a Wisconsin native, I'm well adjusted to the cold. In my personal experience and opinion, I would just wear jeans and some well insulated boots to make sure my toes stay warm, and wear an extra pair of socks if I feel it's needed. Eventually, after wearing jeans long enough, you don't feel the cold most days.

That being said, I do understand that unless you're used to Wisconsin weather or similar, it's not easy to be outside when it gets that cold. Even as a cold weather lover, I have days that I'm just like "Okay, that is way too cold."

Cover as much skin as you can, bring extra chapstick, and layer, layer, layer. I can't stress that enough. Build your clothes in layers, and if you get too warm, you can always shed one. I suggest buying atleast one fleece zip up sweater for exactly this reason. They keep extremely warm under winter jackets.

I've tried many different chapsticks, and my best suggestion is Caramex. It may smell a little wierd, but overall it protects and heals the best, and holds up the best to the cold and wind. [I've yet to try Burt's Bees, but I've heard it works well, too. It is a bit pricey, though.] The plus side to using Caramex is that if your skin gets chapped and you don't have any intense moisturizing lotion lying around, spread on a little Caramex over the area, cover that part of your skin well with some sort of protection, [cheeks, nose, knuckles/fingers, forehead, knees, etc.] and you're good to go until you get home. You may have to reapply.

The jeans thing isn't suggested unless you're willing to put up with cold temperatures; they don't insulate well, if nearly at all, and tend to be colder in wind chill. The plus side is that they do help block the wind. For the cold weather you're talking about, yes, I do think a pair of long johns and some good wind pants should be all you need. Get two of one, the other, or each for extra layers when needed. It's also not a bad idea to keep the exta pair with you.

If it gets below -30 degrees Celcius including wind chill, I suggest just staying in for the day, or going out for only short periods of time, and thoroughly warming up and applying moisture intense lotion before going back outside. I also suggest some light, but well insulated snow pants for weather this cold, even if it's not snowing. Trust me on this, they work wonders.

The lotion will help keep your skin from chapping or drying out. I use Cetaphil UVA/UVB Defense SPF 50 for my face; it may be cold but sunburn can happen. The entire Cetaphil line is good for dry or sensitive skin, or if you have neither. It's gentle and fragrance-free. Eucerin works well, too. If you're going to get Eucerin for the sake of preventing or healing chapped skin, get something to the effect of "Intense Healing" or "Intense Moisture". These products may be a little pricey, but saving skin is extremely worth it.

I hope this information helps, and keep warm. :]