Editors Summary: Bruce L. Hogle presented a member mini presentation on Cold Weather Gear. What follows are his presentation notes placed in a PDF and reposted below.
For my presentation today, I will move from foot to head. While I will show one example each; but a Google search will turn up a number of options to consider.
My advice is to watch for: pre/post/holiday-season sales; post winter sales, and Cabela’s Bargain Cave.
Feet (010-049): One of the three areas where heat lose occurs rapidly
- Smartwool socks*, even in the summer has wicking and padding value; Men’s & Women’s sizes.
- Sock liner*
- Chemical toe &/or foot warmers (Hot Hands brand). Do NOT place directly next to your skin!!!
- Heated insoles
- Consider terrain & weather conditions. Strongly suggest trying on footwear in person while wearing heavy (e.g., SmartWool) socks
- Sorel boots* with fleece liner <32 F
- Hiking boots, un-insulated so you can wear year-round (Gortex liner or not = your choice); need to condition the leather regardless (Nikwax)
- Walking/Running shoes w good arch support (New Balance/Nike/similar) or Rubber boots (about knee high) when needing to wade in water
- Waders
Torso (050-099):
- Layers* – you do not want to sweat in cold weather!
- Fleece or flannel-lined or non-lined cargo pants (chilly days). Cotton jeans are cold!
- Silk or wool “base layer”*; light, medium, heavy weights available; men’s & women’s.
- Synthetic, wool or fleece “Long Johns/Janes”; tops & bottoms; available in different weights. A snug fit seems warmer to me.
- Rain jacket & maybe even pants (buy at least one size larger, so fit comfortably over your clothes)
- Note: rain pants make a great wind block in cold weather
- Long-sleeved, quick-drying (e.g., nylon or blend) shirts* w/ roll-up collars & sun-block built-in for summer & wear other times with layers; e.g., Cabela’s Guidewear (lot’s of pockets)
- Windproof jacket* w/ zip-out fleece liner (here too, buy at least one size larger)
- Insulated coveralls (a lot of construction workers wear these)
- Down suit* (ski suit) (here too, buy at least one size larger)
Head, Face & Neck (100-150): Another one of the key area where the heat loss is a critical concern
Hands (200-250): The third part of the body where heat loss is an area of concern
- “Windstopper” gloves* – lighter weight; heavy weight
- Glove liners (silk or fleece)
- Chemical hand warmers (Hot Hands brand) (regular, and Body & Hand Super Warmer sizes)
- Muff* (camo so no one can see it) with large hand warmer
- Electric gloves (battery operated)
- Mittens*
Suppliers: I suggest shopping specialty stores; for example
- Cabelas/Bass Pro (men’s & women’s, tall available)
- REI (my brother swears by)
- Carhart (what a lot of farmers & ranchers wear)
- Duluth Trading Company
- Patagonia offers an ironclad lifetime warranty on their gear
- North Face
Bruce added an asterisk “*” on items he utilizes
Editor’s Add on Comment: B&H Photo Explora site released an article titled “Best Accessories for Cold-Weather Photography” which offers interesting information on items that would help protect equipment in a manner not necessarily recognized as important except for those that have worked in cold weather. It is well worth the read.