Cold Weather Gear

[shangchi108]

Duluth Trading Company seems to have some good gear for cold weather, at really good prices.

 

[DWK2]

For hiking in cold weather, where both weight and warmth count, I like the Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket. The XL weighs 12 oz. and it is warmer than most regular 24 oz. down jackets. I use it during Nov. rifle season in Montana.

For really cold weather I have a Marmot 8000 meter parka. I think the only better extreme weather mountaineering parkas are probably those from www.featheredfriends.com, who also make some damn good competition for the Flight Jacket.

DancesWithKnives

 

[EmsRescueGuy]

Woollrich wool shirt jackets are really cozy.

I have heard great things about LL Bean Merino wool thermals. These are on my wither wish list.

Also think about a silk sleeping bag liner, they are supposed to add a few degrees tto a bag, not a bad winter investment.

 

[wildmike]

For a base layer the Woolpower layers from ullfrotte are fantastic. Check em out at havealifeoutdoors.com.

A heavy wool shirt and trousers are my next layer. depending on conditions it may be a heavy wool sweater instead of a shirt, or in addition to the shirt.

I prefer a waxed cotton windshell.

occasionaly I will use a down vest instead of the sweater. But it has to be very cold fro that stuff with me as I burn hot.

Wool hats and balaclavas are also standard, as well as scarves. Old style military arctic mits and liners are my hand gear. They breathe better and can be removed to aid in regulating heat.

Nothing beats wool.

 

[dd61999]

Many of you knock down fleece

But the new fleece technology is pretty impressive. I bought a fairly thin fleece made out of Polartec windpro and it kept me warm on sub freezing days with heavy winds with out even having to use a shell.

 

[DWK2]

I agree with the Ulfrotte products and a with bag liner. I have a liner made of 200 weight polarfleece and it definitely adds warmth. A bit heavy/bulky for backpacking but fine on a raft/canoe/horse/4WD trip.

DancesWithKnives

 

[valcas1]

Wool hats and balaclavas are also standard, as well as scarves. Old style military arctic mits and liners are my hand gear. They breathe better and can be removed to aid in regulating heat.

I am a huge fan of military artic mittens. I dont think there is a better value in cold weather handgear. I wear a pair of smartwool thin liners under them and wear them on a string going through the arm of my jacket so if I need to take them off I can just slide right out of them and they hang on the string. Kinda like when I was a kid.

I also really like Tru-spec fleece farmer john longjohns again, value I think I paid $19.97 several years ago form sportmans guide. they are 10.0z polypro and I use them a lot during the winter. Very warm.

 

[scarysharp]

Big fan of the Windshear from Cabelas and the Polartec wind-pro fleece mentioned above. They really do block the wind, and thats half the battle. Some good merino wool long johns and a light fleece layer in between you're good to go even at 0' or below.

 

[Loosearrow]

Good old fashioned wool sweaters. The kind with the fishermans knit patternss.

Bulky knit sweaters are way warmer than the polyester fleece junk that they've pushing on us for the past several years. And wool was the original miracle fiber. If you don't like the itch of wool, then get the lambs wool or Merino wool, much softer and just as warm.

Once you have the underlayers right, any kind of shell outer coat will do.

I tried the fleece stuff for a few years, and went back to old school staying warm.

I like the knit sweaters as well. Seems to create a neutral thermal enviroment for me. Get too hot and pull the shell off.

 

[LMT66]

Ear warmers made by 180. Best things since sliced bread.

 

[brians]

Expe Downmat for camping pad - best cold weather pad on the market.

I have the 9 Deluxe, which is 3 inches thick and 25 inches width of warm downy goodness underneath you on a cold winter night.

 

[LMT66]

When I hike in winter, i wear a $14 pair of Nike nylon warmup pants over my pants. I also buy fishing wader socks that go up to me knee. Wind block and wool wader socks= No wind and warm legs.

 

[Joezilla]

anyone have a merino wool buff? I'm wondering how they perform in cold

 

[fnc]

When I hike in winter, i wear a $14 pair of Nike nylon warmup pants over my pants. I also buy fishing wader socks that go up to me knee. Wind block and wool wader socks= No wind and warm legs.

What are the wader socks made of? Can you link an example?

Warmup pants come in so many varieties, some are water repellent and some are
not, which are yours?

Edit to add:
Are there any socks or warmups that you tried, but did not work out for you?

What kind of cold/wind does this combo work for, and are you running, walking, biking etc. ?

 

[The Ice Bear]

Anything wool, I love wool.

 

[Varg Lobos]

A good pair of Sorel boots will last forever. :thumbup:

My dad has told me that same thing to me for the past 38 years. He praises his Sorel boots every Minnesota winter.:thumbup:

I also find, that no matter how cold it is, a good watch cap will get me warmer.

 

[MrCoffee]

I like Sorel's, but hands down, I will take a pair of Chippewa work boot for these "cozy" New England winters. Never had an issue, reguardless of how cold it got out. Wore them all the time when I was living in Bangor.

+1 for the wool. I tend to live in 100% wool sweaters in the winter, plus my leather as a top layer. EMS has a fleece watch cap that is wonderful, and very warm. Glove liners are a real plus, wool, fleece or otherwise, a thin pair under you normal gloves can do wonders for saving your paws from icy cold. Flannel line jeans gotta be one of the best things invented.

But 42, I figured you'd be wearin brandie new Racoon skin slipper by now....

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Yeah, those pesky animal control folks came out here and nabbed the little guy before I could convert him into stylish footwear! Oh well, I'll get 'im next time.

 

[MrCoffee]

Yeah, those pesky animal control folks came out here and nabbed the little guy before I could convert him into stylish footwear! Oh well, I'll get 'im next time.

The Racoon, or the animal control guy?

 

[Fletcher Knives]

I am by no means well versed in the variety of cold weather gear. I'm usually on a strict cheapo budget and I can't afford all the killer name brand stuff. HOWEVER, I have tried a ton of different coats and jackets under $100. The best one I've found so far for some seriosuly cold weather is a military contract "extreme cold weather parka" Type N-3B. That thing keeps me cozy warm in the coldest crap I've ever been in. I usually layer under it when I'm planning on going out in insane cold (below zero), but I usually find that it wasn't necessary. I can go outside in that coat with nothing but a t-shirt on underneath in 0 degrees and I'm perfectly comfy. I love that parka and highly recommend it. You can usually pick them up for anywhere between $70-$90 at a Mil-Surp store. I've never seen the real ones less expensive than that, but that doesn't mean you can't find them.

Edit: I typed a really long section here about gloves and footwear and then after reading it, realised that I gave no good info what so ever. So I decided not to include it.