Thursday, November 13, 2014

warmer winter wear


WARMER WINTER WEAR

I’ll be getting back to the Bulls-eye articles here shortly, perhaps tomorrow.  For now, in fine tradition harking back to children’s Christmas’, adults workplace annual bonus and birthday sex, the annual winter time wearables rant from yours truly ( your childhood is long gone, no one gets holiday bonuses anymore because that cuts into the CEO’s Bermuda vacation fun where he’d have to settle on just one hooker and only half the nose candy, and I’m sure your wife long ago canceled special birthday sex on account of her lack of interest ).  You might have been cruelly deprived of all other traditions, but I’m still here for ya, brothers.  I’m starting on my seventh winter here in northeast Nevada ( the five previous in west Nevada didn’t count as the weather there is SOOOOO much warmer- the average coldest days were only in the twenties and the rare earth shattering drop into the teens was their idea of the storm of the century.  In other words, Reno Residents, you are a bunch of friggin pussies- which is what I’m sure Michigan dwellers call me ) and every year I pick up extra tricks to stay a smidge warmer.  The first one I learned to just wear my snow boots every morning, regardless, starting the first of October.  That right there cuts out a lot of grief.  I also immediately invested in a digital inside/outside thermometer.  It is much easier to know what to expect before you get dressed, and I have a dress script for every ten degree drop in temperature.

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This year, I have a new pair of mittens to try out.  It was a giant leap of faith to buy them, as they are $35 and I won’t even spend that much on a coat ( although I did buy a $40 pair of swamp boots rated to minus 40 that worked great in my one test day last year-uncharacteristically mild last year, we had one whole day below zero ).  It isn’t that warm hands aren’t worth that much, it is that I’m afraid of being ripped off by charlatans and liars and they underperform.  But, finally, getting to the point, a new trick.  At 12 degrees, I start wearing my wool pants.  They are thick customers and wear outside my slacks.  And they work splendidly, no issues with cold legs.  But I can’t really wear them above that temperature because then I’m too warm and sweat and overheat.  So from 22 down to that 12 degrees, I’m usually a bit on the miserable side.  This year, I tried out warm up pants.  Those polyester pants you wear over your shorts until it is time to work out.  Not insulated, per se.  But they work great and yesterday at 15 degrees I was warm and toasty, just by giving my legs a bit of extra fabric ( a thin dress pair of large wool pants, or oversize jeans could also work- just make sure they fit over your regular pants ).  I know most of you don’t want to bike to work, especially in the winter.  But a side benefit here is I know how to dress, and have the clothing, for when energy supplies contract.  You think five layers of cotton hoodies are going to keep you warm on guard duty?

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15 comments:

  1. Good timing on this post. Going to get into the high 20's tonight. Unseasonably cold for South Mississippi. I do not envy you pedaling to work like you do but do respect it. I'm still planning to go with the lower displacement Motorcycle. 80 mile round trip commute is impossible with a bicycle. May be spring though as I have to many other things costing me money.

    Havent been posting much but still read everyday.

    Amazing hair Jimbo!

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    1. Thanks for keeping on with me here. So few minions, yet still not enough time to insult them all personally.

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  2. You would not believe the number of people who underdress for winter here in NH. They think they'll be fine because they are in their car -as if cars never break down or go skidding off icy roads.

    I used to tell my kids to dress like they'd have walk home. Annoyed the heck out of them, but nobody froze to death on my watch. 30 below is no joke.

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    1. Well, common sense has to be taught, and with dumbass single parents...

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  3. It will hit @ 10F BELOW tonight, We expect 40 or 50 below during the winter up here. And still I see people wearing light office clothes and only a single jacket over it. They run from their cars to the office and back- if any of them broke down outside of town they could die of hypothermia in short order.
    I always wear a base layer (aka thermals) of different material depending on the weather, under my heavier office wear, and I wear 2 layers over that plus gloves, hat, scarf, etc when I go outside. Of course my cars don't have remote start (it is funny watching everyone with the remote start going to the windows at about quarter to 5 and trying to get their car to start warming up before they dash out to it at 5sharp).

    I managed to get up the 'storage shed' shell this past weekend on my land, inspite of the cold. The dear spouse - in spite of severe vulnerability to cold (genuine medical issue) toughed it out to help me get it up. This weekend, with a high in the low teens before wind-chill, we are going to go out and make it more weather tight and stable. BUT we are bringing a heater with us to cut the chill inside the structure. Which means we will have a place to get out of the wind and recover while doing all sorts of projects to get all ready for next building season, and seeing how the land is during the harsher weather.

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    1. Damn, now I feel like a pussy here in balmy Elko. Love the remote heater bit!

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    2. Meh- I from the rental to work is only about 9-10 blocks, I really should walk it but usually bike it instead. Once the snow is too thick for reasonable bike riding I'll rideshare or take a vehicle (the need to run every so often anyways in the cold)

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  4. I build up a tolerance to it, t-shirt and shorts down to 20 degrees. Under 20 I break out the carhartt stuff. If I absolutely must leave the compound I am fully prepared.

    I'd surrender a fair amount of my favoritist legal tenders for a 'do like that'n. ggod gaw!

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  5. Strange weather. That split jet stream/gulf stream/ebola/whatever thingy that is giving the east side frigid temps into da south is also giving the west side warmer then usual weather.

    ENJOY!
    Gil

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  6. I too have occasionally considered leaving Floriduh...until winter comes yet once again.

    Doing well, my wife says that I walk like grandpa McCoy ( Walter Brennan ) on the Real McCoys lol. The lower leg wound is still open and the colder weather is playing hell on all those exposed nerve endings ! Looks like a light is starting to show at the end of this long tunnel tho....

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    1. Remind me not to get hit by a car- sounds like a solid year just getting back to half speed. Best of luck, brother.

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  7. Use to ride my bike 14 miles round trip to work here in ohio till my job moved away. people dont realize the heat your body produces riding a bike. Dress reasonably and staying warm really isn't a problem.
    RIDE ON!

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    1. ah, but no one dresses reasonably, trying to emulate their south California Hollywood Kardashian idols.

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