How do people keep warm when they're outside in 20 degree below temperatures?

Question

I live in the midwest, and we're in the middle of a 2 week coldsnap where it hasn't risen above 0 degrees. The only place I'm warm is in my own house, away from the windows. I dress as warm as I can, without visiting a hunting and fishing sporting good store. I wear 1 layer of long underwear (top and bottom), a turtleneck, and a heavy sweater, thermal socks and $200 hunting boots, wear a hat/gloves.............and I'm still unable to keep the cold from making me extremely distressed. Do hunting and fishing sporting goods stores have more extreme (more expensive is fine) clothing for these extreme temperatures?

I can't relocate or take long vacations right now.

Answer 1

For cold weather gear you can't beat army surplus stuff.

Hell as a kid in Michigan I thought "extreme cold weather parkas" were a fashion statement. Wear a good warm hat when your outside as well. Layering your clothing will help greatly too. There were times as a child I wore 3 pair of socks and as many shirts and pants. As the day gets warmer you can remove a layer. You can handle it man, I promise.

As for your house? Go to the hardware store and spend a few bucks on a staple gun, staples, some clear visqueen plastic sheeting and a humidifier. Go outside and put a sheet of visqueen over every window with the staple gun. Go back inside and start up the humidifier. The plastic will slow down the heat loss at your windows and the humidifier will put moisture into the air. Humid air seems warmer to the skin. Trust me. This will help.

And here is a bonus tip. Go to the autoparts store and buy a dipstick style oil heater for your car. This will keep the oil warmer and thus the whole engine warmer. Your car will start faster and the heater will come up to temp more quickly.

Good luck on the winter. You'll make it.

Miketyson26

Answer 2

You need to layer. The best thing I've ever worn as a base layer is Under Armor. It wicks away any moisture from sweating. If the layer against your skin is wet it saps heat from your body and makes it impossible to keep warm. Wear sock liners too and wool socks. Expedition weight thermals should be the next layer. Then your shirt and pants. I like a pair of insulated bibs and parka instead of coveralls for the outer layer. The top of the bibs and jacket will give you twice the warmth over your internal organs. Always wear a hat since you lose most of your heat through the top of your head. Gloves or a hand warmer or both are a must too. Chemical hand and toe warmers are a good thing to have too. A good pair of boots with boot blankets for extreme temperatures will keep you warm longer. Know the signs of hypothermia if you are going to hunt in very cold weather. It can be dangerous but also very productive. Good luck hunting.

Answer 3

alot of it depends on what you are doing outside. High active, medium or low active or sedentary (ice fishing etc)
I spend a greater majority of my time outside regardless of the temps. One big factor is you have to get aclimated to the cold, second you need to keep your core temperature at 98 degrees. Your extremities can get cold but if you let your core temp go below 95 you die.
I swear by under armour, I wear a base layer of U.A. cold gear a pair of jeans and then a set of arctic wear bibs. My boots are the Rocky 1200 gram pack boots and then I usually where a pair of white socks and some medium wool socks over-top.
Top side I wear the under armour loos gear and then I layer up, usually a turtle neck an two hooded sweatshirts and polar fleece jacket and then a oil skin drover to cut the wind. The head, I put a baclava on and use the hoods. The key is layers though, so if you are active, you can peel a few off or start getting cold put more on.
If you have a serious problem staying warm, get on of those electric heater vests. My buddy got that for hunting and he swears by it.
Good luck and Godspeed

Answer 4

Here is some thermal underwear that I have been using for close to 3 decades and it is great.

The higher number (5) is the warmer stuff and fits snug.

Around here (East Texas) it is 'very cold' when it gets in the mid 20's (we avg. 50-70% humidty) and any colder is just downright frigid.

I wear the base Damart layer, a shirt, a fleece pullover and then my Gore-Tex lined goose down insulated Browning Duck Commander 4-n-1 coat when I go out in the cold.

If I am hunting (or fishing) I will put on my LaCrosse neoprene waders with 1000 grams of thinsulate for my feet.

Answer 5

About an hour before you go out, stock up on fats.

Make yourself a hot chocolate with about a third of a stick of butter melted into it. Does wonders if you take along a thermos of the same, too.

If you're going to be spending cold and miserable time in a treestand etc, eat a high fat breakfast and then take along a sausage cheeseburger with extra cheese.

Clothing-wise, the first thing and most important thing you need to do is cover your head. Tight 'boggin followed by looser one. Andes caps made from alpaca wool are wonderful! Next is your face and neck....loose scarf.

Try to get two layers on all your body parts. Doesn't matter how good the salesman says those new wonder britches are, two layers is still warmer and lets you delayer if you need to. Same goes for gloves....buy a set of wool milsurp glove liners and then wear those inside milsurp mittens.

Answer 6

you have to layer your clothing yes there are some very comfortable underlayers in different weights get a Polar weight underlayer then an over layer of what i call thermal underwear. they are insulated heavily but thin. then you want to put your outer layers of the heavier insulated parkas and bibs, I wear waders cuz i duck hunt. less than 20 degrees with a strong wind and eventually you are going ot get cold. Go to Cabelas.com you will find what you want and it doesnt have to be camo. SPring is coming!

Answer 7

I just finished making a great big pot of homemade bean & ham soup. Nice and hot and comforting. Plus, it helps to warm up the kitchen! My poor husband has been on the road trying to get home, in the snowstorm, for *4* hours now! He'll be ready for soup. Polly

Answer 8

Drink plenty of water, 2 gallons a day when it is cold out. The body will work to warm itself when drinking cool drinks, and cool itself when drinking hot drinks, water right out of the tap might keep you warmer than a hot beverage. I work outdoors, Minnesota, and the cold does not bother me like it used to before I worked outdoors. Plenty of liquids and stay active, till it warms up out there.

Answer 9

Look at skiing stuff. There are some thermals called chili peppers or chilis. Whoa you will be cooking. Also handwarmers last for like 8 hours

Answer 10

Mickey Mouse Boots, you know the black or sometimes white military rubber cold weather boots. I got mine on ebay for about $30, best money I think I have ever spent on outdoor gear.