Dressing for Cold Weather
 

I am due to travel to Des Moines, IA in a couple of weeks. I will be there for a couple of days (including Valentine's Day :(). I am hoping to get some feedback from others in regards to cold weather dressing specific to my needs (in other words, I need more input than "layers").

I am a VERY warm blooded person (Susan says I am a human furnace). On my last trip to Des Moines in mid November, highs were in the 30's and lows in the teens. I did not have a problem with that: a leather jacket to get from building to car and vice-versa and the rest of the time I wore jeans and light-weight short-sleeved shirts. On the previous trip in early November, highs in the 40s and lows in the 20's and I never even wore my jacket. For these trips, I do not spend any time outdoors other than mentioned above.

I expect it to be colder this time and probably snowing. I was planning on getting some silk long underwear, thicker socks and some gloves. Since I am almost never outdoors, do I need anything more than this? I want to be prepared, but I don't want to go nuts. Also, I don't want to be roasting when I am indoors.

Suggestions/feedback?

A scarf?


It's cold here. It was 66 degrees F earlier. Yikes. Brrrrr!

I'm also very cold resistant (I'm constantly collecting coats and jackets that I look really good in but never get to wear because it literally never gets cold enough in SoCal to bother). My recent trip to Detroit, with freezing temps and snow taught me that, unless you plan on doing anything outdoors more than getting to and from vehicles, I wouldn't worry about it. The only things I can think of are, have a warm hat that will cover your ears, if you expect to touch snow at all make sure your gloves are water proof, and you might want to make sure you've got a good pair of boots or wellies or something for trudging through snow.

Other than that, the good jacket and a warm pair of pants should be fine.

Now the real question, why are you going to Des Moines in Febuary?

Business. I go at least six times per year.

I learned on my last trip there to not fly through Chicago: both outbound and return trips this time are through Denver.

I feel your pain man: it is down to a bone chilling 61 here right now.

Yesterday we had RAIN! It was like Armageddon!

Would you recommend the long johns?

I am going to purchase them and have in my possesion, but wanted your (fellow furnace) $0.02 on wearage.

I could've told you that;) Also don't let them try to switch you to a Chicago plane saying you will have an easier time getting out, they LIE!

From past experience, when Gary was with me, I'd say you won't need the longjohns unless you plan on outdoor activities, although silk ones sound wonderful to me! You should have something to cover your head/ears. Gloves are a great idea too.

When Gary and the boy came they got a convertible and drove around with the top down while it was snowing! Yep, I heard people talking about those crazy people for weeks. I didn't tell them it was my family! If you are mostly inside just wear a good coat and decent shoes, you don't want to slide on the ice and snow. If you layer you will just get hot quicker and then have a lot of layers to carry around with you.

Have you tried the Drake Diner? They have wonderful food. I'll have to think of other good food places. They do have great jazz clubs in Des Moines if you like that kind of music.

I had a pair of thermals with me that I found entirely unnecessary. Not that it was uber-cold (never got below 30), but it would have had to have been a fair bit colder for me to bother with the thermals if I wasn't going to spend more than 5 minutes at a time outside.

But then, they don't take up much space, so if it's threatening to get appreciably below freezing, might not be a bad idea to bring them just in case.

How long are you planning to be outside?

For me the key is extremities.

Extra warm socks, gloves, and a nice fleece hat that covers the ears.

Add nice warm coat (preferably wind resistant) and you are good to go.

Susan and I will frequently drive in a light rain with the sunroof open.

I usually don't have time for fun stuff. Normally I get in later on Sunday evening and leave early (before dinner) on Tuesday. I stay in Ankeny as it is closer to the plant I am visiting and have found a favorite BBQ restaurant there (Bandanas).

And in case I miss saying it later, thank you to everyone who contributed - it has been a big help!

I recommend the red ones.

:decap:

As a fellow polar bear my biggest concern is how much they heat up interior spaces when it's cold out. Drives me nuts to get so hot inside. So while longjohns could very well come in handy, being an undergarment it's less easy to peel them off. I'd say at least get the bottom half, since there are only so many layers that can be added to our legs. The top is up to you. Might be good to have just in case, but in general you will probably prefer to have short sleeves under a big jacket or sweatshirt then jacket. So when you get inside, you can regulate your body temp by going down to shirtsleeves (should balance out the longjohns on your legs)

I'm rambling, but you get the picture.

I like bleu cheese for any kind of weather.

Even I don't wear long johns and I'm quite thermally challenged.

Warmer socks, shoes with treads, a hat, gloves and a scarf. (If it were me, I'd add "layers" and a warm, ass-covering coat.)

Thinsulate.

I very quickly learned about that when I moved up there for those couple crazy years.

I have still have my thinsulate parka you can borrow, if you like. It's green and not girly. And, if you get too warm, the thinsulate layer comes out.

I like ice cream in cold weather.

Layers.

Honestly, I should get Jason in on this thread. This is the first year in about a decade that he hasn't been in Iowa during February (yes, this will be our first Valentine's Day together). It's almost too bad... the two of you could have met up!

Being cold is simply a state of mind and a sign of a weak character and moral turpitude.

I currently work with a human furnace who insists that we keep our office at an acceptable temperature for him since he refuses to wear short sleeves.

In order to not sit here shivering all day I have to wear a heavy sweater, warm jacket and keep a blanket on my legs. My hands are freezing. I need to get fingerless gloves. But you know, he shouldn't have to wear short sleeves at work or bake. So I get to freeze even though I shouldn't have to cover up this much.

So as far as I'm concerned you should wear shorts and flip flops ;)

You won't need the long underwear unless you're spending a significant amount of time outside. Get some nice merino wool socks and warm gloves. Wear a hat that covers your ears and have a scarf to cover your face to protect from any wind chill effects. You will probably want some boots if there's going to be snow. Getting to/from buildings can be messy and the salt can ruin a nice pair of shoes. Just carry your shoes in a separate bag and put them on when you're inside.

Wear layers on top so you can remove something if the building is too warm.

For your reference, for more serious cold: How To Properly Bundle

Here's what I got last night at REI:

• Silk undies (tops and bottoms)
• Gloves
• A convertible head thing that can be just a cap, everything but the face, or a pseudo scarf/neck wrap

I won't wear the long underwear unless needed. I will make sure the hat and gloves are readily available when I land.

The best part is that the company is paying for it all!

I'm just hoping I can find my other boot: I have good hiking boots I want to wear, but one seems to be missing :(

Thanks - I will read up on that at home.

Wuss.

In your honor, I shall refrain from actually wearing any of it. Maybe I will wear my kilt (properly) instead.

Wuss.

You want me to go nekked?

Or am I just a wuss no matter what?

Three. Frelling. Degrees. This morning.

It was in the negatives over night.

I wore shorts to work yesterday.

I was sitting here thinking it's cold... but of course, it's in the 60's here...

It's been really cold in the mornings lately. Below 40 most days, near, if not below freezing a couple of times. The only thing I really need to wear on my ride to work to protect myself is leather gloves (and actually, since they ended up saving my hands from damage after my fall, I'll be sticking with them even as the weather warms). Without those my fingers do end up hurting like hell. Other than that though, I've continued to wear the same shorts and thin shirt I wear on the hottest days. Doesn't bother me one bit.

Grrrrr!

It's above freezing here today.

All the hard packed snow we have lying about is now the consistency of a Slurpee. Makes it hard to walk anywhere.

A) Do you view these as mutually exclusive options.

B) If the reason you're wearing clothes is because you'll otherwise be cold then: wuss. If you're wearing them for other reasons such as convenience or aesthetic predilection or modesty, then not wuss.

Sounds like hell froze over. I'll book my flight to come see you. ;)

That paints a mental picture of you riding to work stark naked except for a pair of gloves.

It was freaking cold this morning. 38 when I left home. My fingers hurt, even through my leather gloves.

But I suppose the ride could always be worse:

OK, here's another question. I always rent a car when I go to Des Moines. In case they are needed (fairly decent chance), would the rental company supply tire chains? Do they put them on if there is snow on the ground?

My first thought is no and no, but you could call the local office & ask, if you are a AAA member they might rent you a set . . .

Enterprise does not provide them nor do they allow them to be put on their cars. I'm not sure what the heckity schmeck you're supposed to do if you get into an area where they're required. I noticed this when I rented in Reno last year, Tahoe roads often have chains required and the airport closest is Reno. I just looked and Hertz is the same.

I get why - if they come loose or you don't put them on right it can really mess up the car but I don't know what you're supposed to do if you're renting in an area that has snow.

No one uses chains in Iowa. There are no mountains. The only places I've seen chains used are in the mountains. People in cold climates either have all-season tires, or switch to some sort of snow tire for winter.

Thanks! I have never had to use chains in my life, so this is a new topic for me.

Heh, You can't tell it from looking at your screen but I'm laughing at you. Get a nice FWD or AWD car and you'll be fine. Oh, and if you need it check the glove compartment, many rental companies toss an ice scraper in there.

When driving don't use the recycled air option it will fog up the inside of your windows.

And always remember, power slides in snow are both easy and fun!

Ok, if you're that inexperienced I'll share a story to help you avoid embarrassment.

Lani spent 20 years in Hawaii and then moved here to California. Not much cold weather experience (and none as an adult). A couple years ago we get a pretty hard freeze (for around here) and there's frost on the windshield. Enough that I should probably scrape it but not enough that I can't drive without doing so. And I'm lazy.

But Lani is in the passenger seat and the frost annoys her. So she reaches over without saying anything and sprays wiper solution thinking that will help melt the frost. Super slomo of me screaming "nooooooooo" and reaching for her hand, but not in time to stop her before there was a solid sheet of wiper solution ice covering the entire windshield as I'm driving down the street.

So the moral of the story is: Don't get married.

Well yeah that and Don't fill your wiper reservoir with water.

You can pretty much assume rental agencies outside of Hawaii and CA use a good De-icer in their wiper reservoir so feel free to squirt away.

Well, I deserve it.

Thanks for sharing. I knew that one, but I appreciate the heads up!

Btw.... on the topic of driving on snow:

Even if you have AWD and snow tires on an SUV, keep a slow pace. I recall numerous idiots with their SUVs in ditches alongside the road, because they thought snow tires and AWD meant they were immune to the sideways action of snow and ice. I'd putz right on by them and laugh my ass off, because it was usually the people I'd see pass me at 30 mph. (Seriously, that's all it takes in some conditions.) And, I only had regular tires and FWD on my little Dodge Shadow. Now, if the roads are plowed and well-salted, you can move a bit more normally, but if it is actively snowing at the time, don't even try it.

So, allow more time for where you need to go, and don't even hope to get there faster. Speed can turn you into an uncontrollable sled in the blink of an eye.

I laughed out loud at this entire story.

Neener, neener! Kevy is a weather wimp!
 

This. Slow the hell down when you're driving in winter. That's the main thing. Ask the rental desk for an ice scraper for your car's windows.

Just dress in layers, Kevy. No long undies, though.

Also, my BIL is a vice cop in Des Moines. You have connections, pal.

Is his name Bob? That's who got me on my last trip.

Steven got me the time before - is he your BIL?.

She said vice cop, not man whore ;)