Moving to a new climate.

[adela]

Hello!

 

So, I will be moving for grad school/ my husband's job later this year. I've always lived in warm climates, although I do have some experience with cold and snowy winters. The region I am moving to, however, is far more north than I've ever lived and..is tundra level cold. I don't think my past winter experience will adequately prepare me for this endeavor. I'm pretty excited about this, but also somewhat nervous.

 

Any of you have any advice you're willing to offer? 

 

Thanks! 

[pears]

Invest in microspikes, & familiarize yourself with the layout of the new locale & public transportation in the area as best you can. REI gear sales are amazing for finding top quality, sturdy winter clothes at a reasonable price. Ditto the websites The Clymb, Evo, & SteepAndCheap! Depending on where you're going & what your housing situation will be like, you could also look into whether there are options for subsidized home-winterizing. I invested in a 10,000 lux "happy lamp" (Seasonal Affective Disorder/SAD "sun" lamp), since I live in a cold & overcast place, & it was totally worth it!

[adela]

Invest in microspikes, & familiarize yourself with the layout of the new locale & public transportation in the area as best you can. REI gear sales are amazing for finding top quality, sturdy winter clothes at a reasonable price. Ditto the websites The Clymb, Evo, & SteepAndCheap! Depending on where you're going & what your housing situation will be like, you could also look into whether there are options for subsidized home-winterizing. I invested in a 10,000 lux "happy lamp" (Seasonal Affective Disorder/SAD "sun" lamp), since I live in a cold & overcast place, & it was totally worth it!

 

Thank you for the suggestions! I love me some REI- I will definitely be looking into those other sites though. I hadn't heard of them before. 

[MadtownJacket]

Buy a cheap pair of ski goggles.  You never know when you'll have -20 degree weather with a real-feel temp of -50 and you need to go outside to go to work/school.

[adela]

Buy a cheap pair of ski goggles.  You never know when you'll have -20 degree weather with a real-feel temp of -50 and you need to go outside to go to work/school.

Funfun! Haha. I have some fortunately, from my snowboarding trips to the mountains. 

 

Good advice nonetheless! 

[DeafAudi]

Buy a cheap pair of ski goggles.  You never know when you'll have -20 degree weather with a real-feel temp of -50 and you need to go outside to go to work/school.

Haha, I live in western Canada where it is regularly that cold in the winter and I have never heard of anyone using ski goggles outside of skiing! Why not, though? I'll have to try it sometime!

[themmases]

Get a lot of socks in a variety of weights so you can layer them, including inside your apartment. Socks have always made the biggest difference for me.

 

Have a plan for your coat-skin interfaces. Arm warmers so wind doesn't whistle up your sleeves and into your gloves, scarf you can wrap around a few times and tuck into your collar, some kind of undershirt you can tuck in if your top layer will be untucked. Tights make a big difference under pants (and are thin enough that you can layer them). And go ahead and get more than one pair of boots so you can rotate them, especially if you will be getting around at all by walking. Every winter that I've owned only one pair, even nice ones, they have been destroyed by the end of the winter because they just got so much use.

 

These all kept me really comfortable this (absolutely terrible) winter in Chicago, where I regularly waited for a bus at 7 a.m. within sight of the lake.

[adela]

Get a lot of socks in a variety of weights so you can layer them, including inside your apartment. Socks have always made the biggest difference for me.

 

Have a plan for your coat-skin interfaces. Arm warmers so wind doesn't whistle up your sleeves and into your gloves, scarf you can wrap around a few times and tuck into your collar, some kind of undershirt you can tuck in if your top layer will be untucked. Tights make a big difference under pants (and are thin enough that you can layer them). And go ahead and get more than one pair of boots so you can rotate them, especially if you will be getting around at all by walking. Every winter that I've owned only one pair, even nice ones, they have been destroyed by the end of the winter because they just got so much use.

 

These all kept me really comfortable this (absolutely terrible) winter in Chicago, where I regularly waited for a bus at 7 a.m. within sight of the lake.

Thank you for such a detailed reply.  

 

If there's one thing I can get behind it's having lots of boots and scarves! 

[PhDerp]

Get a lot of socks in a variety of weights so you can layer them, including inside your apartment. Socks have always made the biggest difference for me.

 

^Seconded. Also, make sure you start with a size that fits, then layer on larger socks. Don't wear anything too tight (which restricts circulation)!

[microarray]

Not just any type of sock, get some wool socks. One of the best investments you can make. 

[Vene]

Some disjointed thoughts I have from growing up in the upper midwest:

Layers are your friend, as is making sure everything you wear in winter is waterproof. Especially boots, you want then waterproof and with good traction, especially when spring is coming in and after the snow melts in the day it refreezes at night leaving you with a sheet of ice. For truly terrible temperatures (-40 F, for example) you avoid cold, don't go outside unless you absolutely have to.

If you have a car, change the oil before winter, I don't care what the mileage is or when it's scheduled you want it to be able to start if it's sitting outside all night at -10 degrees. You'll also want an emergency kit, even just a blanket will help a lot if it dies on you in the dead of winter.

If in doubt, follow the lead of the people around you.

[adela]

Some disjointed thoughts I have from growing up in the upper midwest:

Layers are your friend, as is making sure everything you wear in winter is waterproof. Especially boots, you want then waterproof and with good traction, especially when spring is coming in and after the snow melts in the day it refreezes at night leaving you with a sheet of ice. For truly terrible temperatures (-40 F, for example) you avoid cold, don't go outside unless you absolutely have to.

If you have a car, change the oil before winter, I don't care what the mileage is or when it's scheduled you want it to be able to start if it's sitting outside all night at -10 degrees. You'll also want an emergency kit, even just a blanket will help a lot if it dies on you in the dead of winter.

If in doubt, follow the lead of the people around you.

Thanks for the car care bit. I'm shitty about car care.

[adela]

Not just any type of sock, get some wool socks. One of the best investments you can make. 

Oh god. Wool socks. Can do. They seem so cozy.

[maelia8]

@pears ditto about the SAD lamp. I live in a place where it doesn't even get that cold, but it is almost always overcast and gets a lot of rain. I suffer a lot from seasonal depression, and the lamp makes a huge difference! If you're used to a lot of clear days every year, it may take a while to get used to gray skies and little sun, so this investment is really worth it if you find out that you get "sun-sick."

[harrisonfjord]

I went to college in MN after being a FL native my entire life. Shop for sweaters/colder gear now (if you can) since it will be all clearanced out and much cheaper. I scored a $300 coat for $40 in June. Also I would totally recommend getting one of those longer winter coats (the ones that hit at the knee). I originally scoffed at the idea, but after two weeks of MN weather I was super thankful that I invested in one of those longer coats when the wind chill was -20 degrees.

 

I also agree with the posters above who mentioned rotating boots. I only bought one pair and they were destroyed by the end of winter. Best of luck!

Edited May 11, 2014 by harrisonfjord

[Secret_Ninja]

I went from Texas to the tundra   I am not a fan. Here are some tips:

1. I second the "happy" lamp!

2. Get an emergency kit for your car. Make sure (on top of the usual car stuff) it has a mini-shovel, candles, hand warmers, granola bars, ice scraper, de-icer spray, and that crazy astronaut blanket. 

3. Invest in GOOD boots. I suggest Columbia, omni-heat. I bought a $200 pair 4 years ago and I do not regret that decision one bit. 

4. Buy a "sno brum" for your car. It is amazing, everyone who sees it is jealous, and you can clean snow off 4 cars in less than 10 minutes. 

5. LOTION. Cold weather sucks all the moisture out of your skin. 

6. Jackets that you can zip/button around your neck and have an attached hood. 

 

I am sure there are more - but learn to love hot drinks, enjoy the snow as an extra "beer fridge", and drive very very slowly (bollocks to anyone who complains).

[adela]

I went from Texas to the tundra   I am not a fan. Here are some tips:

1. I second the "happy" lamp!

2. Get an emergency kit for your car. Make sure (on top of the usual car stuff) it has a mini-shovel, candles, hand warmers, granola bars, ice scraper, de-icer spray, and that crazy astronaut blanket. 

3. Invest in GOOD boots. I suggest Columbia, omni-heat. I bought a $200 pair 4 years ago and I do not regret that decision one bit. 

4. Buy a "sno brum" for your car. It is amazing, everyone who sees it is jealous, and you can clean snow off 4 cars in less than 10 minutes. 

5. LOTION. Cold weather sucks all the moisture out of your skin. 

6. Jackets that you can zip/button around your neck and have an attached hood. 

 

I am sure there are more - but learn to love hot drinks, enjoy the snow as an extra "beer fridge", and drive very very slowly (bollocks to anyone who complains).

 

Thanks for the extra car kit recommendations! I'm actually trying to think of extra things to add to my emergency kit. Very useful.

 

Oooh, columbia boots! I will look into that brand. Somehow Columbia had slipped my mind. 

 

I dry out so bad. Lotion is my favorite. 

[victorydance]

No need to go overboard.

 

As long as you have four things you are fine:

 

1) Toque (or whatever you call it down there)

2) Gloves

3) Lots of Layers

4) Good Footwear.

[adela]

No need to go overboard.

 

As long as you have four things you are fine:

 

1) Toque (or whatever you call it down there)

2) Gloves

3) Lots of Layers

4) Good Footwear.

 

I actually had to google what you meant by toque. It seems it is what I would call a beanie. 

[Vene]

3. Invest in GOOD boots. I suggest Columbia, omni-heat. I bought a $200 pair 4 years ago and I do not regret that decision one bit.

Military surplus is also an option. The best boots I ever got were for paratroopers, completely waterproof.

 

4. Buy a "sno brum" for your car. It is amazing, everyone who sees it is jealous, and you can clean snow off 4 cars in less than 10 minutes.

Those things are seriously amazing.

Edited May 12, 2014 by Vene

[pears]

 

I dry out so bad. Lotion is my favorite. 

 

It's not the cheapest, but I swear by CeraVe lotion. I've always got dry, super sensitive skin, & it gets infinitely worse during the winter here, no matter how much tea & water I drink. My dermatologist recommended CeraVe to me after a few weeks of miserable winter skin. Also, organic, milk-based soaps with oatmeal or coffee & minimal perfumes are excellent for exfoliating dry skin without making it worse.

[adela]

It's not the cheapest, but I swear by CeraVe lotion. I've always got dry, super sensitive skin, & it gets infinitely worse during the winter here, no matter how much tea & water I drink. My dermatologist recommended CeraVe to me after a few weeks of miserable winter skin. Also, organic, milk-based soaps with oatmeal or coffee & minimal perfumes are excellent for exfoliating dry skin without making it worse.

I use CeraVe actually! This past winter was very dry, and I switched to it. Good choice for sure. Thanks for the other suggestions as well. I imagine the harsher winters might call for further experiments with my skin care regimen.

Edited May 14, 2014 by adela

[C&C]

From my experience of living in New England...

 

1. Long underwear or whatever you prefer to call it. Growing up in Florida and being a swimmer, I've never been a fan of excessive clothing, so long underwear kept me toasty and enabled me to wear less layers. 

 

2. CHAPSTICK! Any kind and every kind! As someone who didn't carry a small bottle of lotion like many of my friends, I used to rub some chapstick on my knuckles if they became too dry. Held me over until I made it back to the apartment.