We are tropical species freezing cold working outside in cold wet humid marine weather conditions
Ain't keeping warm.
Best bang for the buck please. We are working outdoors in 20-40 degree conditions Fahrenheit with high windchill and humidity Vest, down Jacket long johns? other? Our 20 year old fleece jackets and wind breakers ain't doing the job we are freezing cold
No worries, plan in progress to warm up the planet.
I suggest you Google jacket manufacturer in Minnesota. Price is very good years ago.
One brand was thinsulate
Something like that
The guys at the shop swear by Under Armour. It's not cheap, but apparently effective in wet conditions and not bulky. I tend to skip thermal underwear and go to the lined pants.
Walmart has great deals on fleece lined jeans and cargo pants-- about $27 for Wranglers. (Available online if your store has sold out-- but don't wait too long since they tend to sell out.) For high humidity or rainy weather, the fleece is much more effective than flannel (and lighter).
If it's really wet, pull on a pair of oversize rain pants over the lined pants, or over sweatpants. (search 'rain pants' on Walmart.)
I'm a fan of layering, trapping air between layers for insulation. Long-sleeved tee, workshirt, zip-up sweatshirt, lined shell.
Footwear: I like snow sneakers.
These ones are great, but pricey (Worth it to me, because I need extra wide....). Anybody's PAC boots will be waterproof and warm. 'Moon boots', like children's snow boots, will be cheap, warm, and dry if you can find them in adult sizes
Once you get home, a pair of Ugg clones (sheepskin boot or booties, real or fake) take the chill off and keep you toasty.
You know there are battery operated jacket, gloves and shoes
Yes, and some even have USB ports!
Hi Als & Happy Holidays to You & Yours !! :
This may or may not be helpful coming from a non-tropical inhabitant, but I'll try pitching in a wee bit...
Our location is sometimes referred to as 'the rainforests of Vermont' - very humid & often just plain old wet with strong winds & low temps as complements to those.
The main 'secrets' which work for many are the layering previously suggested by KentE - with a top layer of good wind-breaking materials.
The ultimate part of the formula however is a material named Goretex (or one of its several work-alikes) which allows moisture to escape away from the skin;
This helps massively in keeping warm because soggy clothing makes for a complete chilling !!
Having to work outdoors in humid conditions despite freezing temps brought the discovery that sweaty boots were the worst enemy.
The discovery was that cold, soggy feet quickly made for a full-body chill.
The fix was Goretex lined boots - not cheap by any means - but quite amazing.
Here in the north country my final item is actually an ancient (30+ years old) snorkel coat that I now refer to as my 'storm shell' because all the poly filling is totally flat, but leaving the double layer of nylon out & inside along with the wind stopping hood & cuffs it keeps everything from my legs up from wind chills even when I'm out clearing snow on a -20F night with significant winds.
The only weak spot is the hands as I'm too cheap to buy Goretex lined gloves;
This is simply because I wear out too many gloves too quickly for such an expense to make sense.
My chosen solution instead is just leather gloves with Thinsulate linings - AND a spare pair within reach when needed.
Hopefully you folks do not have to also cope with glare ice in your location ?!?
Here, we absolutely do not venture outside unless wearing boots with crampons - or painful falls will result.
Best Wishes, and again:
Happy Holidays !!
Thanks all. Step one for a tropical species, who had no clue that being freezing cold makes you stupid.
My head covering just arrived The difference is immediate. I don't feel cold dumb/ cold stunned/ stupid. I feel %100 smarter since I am warmer. I'm still waiting on my order for a jacket, thermals and cold weather shoes
We only see glare ice from time to time in our region. I keep a pair of stretchy rubber space frames with embedded spikes that can be stretched over any shoe or boot for such occasions. Since our driveway is downhill to the street, they've saved me from falling and sliding down the drive numerous times.
als, since you're a warm-weather species....
For brutal windy days, a muffler really does help. The prime concept is stopping air infiltration around the neck of your coat. It's best worn tucked inside the coat, not outside where it's fashionable.....
Pick a fleece or polyester one, long enough to wrap twice around your neck, loose ends in front, loosely tied, jacket on top. Tie it loose enough that you can pull a layer up over your mouth & nose if really necessary. (But if you wear glasses, this will likely fog your glasses in short order....
Yes:
Crampons.
Here they go on the boots at the 1st freeze - generally some bit of the rubber will break after a month or so mandating to keep a spare set on hand - and they get removed if/when the temp stays well above the frost line...in May ?!?
Personally (except for the falling parts !!) I'll enjoy all the cooler times I can get as those are my most mobile & healthiest times. (Glare ice included, unfortunately.)