Shameless Troll

[jeffn]

In light of Christel's thread about winter storms and weather I was curious what you guys use to cope with winter weather. I am sure we all have a couple of tricks to stay warm and functional. Care to share them?

[christel]

Wow, that shameless troll thing is a blast from the past, Jeff!

For me, the key is probably avoiding any chill, even while hanging around my house. I do have the 'luxury' of being able to hibernate when stretches of weather are especially brutal, but staying warm without draft exposure is not without its challenges. (That is how sensitive I am to any temperature fluctuations!)

The old dressing in layers concept applies for me even in the house. I have several pairs of those 'wristies' that I wear to keep my hands comfortable. I recently bought a hooded nightgown for sitting in bed reading before I slide under my down comforter to go to sleep! If I'm especially chilled throughout the day, I will splurge and turn up the thermostat a degree as I pass it while walking down the hall. (I really don't notice a big change in our gas bill with these occasional reckless acts...!). Burying my hands in my yellow lab's fur is great for a quick warmup, too.

I'm sure there are more things I do both consciously and subconsciously to keep warm. I'll share as I think of them!

[jeffn]

Tried the LL Bean electric gloves this weekend while up north. They don't get as warm as the Gerbing's (sp?)but warm enough when it was 15 degrees. The battery life on high is also not as robust as the Gerbing's. Lasted a about 2 hours on high. The LL Bean gloves in my opinion are better made than the Gerbing's as my Gerbing's are coming apart at the seams in a few spots with not all that much use. The controls on the Bean gloves are also easier to use. I will probably use the Gerbing's up north for snowboarding and keep the Bean's here in my bag for work. When boarding the Gerbing's last almost 4 hours and get warmer and I wear them for four hours straight. At home for work I keep the gloves in my bag and wear them to warm up when my hands get cold in regular gloves. At nany rate I don't wear them for 4 hours straight. The Bean's IMO would be good for walking the dog etc. The price on sale for the Bean's was much more reasonable than my pair of Gerbing's. Perhaps Bean's was blowing out their gloves because they are coming out with a new model hopefully with more heat and better battery life.

On another note I stopped at Bass Pro on the way home a few trips ago and they had chemical foot warmers made by Hothands, the same people that make the hand and toe warmers. They are the shape of an insole and have a sticky side to attach to your socks. They come in a pack of five pair. I have not tried them yet but will shortly and report back. If they work as well as the hand and toe warmers they should function well. I find the Hothands products work well and I leave them in all the vehicles and my work bag - just in case. I will do the same with the new foot warmers.

[christel]

The battery-operated gloves are probably not something I'd be interested in as I just do not spend that much time outside. If my heavy duty mittens don't do the job, I have no business being outdoors!

I also have the chemical hand warmers strategically placed throughout my environment, eg. my vehicle, tote bags, purse.

I'm wondering if the foot ones are the same product but in a size that better fits into footwear. I don't think I'd use those either as I don't have any extra room in my shoes/boots.

On another winter note, how are you northeasterners faring in this snowstorm? Hope everyone is staying safe and warm!

[jeffn]

The foot warmers are the shape of an insole and look thin. Have not tried them yet. We are supposed to get a lot of snow today so I may be trying them out sooner than later. I too have the hand and foot warmers tucked away almost everywhere just in case....