Cold Weather Gear Best and Worst - Page 2

I wear a LaCross subzero coverall when tracking or just standing around the field. I use military long johns....ski pants....hand warmers if necessary.

you guys sound like you are dressing for everest.  here in iowa, any day that is above 0* and the sun is shinning is downright balmy!  LMAO!!!!!

Im a  multi layer gal and hate parkas and such. Underclothes of course then Add a cotton or knit shirt over your undershirt. The shirts shouldn't be baggy, but it also shouldn't be skin tight. You want to create a thin layer of air between each layer of clothing for insulation. That warm air that is trapped between each layer will keep your warm. Wear a sweater on top of your shirt. The sweater should be slightly more baggy than the shirt. It should not be extremely thin, but also not so thick that you can't fit your jacket on over it. Personally I prefer if really cold wool for that layer or if not so bad fleece. If you are hiking or walking through snow or ice, select boots that are made of waterproof materials like Gore-Tex. Do not wear shoes without traction. In the winter, it is easy to fall on ice and get injured. Finish up with your final layer, consisting of an overcoat and protection for your head and hands. An overcoat is vital in cold weather, choose a slick wind breaker or raincoat depending on the forecast. Protect your head with ear muffs, scarves and hats. The body loses the most heat from the head and the feet; therefore, it's very important to keep these areas covered and warm. Add a pair of gloves to protect your hands.

Not that it gets very cold here in Houston, but I typically use my ski clothes when training in cold and wet conditions. I use polortec unders and gortex outers. The polartec keeps you dry and warm and the gortex keeps the wind from penetrating. I also have an Elmer Fudd hat and combination polartec and gortex gloves and 2 pairs of socks, inner is polypropylene and the outer is smart wool. If your boots are too tight, no matter what socks you wear, your feet will be cold.

I've camped in Colorado in windy sub-freezing weather and was never horribly cold.  The trick is to have warm inner layers that keep you dry (NO COTTON), and a windproof outer layer thats lets moisture out and keeps the wind out too. gortex isn't the only outer shell fabric but was the first and is the most well known.

If you can wait another month or two, the big ski sales will begin and all the stuff will be marked down to almost half price....

Also if you don't mind cammo patterns - Bass Pro and Cabala's has some inexpensive gortex in their fishing department - ... or they did last year....

Good luck!

http://www.sierratradingpost.com/d/290_Womens-Waterproof-Shell-Jackets.html has some great prices