So you want us to believe you weren't cold?

[Anonymuse]

A Geordie, not a Georgie.

Someone from the Newcastle area of the UK. They tend to wear black and white stripes.

 

[Penelope Street]

So in England, Newcastle is the cold north? Are the black and white stripes their athletic team or is it a prison?

My mechanic said thinsulate works, but if I'm not getting wet, good old down was hard to beat and if I liked layering, to try polar fleece underneath something to break the wind.

Go figure, the cold snap's finally over and we might get above freezing soon, so fair chance this won't need to try any of the above again until December.

Thanks, everyone, for keeping this little chat light, fun, and informative.

 

[Weird Harold]

My mechanic said thinsulate works, but if I'm not getting wet, good old down was hard to beat and if I liked layering, to try polar fleece underneath something to break the wind.

Down is hard to beat for combating dry cold, just as I don't know of any synthetic that can beat wolf fur for the ruff on a parka hood -- Wolf fur doesn't collect ice from your breath condensing on it like synthetic furs do (I have no idea how it manages that trick, and apparently neither do synthetic fur makers. )

Still, high-tech insulation and breathable fabrics like Gortec (tm) (sp?) work even when wet and are much less bulky than down (and are non-allergenic for those allergic to feathers.) Layering synthetics provides as much protection as natural products do without the bulk (or expense.)

 

[Xelebes]

Layering is key. Having a couple light layers under a big coat will keep you warm even in -40.

 

[alyxen]

After living in AZ for so long, my cold tolerance has definitely dropped. However growing up in upstate NY (lows with wind chill down to 20 below or so) I didn't usually have a problem. Now in CA I get cold if the temperature drops below 60. Thankfully that isn't too often.