Interesting idea. Have you ever tried it?

It is a standard training in Winter Warfare and Winter Survival taught to Canadian Troops.

Yes I did and since I know his background, do did he.

I freeze dry laundry all winter and so do the Amish. It will be ever so slightly damp if its cold enough to freeze the clothes, but for outer layers not a problem to use right away. Its when its not quite freezing outside that there is a problem.

Been there, and not fun. 😥

I have a few suggestions...

IF you are doing a lot of standing still outside, get a parka... that last little bit covering you below the belt is important in extremely cold weather, or in times where you don't have long underwear or ski pants. A good parka will have a draw cord around the waist, and a really good hood. I bought a Canada Goose parka last year, and it's awesome, but it cost me $700. I just bought a used Sears down parka at a garage sale this fall for $20. The sears down parka looks just about as effective as the Canada Goose, but maybe not as stylish?

Protect your feet! Properly insulated boots will cause moisture coming off your feet to condense before they reach the outside, this involves moisture build up. There is no way around this. You need to be able to remove the liners each and every night you use the boots, in order to dry them. Also, buy them a little bit bigger than you would a normal shoe.. You need an extra bit of air space at the tip of the boot to keep your toes warm.

Good luck

There is something as important or more important than the clothing;
the thoughts of the person and the history you have with cold and winter.

If you hate the winter, hate the cold then you will be cold no matter what you wear. When you accept that it is winter, embrace winter, love to be outside and enjoy being outside then the cold does not affect you very much or bother you much normally.

Yes, some people due to vit deficiency or Iron deficiency are affected a lot more by the cold, but even then it is the attitude behind it that matters most.

Recently while up at the Mine, there were a few guys from Africa, new Immigrants to Canada who were working there. Nice guys actually willing to learn, one of them was always cold, he wore so many layers of clothing, we nicknamed him Coats! One evening we were standing in a group on break and he was complaining of the cold, so I told him the following;
"I have always been taught by my Uncles and by the Military to accept the cold, accept the winter then it affects you less. Find good things about the cold and winter and just get used to it."

So background on what we were wearing then. That evening we were wearing One T-shirt and a reflective Vest and sweating or finding it warm.
He was wearing 2 T-shirts, 2 sweaters, 1 coat, a woolen cap, and large pair of winter gloves. He did not believe me, until later I said why are you standing there cold, dressed like that and the other fellows from your village are wearing a lot less clothes and are not cold?

Two weeks later, he was acclimatising himself by running around with shorts and two t-shirts on in the evening. He thanked me and my buddy who had been talking to him, and said, "I listened to you and am doing much better now in the cold and am enjoying working here more!" We both said, that is awesome and great, but truthfully buddy, this is just entering fall and it is not cold or winter yet, he went pale then smiled and said, "I will enjoy it then too!"

I think he will too.

One trick I learned about myself during winter warfare training, If I felt like I was getting too warm, I would take my gloves off. A lot of heat radiates through your hands. when my hand started to feel chilly(not cold) I put my gloves/mits back on. This method kept me warm with out sweating or taking my jacket off. When working hard take your jacket off before you start. you may feel chilly at first, but hard work warms you up fast, like chopping wood, (or running away from that awefully big hungry looking dog) but why run, you have your axe and your rifle, that is leaning against the tree where the Dog is standing...... 😯

I need new winter stuff and was wondering if you all could make some recommendations for brands, what to look for, things I should get. I need a new coat, boots and warm gloves for a start but after reading some of the ratings I am getting a bit confused. Some survival sites say it's not the rating but the layers that make a difference.

My favourite winter jacket is made by an unlikely company called Arson which actually only make snowboard related gear. The guy told me I could put it on and stand under the shower and not get wet so I took it home and tried it with the promise that I could return it for a refund if it didn't work. It worked all right, water beads off of it like water off a ducks back and it is fairly thin and light yet highly thermal so its not a huge bulky thing like down which is ruined if soaked. Very well made. Have winter camped and power sledded in it for years. All zippers are waterproof and it even has water proof armpit zippers to give you ventilation so you dont sweat very much when working outside in it. Sweating due to lack of ventilation is the worst thing you can do outdoors while wearing a winter jacket as you will be twice as cold later on. A bonus is that the deign print is of a subtle dark grey camouflage. It was meant to be. $300 and worth every penny and is IMHO better than all the jackets I have found or bought in the past from the outdoor or hunting shops.

6 years and counting with no rips or broken zippers etc. and the fabric is quiet enough to hunt in. The lycra thumb cuff that seals off the inside of the sleeve so snow or air doesn't fly up your arm is nice and it has belt loops inside so the jacket wont ride up your back even when sliding down a snow covered decline.

Snowboard gear is some of the best made winter stuff you can find.

Another thought, you may consider raw caribou hide. Learned this in a winter survival workshop.

There is a critical flaw in all man-made winter gear, even the most technologically advanced designs.

The issue is that your body gives off moisture constantly. The moisture travels outward through the layers of your coat as a vapour until it reaches the layer where it is 0 celcius. At that point it condenses while still inside your winter coat. This is not a problem for most people in most scenarios, because the person goes indoors, where the condensed perspiration is allowed to return to vapour and exit the coat. The issue comes when you are outside for days and you are not able to enter a warm area in order to remove the garment and dry it out by an external heat source. The frost continually builds up, making your jacket heavier and heavier, while losing it's insulation value.

Caribou hides, are worn with the hairs facing inward. All of the insulation value comes from the hollow hairs attached to the hide. The moisture condenses at the point within the garment that is 0 celcius, same as any other coat, but this will be at some place along the caribou hair. The garment can then be taken off, turned inside out, and beaten with a stick to allow the frost to fall off the hairs, then quickly put back on with restored insulation value.

Fishin_E,

I like caribou hide. Seal skin. Bear hides. Wolf pelts. Many of the original clothing items used the Inuit still have a place in Canada. They show the ingeniuity of using what is available to conquer or live with the climate you are in.

Buckskin and doeskin garmets were make with fringe on the sleeves and legs. With these thin strands of hide, any water that got on the garmet would be drawn to the end of these strands and thus removed. Yes, it took time but these garmets would dry once the rain stopped. Just another example of making the best of what you have.

Like caribou hides for garmets or just to as covers for your sleeping platform inside your snowshelter, the old ways should not be discarded just because they are old. Keep what works, new or old.

Mountainman.

Dont forget wolverine trim on your hood, or is it badger. I tend to get the two mixed up as their both bad asses.

What ever you do, do not let your head be bare when your sweating. Put on a lighter cap on, cotton in this case, because of it wicking ability. If you have ever a case of brain freeze to be had, this is when. If your head is wet from sweat, rub it down first with a towel, and put a light cap on. And take that damn heavy coat off. 👿

The other thought was to try Merino wool, it is a very high quality wool from New Zealand if I recall. It has a finer texture, not itchy to the touch.

Mountainman.

Just bought 3 pairs of Joe Work socks from Superstore, 60% Merino for 5$ each. I think it's a good deal for the % of wool they have in them.

Buckskin and doeskin garmets were make with fringe on the sleeves and legs. With these thin strands of hide, any water that got on the garmet would be drawn to the end of these strands and thus removed. Yes, it took time but these garmets would dry once the rain stopped. Just another example of making the best of what you have.

I always thought they were just decoration. Lots of great info on this thread - glad it got bumped. Almost time to start picking up deals for next winter!

Howdy All,

Here is a picture of a parka setup for winter. Even if this is the only piece of survival gear in your vehicle in the winter, this may make the difference between being around to be rescued or being found in the spring by the vultures.

or follow this link see this picture at my blog.

Cheers,

Mountainman.

A web store i know ( http://www.apparelchoice.com ) which also offer jackets hoddies and other winter selection on very cheap prices as compare to apparelnbags and other clothing related webstire. You guys may be interested. Have a look and decide yourself. They are offering really great prices. I presonally ordered tried this web store. Service are just awsome and shipping is great!
http://www.apparelchoice.com/8-outer-wear.htm