Clothing for cold weather work

[Sawin]

Well, if you were to duct tape between your hat and collar, no snow would be going down....Seriously, a full brim hardhat and turtleneck helps with the snow going down neck and back thing. There's lots of zippy turtleneck poly tops out there. Oh, the Wisconsinites like to wear a pair of light weight gloves with leather "choppers" (mittens) over the gloves. Out here, I like to wear the insulated rubbery gloves. I carry several pairs cuz they still get wet.
To dry them, I put them over the boot dryer tubes. I haven't had to patch them with purple duct tape ....yet.

Can't wear a turtleneck. Too warm unless sitting on Tractor. I would like a full brim except, I do at times like the face screen on mine.

Duck tape is our friend. I might try taping some sort of flap to the back of the hat. Now if I could only find my purple and pastel rolls, I'll be in business.

 

[ak4195]

+1 Trees here will dump a snow load down your neck :censored: . And, use the chaps, full helmet system, steel toe boots.

Thats what the fleece hoodie is for,protects the neck,just a tad of insulation for the bean under the skull bucket.Full brim helps deflect as well.As far as steel toes go,I use insulated steel toe XTRA-TUFFS,for the chilly days its SERVUS insulated pac boots w/ hardened toe.For the super cold its bunny boots.I used to work in the clearing dept for the local util,Most of the guys had calked Whites for the nasty or deep drift days,also several had there XTRA-Tuffs custom calked as well as bunny boots.I like to take care of my Danners,they wont come out till its summer n dry.

ak

 

[2dogs]

Thanks very much for all the advice. I was just out splitting some of what I dropped yesterday and even dressed in jeans, flannel shirt and knitted hat, I am still sweating like crazy. Temp currently 19 degrees F.
By the way, have you ever seen curly Birch? This stuff was really tough to split, even frozen, and it had some sort of curly grain to it. Never seen it before.
I live in a small town so some stuff can be hard to find locally, but we do have a Fleet store that sells Carhartt. I think I will pick up a light jacket and overalls and dress lightly underneath. I don't plan on doing too much when the temps are below zero, so this setup should work just fine.
Thanks again. This site is the best!
Larry

Curly birch is popular for knife handles. If you have a bandsaw and could turn out blanks there is definately a market for it.

 

[beowulf343]

I think I will pick up a light jacket and overalls and dress lightly underneath.
Larry

Yeah, make sure you get the non-insulated bibs. The red and black insulated are just too hot unless you are going to be doing alot of standing around. As already been stated, dressing in layers is key. Start feeling like a sweat is coming on, lose a layer. Nothing worse than being soaked from the inside.

Usually a pair of jeans with a t-shirt and a hoody will get me down into the teens. Colder than that then i add a pair of bibs and switch to a double knit hoody. Of course, by march, the body is usually so used to the cold we are running around in t-shirts when it hits the thirties.

 

[WVhunter]

Long underwear, jeans, Carhartt bibs and chaps. On the upper half some type of long underwear shirt, sweat shirt or long sleeve button up shirt, fleece or sweat jacket and a heavy jacket for later after work is done. Oh yeah and gloves.
Tom

 

[slofr8]

When I was doing it for a pay check we would work as long as the skidder would start. -20F was not unheard of. My favorite was -10F to 15F. Not cold enough to hurt but cold enough to snap the limbs off of the spruce and fir on the way to the yard.
I'm a big fan of natural fibers. They insulate well and let the moisture disapate so you don't get that cold clamy feeling. Work hard enough and frost will form on the out side of your wool coat. That's moisture that would other wise be on your skin!
However. We used to wear the nylon chopper pants with the chaps built in and wool on our upper body. This was 25 years ago tho. I now see some nylon looking material used in coats and question weather it is breathable enough for cold weather. If it is, great.
Good luck!
Dan.

 

[musch]

I live in southern WI, and the temps here have been around 20-30 degrees during the day.
If you are just sitting, like deer hunting, you really have to bundle up, but working with firewood is almost like real work.

I have found that I am perfectly comfortable wearing work boots, overalls or jeans, a t shirt, and a carhart sweatshirt.
No jacket, light gloves, and a hat.

A lot of times, after about a half hour, the hat comes off too.

thats at 20 degrees or so. The worst thing to do is sweat, and have that freeze. I find that when you are cool, you can work at a little better pace too, and you don't sweat, and you dont have a bunch of gear on, getting in the way.

 

[Fuzly]

i remember as a kid being soaked and freezing with 40 pounds of nylon and polyester.

glad those days are over.Carhartt makes great stuff. i believe GoreTex is worth every friggin' penny.

dressing in layers is key.

LOL! I still remember the SMELL of my grade school after we would all come in from recess and all those sweaty little kids would start peeling off their boots (often with the high tech "breadbag" waterproof liners), "snowmobile suits", and hats and mittens (my mom knitted mine). Make a wet dog quite appealing.

I'm still wearing my uninsulated Gore Tex boots, the Sorels collect dust except for ice fishing or very cold days. I will never buy a boot without it.

slowp is right on about the choppers. I got a new pair at Fleet Farm, deerskin with thinsulate lining, as opposed to the traditional imitation sheepskin. I liked them so well Dad and Father-in-law each got a pair for Christmas. Important to wear them a little big to be able to just shake them off when the dexterity of fingers is needed, "TIP UP!"

 

[Brushwacker]

I'm not sure if this is the right place to put this question. If it's not, I apologize and maybe the moderator can move it to the right spot.
This year I decided to do all my firewood cutting in the winter since I have more time on my hands with nothing to do and I am really tired of spending my summers hauling firewood rather than hauling in fish.
I have ten acres of solid woods, and many, many of the Birch are dying, so I thought I would get them cut and split before they rot. I went out today for the first time this winter to make try at it. I dressed in my blaze orange snowmobile suit (used for cold weather hunting), flannel shirt, jeans and chaps. Of course I also had my loggers helmet on as well. Temperature was about 20 degrees Fahrenheit and about a foot of snow on the ground.
I was eager to try out my brand new Stihl 361 (more on that beauty in a later post), but by the time I had finished cutting up my first tree, about 18 inch dbh and 35-40 feet tall, I was really overheating. I finished two more trees, but was soaked with sweat by the time I had finished.

I am in Northern Minnesota, and it gets a bit cold here at times, so I thought the clothing I was wearing would be just right. Wrong. Way too warm.
Does anyone have any suggestions for warm clothing when the temps are in the 0 degree to 25 degree range?

Thanks for any help, and I apologize if this question is in the wrong place.

Larry

Light weight long underwear,light to mid weight flannel shirt,light weight wind breaker with pockets that close.Denim or wool pants or something else that doesn't get soggy easy,topped with chaps.
Often I take off the flannel shirt and put the jacket back on soon after I get moving. Almost always have extra cloths along in case I need them.
I like an extra size or 2 larger boots in cold weather. Good circulation seems to be the biggest factor to keep my feet warm. To much stockings without the extra room makes my feet cold.
Like some of the others said use layers.

 

[BC_Logger]

in the open cab machine insulated coveralls

for cutting long underware bucking pants and a carhart jacket and a good pair of gloves