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Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

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Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#311

Post by computerdork »

phil21 wrote: post #295
computerdork wrote: post #23

Moved a year ago from California to northern Michigan. To add to this list, specifically regarding "Do NOT get wet and cold": o If you're walking out in the cold, have many different ways to keep your feet and your hands warm, because usually, you'll have a good-enough coat and winter-pants that'll keep your core relatively warm, but it's the very ends of your extremities that get cold (just got a small amount of fro…

> thick gloves Gloves are not for severe cold. They are for dexterity during limited exposure time - as no gloves can keep your fingers warm for very long no matter how well-made they are. Look for mittens or "choppers" as we called them back in the day if you are going to be outside for a long period of time. These are outer shells (leather or gore-tex/etc.) with various types of removable liners. You basically laye…

Good reminder. Actually, I’m there with you, already have mittens, and they are warmer than my gloves (although, my fingers still get cold, even in them).

But also, kind of don’t like how they make me look like a teenager, and I already look young for my age, don’t need any help in this department:) have been trying to find a glove-solution that is still warm. Have just tried some heated gloves, they seem pretty good, but early still

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#312

Post by computerdork »

internet_points wrote: post #71
computerdork wrote: post #23

Moved a year ago from California to northern Michigan. To add to this list, specifically regarding "Do NOT get wet and cold": o If you're walking out in the cold, have many different ways to keep your feet and your hands warm, because usually, you'll have a good-enough coat and winter-pants that'll keep your core relatively warm, but it's the very ends of your extremities that get cold (just got a small amount of fro…

> battery-heated versions all the ones I've seen when researching were lithium-ion from sketchy-looking brands, any brands you recommend?

Yeah, am sure these the cheap brands don’t have good batteries. But, have found after a year of using them, they are usually good enough. Unless you’re doing something like ice fishing, almost all outdoor activities take about 1-4 hours, and they last about 4-5 hours on a mix of high/medium. Have only run out a couple of times, and that’s because I was lazy and didn’t charge them before going out. Also, the battery type used for almost all these heated devices is the same, 7.4 volts. Have bought a couple pairs of replacements that also work pretty well (and have bought ones with larger storage capacities as well as smaller ones for skiing as I don’t want the extra bulk). The brand of heated socks I’ve tried are the ones recommended online, Snow Deer and Dr Warm.

Snow Deer have better electronics: The main button requires you to hold it down in order to turn it off and on. This is big deal because it’s easy to accidentally press the button when you’re out and about. But, unlike what all the review say, I find them uncomfortable. They have a piece of wiring that runs along the top of the foot that digs in (and have tried two different pairs, same thing. Have returned them both).

Dr. Warm is more comfortable (not perfect, but for hiking, good enough). But the problem is the main button doesn’t require a long press to turn them off, so sometimes, you’ll find they’ve turned off by accident (or more importantly, turned on and you’ve drained the battery). Still, comfort is more important, and there are ways to get around the button issue, so these are the ones I use daily - will keep the batteries unplugged until needed.

And like someone else said, if all else fails, get a nicer brand, one that is $200+.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#313

Post by wellf »

nancyminusone wrote: post #192
wellf wrote: post #104

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The remedy is swim or air conditioning.

I'd rather just not live somewhere hot and humid.

I do live somewhere hot and humid say max 5% of days. So overall OK. I wouldn't like that to be much higher than 10%.

But the trade off is mild winters and on average comfortable weather.

For now. Until more climate change.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#314

Post by ghaff »

mindslight wrote: post #275
ghc wrote: post #204

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sure, but that's not the same as losing power during the first snowstorm every year. The massive ice storm was back in 2010 IIRC.

The major ice storm I remember might have been 2012 or 2013. There was also a different snow storm (maybe that was 2010?) at the end of October when all the leaves were still on the trees. My parents lost power for something like 6 days (so much damage the crews were swamped). I had been visiting them, and gtfo as the snow was falling, and never lost power 2 hours away. I think this comes back to the framing of the a…

Going wholesale generator prep takes a lot of effort and money. Never gone quite that far. I did have a major outage in, I think, 1998. Ice storm was bigger in Canada than where I live in Massachusetts although still ended up with power being out for multiple days.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#315

Post by m463 »

computerdork wrote: post #23

Moved a year ago from California to northern Michigan. To add to this list, specifically regarding "Do NOT get wet and cold": o If you're walking out in the cold, have many different ways to keep your feet and your hands warm, because usually, you'll have a good-enough coat and winter-pants that'll keep your core relatively warm, but it's the very ends of your extremities that get cold (just got a small amount of fro…

> socks

darn tough socks. I have these: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000XG34G8

your feet will be warm and dry, even when exercising, wet, etc.

They work super hot summer and cold winter.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#316

Post by phil21 »

computerdork wrote: post #311
phil21 wrote: post #295

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> thick gloves Gloves are not for severe cold. They are for dexterity during limited exposure time - as no gloves can keep your fingers warm for very long no matter how well-made they are. Look for mittens or "choppers" as we called them back in the day if you are going to be outside for a long period of time. These are outer shells (leather or gore-tex/etc.) with various types of removable liners. You basically laye…

Good reminder. Actually, I’m there with you, already have mittens, and they are warmer than my gloves (although, my fingers still get cold, even in them). But also, kind of don’t like how they make me look like a teenager, and I already look young for my age, don’t need any help in this department:) have been trying to find a glove-solution that is still warm. Have just tried some heated gloves, they seem pretty good…

> have been trying to find a glove-solution that is still warm.

Good luck! Let me know if you find anything, I certainly tried for a few years and now have an absurdly large glove collection to last me a lifetime.

I've found when I need to use gloves I just burn a dollar on an iron oxide heating packet - and it mostly works until it gets to about 10 degrees or lower. After that you really need to wear serious winter gear if you're going to be out for more than an hour or so, at least for me.

I have been wanting to try some of the battery heated gloves but I'm still a little suspect of them. When I find a pair I like on sale I plan on trying them out. I tend to lose things, so we will see if it actually is a net savings vs. burning up a few dozen of the disposable heating packs a year. I certainly don't like the waste generated either way and it seems a bit silly.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#317

Post by gwillen »

maxerickson wrote: post #310
throwaway173738 wrote: post #210

Earlier quoted context omitted.

In other words most of the US outside of a major metro area. I’ve lived various places in Western Washington and the advice about generators and food and batteries and heat ring true everywhere more than an hour away from Seattle or Tacoma I would add that you should have a backup plan for preparing any holiday meal using a camping stove because the power could go out an hour into roasting a turkey. In fact don’t inv…

I live in a small town in northern Michigan and while we do somewhat regularly have power outages during the winter, it's when we get freezing rain, snow isn't really a problem (and really, I haven't had issues here in town, I'm describing the issues that have hit the region).

In my experience with winter-storm-related power outages, the core problem is often _wind_ rather than precipitation.

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#318

Post by computerdork »

phil21 wrote: post #316
computerdork wrote: post #311

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Good reminder. Actually, I’m there with you, already have mittens, and they are warmer than my gloves (although, my fingers still get cold, even in them). But also, kind of don’t like how they make me look like a teenager, and I already look young for my age, don’t need any help in this department:) have been trying to find a glove-solution that is still warm. Have just tried some heated gloves, they seem pretty good…

> have been trying to find a glove-solution that is still warm. Good luck! Let me know if you find anything, I certainly tried for a few years and now have an absurdly large glove collection to last me a lifetime. I've found when I need to use gloves I just burn a dollar on an iron oxide heating packet - and it mostly works until it gets to about 10 degrees or lower. After that you really need to wear serious winter…

Thanks! And in terms of heated glove/mitten tech, have a pair of heated mittens already, the Thxtoms brand (although, they're discontinued): https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CDLN91CN

The tech definitely works, and these were, at the time, just another relatively-cheap, but decently-well reviewed pair. Yeah in fact, on their own, they aren't that thick or durable, but when the heat is turned on, they are plenty warm. Seems like almost any decent pair of heated mittens/gloves would work well.

For me at least, the iron-oxide heat-packs work pretty well too, but they typically don't heat the fingers too well, so when its really cold, the main parts of my hands are warm, but my fingers aren't. It's not that bad, and it's easy to heat up the fingers by curling them around the heat pack, but with a heated glove, the heat typically reaches the fingers, so you don't really have to do anything and can just completely forget about your hands - but yeah, if I was loosing gloves often, maybe heated gloves would be a net waste compared to heat packs:)

Recently, bought a pair of heated liners to go under an oversized pair of gloves - I have Leki ski-gloves that directly attach to the ski poles, and they don't currently have a heater option, so am trying this instead. This are the heated liners: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082XXKXCP

They're nothing special, but by my initial tests, they seem pretty warm under my gloves. Will know more tomorrow:)

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#319

Post by pedantsamaritan »

the_real_cher wrote: post #162

Is it possible to use a flamethrower instead of a shovel to clear your driveway?

Airports push snow into snowmelters. Shipping container sized warming ovens to melt the snow. I've read about at least O'Hare and Logan doing this

Re: Lessons you will learn living in a snowy place

#320

Post by mindslight »

ghaff wrote: post #314
mindslight wrote: post #275

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The major ice storm I remember might have been 2012 or 2013. There was also a different snow storm (maybe that was 2010?) at the end of October when all the leaves were still on the trees. My parents lost power for something like 6 days (so much damage the crews were swamped). I had been visiting them, and gtfo as the snow was falling, and never lost power 2 hours away. I think this comes back to the framing of the a…

Going wholesale generator prep takes a lot of effort and money. Never gone quite that far. I did have a major outage in, I think, 1998. Ice storm was bigger in Canada than where I live in Massachusetts although still ended up with power being out for multiple days.

I'd say the cost highly depends on what you put into it. 2-pole breaker ($30), OFBRND transfer lockout ($20), 20ft of NM-B for inlet right next to service entrance ($35), OFBRND inlet and extension cord ($100). Then a small synchronous generator $250? So that's <$500 total? Of course you'll find yourself saying I want a bigger generator, I want non-OFFBRAND electrics, I want this other extra, and the total cost creeps up.
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