acclimating to the cold

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randyt said:
Any tricks to accelerate acclimating to cold weather? I have read that Houdini would submerge himself in a bathtub of ice water to acclimate to the cold. Any die hards?
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Not sure I'd want to listen to Houdini,he didn't end up too good.

I'd say jst keep warm till you slowly get use to the cold. Wear warm clothing espcially cover the head and keep the feet warm. Thats what I do.
 
I moved to Alaska from the lower Mississippi River bayous in the middle of winter. I simply dressed up warmly and went outside. I learned quickly the concept of layering clothing. But I simply just exposed myself to the elements. It really didn't take me long to adjust.
 
I used to know a guy who would go as long as he could before dawning a coat, he said that once you put on the coat you needed it from that point on.. I have found that following his advice I could delay my coat dependence by a few weeks. My experience has been to try to go minimal, but have the layers ready for when you really need them.
I find that when you try to sit still for a long time it becomes more difficult to stay warm, but a little exercise helps a lot... Try to stay dry.
 
Sorry, it took me two years to adjust to the heat and 5 months to readjust to the cold. You'll find out soon enough if you are a cold weather person.

The trick to staying warm is to not get hot. If you sweat the moisture carries your heat away. Dress in layers. Unzipping a jacket or even opening a shirt will dump a ton of heat and moisture. Good gloves and a hat with ear flaps goes a long way as will a good pair of winter boots. The old army bunny boots or Sorel's are two options. Buy them big enough to put extra socks in unless they are ones that are designed to wear without socks.
 
I agree with @Alaskajohn , you just have to go out in it. It's as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing. People who always whine and complain about the cold never seem to acclimate. I hate the cold, but I have warm clothes and I know that having to put thick socks and long johns on won't kill me. And I can b***h about the cold all day long but it won't make the thermometer move one bit...

P.S. - the Norwegians have a saying: "There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only bad clothing". There's a lot of truth to that...
 
Spikedriver said:
I agree with @Alaskajohn , you just have to go out in it. It's as much a mental thing as it is a physical thing. People who always whine and complain about the cold never seem to acclimate. I hate the cold, but I have warm clothes and I know that having to put thick socks and long johns on won't kill me. And I can b***h about the cold all day long but it won't make the thermometer move one bit...

P.S. - the Norwegians have a saying: "There's no such thing as bad weather, there's only bad clothing". There's a lot of truth to that...
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Alaskans have that same saying. That first winter convinced me that the saying was true. My friends in the lower 48 thought I was crazy moving to Alaska because they knew I didn't like being cold. For the most part, being cold is simply exercising poor decisions, such as having inappropriate clothing, overheating, not being prepared based on your activities, etc. Almost always, being cold is a choice on makes.
 
I worked show horses in Wisconsin.
Temps , many days would be -16 to -29 deg.
We worked the horses anyway.
When temps got back up to 0 , it felt warm and we shed layers of clothing.

Exposure seemed to be the trick.
At +10 to +30 deg we were outside with just long sleeve shirts , and not cold as long as we were active.

Of course I was 30 years younger .

Jim
 
phideaux said:
I worked show horses in Wisconsin.
Temps , many days would be -16 to -29 deg.
We worked the horses anyway.
When temps got back up to 0 , it felt warm and we shed layers of clothing.

Exposure seemed to be the trick.
At +10 to +30 deg we were outside with just long sleeve shirts , and not cold as long as we were active.

Of course I was 30 years younger .

Jim
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That's true, when it hits -20 for a few days, then when it goes back to +15 it feels pretty good...

I always chuckle at people in the fall. Around me, when it hits 40 in October people will have their Carhartt coats on and stocking hats. In March when it warms back up to 40, those same people have on a flannel shirt and a ball cap...
 
Phoenix it drops to 40 degrees and you would think you were in an Alaskan blizzard based on the parkas and insulated boots.

I was running around in a t shirt and people thought I was crazy
 
Its a great topic as in the two weeks the temp here has dropped 70º

No, I don't know any way to accelerate it. But luckily, it does happen and is effective. I remember when I was in alaska and after six weeks of -30º one day it warmed all the way to 0º and it felt so warm outside I ate lunch outside in a just a thin long sleeved shirt.
 
I think I agree with all that’s been said but will add that I think different folks have different thermostats. Hubby would have disagreed until a few years ago. It can be 65 degrees and my feet or arms or whatever will be freezing to the touch. He doesn’t understand how I can be colder than the ambient temperature.
I’ve pretty much learned to deal with it (except extended exposure - my limbs quit working.) One thing I’ve noticed is to keep small joints warm: ankles in particular but wrists, neck and knees- keeps the rest warmer too.
Also I’ve heard a saying “Fat freezes first” which is true. I’m pretty much a runt but could certainly be in better shape (I was cold even in athletic days.)
 
not to throw a curve ball but some folks claim there is health benefits to ice water immersion, virus suppression or something along those lines.

Years ago we had to change a drop pipe going into a spring fed cistern. Had to totally submerge in order to achieve it. My foreman tried a couple times and could not do it. I'm stubborn as a mule so I ended up doing it. It was cold an I came out of there red as a lobster.
 
randyt said:
not to throw a curve ball but some folks claim there is health benefits to ice water immersion, virus suppression or something along those lines.

Years ago we had to change a drop pipe going into a spring fed cistern. Had to totally submerge in order to achieve it. My foreman tried a couple times and could not do it. I'm stubborn as a mule so I ended up doing it. It was cold an I came out of there red as a lobster.
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Immersion in ice cold water is great for birth control too. The boys will crawl up there and not drop until spring... lol
 
-20℉, and no wind, for short periods, T-shirt, baseball cap, and gloves. Gloves aren't necessary unless you're touching something but if you're not touching anything you're not going outside.
 
Caribou said:
-20℉, and no wind, for short periods, T-shirt, baseball cap, and gloves. Gloves aren't necessary unless you're touching something but if you're not touching anything you're not going outside.
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If it's -20 and I'm outside in a t shirt for more than 15 seconds, it's a pretty good bet that tequila was involved...😂
 
Spikedriver said:
If it's -20 and I'm outside in a t shirt for more than 15 seconds, it's a pretty good bet that tequila was involved...😂
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We may be kinfolk! :)

Actually, when its very dry and no wind, what Caribou describes is spot on. I would typically be in my boxer shorts, tee shirt, wool hat and comfy Uggs while watching my dog take his time doing his stuff. At -20, that would be no more than 3-4 minutes max at that temp. No neighbors so it doesn't matter how I dress except an occasional bush pilot might have a slight distraction navigating through the narrow mountain pass. :)
 
Alaskajohn said:
We may be kinfolk! :)

Actually, when its very dry and no wind, what Caribou describes is spot on. I would typically be in my boxer shorts, tee shirt, wool hat and comfy Uggs while watching my dog take his time doing his stuff. At -20, that would be no more than 3-4 minutes max at that temp. No neighbors so it doesn't matter how I dress except an occasional bush pilot might have a slight distraction navigating through the narrow mountain pass. :)
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Not me, no way. If I need to get something out of the car in that kind of cold, I'll run out there in a t shirt. But that's 25 feet and I ain't stopping to smell the roses on the way!

When I had a indoor dog, he was a doberman so his short coat wasn't good for the cold. He used to whine to go out, then when he hit the cold air he'd skid to a stop and I'd have to slam the door behind him or he'd run back inside...
 
To me there is a difference between “getting used to” and “acclimating”. I lived through 3 winters in Buffalo NY and 2 in Chicago. I acclimated in short order but I never got used to it.

On the other hand I live on the farm where I was born in the deep south. I’ve baled hay on a tractor with no cab when the heat index was above 115 degrees and I didn’t feel hot… a little warm but not hot. When the actual temp goes above 100 and the humidity gets above 70%, then I start feeling hot. This is what I’m used to…
 
I find personally it's taken me about 2 years to acclimatize both ways. After a few years in South Africa I could do a 10km run at 100F in the full sun and not have any bad side effects. Now I'm back in Canada for a few years and it got into the 90s this summer and I was not happy!
I agree with Alaskajohn and Caribou. -20 and no wind...the wind is the deal breaker here, no wind and I don't need to add all the layers to go outside for a while.
PS: I personally do however require those pants :)
 
I've always been a night owl. When I lived in Fairbanks it was the closest to a grocery store I've ever lived and I would often enjoy the novelty of being able to run down to the 24 hour safeway at 3am to get anything I wanted. It was not uncommon to see women in bra, panties, boots, parka and nothing else shopping at that hour. Of course the parka was too warm after a few minutes inside which is how you would find out what was under it. :)
 
Sorry. I am a desert rat at heart. I hate the cold, and I hate it even more as I get older. Fortunately, our Winters are not that severe. We do get sub zero temps, but not for long.

I have learned to layer, and to have plenty of extra layers in the car. I got caught unprepared once, and that will NEVER happen again. I do swear by hats, scarves, and gloves. Keeping your head and neck warm makes an incredible difference.
 
Cnsper said:
Phoenix it drops to 40 degrees and you would think you were in an Alaskan blizzard based on the parkas and insulated boots.

I was running around in a t shirt and people thought I was crazy
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i am still in short pants at 40f....lol...shoveling snow in them as well with t-shirt and sweatband on my knoggin.
 
Morgan101 said:
Sorry. I am a desert rat at heart. I hate the cold, and I hate it even more as I get older. Fortunately, our Winters are not that severe. We do get sub zero temps, but not for long.

I have learned to layer, and to have plenty of extra layers in the car. I got caught unprepared once, and that will NEVER happen again. I do swear by hats, scarves, and gloves. Keeping your head and neck warm makes an incredible difference.
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I'm a born desert rat like you, never saw snow before I had to drive in it. I thought the only place you found ice was in the freezer. :) But work and life helped me to learn to live with in a 4 season world.... I don't miss having sand in everything....
 
phideaux said:
I worked show horses in Wisconsin.
Temps , many days would be -16 to -29 deg.
We worked the horses anyway.
When temps got back up to 0 , it felt warm and we shed layers of clothing.

Exposure seemed to be the trick.
At +10 to +30 deg we were outside with just long sleeve shirts , and not cold as long as we were active.

Of course I was 30 years younger .

Jim
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same here..one long cold snap was awful. not so much for us per say but it was so cold it was causing major breakdowns in equipment that is used twice daily.i.e. silo unloader to feed cattle,truck metal on chuckwagons used to feed at more remote locations and way more. talk about really going through tons of feed when you have multiple groups of cattle that number in the 100's in each. when it hit 22f we worked outside in nothing but long sleeves and hat and gloves.
 
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