Winter Clothes

[Rochelle]

Aside from no coat, no gloves, and no warm socks, guess I'm almost set for the winter. I've got the hat, scarf, and the boots. It can't be worse than a March in Finland 
Are sweaters a necessity there or does it tend to stay fairly warm indoors during the winter?

Never, ever, break a sweat in cold weather. If you're doing something strenous, remove layers at the first hint of feeling warm.

Why?

[KBCraig]

Never, ever, break a sweat in cold weather. If you're doing something strenous, remove layers at the first hint of feeling warm.

Why?

Because moisture is your enemy, and it doesn't matter if it's precipitation or perspiration.

Water transfers heat much more readily than air, which is why insulating clothing is designed to keep moisture out, and trap air (via goose down, Thinsulate, etc.)

If you start sweating, you're providing a rapid path to cool your body. All well and good while you're working, but when you stop working, you're still wet, and you'll get really cold really fast.

Kevin

[Lloyd Danforth]

Aside from no coat, no gloves, and no warm socks, guess I'm almost set for the winter. I've got the hat, scarf, and the boots. It can't be worse than a March in Finland 
Are sweaters a necessity there or does it tend to stay fairly warm indoors during the winter?

Never, ever, break a sweat in cold weather. If you're doing something strenous, remove layers at the first hint of feeling warm.

Why?

'cause ya might end up stick'in to a flagpole or sompth'in!

[Russell Kanning]

Are sweaters a necessity there or does it tend to stay fairly warm indoors during the winter?

Depends on which building you are in.

[error]

My plan for winter weather essentially involves staying indoors as much as possible. It's worked so far in my previous experience with cold, snowy, windy winters in Iowa, Wisconsin, and western Mass.

[mvpel]

Never, ever, break a sweat in cold weather. If you're doing something strenous, remove layers at the first hint of feeling warm.

That's just the opposite of Russian advice - over there, we decided, the policy is that if you're not overheated, you're too cold.  This was the only explanation we could discern for rosy-cheeked Russians wearing hats and scarves in a comfortably-heated mall food court in March.  What stands out more than a sore thumb?  That was us sitting there in our cotton shirts fanning ourselves with food trays, with our coats and scarves draped over the back of our chairs.

When we finally took custody of our son, and were later walking down the street in Moscow in late June this year in lovely 70-degree weather, with Jordan in a cute little jeans and shirt outfit with no hat, we were stopped by a little old lady who we eventually understood to be asking "Isn't he going to be cold?  Where's his jacket?"

But then, Russians are known to make three passes through a 190-degree farenheit banya, whacking the skin with birch branches to increase circulation, and thus the core body temperature, so they have a rather different definition of personal warmth.

[Lloyd Danforth]

But, prior to acclimation, isn't hat & coat, under those conditions, what the child was used to?  He may have, actually, been cold.

[MaineShark]

Cold is in the eye (or skin) of the beholder.

My advice is to just get used to it, then you can walk around in a light cotton shirt, and maybe a light vest, while there's a below-zero wind chill

Seriously, I don't class it as "cold" until the temperature drops to the point that my nose freezses shut upon inhalation.  Anything warmer than that is just "cool," or maybe "a little chilly"

Joe

[Dreepa]

That's just the opposite of Russian advice - over there, we decided, the policy is that if you're not overheated, you're too cold.  This was the only explanation we could discern for rosy-cheeked Russians wearing hats and scarves in a comfortably-heated mall food court in March.  What stands out more than a sore thumb?  That was us sitting there in our cotton shirts fanning ourselves with food trays, with our coats and scarves draped over the back of our chairs.

When we finally took custody of our son, and were later walking down the street in Moscow in late June this year in lovely 70-degree weather, with Jordan in a cute little jeans and shirt outfit with no hat, we were stopped by a little old lady who we eventually understood to be asking "Isn't he going to be cold?  Where's his jacket?"

When I lived there the old ladies used to yell at me all the time telling me I wasn't dressed warm enough.

They beat the Germans but they could beat the Dreepa!

[Rochelle]

Because moisture is your enemy, and it doesn't matter if it's precipitation or perspiration.

*writes this down and vows to fight moisture whereever it may rear its ugly head*

But on the serious side, thanks I hadn't known that. The only explanation I could come up with why you would want to get rid of the moisture is because it might form ice....which would be bad.

cause ya might end up stick'in to a flagpole or sompth'in!

pssh, only if you lick one!

Are sweaters a necessity there or does it tend to stay fairly warm indoors during the winter?

Depends on which building you are in.

True, but I asked because I'm not sure what the heating habits are there. In Germany, they think freezing to death is good for you and habitually leave the windows open in schools. Even when the windows aren't open, they don't heat their houses enough for it to feel comfortable. So I figured I'd ask. Usually I just wear t-shirts and put a coat on when I go outside...

That's just the opposite of Russian advice - over there, we decided, the policy is that if you're not overheated, you're too cold.  This was the only explanation we could discern for rosy-cheeked Russians wearing hats and scarves in a comfortably-heated mall food court in March

That's how it is in Finland. They wrap they're kids up so tightly when it's in the 70s, hats, blankets, you name it.. Then they tell you how hot it is. My mother-in-law was complaining that it was way too hot and how she couldn't wait until Winter. I told her that the weather was perfect because in Kansas we had 43 C...105F. I'm pretty sure she thinks Kansas is hell now.

[mvpel]

When I lived there the old ladies used to yell at me all the time telling me I wasn't dressed warm enough.

I guess you haven't really experienced Russia if you haven't had a little old lady scold you for underdressing in 70-degree weather, eh?

Once we figured out what she was saying, we pieced together something like "???????... ??, ? ???????. ??  ????????????, ??????," in reply.

[John]

Dressing for NH seasons (winter) is not nessesarily as exotic as it seems it may be in other lands.
Common sence is all one realy needs.
This ain't the f---ing artic, you know.   
Try some stuff from the thrift store - I'm thinking you can go from there.  It is easy & cheap!  Oh, and warm to.

[Pat K]

Do they have triple x Buffalo size at the thrift store.

cause it aint fucking tropical you know.   

[John]

Do they have triple x Buffalo size at the thrift store.

cause it aint fucking tropical you know.   

Actualy Pat, the odd sizes (and colors - like my floresent "lime green" NHfree.com jacket) are the ones most likely to be left at the end of the week - for $1.
However, 3XBuffalo are not all that common at the thrift store, which is why it is good to visit often.

This F--ing moderate NH weather is driveing me nuts, my friend.   

[John]

The first winter, we just kept buying stuff until we were warm.

Hey Kat, Did you get all of the latest stuff, and all of the latest styles?
If not, how the heck have you survived so long?  Oh, and you have a child at home to?  Kira must be just starving for the latest trend.
How does the poor child get by?  You all could not possibly be warm enough without all of that latest "gear" - could you?

My, my one has to wonder.  How can one get through those "brutal" NH winters without the lattest stuff.