Welcome to Icefire?

[jchrisobrien]

The good news is that I have a ticket to September Wildfire. The bad news is that the temperatures at night are in the low 40's again. This lead to a miserable time on my last trip.

A friend of mine reccomended Patagonia to pick up some Capilene 3 clothing, which is good at retaining heat. Part of me balks at spending as much on clothing for the trip as I would for the trip itself. The other part of me says... it was damn cold last time! I'll be talking to a globe trotter and outdoors person tonight , and get some advice. More thoughts on IceFire to come in a few days. Tomorrow morning it's time for my monthy head checkup. More on that later, too.

Comments

[heatray.livejournal.com]

What kind of sleeping bag do you have? For temperatures that low, you should have a good, three-season bag, which will keep you comfortable down into the high freezing temperatures. I'd say you could borrow my bag, but being able to cover your head in the bag is a key component of remaining comfy, and you're too tall.

Also WOOL SOCKS. A good pair of new wool socks is like having a tiny warm Jesus hugging your feet all the time. Smart Wool makes totally boss ones that are ultra comfortable. I wear them cycling all winter, and even without a base layer they are warm and comfortable.

Underarmour makes excellent glove liners that will keep your mitts warm and dry inside thicker gloves, but are low-profile enough to wear while spinning (I can use my iPhone through them - that's how thin they are). I think these are they:
http://www.amazon.com/Liner-Glove-Gloves-Under-Armour/dp/B005LR404Y/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1316008243&sr=8-4

The advice about a foam sleeping pad is good. Not as comfortable as an air mattress, but better for insulation. I often put my air mattress on top of my foam pad, and that seems to be the best of both worlds.

Wildfire means car camping! So you can also just put a shit ton of blankets in your car. Put a couple underneath you as an insulating layer, and then just pile the rest on.

If cold is a really serious problem, UnderArmour also makes a base layer for winter hikers and runners that's basically their standard thermals with an inner layer of fleece. I've never bought any because they honestly look too warm.

KEEP YOUR FEET DRY. You lose a ton of heat through your tootsies. Wet shoes will ruin your day, so get some waterproof boots and bring a spare pair.

Here is what I wear for winter cycling. I am often uncomfortably warm:
Feet - regular socks. Smartwool socks. Shoes. Shoe covers if it's wet.
Legs - underarmour base layer. Wool tights. Trousers.
Body - Underarmour base layer. t-shirt. hoodie. windbreaker or raincoat.
Hands - underarmour glove liners. light wool gloves or snowboarding gloves (depending on how cold it is).
Head - lycra balaclava. (http://www.rei.com/product/725708/seirus-ultra-clava). The one in that link runs small, so get the absolute largest one you can if you get one. This thing is cool because it can be a neck warmer, face mask, or cover your whole melon. If I'm just cruising around, my wool watch cap is sufficient, but I often where the 'clava as a neck warmer, and to plug the top of my jacket.

If you wear all of this stuff, you will be too warm. So, you know, modify to your situation.

[cris.livejournal.com]

oh yeah, to add on to Forest's awesome advice ... If you're car camping, definitely bring spare socks, and depending on how cold it is you can also double up on socks to add some insulation (keep your boots loosely laced if you do so ... the point is to create a warm buffer of air between the clothing layers and allowing your feet to maintain circulation. Footwear that's too tight will work against that)

The underarmour stuff is pretty warm and comparable to Patagonia. I have a pair of underarmour tights and they're usually all I need in winter cycling until the brutal subzero days of February, then I'll usually throw on an extra pair of fleece leggings.

Also, if you have the budget for it, you could consider wool clothing instead of the polypro stuff. Benefits of wool are, imho, better insulation for lower bulk than poly, less odor retention, and better breathability. Drawbacks: more expensive, less comfortable if you have sensitive skin. Smartwool is a decent entry brand for wool if you want to try it, and Ibex is the sort of stuff that is worth saving for then picking up on sale.

[silas7.livejournal.com]

tons of advice! I don't think I'm that much taller than you, and I currently don't have a sleeping bag. Maybe I'll get your bag AND Cris' and make a big catepillar bag out of them.

I have some wool socks, could use a few more. Between the UnderArmor and Capelina, I should be set. The boots are also a good idea, I'll get good use out of them in the winter too. May as well grab them now.

The forecast shows 10% chance of rain, so the ground should be dry during the day.

You forgot the last key ingredient to staying warm at night: rum. Better get a flask as well ;)

[heatray.livejournal.com]

I know you're joking, but I felt it was important to note: alcohol is wonderful, and it makes you FEEL warmer, but it does actually slow your heart rate. If you drink, you WILL be colder later on at night (especially in your extremities) once the warming sensation of the liquor wears off. So be aware of that.

I would still drink, personally, but if cold potentially ruins your weekend, you might want to avoid it.

[heatray.livejournal.com]

Oh also, if you want to borrow my sleeping pad(s) and/or sleeping bag, let me know. I can potentially bring stuff to Matt's on Friday, if you're going.

The key to sleeping comfortably in very cold weather is keeping your head inside whatever you're sleeping in with the rest of your body. Sleeping bags are good for that.