HOw do people live during winter (am new at this kind of winters)
- Thread starter atfa
- Start date
Well to start with those minus 46C you read about in the paper happen once every five or ten years. Weather is quite variable in Edmonton, typically it will go down to minus 35 for a few days every year. You can also get days hovering around minus 5C or minus 10 in January. People go to work, drive their cars, play outdoor sports, 99% of the winter days in Edmonton.
Right now you guys at the forum are my only canadian friens. I have a couple of friends but in vancouver and thats different.
Is there any particular pieces of cloth that i should consider better for the winter? i dont know what materials are warmer. I mean when i lived in up north barcelona the coldest i had was -8C and i have a long parka winter coat, a small hat and with boots that have rubber on the bottom and hair on the inside was more than enough.
any comments on the winter special gear?
thanks!
You are interpreting what I said a little too literally. I have been to Edmonton....
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Who in their right mind is going to read through all that? The guy wants a "snap shot". :lol:
well honestly, you don't need ski pants!
that's a bit much.
just wear a good warm coat with gloves and a hat/toque. and you'll be fine.
it's easier to over dress than under dress cause you can always take it off but you can't add it on once you're on the road.
Ski pants are for when you're going skiing and for kids who go out to play in the snow all day.
that's a bit much.
just wear a good warm coat with gloves and a hat/toque. and you'll be fine.
it's easier to over dress than under dress cause you can always take it off but you can't add it on once you're on the road.
Ski pants are for when you're going skiing and for kids who go out to play in the snow all day.
my boyfriend already told me it was cold, but seeing it on the weather channel its never the same as some personal experience comments and living it personally.
On the car part...winter tires and chains?
i think i get the basic idea and its bearable if you take care, probably by the second winter i'll be used to it right?
thanks!!
I dont have any kids yet, but we are planning on starting a family once we are settled down there. good to know about the metal thing.
On the car part...winter tires and chains?
i think i get the basic idea and its bearable if you take care, probably by the second winter i'll be used to it right?
thanks!!
Layering your clothing is the best way to combat the cold. Start with a tee shirt, add a warm long sleeve shirt, add a fleece vest or hoodie and finish it off with long downfilled winter coat. If it warms up during the day you can take off the coat and still be comfortable. You should also consider long underwear to protect your legs. Finish off the ensemble with a pair of warm boots (because if your feet are cold your whole body is cold) and you're ready to take on winter with a smile.
you talk as if Edmonton gets regular -25 or higher days and it's windy and snowing all the time..
you can easily survive on 1 long sleeved shirt, and either a thick winter jacket (downfilled is not good if you have allergies to it) or 1 nice hoody and a decent Winter Jacket.
unless you're going on a long trek or sitting in a spot outside for a few hours, you don't need long underwear. only if it's extremely cold does that come into play.
but that is not the norm here..
most days 8 times out of 10 in Edmonton, the cold is manageable and you won't freesze your butt off.
but gloves and a hat are important.
It all depends on what you'll be doing with it.... Will you be working outside much? Will you be playing outside much (ie, snowmobiling, skiing)?
Layers are a wonderful thing... good thermal underwear (called 'long johns' if you're not familiar with the term), undershirts. Even my gloves and mitts I like to have layered. The pair I have right now are a glove liner in a waterproof mitten shell (gloves have fingers, mittens don't incase you don't know what I mean). So I can pull the outer shell off and use the gloves if I get too warm or need dexterity. Even boots are better if they have a liner you can take out to dry if you need them day to day. If you go with layers you may very well be able to keep the parka you have.
A great place to shop for good winter gear here in the city is Mark's Work Wearhouse.
Winter tires should suffice... chains aren't really necessary.
well I guess cause I don't like to be very hot, and I tend to get hot quicker than some, (according to my girl .. friend. I am always warm/hot..) so I usually get by with 1 to two layers on me but I don't ever need more than 1 pair of pants.
You've never known many people new to Canada have you?
That first winter Chili, even if it's only -10-20, can feel like -40 feels to you. And, many people new to the country don't have a vehicle at first, which means walking. It can be a brutal combination. mt's advice is bang on... buy layers (rather than rushing out and buying a coat for -50), and adjust as you go, according to what you need.
ya chains here will tear up the roads..
hey, I lost 50lbs this year... I myself don't even know what it's going to be like for ME!
i'm not looking forward to it at all..
hey, I lost 50lbs this year... I myself don't even know what it's going to be like for ME!
i'm not looking forward to it at all..
lol... good point.
Hubby's had enough guys come from the US even, to work, and be completely incapacitated by the cold that I know how hard it can be when you're not used to it at first. ESPECIALLY if you have to walk in it, etc.
One other tip atfa, that even most Canadians don't bother with... don't warm your vehicle's interior up. Most new vehicles are too efficient to warm up while idling anyway, and, if you're leaving a warm house, and getting into a semi-warm car, you tend to dress for those warmer enviros. If you do break down, or get stuck, you're often underdressed. Warm your vehicle up just long enough to warm the engine. hubby has a upplmentary electric heater in his truck, on a timer, that defrosts the cab just enough to thaw the windshield. It gets rid of the need to idle the car for ages.
ya the last 3 winters I have had a brand new vehicle with excellent heating and no issues. the walking for the first two was hell, as I had to walk 15 minutes, some UPHILL and it was not fun. I wore a pair of sweatpants over my work pants cause they were thin as paper.. brrrrr..
last year I only had to walk 2 blocks and it was 5 mins. I work a pull over and my jacket. only when it was extremely cold did I go to my heavy winter jacket.
I was fine but your face can take a beating.
this year.. i have no idea if that will do or if i'm gonna have to go winter shopping.. I know I need new gloves.
ya I miss my car starter..
but I do have heated seats!
and it was not fun. I wore a pair of sweatpants over my work pants cause they were thin as paper.. brrrrr.. last year I only had to walk 2 blocks and it was 5 mins. I work a pull over and my jacket. only when it was extremely cold did I go to my heavy winter jacket.
I was fine but your face can take a beating.
this year.. i have no idea if that will do or if i'm gonna have to go winter shopping.. I know I need new gloves.
ya I miss my car starter..
but I do have heated seats!
Chili, some people can withstand the cold better than others and don't need to dress to the extreme. I doubt someone who grew up in Mexico will adapt that well to the cold as well as yourself though. I don't take any chances when I go outside in winter. Especially in Alberta where the weather has a tendency to change in a blink. I did miss the gloves and hat part though. Thanks for pointing that out.
ya i know. Alberta can have some pretty wild days in January and February. March the last 5-6 years has been quite tame and much warmer.
I do remember one year during my birthday week in March that hit extremely cold weather.
I do remember one year during my birthday week in March that hit extremely cold weather.
You have to be prepared for any situation that's for sure.
There was a lady in front of me in the lineup at Tim Horton's this morning dressed in a winter coat zipped up to the neck. She's in real trouble come January....haha!!
There was a lady in front of me in the lineup at Tim Horton's this morning dressed in a winter coat zipped up to the neck. She's in real trouble come January....haha!!