We've got some cold weather (cold for us) coming and I'm going to be working out in it all this week. Some of you guys do this on an ongoing basis and I'm wondering what kind of coveralls you like the best.
I like uninsulated tuff duck or carhart bib overalls,long underwear work jeans, T shirt, hoody and quilted shirt or parka depending in the degree of cold and I never wear a toque just cap with my hood pulled up when required. I hate one big heavy layer its too hard to regulate when your working.
Thanks. Your answer is better than my question. I should have asked how do you dress for cold weather? The layering makes sense.
I suspect your weather is similar to mine. I have some insulated coveralls but I very rarely wear them unless I am working in the very cold mountains. They are just too warm when doing any kind of physical labor. Now if standing still they can really help. I like to wear a toque (convict hat), it is the first thing I put on when it gets cold as a lot of heat escapes from the head. Also it softens the blow from bashing the head on spring shackes and the like. A toque with regular coveralls will keep you a lot warmer than without and it's easy to remove.
Pick whatever brand coverall/bibbs, brand don't matter to me as long as the leg zipper goes all the way up the leg. Coveralls/bibbs that only have a short leg zipper are a PITA to get your boot in and out of. JMHO
Uhh, Willie, don't the short zippers reach all the way up YOUR legs? I wear bib overalls rather than coveralls. I wore coveralls for years, but here it might be 25 at daylight, 50 in mid afternoon, then 30 at knock time. It is easy to take a jacket off, and still have the equivalent of a vest and pants. About 5 years ago I left my Carhartts home and went to a job 100 miles from home (this is why you should never take them in to wash), and stopped in a farm supply and bought some "Master Sportsman by Prestige" overalls for about $50. I thought they'd fall apart soon, but they are what I've worn all winter since. Not a rip or a tear, and still waterproof! They have a water barrier under the outer shell, like FD turnout gear. They are a soft material, but nearly impossible to tear.
im vertically changled so i wear carhartt bibs & jacket as a outer layer. if its going to be a day long outside workin in the below freezing temps i take a thermos full of somekinda soup. (im NOT a coffee drinker) so thats a nice warm up break. i dress in layers & always have a extra layer in the service truck in case i get wet/nasty & need it also there is a endles supply of gloves in my truck.. there are several differant thicknesses of carhartt also the lining color tells the weight.
Mitch Funny you mention turnout gear. I work for a water district and I wear my old bunker pants and boots when it cold out too. I usually wear a long sleeve tee light weight sweatshirt and then a thermal hooded sweat shirt. If it's really blowing I'll throw my nomex hood on.
2 t shirts, hoodie sweatshirt, thick coat, bonnet and then hoodie over and hoodie of coat over that. L johns, pants, bibs. 2 pairs of socks, winter boots. Sometimes toe Warmers as well. That is usually good for most of the winter here. If its winter also a face mask.
I read your post on my black berry so I couldn't see where you where from and thought man this guy is dressing for the artic, now that I am on my lap top I see I wasn,t far off. AK is Alaska ?
Wow Mr. Wood, that's some serious layering. That's what I'm going to try thanks to all the suggestions here. Only on a much lighter scale. Got some bid overalls and a hoody sweatshirt on a Black Friday deal to go along with some long johns and an insulated jacket I already had. I'm embarrassed to admit it's only in the 20's and 30's here. All relative I guess. I won't be complaining after hearing what a real winter is like.
What I listed keeps me decently warm to -10* and being outside for 8-10hrs. My feet end up getting cold first usually.
Here in the Great White North Helly Hansen for real cold and Carhartts for the balmier days.
I bet you look like that kid on "A Christmas Story" when you get all bundled up.
Pretty much, but don't have a choice!
Guys should be able to give some fresh opinions after this Arctic blast moves through. Going to be mighty chilly for the next week.
As usual, HEF is a great resource for knowledge in all things practical. The layering method is working very well. I would mention for anyone following along with the same level of inexperience in cold weather dressing to not wait 'till the last minute to go to the bathroom! Don't ask how I know.
Two T shirts one short sleeved one long sleeved, one heavy long sleeved shirt, one or two pair of long johns, a hooded sweat shirt, and insulated bib's and heavy insulated boots, a full beard and stocking hat and major mittens, with gloves inside those, two pairs of socks and still froze my butt off with wind chills today at 25 below zero. When it gets really cold, I'll wear insulated coveralls over the insulated bibs, but its hard to move around and work, let alone shed the layers x number of times per hour to hook up fittings in a mud filled hole while tiling. And no I don't care what science says, ground in dirt covered coats feel warmer than clean coats every time. I also want things to have buttons on things rather than zippers, those freeze with mud and water and won't work right, snaps don't last long enough to make it worth buying stuff with them on. If I'm in the wind a lot, I"ll use either tile tape or duct tape and tape the leg bottoms to the boots and coat sleeves to my gloves to keep the wind out. With those zipper leg things on the coveralls and insulated bib's I've been known to remove those and have elastic stretch material sewn so they seal tighter as I wear them.
A couple of years ago, we were working in the dark with temps in the teens. One of the laborers walked over to the edge of the woods, and then we heard him cussing up a blue streak! He had failed to extract a certain appendage through all the layers in the dark, and now the inside of his coveralls were all wet!
Well it was warm for a minute or two. That reminds me, got to go start the truck.
My wife always limited the amount of layers I could wear.. something about not wanting the distance to not exceed the reach
Arctic blast? It was almost 30* here yesterday.... And it rained!? WTH! I took my poncho out of the truck a few days before, didn't expect I'd be needing it again... Been a weird winter so far.
@ValleyFirewood, what kind of boots do you wear? And how much Thinsulate do they have? For me I work on the railroad so in and out of the engine is common, I try not to dress too warm but comfortable, walking, bending, climbing and a lot of physical labor works up a sweat. Pair of jeans with thermals, undershirt, thermal shirt, longsleeve t-shirt and/or a turtleneck and then a thermal lined hoodie. I can't wear jackets, I feel too constricted in them when moving around, my hoodie is a zip-up so easy on, easy off...and of course all the gear is Carhartt except the boots-those are Georgia's.
I don't think anybody mentioned but somebody once told me that it is important to stay feeling a bit cold, and not layer up so you are completely comfortable. This way you are not sweating which will chill you later if you have to stop physical labor for a period of time. The rule of survival in the woods, "get wet and die"
And at 20 below the reach is somewhat diminished!
Thats the importance of layers. Strip a little off right before you start working hard so you don't sweat then put them back on when your done. I really like silk/poly long johns over cotton. They seem to be way warmer and like others I only wear bib overall. Anyone wear the old school red long underwear with the "flap"? My old man still wears his. They got to be 40 years old. It cracks me up when I go to visit and in the morning he is standing there making breakfast in those.
Dozerboy, Ha, I have one of those long red Union Suits . Got it at L.L. Beans about 10 years ago. Wear it often. Think im going to change to some silky type long johns that I tried lately and they worked great.
I wear a speedo and sunglass's most of the winter up here...! But when it gets cold? I'll grab a towel.
I've tried several different brands rated to cold temps and none really worked for me. My feet don't make good heat for some reason. I'm not sure if it's from playing out too long as a kid and freezing my feet too many times or what. I wish I knew how I could keep my feet warm since that's about all that gets cold. My hands usually stay warm enough that if I pull my gloves off they are steaming.
Carhartts only if you take care of them they will last for 4 to 5 years.But it seems like there making them cheaper.