Recomendations for winter clothing

MikeFrewer

Hi all.

I was wondering now that winter is nearly over. How have you all kept warm over the winter photography period ?
What I would like to know is, have you a particular jacket, hat or pair of gloves that you can recommend after this winter. For instance a jacket that has kept you really warm, but still allowed you to move freely. Or a pair of gloves that were really comfortable and still allowed you to use your camera comfortably.
I have a Canada Goose jacket which has kept me really warm, but it tends to be a little bulky for moving round in. Gloves I haven't found a decent pair yet. I will try out a sealskinz beanie hat which is waterproof.

Ok, now it's over to you.

PB_PM

Being prepared for weather isn't about a jacket or gloves, it is the total package.

First, learn to layer your clothing. Start with a nice light undershirt so your body can still breath, then a heavy or light sweater (depends on temps), then a heavy or light jacket (again temps). The type of jacket you need also changes based on whether you are shooting in cold wet weather or cold and dry, or cold and windy weather.

Gloves, totally depends on temps. Layer these as well. A nice light set of thermal gloves and then a pair of heavier gloves over them. I like to get the ones you can peal back and still have free finger moment (thus the thermal layer under the heavier gloves). The type of gloves, like the jacket change, need to change based on the conditions.

Msmoto

I layer with Patagonia silk weight, mid weight, fleece, wind stopping material like Gore-Tex. I like a hood and neck protection for keeping heat loss under control. Mid weight fleece for the legs, warm boots for hiking. In extreme cold, below 30°F for hours, I will layer the fleece and add wind protection for the legs. Heat loss is body, head and neck. If the core is kept warm, the hands and legs, feet will be warm as well.

Agree with PB_PM

Benji2505

Love the Canada goose jacket, but it is for extreme colds only. I wear fleece gloves and a fleece hat.

bland

Mike, I cut the finger part off of my gloves.

tcole1983

Well I can't speak specifically for doing photography in the cold, but I work in it all the time. So when I am out I usually also wear layers. Pants recently I have found fleece or flannel lined pants are the best I have used. The seem to be much better then regular jeans or pants with long johns (even some under armor cold weather ones) under them. I don't have much of a problem with pants making me too warm so I don't find it that important to layer...and well taking pants off isn't usually very easy when out and about. Shirts I usually wear a short sleeve under a long sleeve fleece shirt with at least 1 jacket and sometimes two if it is really cold. For gloves I have been wearing some cloth type work gloves with the rubber coating on the palm of the hand, but I have some smart wool type mitten/cutoff finger gloves I wear when not working. I always wear some smart wool or similar thicker socks and waterproof boots (hiking on my own or steel toes for work).

But this all depends on how much you are moving and your situation. If I know I am going to be sitting a long time...like I was a couple weeks ago for hours and hours I wear much warmer stuff then I do if I am going to be out moving around in which case I get too hot quickly. That is where the layers comes in and being able to take some off.

Gitzo

Dressing to stay comfortable in cold or inclement weather varies greatly from one individual to another; it also has something to do with one's age. when I'm just going to be outside to fill up my bird feeders, or run to Krogers for a few groceries, I generally start by putting on a pair of inexpensive black nylon insulated "bibs" (from Wal-Mart) they're so warm, I usually don't even wear any pants under them, plus they come up your back and your chest, so I really don't need too warm of a jacket with them; Jackets ? I must be the most persnickitive person there is about jackets; I must have at least 30 jackets, and a few "top coats", "over coats" "rain coats"; some of them I don't wear for 2 or 3 years! Anyway, as I started to say, I get my insulated "bibs" on, put on my light weight but very warm insulated boots, put on my nice warm Carhart jacket (with hood), go to Krogers, and from the parking lot to the store, I see a "mixture" of "individuals", wearing: house slippers, short pants, T shirts, no hats, etc etc. I'm beginning to believe that one's resistance to cold is in some way correlated related to one's I.Q. ? I used to "feel sorry" for people I saw out in 15 degree weather with no warm clothes on; ( until I observed them getting into their $ 1,000 car with the $3,000 set of "mag" wheels and $1,000 set of "low profile", "high performance" tires. ) ( Now I'm more inclined to "feel sorry" for their children.)

tcole1983

I find bibs to be the most constricting option. If I wasn't going to move much they are probably a good choice but to me they seem to limit movement around the mid section compared to pants and shirts/jackets.

Yetibuddha

It is very difficult to make suggestions on this topic, other than to think about layers, materials, and restrictions on movement. Your adaptability to cold is also significant. I recently went cross country skiing in Yellowstone at -14F, and had a layer of thermal underwear and three other layers on my body. Used jeans for the pants. Had a wool cap and good gloves. Was very comfortable. Had the sun not been shining and/or a breeze greater than 5 mph the situation would have called for some other combination.

You might simply go into a nearby good quality sporting goods store (I use REI) for advice as they would ask you the right questions and show you some good alternatives.

spraynpray

I agree with some parts of what most people have posted here especially layers, hats & gloves.

When I lived in France I noticed the roofers all wore the same jacket and salopettes (bib trousers) so I asked where they got them. It turned out they can lay out in truly horrible weather all day wearing a jacket and trousers made in..... the good 'ol US of A! I got a set from a local cheap shop for $50!!! It pays to get your clothes somewhere that has worse weather than you do if you want proper warm gear, and yous guys in the northern states get it pretty bad.

I have thermal gloves which are mitts with the finger portion that folds back and velcro's onto the back of my hand. I suffer from a bit of Reynards disease so my thumbs get wicked cold and painful when I stop moving but those gloves help a lot. My fur lined hat has ear flaps that tie under my chin so I am pretty well sorted for the inevitable standing around waiting for light.

It ain't pretty, but it is warm! )

Ironheart

I picked up a pair of these at Costco for like $10 at the beginning of winter:
Head Multi-Sport Gloves with SensaTEC
They are made by the Head company (think tennis racquets and skis). Anyway they are a decent lightweight neoprene style glove, but the SensaTEC part is really cool. That allows you to use your thumb and forefinger to operate touchscreen devices with the gloves on. Also gives great "touch" or "feel" for operating camera controls. There are other brands out there but I have not tried them.

Msmoto

As we have both a thread on the weather sealing of our equipment and how we keep warm, maybe to bring this up is good....especially as in the USA there is a bit of weather in our northeastern sections.....so.....

Maintaining body heat.....old trick...yes, but critical. I usually have my head, neck and torso so well covered that I almost feel too warm, but what happens is one's periphery will be in a state of vasodilation (blood vessels open up) which causes more blood flow, thus maintaining warmth in the hands and feet.

In above freezing temps, the rain and 40°F, I can have either open finger gloves or no gloves, sleeves pulled down to mid palm, and be warm for nearly an hour.

For those of us who have a few years, the issue of maintaining body heat becomes even more of an issue. Once we cool down, it is nearly impossible to get warm unless we get into a warm ambient temperature.

Hammie

At a minimum, I usually have an Under Armour ColdGear mock neck long sleeve shirt on as my base layer.

I have a number of different jackets that I wear and it really depends on the temp and precipitation. I have a big heavy Starter jacket rated for cold football games for the really cold days. I also have a 3-in-1 Under Armour jacket that is great for cooler days as well as rainy or snowy days as it keeps the moisture off of me.

I wear either a baseball cap or a winter beanie hat. I also wear no gloves, fingerless gloves, or running gloves with the smart phone finger tips.

On my lower body, I wear jeans and boots. Some times I will wear Under Armour ColdGear leggings under my jeans.

spraynpray

I get reynauds badly in my fingers so I have a pair of very warm thermal gloves which are fingerless plus have a mitt that is held back by velcro and pulls over your bare fingers when you're not twiddling controls. Lifesavers!

The rest of me is easy to keep warm, but it is the gloves that mean I can actually shoot at all. When it gets you, Renauds is like having all of your fingers hit with a hammer.