Clothing and footwear in snowy and icy regions

[VPS]

I noticed a few people have been to Iceland recently @Justinf and @Denali is going soon.

I'm planning on spending a bit of time in the Northern Hemisphere winter and interested in people's advice for good waterproof shoes and thermal wear

Everyone go

 

[AisleSeat]

Icebreaker thermals

 

[ADLhighflyer]

Having been to Iceland and Norway, I'd recommend a good quality pair of waterproof shoes for the snow etc, along with a good quality jacket to keep out the Arctic wind. One of my regrets was not taking a very warm beanie to keep the head warm

 

[Justinf]

Mittens, not gloves. Apparantely gloves are not as good in really cold weather because the fingers are separated. Mittens keep your fingers together ensuring more warmth.
I can vouch for it. In -32 in Alaska, my mittens were a godsend.
Layers. Thermal underwear, a tee shirt, a good fleece (not a hoodie or sweatshirt) and a good parka.
Boots. Most important. Mine are suitable for temps of -40 and they are the most important thing you can buy.

 

[Justinf]

Also in really cold temps, you will need a balaclava. I also had a neck warmer.
Also two beanies. A really tight one and then a looser one over the top.
Thermal socks are good too.
And those hand and feet warmers that you open and rub and then place into your shoes or mittens. They are cheap.

 

[teammongo]

As Justinf stated:
Mittens + inners.
good thermals.
Waterproof boots that come up high on your shins, particularly in deep snow.
Balaclava.

 

[Quickstatus]

1) Thin synthetic thermals
2) lightweight puffer jackets - these are superlight and superwarm.
3) waterproof but breathable shell/parka/ski jacket
4) hand liners
5) waterproof breathable mittens (ski gloves)
6) Waterproof and breathable "Apres" boots.
7)Blalaclava (though if you come across some US travellers they may take exception/offence/manufacture outrage to the "blackface"

In principle - dress in layers.

 

[VPS]

I'm really interested in footwear. I wear orthotics and have to be really careful about what shoes I wear because I have such bad feet. If I have good footwear I can walk for ages but cr@p footwear and I'm hobbling quickly. I may be wishing for too much but I'd like to keep to one pair of shoes (two at the most) that would be OK to walk around in snowy and icy conditions (as I age I don't fall as gracefully as I used to) but OK to wear out (obviously not to somewhere fancy)

How do people in the snowy climes cope when they go out for a fancy dinner - do they change shoes when they get to the restaurant?

 

[Austman]

All the above is good advice if you plan to be outdoors a lot.

But for city stays, with temperatures down to about -12, some of it can be a mistake unless you plan to be outdoors for hours on end.

Heavy shoes, clothing layers and even mittens can be a pain for city activities. The difference with city stays is that indoors can be warm, often really warm where some outdoor clothing can be a problem. And you also tend to use your hands a lot more so mittens can be awkward.

Good outerwear, good gloves and sensible shoes work well. And a warm scarf and head-wear that can be easily removed and placed in your jacket pockets. Interiors are so warm that you'll often have to remove your jacket, gloves and scarf. Or risk melting.

 

[Austman]

How do people in the snowy climes cope when they go out for a fancy dinner - do they change shoes when they get to the restaurant?

In Scandinavian cities at least, the snow is kept under control. Footpaths and pathways have the snow removed sometimes on a daily basis and grit is usually laid down. There are machines that do it all really quickly.

It means that sensible shoes usually are enough. Ones that have a good (not smooth) gripping sole. You can buy thermal inserts as well if you find the cold getting through.

So people don't usually change their shoes at restaurants - except perhaps for very formal occasions. There are usually good mats or snow scraping brush/rack things at the entrance doors that clear off most of the snow from shoes. But people often check their jackets, gloves and scarfs.

When visiting a private house it's different. It's outside shoes off there and people sometimes do carry a pair of indoors only footwear. But socks alone are usually considered OK to wear.

 

[Matt_01]

My go to boots for the cold are Sorel's, however the brand also makes some pretty decent shoes . They can be a bit on the heavy side but bullet proof. When I go out I just wear my boots to the restaurant. For thermals I use marino super light weight and keeps you warm if you do get a bit wet.

Agree with others here about layering. As for gloves I would use these over mittens any day, just get good quality ones. @Austman makes some excellent points about being in the city. I have just come back from Harbin, Sapporo and Tokyo. In Harbin I spent most of the day outside with a temperature averaging around was -12 (night -20) then take into account wind chill so was rugged up, in the morning it was dash to get into the cold and getting back to the hotel it was straight back to the room to get out of the layers, you just get to hot to quickly. In Sapporo and Tokyo, although not as cold we were in and out of trains and shops so I did not layer up as much as you are forever taking on an off jackets and gloves.

 

[VPS]

Thanks everyone for the advice - I will have to start doing some shopping. I overheat at the best of times and think some stores (and houses) are so overheated in winter

 

[Quickstatus]

Thanks everyone for the advice - I will have to start doing some shopping. I overheat at the best of times and think some stores (and houses) are so overheated in winter

Thats why layers are good.
Skin hugging lightweight synthetic Thermals are important for cold wear because it really adds an incredible amount of insulation and keeps you dry as it wicks the sweat (if any)

 

[kookaburra75]

I have a pair of Kathmandu Day Walking boots, that are ankle high and have a thick, insulated sole with good grip. I've used them the past several years in ice and snow, down to minus 10, walking around all day without any problems. I bought them during their summer sale, which meant they were 50% off
I team up the boots with a lined polar fleece jacket, so the wind can't get through - again building up layers.
Double layer beanie
Good gloves, which are better than mittens for me, especially when trying to answer a phone
In really cold conditions, I use my Aldi Snow Boarding jacket. It's really warm, and when in countries with good heating (and cloak rooms), I can dress lightly and use the jacket to survive outside

 

[vetrade]

A bit late to the party but here's some general comments:
Good waterproof boots have the tongue attached to the boot sides to keep water & ice out.
Make sure the boots are very well padded especially at the top around the ankle - and don't buy any that don't feel perfect when you try them on - i.e. don't fall for the line that they will loosen up after a little wear.
Avoid boots which have a very deep and inflexible tread on the sole - they give good grip but can be uncomfortably stiff for normal walking around
If you won't be walking in really rough /rocky terrain I suggest you don't get the shin-high boots because it can be difficult to get the laces at just the right tension to fit comfortably everywhere. Once you're out and about a minor pressure point can turn into someting very annoying very quickly.

 

[ausfox]

I suggest that you take a set of cleats/grippers to fit to your shoes/boots. They are easily fitted (and removed) and will prevent falls on ice. There are many types available from about $10 to $150 so look carefully. The large online auction e store has them here in AU. Enjoy your cold climes.

 

[higheden]

Whatever you choose to wear or not wear in the cold, we have learnt there are three must do’s.
Always wear a warm hat i.e cover your head, keep it warm. Always wear warm gloves/mittens - i.e keep your fingers warm and always, always keep your toes warm.
We’ve been living in those minus 50 winter temps for sometime and while you do need to be body warm, if head, fingers and toes aren’t warm, the rest of you won’t be either.

 

[Drakecula]

This is all good info. I will be having to pick up some thermals and warm socks and things before our trip at the end of the year - we're going to Europe, including Lapland up north (brrr!) and I feel the cold pretty badly. I do have some warm things, but not to the extreme of the Arctic.

In terms of shoes, I have a pair of Doc Marten boots, a pair of snow boots I got at Aldi last year and some hiking/walking shoes from Mountain Designs. Do more experienced cold weather travellers think they'd be suitable for the varying options of cold but not 'that' cold and omg freezing?

 

[higheden]

I’m not sure if you are aware or have been told but you can get hand and feet warmera from most sporting stores. Well worth it!

 

[love_the_life]

Not sure if it's been posted but a pair of waterproof over trousers really help with the wind chill and also of course keep your legs dry should you go thigh high in drift snow. We've had ours for about 10 years and only wear them when we go somewhere Arctic/Antarctic/snowy. They're not ski pants so not padded but being light can be rolled up in backpack in case they are needed. Found they make a big difference.