Best winter clothing for photography & -40C

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Sid-EOS

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Yes I know -4'C is not normal, but in Canada we have to deal with it.
And as I am not a Native Canadian, first hand information is most welcome.
I have a preference for Sealskinz and Paramo gear, but I am open minded enough to listen to the experience of others.

Please let me know what you survive in when taking photographs at extreme temperatures?
 
Brrrrrrr!!!! And I was complaining about opening the door to let the dog out, and it's only -2 here!
 
I just purchased a Merino Wool base layer (fancy name for a long-sleeved t-shirt) called IceBreaker. They have three 'levels' of warmth, the 15' All Season, the 2'' Cool and the 26' Cold. Their claim, "the warmest and most breathable performance base layer in the world." I got the 26'.

I wore it during an outdoor workshop at the beginning of December on the shores of Georgian Bay with the wind howling in off the lake and I was toasty with just a regular button-up shirt over the IceBreaker and a ski-jacket.

The secret is layering and something like the IceBreaker base layer is a good start. It's not cheap at $1'', but well worth it, especially in Canada!
 
Mike Guilbault said:
I just purchased a Merino Wool base layer (fancy name for a long-sleeved t-shirt) called IceBreaker. They have three 'levels' of warmth, the 15' All Season, the 2'' Cool and the 26' Cold. Their claim, "the warmest and most breathable performance base layer in the world." I got the 26'.

I wore it during an outdoor workshop at the beginning of December on the shores of Georgian Bay with the wind howling in off the lake and I was toasty with just a regular button-up shirt over the IceBreaker and a ski-jacket.

The secret is layering and something like the IceBreaker base layer is a good start. It's not cheap at $1'', but well worth it, especially in Canada!
Click to expand...

They are excellent Mike, aren't they !!!:lol::lol:
http://www.icebreaker.com/site/index.html
 
WOW! Did a little Googling and found out -4' is one of those "magic numbers", the same in Celsius and Fahrenheit. Bloody freaking cold is what I'd call it!

I do a bit of fly fishing and a lot in the winter when work's not so demanding, but the same converter tells me my "so cold I wonder whyinHell I'm not home" days only come in at -1' or so C. Nonetheless, I'll offer some advice from what I've learned standing in a river waving an iced-up stick:

Layers! The more the merrier! Cotton is worse than useless in cold weather, leave it for summer. My base layer is usually silk or capilene(or a polypropylene equivalent), the next layer a synthetic fleece like Polartek(2'' or 3''-weight, depending on conditions), another layer of polypropylene for a shirt, maybe another fleece layer or a wool sweater and finally either a Gore-Tex and/or Windstopper fleece shell.

Simms makes good stuff, so does Patagonia. Cabela's sells some great outerwear at good prices as well. For socks I like the Patagonia polypro liners and the Smartwools for the outer layer. I use Simms Gore-Tex waders, the polypro unders with the Polartek pants and shirt and a Cabella's WindShear(Windstopper clone)/Thinsulate jacket, then I cover that with a Simms Gore-Tex jacket if it's raining or snowing. I'll add a wool sweater if it's really cold.

For the head(and you can lose more heat from your scalp than you'd think), I'll use either a fleece or Windstopper watch cap and cover that with a wide-brim felt hat. For gloves I'll use my fingerless Windstopper gloves until I can't stand it anymore then I'll switch to the Thinsulate glove/mitts.

But, IMHO, if I was faced with going out in -4' weather and had a choice, I'd stay home with my hot wings and Killians! :cheesy:

Bill
 
OK first steps.... Kiwigeoff will like this :)

Base layer
Icebreaker Bodyfit 26' L/S Crewe.
Icebreaker Men's Bodyfit 26' Leggings.

Inner glove liners
Terramar Body sensors - too many liners were bulky, I need to operate a camera from inside finger tip less mittens, these offered the best "feel".

Anyone got comments on arcteryx kit?
 
Clothing is a very personal choice, but you will most likely want a warm place to keep your camera's batteries. Power levels drop rapidly in the cold weather, and anything you can do to keep your batteries closer to a more reasonable temperature will deliver you more power. Also beware of condensation on your equipment as you move from cold to warm temperatures. You are probably aware of these issues as you live in a cold climate, but I wanted to post them so others who are not as familiar with these issues have some gentle reminders if they head off to very cold climates.

Good luck,

--Ken
 
Sid-EOS;3339' said:
OK first steps.... Kiwigeoff will like this :)

Base layer
Icebreaker Bodyfit 26' L/S Crewe.
Icebreaker Men's Bodyfit 26' Leggings.

Inner glove liners
Terramar Body sensors - too many liners were bulky, I need to operate a camera from inside finger tip less mittens, these offered the best "feel".

Anyone got comments on arcteryx kit?
Click to expand...

LOL SId !!
I did send Icebreaker a link to this tread and they were most grateful, not grateful enough to offer to send you some gear to test though:lol::lol::lol:
 
Well if they do contact you, pass my email address to them ;)

Sid - Canadian Merino Monster.

Yes, I checked my BAACODE.
 
I mentioned that I got the Icebreaker stuff, I also eventually bought some Arc'teryx kit - pants (trousers) and second layer top. I did get a discount, darn good job, it is so expensive, but it works.
The pants are wind and waterproof, I spent most of the day up to my "harris" in powder, not cold or wet.

To be honest I would never have believed that I could spend a day out in -35C (todays temperature). I was very warm, in fact, I was getting hot sometimes.
I had a hard time getting Sorel boots that would fit, I bought Baffin.
The Icebreaker underwear was very comfortable.

Camera

Yes I can confirm that the 5Dmk2 works in -35C. No wind chill.
And I don't just mean "it coped", but I mean it worked all day at -35C and below. The back of the camera and grip looked like a giant popsicle after I had been breathing on it all day.


After nosing the snow around for ages, he/she looked up - gotcha!

sj'213ls3.jpg
 
Sid, I also bought Baffin boots. The -1''&#73';C model. You just do not know it is cold under. Those are the ones i was talking about in the Lounge... And they are built to last!
 
Very true, no cold underfoot.

Mind you, driving in them is an art :)
 
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