Staying Warm

[Gamdwelf]

Fuck that, my body is definitely not a furnace.

I walked around a lot when living in Chicago and after battling the first two winters with a pea coat and "layering" I trudged into North Face on Michigan Avenue and I told them to give me the warmest coat they had (which also happened to be their most expensive coat in stock). Close to $400 but worth it, I still have that damn parka. Which sits in my closet mostly unused, Portland might as well be Hawaii in comparison to Chicago winters.

Its really the wind. Cold is really not that bad unless its windy.

[Celista]

Its really the wind. Cold is really not that bad unless its windy.

Yup true. Last winter before I left it got to -50 a couple of nights, with the wind chill factor.

[shadowmouse]

I always thought of China as being advanced since their tech and school system is often touted as miles beyond the US. But hell - even our smallest hick towns gave up radiators for heat and moved to forced air systems years and years ago. China sound like a third world country with some sort of building/city controlled radiator system and burning coal for warmth.

One word. Logistics.

Trying to keep things rolling for millions of people at a time (in smallish cities) is challenging; Beijing has a population exceeding that of many countries and keeping it running somewhat smoothly is beyond challenging. Coal and central heating plants used to make sure that people had heat and could afford it. As the population in cities like Beijing has skyrocketed, that has become a problem. [N.B. As far as I know, the US still uses heating oil, so it is a question of how one burns the fossils.]

Downtown, there are still places using the old fashioned radiators. Out where I live, we use radiators with sheet metal fins that create columns of hot air to be deflected into the room. A bit further out and people have apartments with Korean style radiant heating in the floors and that's on individual controls.

The people using pot bellied stoves are much like those who use wood burning stoves in the US. Some are just cheapskates, but others like the feel of having a potbellied stove to gather around and to leave a kettle of water on for hot drinks. My local Xinjiang place is like that, they have perfectly good heat, but they keep two potbellied stoves going in the winter to generate a mood. They're the Chinese equivalent of fireplaces.

Restaurants like the propane heaters because they can set them up near the register to hit people with a blast of hot air as they come in. The same places have an air conditioner in the same spot during the summer.

their tech and school system is often touted as miles beyond the US

Miles beyond? We must be reading different news. China does pretty well, for the size of the population and the rapidity of its growth. Those are the problems here, a huge population (rapidly aging too) and the need to catch up quickly. In the US, the problem is that much of our infrastructure is old and often outrageously so.

[Cerus]

I mean, I'm not sure if it matters much based on the temp ranges the OP listed (Beijing seems rather moderate temperature wise) but I was always told that cotton as the *innermost* layer does in fact wick moisture away well, but also leaves you feeling damp. That dampness can be deadly in very cold temps.

Shrug. YMMV.

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LOL. Saskatchewan is beautiful, don't move to the far north if you can't take the heat (or lack thereof)...for real though, living that close to the Arctic Circle means you're battling the elements on a daily basis. Not for the faint of heart.

Hence why I said it's slow to dry out. It does the whicking part well but it doesn't dry out as fast as wool and in very cold weather that can be bad. But it's a cheap and often more comfortable alternative to wool if you're not in a super cold climate.

[breadisfunny]

I don't even wear a sweater till it's like 30 degrees outside. It has to be close to 0 for me to wear a coat. And I live in Chicago. My body is a furnace.

The few times I 'bundle up', use of that term is very loose, are usually when I need to be out in the cold for a long time (6-7 hours). That usually means I am in line for a concert in the Chicago or New York winter. Still not a coat person, I found that sporting goods stores still these shirts & leggings: link.

They are great! Super light, thin, easy to wear under normal clothes and keeps you dry and warm. I have found that for me personally, one of those base layer shirts and run-of-the-mill heavy metal t-shirt can be more than warm even in 10-20 degree weather. Last November I wore just such a pair of leggings & undershirt with a pair of jeans, tshirt and hoodie over top in 15-20 degree weather while it was raining. For 8 hours. A few blocks from the lakefront.

There are lots of companies that make these layer things. Great investment.

round these parts the wind will make you wish you bought that coat even at 30 degrees.

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Yup true. Last winter before I left it got to -50 a couple of nights, with the wind chill factor.

i remember once it got to -50 without windchill. was something like -65 with the windchill. it can get bone chillingly cold here.

as for me...i hate anything below 60 degrees.

[vindicatorx]

I mean I guess I'm fat so it's not hard to stay warm? It's those pesky other months when I am sweating my ass off that it sucks

[breadisfunny]

I mean I guess I'm fat so it's not hard to stay warm? It's those pesky other months when I am sweating my ass off that it sucks

wait didn't you say you were a prison guard once? how can you be a prison guard if your fat?

[Tulune]

Get fat, let the blubber be your natural insulator.

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Yup true. Last winter before I left it got to -50 a couple of nights, with the wind chill factor.

geez where do you live? Alaska?

[Celista]

Get fat, let the blubber be your natural insulator.

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geez where do you live? Alaska?

I grew up in Alaska lol but those were Chicago temperatures. Those are not the norm however.

[Tulune]

I grew up in Alaska lol but those were Chicago temperatures. Those are not the norm however.

A, that explains the wind chill then. I'm from Massachusetts, it isn't too bad, most of the time.

[Ahhdurr]

Learn thermodynamics.

[Celista]

wait didn't you say you were a prison guard once? how can you be a prison guard if your fat?

Have you met prison guards before?

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A, that explains the wind chill then. I'm from Massachusetts, it isn't too bad, most of the time.

I heard that Boston can get quite cold.

[Airlick]

A jacket and a tight scarf is all I use to combat cold. Also prayers against wind, but they usually don't work and I freeze my ass off while waiting for a bus, and that's considering we haven't had an actually cold winter in years. I hope this year isn't any different.

[OperationFerret]

As a ginger I have had to learn over the years that the cold can be my worst enemy so I would never leave home without my trusty thermos full of hot chocolate.

[Gamdwelf]

i remember once it got to -50 without windchill. was something like -65 with the windchill. it can get bone chillingly cold here.

as for me...i hate anything below 60 degrees.

That's cus you're too skinny, get some meat on them bones.

[Tulune]

Have you met prison guards before?

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I heard that Boston can get quite cold.

Not sure about Boston, I live in central MA. For the most part, it's bearable. I could be biased though, I much prefer the colder seasons, being a fatty lol.

[Chinese Bootlickers]

What I usually pull out when it gets cold is usually a thick neck gaiter, an ushanka, a thick hoodie or flannel/fleece coat under a heavy duster, goggles if it's really frickin' cold, and some flannel lined jeans. Keeps me toasty as fuck, but it's a bit of a PITA having to take my headgear on/off when I enter/leave a store, but what other type of person like going into stores with their faces almost/completely obscured?

[Celista]

Not sure about Boston, I live in central MA. For the most part, it's bearable. I could be biased though, I much prefer the colder seasons, being a fatty lol.

Well I've met some skinny people with crazy metabolisms lol, I don't NECESSARILY think it's due to that reason ha. I have always run on the cold side.

[Shelly]

The biggest thing for me is to make sure I have something that covers my head and especially ears from the wind and cold. That's often enough to keep me toasty.

I also have an enormous Adam's Apple that really holds onto the cold - still looking for a really long scarf but a regular old fleece one helps.

If I'm outside and working I like to have a good pair of gloves handy. Doesn't really matter the type - my family does landscaping and snow removal so around 4:30/5am it's really bad if you're out shoveling a walkway and you really want just any protection.

If I'm doing inside work and my hands get really cold I like to run them under some warm-to-hot water. This is the biggest tip I think I can give anyone that works in an office, it'll warm up your joints and keep the fingers mobile.

In my room I just have a small oil filled radiator that's more than enough if I close the door. It's maybe a 200-sqft room and it'll keep me rocking at whatever temperature I set quite easily and efficiently.

[Thoughtful Trolli]

in late stages of hypothermia you actually feel burning hot so try to get to those