Winter Gear Suggestions?

[johnpaul215]

I love the Carhartt bib overalls. The G+E departments can't be wrong! They are especially useful on a day where you will not be outside all day. They are made so you can put them on while still wearing your boots. Being overalls they block wind from getting your waist in a way regular pants can't. you can keep them on the truck for when the fleece lined jeans just won't cut it.

I have a Carhartt jacket that's parka length, but made of their cotton duck material. Does a great job. I need to pick up a snap-on hood though.

I'm never 100% happy with gloves, but i REALLY try to use the fingerless gloves that have flip down mittens. full dexterity, and you can always pop a hand warmer in the top.

I got electric socks this fall. I went with the kind that run on D cells because that was what the local Army-Navy store sold. They didn't make my feet toasty warm, but definitely helped. I was just on a job in the PA Poconos where the wind chill got close to 0F, and once or twice i used foot warmers in addition to the electric socks. I will say my boots are not insulated (similar to Doc Martens), and that may have been part of the issue.

If you want to go really crazy, there is a lot of motorcycle gear that plugs in. That means it's 12 volt! As much amusement as it might bring the rest of the crew, I don't think I'll be mixing in electric chaps anytime soon.

[Darren]

I think I may have posted this before at some point, so apologies in advance if I have.

I originally bought one of these 12v [shadow=red,left]rechargeable[/shadow] heated vests for motorcycling, but it has become my favourite piece of winter work clothing, and is great for skiing/boarding as well:

http://www.jett.us.com/heat_vest_complete.htm

[Matt]

Darren,

The vest looks awesome.  In actual use, how does it do?  How many hours, etc?  I've been looking at battery-powered gloves online, but all of them get pretty lousy reviews on Amazon.  Same with the battery-powered socks. 

A snowboarding friend of mine turned me on to Thermotech long underwear.  It is super thin (like silk) but warm as hell.  Costs about $40 for pants or a top at the local Sun and Ski Shop in your local mall of choice. 

Have any of you used the new Carhartt Men’s Extremes® Zip-To-Waist Biberall / Arctic Quilt Lined?  Looks sweet! 

http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=32174&langId=-1&categoryId=10908

I like the pockets on front.  They seem more useful for sound guy stuff than the bib pocket on the other kind.  Maybe not $30 more useful, but useful.

-Matt

[Fernando]

a stellar base layer is the merino wool stuff: light, soft, dry, temp. regulator, non-odor for days (!) and biodegradable.

Look for Smartwool (specially), Patagonia and Icebreaker brands, among others.

First layer is key.

Head: I  like the TNF "Windstopper High Point" hat. Very light and packable, very warm and you can use the cord to free your ears for headphones. Great on the low loader.

[Fernando]

Thank you Matt. You mean the Carhart overall? Bibs? Are good for both warm and rain?

Fernando, the Carharts are pretty quiet.  More of a jeans construction.  I don't know how available they are in Europe, but you can probably find them online.  They really are amazing.

-Matt

[Jim Gilchrist]

One thing that has been quite helpful since we had the big snow in December are Dry Guy GripOns. Production provided them for the crew on a spot in a hockey rink, and they're great for keeping upright on ice. Pretty reasonably priced, don't take much space in the foul weather gear bag and easy to get on and off. There are lots of others on the market as well but these seem to work pretty well.

http://www.dryguy.net/PRD_gripons.htm

Best regards,

Jim

[Jeff Wexler]

I'm not looking for cold weather gear at the moment (certainly have needed it in the past) but I am again reminded of how useful this group has become. Through the kind and generous participation of our members we can all benefit from this terrific archive of information and resource next time we need cold weather gear.

Thank you.

-  Jeff Wexler

[t.elder]

I can't recommend a good pair of snow pants enough, even when it's not snowing.  They're great for the days when you start outside and then company move it into a building.  You just slip those bad boys off when you're done outside and you don't have to deal with taking off thermal underwear, etc.  Rain paints can also work in those in between days, when it's not super cold but you need something to take the wind off.

Funny story about Neos: went to Tent and Trails, a camping store in New York, to buy a pair a couple months back, and the salesman looked at me and said, "You work on a film crew, right?  Every pair I sell is to you guys."

-Tim

[Darren]

Hi there,

Mine came with 2 batteries and between them I have no difficulties making it through a 12 hr work day. The vest is meant to be worn snugly so that for the most part it is making physical contact with your body.  I've actually found that I rarely use the highest heat setting as the medium one is plenty hot enough.

This is one of those item that completely changes your life on a cold day.

Cheers,

Darren

Darren,

The vest looks awesome.  In actual use, how does it do?  How many hours, etc?  I've been looking at battery-powered gloves online, but all of them get pretty lousy reviews on Amazon.  Same with the battery-powered socks. 

-Matt

[Gerard-NYNY]

my good bets: go to a really good cycling store and look at pearl izumi winter cycling tights, Descente makes a great pair of windproof boxers--cycling tights are breezy at the top area-- and a descente windproof base layer works really well.. Assos makes a great base layer.

goretex windstopper works. a nylon wind shell is nice. if you can blow through

a garment its not going to stop the wind. conversely, if its not porous you'll over heat.

hotronic insole warmers, rechargeable !!--for you cold feet folks--

if you use the hotronic insoles, wear polypropylene socks so your hot feet don't sweat too much, and the polypropylene will wick off the sweat.

start out your day with the hortonic units OFF. when your feet start getting cold, turn them on to the lowest setting  and work up from there.

if your'e going to run around after standing still for a long time, turn them off--you'll start sweating up your feet.

extra layers of socks don't work well>if your feet overheat, they'll sweat, and then your feet will be colder because your socks are wet. you will have cold and wet feet.

cramming extra layers of socks on your feet cause several problems:

1. your shoes are now too tight, restricting the flow of warm blood, and your feet will be colder. have a pair of cold weather shoes a half size larger for thick socks

so the fit is comfortable.

2. extra socks will change the contour of your foot profile--the arch and other areas outside of the socks will take on new dimensions and the shoe wont fit the same way. the result is sore feet.

refrigiwear makes some awesome jackets.

dress in layers. a baselayer should be tight, but succeeding layers should fit with some room to spare. goretex makes a windproof hat type thing that goes under a cycling helmet, works impressively well. pearl izumi for gloves too. dont ask me how i know all this. sugoi makes good stuff too.

[hemmerlinj]

I ran around with the DEA in North Jersey last winter for a TV show.  We were outside about 70% of the time.  The sound mixer and I destroyed our brand new Merrell snow boots in about a month.  I replaced mine with a pair of Sorels.  They worked great.  I could run in them with no problem often leaving the camera man I was working with sucking wind.  I think they have about 400 grams of insulation and are waterproof.  Use them whenever I'm working outside in the winter now.

I always wear a pair of lite wool tights usually with an army type pant.  They work fine for me outside and aren't too warm if I have to transition to indoors.  I would also wear an under armor type of base layer shirt.  The ones I have aren't under armour, but similar.  Then I have a few Marmot polartec sweaters (for a lack of better words) that I where and then either a fleece jacket or for the really cold days my Northface.  I usually have a thin scarf on as well to seal up the neck of the jacket.

Still haven't found a hat the really works well with my cans as of yet.

For gloves I have a pair of open fingered gloves with the flipover mitten cover for the thumb as well.  when it was really cold I would where a pair of windstopper gloves underneath them.  The windstoppers didn't do much for warmth, but helped for the wind and gave me dexterity with a bit of protection from the cold.

I always keep some of those handwarmers in my run bag as well. 

As many have noted it is all about layering.

Jason Hemmerlin

[Gerard-NYNY]

http://gerbing.com/Products/liners.php

new to me--read about this stuff in a motorcycle magazine.

[Toy Robot]

I know no one has posted here in a while, but thank you everyone for this information. I've been gearing up for winter work in NYC and this has helped a lot.

Been using Hot Hands hand warmers in my gloves, but they have a few issues:

• There is a loose, annoying pouch in your glove that can easily fall out when you take your gloves off.
  
• They don't keep your entire hand warm, sometimes your fingers will still be cold.
  
• They're a constant cost, at around $20.00 for 40 pairs (I'll use 2-4 pairs a day, sometimes giving some to the boom op).
  

Overall though, much better than not having them. They do help, and I'll continue to use them until I find 'The' glove.

Regarding pants: I found a pair of long johns at an Army Navy store last time I was in FL that are rated for 'Extreme Cold Weather'. Man do they work. Too well sometimes. If I'm not outside, I cook like a lobster in about ten minutes, but when I am outside I'm toasty. I'd like to get a pair of lined jeans as mentioned earlier by others.

Regarding jackets: Let's not forget our wonderful friend the snowboarding jacket. It's as if this thing we made to be outside in extreme environments... oh, wait, it was. I just stumbled upon this when my last jacket wasn't cutting it outside for my last few shoots and I was digging through the closet looking for alternatives. A light went off in my head and at once I realized that the snowboarding jacket has many perfect aspects for field sound work:

• It is almost 100% windproof.
  
• It is 100% waterproof/snow proof
  
• It's layered to be very warm, but also thin.
  
• It's intentionally larger than normal jackets so you can easily layer clothing underneath to your choosing.
  
• It has many pockets for everything under the sun.
  
• It has a rain/snow hood with fasteners, a soft neck collar and rain gutters to prevent rain/snow from falling in front of your face. Instead the gutters cause that water to run down the side. This is particularly useful when looking down at a bag.
  
• It has a 'no snow' elastic band around the waist area that clips tight. This design is so when you fall on a snowboard you don't get snow up the back side of your warm jacket, which would instantly turn to water and you'd hate life. This serves extremely well to stop wind dead in it's tracks going up the backside.
  
• The sleeves have a glove sleeve that covers your hand and wrist, and the sleeves velcro to the tightness of your choosing so the glove is mated to the jacket, again to stop snow and wind getting in the arms.
  
• Did I mention it even has under arm vents so if you start to overheat you can vent core heat?
  

Honestly, it's as if the snowboarding community made a jacket for field sound work. I went on eBay last year and bought mine for a snowboarding trip with friends (and only just recently had the revelation for putting it to use for this type of work).

I got a steal of a deal, and I believe others here might be able to as well if they look around a bit. I wound up purchasing a $350 jacket for $95 + S&H because it was 'out of season / style' and the color wasn't selling well. Their loss, my gain!

Perhaps I'll try putting the snowboarding pants into the field as well. Also 100% waterproof.

[bigmaho]

LOL, I was just about to mention them. http://www.overshoe.com/Pages/default.aspx

Neos overshoes are fantastic. They weigh next to nothing, and can be put on over regular sneakers. Just did a job in new mexico with temps at zero degrees farenheit and they did not fail me. They stay packed with my winter gear all season. Thanks Billy Sarokin for turning me on to them years ago.

[bigmaho]

I like the tall insulated versions, http://www.overshoe.com/Pages/Product.aspx?category=Insulated&cat=HLS-OVERSHOE&pid=N5P3

The great thing about Neos is that you can wear sneakers or street shoes underneath and be totally warm even in all night -20 exteriors. It's also easy to open them and drop in a hand warmer if it gets real serious.

I think he meant which model of NEOS (looks like there are a few) as opposed to which vendor (I'm also curious which ones you liked, or if it doesn't really matter).

[taylormadeaudio]

I like those NEOs... great idea. I've been wearing Sorel's since '85 -- I'm only on my second pair (yes, they last that long) but they're heavy after a while... with the NEOs, it looks like you get the same protection, only with the option to remove them upon getting into a warmer (INT) environment. Maybe Santa will bring me some...

~tt

[Toy Robot]

I like those NEOs... great idea. I've been wearing Sorel's since '85 -- I'm only on my second pair (yes, they last that long) but they're heavy after a while... with the NEOs, it looks like you get the same protection, only with the option to remove them upon getting into a warmer (INT) environment. Maybe Santa will bring me some...

~tt

This is exactly why I'm considering purchasing a pair. I also currently have Sorel's. They are great, but man are they cumbersome. I would absolutely love to have sneakers on beneath some NEOs...

[Jim Gilchrist]

Perhaps I'll try putting the snowboarding pants into the field as well. Also 100% waterproof.

Snowboarding pants are great for winter work. They seem to stay up better than other non-bib style cold weather wear. Also cut just generously enough to allow ease of movement and comfort without being too bulky.

Best regards,

Jim

[Olle Sjostrom]

I have to say; undergarments rock! We have a manufacturer here in Sweden that make these really nice, lightweight warm undergarments (pants and shirt) made of wool and terry cloth. Never gets wet, never gets too warm. And you never "feel" them. Wool power is the name, don't know if it retails in US or any other part of the world though... But, undergarments! Rule.

(null)

[hemmerlinj]

It's all about the layering for me. And good boots. I use Sorels for the messy days, and Keens with good wool socks for the just cold days. I have a few base layer sweaters from Marmot. I use light thermal shirts and long underwear with my regular jeans on top. I've sat outside for hours without getting cold. I also use the fingerless glove/mitten combo gloves.

For coats I have 66 degrees north hoody that I wear with another hoodie. That's good for when it gets to just around freezing. Have a Northface jacket that I add on when it's colder than that.

[taylormadeaudio]

When I'm mixing (ie: sitting behind a cart a lot) I wear a layer of merino wool under my snowboarding gear (Burton and / or North Face stuff has never let me down) and Sorel Caribou Reserves on my feet, but this would be way too cumbersome (ad noisy) for booming... the Carhartt lined pants are much quieter, wool socks, slightly oversized shoes and NEOs seem to be the way to go for a quieter more mobile solution.

[JonG]

I am currently working on a show that has me out in below zero weather. Everything you need can be found at the Army Surplus store for a reasonable price. I purchased:

 

Army Issue P-Coat

Boots with Padding

Thermal tops and bottoms

Fleece "hoodie"

Face Mask

Beanie

Gloves for use with iPhone

Gloves with exposed fingers and convertible mitten hood

Scarf

 

All for less than $250, and I can guarantee you that I am the warmest guy on set!

[Tom Visser]

Military issue stuff (traditional) works pretty good, until it rains and that is where the modern technical materials come into play and outshine in performance, ability to stay dry, be lighter, and allow better mobility.  I have some waterproof trousers from 66 North, which I quite like.  My body tends to produce a lot of heat, so layering is really important for me, as a base layer or maybe base layer plus light windbreak is all I typically need in sub-zero temps (once I'm acclimated) if the wind isn't too strong.  I'm the kid who used to play for 10 hours straight as a kid outside in Nebraska when there were 15' snow drifts or go surfing Rockaways from December to February.  66 North has a bit of a bent towards the fashion side of winter wear, but many of their products are quite technical too.  You don't want to wear gear so warm that it will cause you to sweat.  Sweat lessens the ability for the envelope to maintain a constant temperature and if gets extreme, can hinder the ability for the clothing to work properly.  

[Valentine]

+1 on Neos. They're light, cheaper, more comfortable, and very popular up North. It's all I need for my feet. I have the Explorers.

[MSheldon]

As hemmerlinj said above "It's all about layering..".  It doesn't get super cold up here in Seattle but working outside all night can still be a chilly prospect.  I love my fleece lined Carhart jeans.  They work great if they stay dry.  I'm also a big fan of wool clothing.  Smartwool makes a zip up pullover that I wear all the time.  It's not cheap but it works great.  I usually wear it over a t-shirt to combat any chaffing.  The nice thing about it is that it doesn't collect stink like many of the synthetic fiber layers.  I can wear it for a couple of days before people start to swoon when I pick up my boompole.

 

http://www.smartwool.com/m-s-midweight-zip-t-59.html