 Poster: A snowHead
|
I’m off to Quebec, Canada in February 2023
What garments would you expect to wear at -30 degrees ?
Any particular makes ?
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
I’ve worn Aldi pants in minus 30 in Banff a couple of times. They were fine.
Three layers is enough for upper body I find. A thermal, normal mid layer and whatever insulated jacket you have (I’ve had expensive brands and cheap brands and the difference as far as keeping me warm was not noticeable).It’s my toes and fingers that get cold. I find merino inner gloves and a good mitten to work best for cold fingers.
Don’t forget to go in for regular hot chocolates to warm up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
Liners and mittens, face mask, layers. Jackets with wrist gaiters. Good neck warmer. Little hotties
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
Love my Rab down pants.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
|
T shirt and shorts, I ain't going out if it's -30!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
Mountain restaurant is the way to keep warm at -30. Or better still village restaurant.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
They may close the lifts on you, if you mean skiing.
I'm not sure I've ridden in stuff quite that cold in the west, but it often gets below minus 20. Snow gets squeaky and slow; correct wax helps a bit bit it does make it seriously less fun the colder it gets. You just don't want to hang around outside doing nothing; don't have any exposed skin; stick an extra layer on; wiggle your toes all the time or use boot heaters. Do a run, then go inside to warm up, repeat. If you're keen, then the hand warmers in the bogs will speed up the warming process.
For walking around town... well if you need to catch a bus or train, learn the precise time it picks up and get there precisely 30 seconds before it arrives. Don't go out without a head covering. Don't go out just in jeans.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| DJL wrote: |
| Mountain restaurant is the way to keep warm at -30. Or better still village restaurant. |
+1
A long hot choccy stop and do short turns all the way there.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
When I've skied in those sorts of temps in Canada, I wear a balaclava and take a spare (so you can change, as they get damp), and spare buffs are always handy. You'll be fine when you're skiing but it's when you're on ski lifts or standing around that you'll start to chill fast. Decent socks and decent gloves / mittens are essential. I also have Boot Gloves which make a huge difference. I generally have 3 thin layers under my jacket (base, mid, fleece), really good layering is key and definitely no cotton, you need really good wicking fabrics.
At those temps, we always have extra warm up stops in the restaurants - you need to get inside before you feel really cold or its hard to warm up.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Just don't do -30c if you're not cold-forged in that sort of climate. It really isn't a joke (with wind chill added) and no degree of wrapping up can really make it pleasant rather than a game of survival.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
Boot Gloves ? Any particular brand
Heating the boots ? Any recommendations
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
Oh, and if you need calories after burning them off to stay warm then be sure to try Quebec's winter snack speciality Poutine! 
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Quote: |
winter snack speciality Poutine!
|
Also a ‘snack’ in France, allegedly. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
I’d hesitate to suggest buying any cold weather gear from warm climate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
| abc wrote: |
| I’d hesitate to suggest buying any cold weather gear from warm climate. |
This.
Take what you have, then buy the stuff the locals use from a town (not a resort) and it's all good. "SNow and Rock" shop assistants likely have no idea what conditions you're facing, they have to import small quantities of gear at high prices, and you can't take it back if it's inappropriate/ wrong / breaks on day one etc.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| Quote: |
Skijonuk
Boot Gloves ? Any particular brand
|
@Skijonuk Ours are DryGuy - bought them in Canada, not sure where you'd get them from over here
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
@Skijonuk, why do you think it will be that cold? NOAA suggests avg lows overnight (!) round -18 …
Skied Whistler in -18 - wanted extra gilet and chum told to take her earrings out (and general frostbite buddy watch)
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
|
“Wind chill” only really applies if you are skiing naked …
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
| under a new name wrote: |
@Skijonuk, why do you think it will be that cold? NOAA suggests avg lows overnight (!) round -18 …
Skied Whistler in -18 - wanted extra gilet and chum told to take her earrings out (and general frostbite buddy watch) |
Whistler and Quebec are not in the same climate zone!
That said, the OP only use the country as his thread title, he deserves this. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| philwig wrote: |
| Don't go out just in jeans. |
Lol a lil too late for us. -26 in Banff and our jeans became ice trousers. Wasn't fun but the pub had a fireplace and warmed my nads nicely. Ain't doing that again.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
| Scooter in Seattle wrote: |
| Love my Rab down pants. |
That beats loving your Rab pants down!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I ski in QC all the time. West Coast cold and East coast cold are two different animals.
Where are you planning on skiing? The QC cold is no joke if you are not used to it. If you are really concerned by heated underlayers.
#1 recommendation, get heated socks, although they can bunch and be a PIA. Otherwise, absolutely add heaters to your boots. I don't ski without them any longer.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Coldest I've skied at was -35 in Jasper. So cold that they weren't selling tickets, on the basis that most folk would do one run and then give up and go home.
Yes, one run, maybe two, was the maximum between warm-ups in the lodge, but in fact the limiting factor wasn't getting cold in itself, but goggles freezing over. No matter how hard we tried it was impossible to completely stop your breath from condensing on them, and even taking gloves off to clean them with warm fingers was useless, as they'd refreeze within a fraction of a second.
ISTR I was wearing a one-piece suit that day (this was back in the '90s) with fleece trousers under, and a fleece and loose mountain jacket over the top as well as under-layers. Hands and toes certainly felt the cold, but would onlt really have forced the stops if we'd been carrying multiple pairs of goggles to stay out for longer.
Was talking to one of the waitresses in the top lodge who said she'd spoken to her friend at the base lift who'd had to send at least a dozen people home already (before lunchtime) as they were showing the signs of frostnip on their faces. As is nearly always the case, sufferers don't appreciate the severity of this and needed to be forbidden from going back up, for their own good.
So yeah, absolutely no exposed skin is essential. And proper woolly hats covering ears as well - helmets make it so difficult to completely cover every square cm - if you want to be able to move your neck, that is. 
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
We went to LL many years ago it was -42 so cold we managed a walk of about 10 mins . I was wearing thermals, a fleece a 1 piece suit and a pair of ski pants and a ski jacket, 2x turtle fur gloves and mittens. I looked like the Michelin woman!
We sat in the hotel after the walk and had cake and hot chocolate. We got in the car and found we had 50 pence tyres! We were 5 miles into the journey back to banff before the tyres resumed their circular shape. Its not normally that bad ! We were wearing uk ski gear, we still ski in Canada, but now have Canadian ski gloves for cold days.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I was in Fernie last year (january) and I was wearing two thermal layers, a merino wool t shirt, a cashmere rollneck jumper, two down jackets and an outer layer. Toasty on the runs, just enough on the chair lifts. Definitely get neoprene boot covers. The temperature was -35 during the day, down to -45 during the night. As they say, there are no impossible conditions, only inappropriate kit.
|
|
|
|
|
|
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
snowHeads are a friendly bunch.
|
|
I was in Sunshine, January probably 5 or 6 years ago, -43 inc windchill. Base layer, fleece, down padded outer jacket, standard european thin (40 or 60g) insulated trousers, no leggings, Big insulated over gloves and a buff. Didn't feel too bad to me. The only thing I didn't like was my beard coagulating into weird ice dreadlocks. Out all day, with only a marginal increase in coffee stops.
|
|
|
|
|
|
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
And love to help out and answer questions and of course, read each other's snow reports.
|
|
This thread has turned into a contest of “what’s the coldest I’ve skied”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
It has a bit, but then it started with ,”what should I wear at -30?”.
And incidentally, what is the coldest you’ve skied………
|
|
|
|
|
|
You know it makes sense.
|
|
|
|
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
Otherwise you'll just go on seeing the one name:
|
|
I wouldn't go to a ski area that regularly got down to those temps. Surely there are better options outside of Europe where you're not wrapping up like an onion and longing for the chair lift to end only so you can race down for a warm up break
|
|
|
|
|
|
Poster: A snowHead
|
| rogg wrote: |
| I was in Sunshine, January probably 5 or 6 years ago, -43 inc windchill. |
Windchill doesn't count. It's often quoted, particularly in the US, to try to take wind effect into account, but when you're skiing you're generating much more wind than the ambient conditions anyway, so the only meaningful comparator is actual air temperature.
@abc, I do hope you realise that everyone else in this thread is talking about temperatures in Celsius.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
Obviously A snowHead isn't a real person
|
|
@Chaletbeauroc, it does count if your touring or climbing though
|
|
|
|
|
|
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
Well, the person's real but it's just a made up name, see?
|
| Mother hucker wrote: |
| I wouldn't go to a ski area that regularly got down to those temps. Surely there are better options outside of Europe where you're not wrapping up like an onion and longing for the chair lift to end only so you can race down for a warm up break |
Most people visiting Canada for skiing (that's not the stated case here) would likely go to the left hand bit, because there's more snow there. However if I happened to be in Quebec I'd certainly ride there.
Google shows the actual temperatures. For example last season in February @Tremblant:
https://www.accuweather.com/en/ca/mont-tremblant/j8e/february-weather/55881?year=2021
You have two or three days of squeaky snow that month.
My concern with Quebec wouldn't be the temperature at all which as described is easy to manage.
It's more that the risk of bulletproof snow => it's going to be predominantly piste and possibly very hard piste.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You need to Login to know who's really who.
You need to Login to know who's really who.
|
|
“Very hard snow” is an understatement.
|
|
|
|
|
|
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
Anyway, snowHeads is much more fun if you do.
|
| Mother hucker wrote: |
| @Chaletbeauroc, it does count if your touring or climbing though |
Humidity also matters. “Wet cold” sips through far worse than just cold (“dry cold”).
Further, if the sun is out, it warms you up. But if it’s cloudy, it feels colder.
The most miserable experience is when the chair happen to stop under the snow gun! Even if it’s just 30 seconds to sort out a fallen beginners at the loading station, it’ll be the longest 30 seconds you’ll remember for the rest of the season!
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll need to Register first of course.
You'll need to Register first of course.
|
|
sorry - double post
Last edited by You'll need to Register first of course. on Thu 22-09-22 23:29; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| rogg wrote: |
| I was in Sunshine, January probably 5 or 6 years ago, -43 inc windchill. |
Windchill doesn't count. It's often quoted, particularly in the US, to try to take wind effect into account, but when you're skiing you're generating much more wind than the ambient conditions anyway, so the only meaningful comparator is actual air temperature.
@abc, I do hope you realise that everyone else in this thread is talking about temperatures in Celsius. |
According to the liftie it counts. He was telling me that if it reached -45c including windchill that he had to close the lift. I’m sure you could have told him that it really didn’t matter though.
Last edited by Then you can post your own questions or snow reports... on Fri 23-09-22 16:54; edited 1 time in total
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
| rogg wrote: |
| Chaletbeauroc wrote: |
| rogg wrote: |
| I was in Sunshine, January probably 5 or 6 years ago, -43 inc windchill. |
Windchill doesn't count. It's often quoted, particularly in the US, to try to take wind effect into account, but when you're skiing you're generating much more wind than the ambient conditions anyway, so the only meaningful comparator is actual air temperature.
@abc, I do hope you realise that everyone else in this thread is talking about temperatures in Celsius. |
According to the liftie it counts. He was telling me that if it reached -45c including windchill that he had to close the lift. I’m sure you could have told him that it really didn’t matter though. |
Thats due to the length of time it takes to evacuate a stopped lift - at those temps including windchill, you wouldnt be very happy.
|
|
|
|
|
|
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
You'll get to see more forums and be part of the best ski club on the net.
|
|
Anyone that says windchill doesn’t count has never been blown backwards, uphill.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Bunch of frikkin lightweights.
Try skiing on Hoth, where even the Tontons don’t last the night!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
FAQ
