I AM GOING TO TURN INTO AN ICICLE AND YOU WILL NEVER HEAR FROM ME AGAIN

[highlyeccentric]

The temperature is 9 degrees celcius, the apparent temperature... is not showing on the BOM site for Canberra right now but in Tuggeranong it is 3.2, so here it may be anything between 3.2 and 9 degrees, I guess. Yesterday the apparent temp. got down to -0.7.

IT IS NOT EVEN WINTER YET. WTF?

Ok, facts: I went out last night in tights, knee-high socks, mid-calf boots, jeans, a singlet, a long-sleeve top, a jumper, a jacket (mid-thigh), gloves and a hat. My torso was warm but my legs froze.
People who actually live in cold climates: what do you wear on your legs? Because I have to walk to work at 8am every morning in winter, and I do not want to endure horrible stinging pain every morning when I get to work and my completely-numb legs encounter the building's heating system.

Right. Now I'm going to go and try to cook things, because that might warm up the house (even though by the Rules of Canberra I'm allowed to turn the heater on now, as it's past Anzac day, I don't really HAVE to. It's only Cold inside, not OMGYOUBASTARDFREEZINGCOLD).

Comments

[cursor-mundi.livejournal.com]

Denim, winter weight, with thermal undies underneath (I've got a type that combines synthetic materials with silk, so my pants don't get caught on them--they look like running pants, but about 10,000 thicker, and they're almost slippery on the outside. Spandex running pants will do in a pinch, but they're not as effective; you don't pass out 10 seconds after entering a building, though.) and knee-high socks. With lined and water-proofed boots. And a multi-layered parka with sealed seams and vents for when you over-heat. Skirts are NOT an option (pack it in your bag if you have to wear it at work). Nor is existing without a facemask--though those do tend to fog my sunglasses.

Also, this is not what you want to hear but...the legs can take the cold; they're moving and working, and they won't freeze if you keep going. Protect your toes, protect your torso (neck to crotch--lots of heat escapes through the crotch), protect your head. The tingle is good and means you're ALIVE!

So speaketh another who lives off one of the American/Canadian Great Lakes. Which are really only great at producing tons of snow and the coldest winds I've ever encountered--and I've been to Iceland.

Ooops. wrong account. deleted last comment.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

Can't wear denim to work :s. Although possibly I could get a locker and keep my suit at work...

Looks like I need to go thermal-underwear shopping. And possibly New Boot shopping. And a parka. I've never had a parka before...

My toes spent the winter numb in SYDNEY. This whole protect-the-legs thing is an attempt to keep the circulation moving down as far as my toes, lest they fall off altogether in Canberra.

Re: Ooops. wrong account. deleted last comment.

[cursor-mundi.livejournal.com]

If you get a particularly slick type of thermals, they will fit easily under dress slacks--though it helps if the slacks are not super tight. :) Good thermals essentially give you an artificial layer of blubber, so if your pants could fit were you to gain a bit of weight, you're fine. If Canberra's winters are notorious, department stores should have a wide selection. I have several pairs of wool dress slacks that are lined, both because I am deathly allergic to wool and because the lining holds the heat in beautifully.

The shoes are super important--lined is best, and water proof is essential. I have some with Gortex, and they double as summer hiking boots (good tread for ice and snow); my lined boots have synthetic fur in them, and they line the toe bed as well as the leg shaft. Tuck the pants INTO the boots--it prevents snow from getting your hems wet and it also conserves more heat, and your pants won't ride up oddly, too. (They say dress slacks are boot cut and they LIE!)

For the parka, and most of the gear, I'd recommend going to a sporting goods store. Do you have REI in Canberra? I marched into one in Washington, DC, and told them I was moving to the Canadian border and that I chilled very easily and WOULD THEY PLEASE HELP ME NOT DIE, and they recommended stuff for ice-climbing and whatnot. Flexibility without turning into an insulated cream-puff. My parka (the brand is North Face, and they're good people) has a detachable liner, which means an extra layer of air insulation between the shell and the liner, and also it can double as a rain jacket when I no longer need the liner. It's pricey, but worth every penny. Gloves with grip and with insulation are key, as well. A good wool peacoat or greatcoat, lined, is very important as well--I wore mine most of the winter here, and only switched to the parka when it was supposed to be really wet snow, because the wool does soak through.

Also, you'll adjust. I thought I'd never be able to bear it, but after moving to an apartment that didn't superheat during the winter (the first one was horrible--you could wander about in shorts and a tank top in the dead of winter), I've done fine in the last two winters. Resist the urge to superheat, and you'll adjust more quickly. And layer, layer, layer.

Re: Ooops. wrong account. deleted last comment.

[highlyeccentric.livejournal.com]

For the parka, and most of the gear, I'd recommend going to a sporting goods store. Do you have REI in Canberra?

Nope, but i just missed the Kathmandu sale... oops. My bosses made my buy thermal undershirts there in, oh, february because I was cold THEN.

Also, snow in the boots is not an anticipated problem. Nor rain, much. It almost never snows except on the mountains, and we're in a drought ;).

Boots. Bah. I bought new boots three months ago. As my feet are currently cold while wearing said boots inside, I clearly chose poorly ;).