Cold weather gear for a Floridian in Canada (Read 1033 times)

It's all about the layers...

 

Regular running shoes, adding wool socks to replace thinner when really cold. (get taller socks than those 1/4 high ones)

Running tights with a good outer layer bottoms (10F and down, otherwise shorts and outer layer).

Long-sleeve under layers (I use Nike pro and various others), with a good outer layer up top.

Balacava / hood / hats to meet wind & temp needs.

 

For out layers, I am a big, big, big fan of Sporthill. (and Sugoi)

If $ is no object, I'd suggest CW-X insulator top and bottom. If you're built like me and have any pride whatsoever, you'll be naturally inclined to layer--spiderman would tell you your clothes are tight.

 

I ran in the stuff today, 22 deg and windy. No problems.  My feet are never a problem unless they get wet. Blood circulation does the trick.

 

I also have a balaclava for really cold days, but most days go with a wool "buff" b/c of the versatility.

 

"In the depths of winter I finally learned there was in me an invincible summer.” - Albert Camus

 

Welcome to winter.

Here are my current faves from head to toe.  Hope it's helpful...

 

Hat: Synthetic fiber cap.  I find the ones for running too thin, so I usually buy these in the ski section of the outdoor adventure store (REI, for example).  My favorites right now are from Burton and North Face, but I also have a Mizuno cap I like a lot.  Make sure it's long enough to cover your ears if you have lots of hair. 

 

Shirt: A heavy synthetic fiber long-sleeve shirt.  I buy a variety of thicknesses and either layer them or wear one with a jacket.  For example, I'll sometimes wear a thin Nike thermal shirt with a heavy shirt with a zipper front.  My heaviest running tech shirts are from Saucony, Brooks and Craft.  They probably cost $70-$100. 

 

Jacket: Medium to light weight.  Recently, I've been wearing long shirts with a jacket.  Try to find one that'll move with you and has a few pockets.  My current favorite is from Nike and is about $100.  It fails in the pocket department but it fits me well in the arms and chest so I like it.  I also have one from Brooks that was about $120.  It's a bit stiff, though, so I only wear this one on the coldest days.

 

Gloves and Mittens: Thin glove liners with mittens.  After trying every glove on the market, I've been convinced that mittens are the way to go but I also wear a glove liners with them.  My local running stores don't really stock mittens, so I usually get these at REI.  On super cold days, I'll stow some hand warmer packets in my pockets and use them if I feel the mittens aren't cutting it.  Yeah, my hands get that cold. 

 

Tights.  Synthetic fiber.  For a while, I was hooked on Saucony since they took over the manufacturer of my favorite pair (Hind).  But since then, I've discovered the Sugoi Sub Zero, which were about $80, and I love them.  The Mid Zero are nice, too.  You definitely want to try them on since length and thigh/butt roominess can be issues.

 

Socks: Balaga Hidden Comfort.  My feet don't get that cold during my runs, so I pretty much wear these socks yearround.  But, I do have a few pairs of wool socks from (Balaga, Features, Thorlo) that go up to the ankles that I'll wear on super cold days.

Seeing as you are a student like me, I will say outlets are your best friend.  Half my gear, if not more, was bought at an Adidas outlet.  I look like a total Adidas nut if you look at my drawers.  I don't care if it keeps me warm.  

+1 on synthetic fibres and wool socks.  I run in the super thin Hattori and with wool socks my feet stay warm in every temp I've tried it in.  

 Hat wise, I use regular winter headbands I find at dollar stores.  They are warm and don't get quite as drenched in sweat at hats do.  

Welcome to Canada! Where are you? Canada is kinda big and we have quite a variance in temperatures and snowfall so it is hard to give you advice.

 

Montreal! 

I'll run the lakeshore path in Chicago in the dead of winter (maybe not Montreal cold but cold nevertheless...) with long sleeve tech shirt, thin, fleece lined Champion synthetic shell, standard tights (but my legs never get cold, so it's not a problem) UA socks (a little thicker but not wool) and a UA hat.  My hands start out being the coldest part of my body but I have to shed the gloves after a mile or two.  Weird.  I'll just use the brown, jersey dimestore gloves most of the time but I do have decent NorthFace gloves, too.

 

You'll have to experiment.  I see people bundled up like Nanook of the North and others in short-shorts and a t-shirt.

 

Have fun!

 

TC

You've had some good advice here. It really is trial and error. This year the snow is light, which is great but when it does snow, if the sidewalks are not cleared and people walk on it, then it can be impossible to run because it gets difficult to find flat surface. Yak-trax work well but give a harder run. It is the windchill that kills me though so protecting your face and extremities is important. For my hands I wear proper wicking gloves with cheap fleece over top which act as a substitute for Kleenex. :-)