Submitted by Summerscythe t3_xzdk86 in BuyItForLife
I am moving from Arizona to Wisconsin, which are almost complete opposites climate wise. I am looking to purchase some thing I may need in this new place. My budget is fairly open depending on the product. I am unsure what to expect as I have been in AZ most of my life. What sorts of things might I need?
you neeeeeed cold weather gear. vividly remember 2013/2014 polar vortex. it was -65F w/wind chill. a good coat, gloves/mittens, hat, but also: long underwear. many pairs. oh, and a scraper for your car.
Insulated bibs or coveralls are godly when it comes to outside work, snow removal etc.
You can get good quality outerwear from LandsEnd or LLBean too. You might not want to go right in and buy a really expensive coat. Figure out what you like/need first. A longer parka or a shoter coat for driving. I have a big parka for sledding with the kids and other outdoor stuff. I prefer a shorter (still covers my rear) warm wool coat that is more comfortable for driving/running errands.
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Start saving for a liver transplant
As far as clothing I cannot recommend Patagonia enough. A lot of companies offer “lifetime warranty” and when it comes time to use it there’s so much red tape or extra costs it’s not worth it. 12 years ago I bought a puffy Patagonia jacket, wore it constantly for 10 years and basically wore it out. It had almost more tape than fabric and was almost see through when I sent it in for repair. They emailed me back saying they couldn’t repair it and sent me a brand new jacket. The whole transaction cost me 5 dollars for a prepaid shipping label to them. They did not ask for a receipt or proof of purchase.
Welcome. I moved up here from Los Angeles. For clothes, it depends on how good you want to look. Patagonia is warm, long lasting and attractive. If you don't care, go to Fleet Farm (maybe Menards, but they are very hit and miss) and get a pair of good bunny boots, several pair of merino wool socks, poly/cotton blend long underwear, fleece lined pants, long sleeved thermals, fleece lined, long sleeved shirts, wool sweaters, neck gaiters, a few knit hats, a full parka, a wind breaker/rainslicker, one pair of lined gloves, one pair of fleece lined mittens to put over the gloves. If you can avoid the worst days of winter, it's important to go outside a little everyday. The bright blue sky day, or gray, snowy evening really call to you. Oh, and it you're going to be outside "in nature", get a bright orange vest and bright orange hat (also at Fleet Farm or Menards (I do not work at Fleet Farm or Menards)).
I’m from Wisco and something that changed the way I survive winter is getting a heated mattress pad. It’s so nice not to get into a freezing cold bed plus my cats love it.
Honestly, buy a battery powered generator and an electric radiator heater. The power doesn’t really ever go out here, but just in case an extra large blizzard hits, you’ll still have heat.
Yeah & worth it to spring for a remote starter if you don’t already have one, particularly if you won’t have a garage.
Would add Darn Tough socks to the list and some LL Bean clothes/gear too.
Battery powered generator? Do you mean gas powered? What battery powered generator will power an electric heater long enough? (Might get one myself if there is one).
Those things are cool and useful but for example that one’s only 660 watt hours (wh). That means it will run something thats 660 watts for one hour. Most space heaters are 1500 watts. So that would only run a heater for about half an hour.
A cheesehead hat.
Name checks out
Icebreaker Merino products.
From socks to underwear to out wear. Merino sheds H20 and is warm when wet.
Worked in Antarctica for 12 years. You learn. Layer up. Patagonia has great non - down warm wear, and it's bomb proof with 100% return policy. They also have Worn Wear, previously loved and repaired clothing.
Layers, layers, layers.
I've had great success with numerous cold weather brands, with almost everything lasting years. (Columbia, Patagonia, REI, Arteryx, LL Bean, Sorel, Kamik). Also, when in doubt, look at Scandinavian and Canadian brands. Usually expensive, but they know how to keep you warm! The most important, though, is to get layers and stick with natural fabrics. A light merino wool shirt will keep you dry and temperature-regulated better than any polyester fabrics. I usually look for wool or wool-cotton blends.
You're going to want the following layers. Light t-shirts, short and long sleeved. Light sweaters. Heavy sweaters and fleece jackets. Those fleece jackets are great on their own in fall or are the second layer you need under a heavy duty winter coat. Look for a coat or outer shell that will keep you dry, like with the material Gore-tex. There are other similar nauseated fabrics that are weatherproof but breathable. That's just the material I know from my military gear also Columbia winter gear, including boots.
An easy way to gear up, look for 3-in-1 coats from those winter brands. They come with a fleece inner jacket and a weatherproof outdoor jacket that work together or can be worn separately. Layer other parts as well. I usually have thin knit gloves, a medium weight leather or athletic gloves, and a heavy duty snow glove. Again, mix and match as needed for the conditions.
Other layers depend on how much you are outside. Working a normal office job, you're fine, but if you want to spend a whole day outside, consider long johns as an additional layer, fleece lined jeans, and at least two pairs of socks, one wool. For socks, I'm a die-hard Darn Tough fan. Comfortable, warm, durable and a lifetime guarantee.
Don't dismiss the $10 plastic(most likely orange) snow shovel near the door at the grocery store. Maybe they'll be $15 this year but they are the best. You don't want a heavy metal shovel that rusts if you leave it outside by the back door. You want something light. The orange ones do not crack. If you chip away at lot of ice or push down hard along the concrete when you shovel the plastic will start to wear down over time. They last for years, decades even.
Welcome! I was once stationed in Arizona but am from Wisconsin, so I think I can speak to this:
High quality winter coat. Lots of great options in this department, but if you want something to truly last for life, heavyweight wool will be the best. Synthetics and goose down are awesome, but they both lose more of their insulating properties over time. Personally speaking, I have met more than one old timer who still wears the same Mackinaw wool coat they bought 30-40 years ago. A few different companies make this style of coat, and the ones I know of are Filson (the original/most options), Johnson Woolen Mills (made in USA/comes with a hood), and Stormy Kromer (best price/made in USA). Mine comes from Stormy Kromer, and got it at the factory where it’s made in Michigan for $330.
Winter boots (preferably Pac Boots). Sorels are well known, but for a little more money, you can get much better quality/comfort/durability with Schnees. Modern Sorel is basically a fashion brand these days, but Schnees still makes them geared for the outdoors. They will even rebuild them for a fee you when you wear down the outsoles too much. Whether you’re shoveling snow, ice fishing, or snowmobiling, these will keep your feet warm.
Thick, knee high wool socks to wear in your boots. My preference is Darn Tough due to their quality and ridiculously good warranty.
2nd the Darn Tough socks!! By far my favorite socks!
A dehumidifier. Ugh it's so muggy here compared to Arizona
Get a pair of Sorrel boots they are amazing. Get a good jacket. I have a redhead with 500 grams of redhead thinsulate, but I'm only in Oklahoma and it doesn't get anywhere near as cold as it does in Wisconsin.
Get good tires on your 4x4. If you don't have a 4x4 get one because you'll need it. I recommend a Toyota but I'm partial to them 4runner or Tacoma. Toyota is a bifl vehicle. But I'm biased.
Splurge on nice gloves/mittens (Black diamond, KUIU, OR) and a nice down parka with a waterproof shell (Patagonia, Arcteryx). You’ll use them 6 months out of the year. Also, darn tough socks. I recommend the Micro crew in medium cushion. I have lived in Wisconsin my whole life
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I’d second this, OP. A warm parka is important, but cold hands and ears suck so much. A good hat and pair of gloves (I’m partial to fur-lined leather) should be part of your winter outfit.
Buy some rechargeable led lanterns that double as power banks and some thermals for base layers
A cast iron skillet… for all those delicious Nueskes products. Maybe for frying up some Walleye too.
Cheese grater
One of the best things we invested in and works year round was our Frankenmuth Woolen Mill comforter
A windshield ice scraper for each car and an extra one because you will lose them over each summer form every car. Sorel or some other Pac type boot. A really good jacket. Really good gloves. Fleece anything. If you're near the big lakes, it's a damp cold on top of it -- layers are your friend. Socks. Flannel. A funny hat with ear flaps for those days when it's so cold no one cares. Good luck.
A winter coat, I heard starter jackets are warm
Snow tires. You don’t need a truck, you need snow tires.
The recommendations for cold weather gear are all correct. I would also recommend a substantial budget for Spotted Cow. You can only get it in Wisconsin and it’s basically heaven in a bottle.
SmartWool socks North Face down knee-length parka Red Wing rubber & neoprene boots Woolrich mittens Welcome!
Bean boots. Darn Tough socks. Patagonia and Outdoor Research for most other things.
Just moved from Texas to the mountains of Colorado, so not as cold as you are gonna get in WI but close as I live above 9k feet (temps are similar but, don't get the windchill and it's more sunny here)
First thing that comes to mind is a good anorak & Flannel or Wool shirts to deal with the winters.
I just ordered a Anorak for my wife, so was doing a bit a research and the two I would tell you to look at would be:
"Cheaper Option"
https://www.borealmountainanoraks.com/
Expensive Option
https://weatherwool.com/products/als-anorak
(neither one is "cheap" but you get what you pay for)
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I ended up going with the expensive option, mainly because of the breathability of WeatherWool's anorak, my wife and I both run hot so anything that doesn't breath very well is going to limit us to wearing it only when it's very very cold. If you run cold, the boreal would probably be better as the only criticism that I read for that one is that it run hots as that wool isn't as breathable.
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Next up is flannel or wool shirts
LL Bean or Eddie Bauer is the easy way to go here. There are better options (Duckworth), but in the beginning you need to be able to buy a couple and can focus on upgrading over the years.
Lastly, the number on thing I will tell you. Is to start looking at more wool products in general (especially if your an outdoors can of family), and the reason for this is that wool retains heating properties when it's wet and you are moving to a very cold and wet environment. There are youtube videos of people putting on the wool anorak's and then jumping into freezing water and getting out and just sitting there and able to stay warm and not get hypothermic.
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Wool socks. I wear Grip6 - American made from American wool, lifetime warrantied and come in multipacks so you can buy them cheaper than Darn Tough.
Fella Arizonan here, that was born in Alaska. Good boots, I like Bates durashock. Lot of good socks and a good Carhartt jacket. Long underwear is a MUST have. You are going to freeze your ass off the first year. But after that your body will adjust. Good luck
Shoveling your driveway and sidewalk sucks during winter. Consider getting a snowblower.
Why? Just curious. Most people trying to go the other way.
RIPIP
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falconerhk t1_irlpyj4 wrote
I live in Washington State and have lived on the Ohio coast of Lake Erie. You need to buy high quality cold weather gear. Do your research but in my experience Columbia and Patagonia are the longest-lived and have solid ongoing customer support if a garment fails.