/out/ - Outdoors » Thread #165833

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Anonymous Wed 24 Jul 2013 17:44:13 No.165833 View View Reply Original Report

Quoted By: >>165873 >>166009 >>166025 >>166322 >>166381 >>167599

Hey guys, I'm moving to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan for college and am from the deep south. While, I can get over the cold and snow, I don't know how to dress for it. I've looked online for jackets, and boots and whatnot but am afraid to lay down several hundred dollars without having some other opinions.

I have absolutely no idea how to dress for the cold other than to use layers. I have a pair of Sorel boots from 1985 when my pa lived in northern Canada so I have those boots....and that's about it. What do you guys use for everyday winter gear? Brands, or links would be great just so I can set up my wish list.

Anonymous

Anonymous Wed 24 Jul 2013 19:21:23 No.165873 Report

Quoted By:

>>165833
Honestly just keep putting on clothes until you get warm. Everyday wear really doesn't matter.

If you're going to go innawoods or hike up a big snowy mountain, that's different.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO aprilfoolsstorm.jpg, 32KiB, 500x375

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 01:26:50 No.166009 Report

Quoted By: >>166216

>>165833
Good Jacket, Hat and Gloves, thermals (preferably non Cotton), you might want to get a good set of boots (sorels can be clunky), did I mention hat and gloves? When you get to the U.P. go to Downwind Sports (I assume youd be in Marquette or Houghton), also theres a good surplus store in downtown houghton and getzs in Marquette. They have pretty much everything you'd need and you'll know it'll fit. This fall you'll need bug spray, with deet if you are planning on going outside before the bugs die. Did I mention hat and gloves?

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 02:06:32 No.166025 Report

Quoted By: >>166032 >>166216

>>165833

Are you sure you can get over the cold and snow? I'm from northern illinois, and we usually get blizzards/zero degree weather every January, and I'm pretty sure michigan has it colder. I mean, you can handle it if you know how to dress warm, and if you're used to it, but generally I hear people laugh when they tell stories about how they thought just a regular jacket for autumn would be enough to get them through february. If you've been to canada then yeah you can probably handle cold weather easy as shit, but I'm just wondering.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 02:23:40 No.166032 Report

Quoted By:

>>166025
Actually winters have been mild in recent years. Winters in Michigan are not as cold as surrounding states because of the lakes, but may have more snow.

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 06:44:39 No.166216 Report

Quoted By: >>166322 >>166381 >>167274

>>166009
Thanks for the advice! I'll be hitting those stores up instead of ordering online. And bugs? I'm in Georgia; if there isn't a .5 oz mosquito on you, you're lucky

>>166025
I've lived in the south my entire life, the coldest being 5 years in Virginia in the App Mountains. I've never been through a blizzard but I cannot stand the heat, I'd much rather be in freezing temps.

I've been monitoring the weather in Marquette, and the hottest I've seen is 89 degrees for two days?! We've had straight upper 90s this entire summer.

Talking to one of my friends earlier he suggested the North Face Triclimate jacket- are jackets like those good enough for winter? I'm going to bring plenty of sweatshirts and windbreakers, just don't know how many heavy-duty-holy-shit jackets to bring

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 15:15:10 No.166322 Report

Quoted By: >>166381 >>166451

>>165833
I have friends and siblings at school up there OP, my recommendation? snag a jacket on your way up or get one from LL Bean
Get nice stuff, don't get cheap on decent snow gear
>>166216
You're from Virginia? well enjoy the ground being covered in snow from October to May

Anonymous

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 17:52:53 No.166381 Report

Quoted By: >>166714

>>166322
I'm from the border of South Carolina, and Georgia now. I lived in VA for about 5 years by the Blue Ridge Mountains.

I'm OP by the way who posted
>>166216
>>165833

Thanks for the tips so far guys.

Anonymous

not that guy

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 19:36:32 No.166451 Report

Quoted By:

>>166322
>You're from Virginia? well enjoy the ground being covered in snow from October to May
I wish. More like for two days a year.

Anonymous

View Same Google ImgOps iqdb SauceNAO michigan.jpg, 19KiB, 425x396

Anonymous Thu 25 Jul 2013 23:26:49 No.166574 Report

Quoted By: >>166658

I went to Michigan Tech for a few years. You'll quickly notice that people dress to stay warm and don't give a shit what they look like, so get whatever you want.

I wore some Merrell shoes with Gore-tex and vibram sole, kept my feet nice and toasty and dry and grippy in the snow. If you're just going to class, you don't have to dress too crazy. Like others have said, get a good hat, some gloves, and a normal winter jacket (no need for more than one). If you plan on spending some time ice fishing or skiing, then I'd get some thermals and better socks.

There's a decent amount of Freshman that transfer after their first year because they can't handle the winter. It will be a shock to somebody from the south, but it truly is amazing if you embrace the snow. Make sure you go to Winter Carnival in February in Houghton.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 01:31:24 No.166658 Report

Quoted By: >>166721 >>166733

>>166574
Thanks for the advice....in regards to looks, that's not what I'm worried about; I just want somethign that's going to last AND keep me warm.

I was looking at Merrell shoes as well with the Gore-tex and some other shoe from BearPaw.

On another note, I spent a year in Germany and endured winter there and survived just fine....I know they are not the same in terms of geographical location but maybe in similar temps?

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 03:09:40 No.166698 Report

Quoted By:

slightly off-topic, but have fun anon, GA-bro here with family in the UP, I used to spend every summer up there. It's my gold standard for /out/ in the summer
>fishing
>hiking
>swimming
>biking

Hell, I was up there for the 4th
>70s during the day
>50s at night
perfect

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 03:17:54 No.166703 Report

Quoted By: >>166714

Not sure how helpful this will be to you hit I've lived in Wisconsin my whole life until it hits about -20 I wear shorts for the short trips outside. If I'm going out for a few hours pants long underwear my hunting jacket and overalls. Usually it's just shorts and a sweatshirt, my advice is to see how you cope with the cold before you spend a lot of money.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 03:46:19 No.166714 Report

Quoted By:

>>166381

I'm from northern Illinois, but most of my woodland adventures are in Wisconsin and Minnesota.

I'd recommend picking up a good carhart or dickies jacket. Something that blocks the wind. Its not the outright cold that gets you around the great lakes, its the wind chill. Also, grab some decent water-resistant boots. Cold, wet feet make for a bad time.

Also, this guy >>166703 makes some good points. Once you get used to it, you'll just ignore the cold for short trips. But man, when I'm at work and that wind is blowing, I love my overalls and that coat.

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 04:11:19 No.166721 Report

Quoted By:

>>166658

>I know they are not the same in terms of geographical location but maybe in similar temps?

Doubt it

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 04:36:28 No.166733 Report

Quoted By: >>166753

>>166658

Germany tends to be much more moderate in temps, unless you were in the Alps. My Opa is from Germany before immigrating here. His father once came to visit him in Chicago for Christmas and told him he "hadn't been so cold since Russia" (yes, my great grandfather was a German soldier on the Eastern Front. inb4 nazi)

Anonymous

Anonymous Fri 26 Jul 2013 05:04:58 No.166753 Report

Quoted By:

>>166733
Very cool, I immigrated here with my family before I was old enough to remember, so I never had a chance to remember where we lived in Garmisch-Patenkirschen. However, I did live in Hamburg and Köln and I was still wearing jeans when I left in July.

Thanks for the advice guys, I'm narrowing down my selection, I'm also finding some good stuff at the local good will.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 27 Jul 2013 02:10:39 No.167274 Report

Quoted By:

>>166216
Just got back from the UP, I practically live up there in the summer.

As for the 89 degrees for 2 days, thats a real fluky heat spell, average day up there is more around 60-75 and not too humid.

As for bugs, mosquitoes are not that big of a deal, its the black flies which to me are about 100 times worse. (cant see them, bites are way worse, will crawl down you shirt and bite, seem less resistant to deet)

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 27 Jul 2013 02:26:33 No.167278 Report

Quoted By:

I go to school @ Tech and I'm from Michigan.

Anyhow. Honestly I wear columbia winter coat w/o a liner a hooded sweatshirt and a t shirt. Normal shoes and jeans. That's been enough for all but the most extreme days. A waterproof insulated boot will be nice but wearing boots in class all day sucks.

Good gloves are a must and a hat/scarf are general good ideas. I'm not sure about Marquette but here we get some crazy winds and a lot of people wear their ski goggles around.

tl;dr good gloves, warm jacket on most days. Scarf/goggles make the wind more bearable.

Anonymous

Anonymous Sat 27 Jul 2013 17:57:05 No.167599 Report

Quoted By:

>>165833
>Step one, layers
>step two, no cotton
>step three, insulation
>step four......?
>step five, WARM

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