Gator Country

gatordavisl · 01-21-2013, 11:29 PM

Actually, it's not too unbearable, but I'm facing REAL cold temperatures (-18F tonight) for the first time. Grew up in Florida and recently moved (way) north from Hogtown. I walk to work and will be dealing with -20 tomorrow morning. The wife and I have wool socks, thermals, layers, insulated boots, etc. I'm not sure how that walk will go, but I will certainly cover up.

You can't stay outside in this stuff. It's seriously fuggin' cold. Did my first cross-country ski Saturday (about 0 degrees) and worked up one hell of a sweat. I will enjoy getting into skiing for the adventure and the workout.

How about you? Have any of you lived in real cold places? How do/did you cope? Got any stories? Tips?

Gatorgal04 · 01-21-2013, 11:44 PM

Lived in Chicago for 5 years. Coldest I've experienced is -30 in New Hampshire. One tip, besides a warm hat make sure you have a scarf over your nose and mouth so you're not breathing freezing cold air. Hand and feet warmer packets from LLBean work wonders if you're outside for any length of time.

I did enjoy the cross country skiing while I was up there. Good use for golf courses in the winter. Good luck!

StrangeGator · 01-21-2013, 11:49 PM

Live in Chicago. Spent 15 winters here, plus five in St. Louis. You just gotta layer. I actually like it. It's invigorating. Came home and made chili tonight and drank some strong IPA.

JaxLizard · 01-21-2013, 11:51 PM

Grew up in the Northeast Kingdom in Vermont. It was brutal! I had to make a grocery run for my mom on one of those extreme blizzard days. I thought I was ok traveling the main road, but a huge snowdrift had formed and a couple of cars had piled up into it and I had no way of stopping on the black ice and went in with them. I was about 1/4 of a mile from the store and the nearest pay phone, so I decided to walk to it. It was so cold and windy that my eyes iced over immediately and I could barely see. The walk seemed like it took forever, but once I got to the store, I thawed out and called for a tow truck. My car had some fender damage and a broken headlight, but I came out pretty good compared to the others. That was my last year up there as I transferred to UF the following year.

gatormoe1 · 01-22-2013, 12:10 AM

Khaki shorts, gator tee and flip flops today. Same could be said on Christmas day and New Years. Good ol' Florida.

**tacsh** · 01-22-2013, 12:36 AM

Grew up in florida. We moved out to Colorado some eight years ago. The minus 20 days can be tough. Just layer on, dress smart, and think about all the other seasons.

TheGator · 01-22-2013, 12:47 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatormoe1

Khaki shorts, gator tee and flip flops today. Same could be said on Christmas day and New Years. Good ol' Florida.

Yeah. Remind yourself of the brutal summers when it is 95 degrees and 100% humidity.

malscott · 01-22-2013, 12:51 AM

Grew up in Conn. but spent a lot of cold winters in Vermont. Coldest I remember was -35! With a 40 MPH wind that'll downright freeze your arse. So cold they shut down Okemo Ski resort. Down is your friend. I love the cold, ski a ton, hate being cold. Those hand-warmers mentioned that you cut open... when they hit the air chemical reaction takes place -they warm you up. I use them for skiing here in Cal when it's cold. Stick them in my boots before I ski. Use mittens. Screw gloves. Gloves suck-don't work. I ski with mittens that look like boxing gloves they're so huge! Cabelas catalogue, LL Bean, as mentioned...need decent boots, good mittens, ass warmers for your car, scarfs or turtlenecks. When I ski I use one of those muffler deals that go over your head, cover your neck and face. I use it under my helmet. At Mammoth when it's in the teens and windy-I'm warm the only thing I have to worry about is the chairlift snapping off the freaking cable. I've been on it with 60MPH gusts and scared the crap out of me. Down...you'll look like the sta-puff marshmallow dude...but who cares? Mountaineering shops have the best high end glove/mittens. Need to spend over 100 smackers for the kind. Cold is great...if you're warm

gatormoe1 · 01-22-2013, 01:32 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheGator

Yeah. Remind yourself of the brutal summers when it is 95 degrees and 100% humidity.

Thats when I head to the beach for a tan and cool off in the water.

JohnC1908 · 01-22-2013, 01:37 AM

That's way too much work to stay warm. I prefer to just roll out of bed, put on some shorts, brush my teeth, slide into some flip flops and head out the door.

**jeffphillips21** · 01-22-2013, 02:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gatordavisl

Actually, it's not too unbearable, but I'm facing REAL cold temperatures (-18F tonight) for the first time. Grew up in Florida and recently moved (way) north from Hogtown. I walk to work and will be dealing with -20 tomorrow morning. The wife and I have wool socks, thermals, layers, insulated boots, etc. I'm not sure how that walk will go, but I will certainly cover up.

You can't stay outside in this stuff. It's seriously fuggin' cold. Did my first cross-country ski Saturday (about 0 degrees) and worked up one hell of a sweat. I will enjoy getting into skiing for the adventure and the workout.

How about you? Have any of you lived in real cold places? How do/did you cope? Got any stories? Tips?

I'm from Canada so an expert in that area. Always keep your extremities warm, especially your head (they say you lose a high % of heat through your head), your hands and feet. Under your thermal socks wear a tight fitting sock underneath...and layer: under shirt, long sleeve shirt, pullover, whatever you can put on underneath your jacket. Remember to warm up your car, put the heat on, go back in your house and wait until it warms up before you go back in your car...and if it's snowing you need a scraper or brush to take care of the snow/ice on the windows/ windshield. Sounds fun, doesn't it.

The coldest I have ever been in is -50F without windchill and -86K with windchill. No, that's not a misprint. Now you know why I went to UF.

Good luck tomorrow. Think of it as an adventure!

gatorknights · 01-22-2013, 08:53 AM

I grew up in Minnesota, so I know all about what you are having to endure. I had to walk to my elementary school and on those mornings where it was below zero it was brutal. Cover all exposed skin and dress in layers.

Coldest I ever had was when it was 9 degrees in Gainesville. Colder than any 25 below I ever experienced in Minny.

Gatorgal04 · 01-22-2013, 09:57 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by malscott

ass warmers for your car

I was buying a new car here in Gainesville last December. I settled on the model I wanted, but they didn't have one on the lot with the package that included heated seats. The sales guy thought it was too funny that I demanded the heated seats! I said look, I drive north for a family event every November or December and I'll be danged if I'm going up there without heated seats. Once you've got them, hard to do without.

They found the car I wanted in Atlanta and had it brought down for me. Actually use them a couple times/year here in Gainesville - now that 35 seems real cold.

IowaGator · 01-22-2013, 12:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gatorgal04

I was buying a new car here in Gainesville last December. I settled on the model I wanted, but they didn't have one on the lot with the package that included heated seats. The sales guy thought it was too funny that I demanded the heated seats! I said look, I drive north for a family event every November or December and I'll be danged if I'm going up there without heated seats. Once you've got them, hard to do without.

They found the car I wanted in Atlanta and had it brought down for me. Actually use them a couple times/year here in Gainesville - now that 35 seems real cold.

35 would be balmy!! Right now 7 outside with a windchill of -8! Great day to catch up on email and paperwork!

GataBaitx3 · 01-22-2013, 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by StrangeGator

Live in Chicago. Spent 15 winters here, plus five in St. Louis. You just gotta layer. I actually like it. It's invigorating. Came home and made chili tonight and drank some strong IPA.

25 in Boston right now. Pretty terrible.

LeafUF · 01-22-2013, 12:27 PM

I'm from Minneapolis and survived snowmageddon 1 and 2 in DC. I think I know cold and I know I hate it. If it dips below 70 now I will complain about it. There is a high of 65 today I might break out a scarf and gloves.

**gator1986** · 01-22-2013, 12:32 PM

That sucks! My girlfriend wants me to move to Boston with her for at least a year to try it out, but there's a problem A. I won't get SEC network, B. can't watch the gators, rays, bucs, or lightning, and C. I hate the patriots, Red Sox, bruins, and celtics....

LeafUF · 01-22-2013, 12:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator1986

That sucks! My girlfriend wants me to move to Boston with her for at least a year to try it out, but there's a problem A. I won't get SEC network, B. can't watch the gators, rays, bucs, or lightning, and C. I hate the patriots, Red Sox, bruins, and celtics....

And Boston is terrible in winter.

**gator1986** · 01-22-2013, 12:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by LeafUF

And Boston is terrible in winter.

Yes that's D, but I thought were only suppose to go up to C... But yes their winter sucks!

TheGator · 01-22-2013, 12:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by gator1986

That sucks! My girlfriend wants me to move to Boston with her for at least a year to try it out, but there's a problem A. I won't get SEC network, B. can't watch the gators, rays, bucs, or lightning, and C. I hate the patriots, Red Sox, bruins, and celtics....

I live in Utah.

I can watch all of the Gator Football games on either CBS or ESPN. The smaller games I can catch on ESPN Gameplan.

The other sports are more of a challenge.