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Goodwills were pretty picked over when I was combing through them this fall, ditto Salvation Army. I hadn’t thought of Craigslist though, good thought
How long are you going to be there? More than a couple years and you'd be wise not to cheap out.
For a coat I'd tell you a parka with Gore-Tex (waterproofing) and Thinsulate (other name, such as Prima Loft are also used).
Boots and gloves with the same characteristics. Heavier non-cotton socks with polypropylene and wool blend.
Yes, they all can be pricey but the comfort is worth it.
I'm different than you since my "best" winter clothing is for goose hunting. I have a couple non-hunting winter coats with the materials I described. One is a Columbia brand with their Omni-Heat liner. I only wear that when I'm in northern Pennsylvania where the daytime highs can be as high as 0 to 5 degrees this time of year, it's really warm.
How long are you going to be there? More than a couple years and you'd be wise not to cheap out.
For a coat I'd tell you a parka with Gore-Tex (waterproofing) and Thinsulate (other name, such as Prima Loft are also used).
Boots and gloves with the same characteristics. Heavier non-cotton socks with polypropylene and wool blend.
Yes, they all can be pricey but the comfort is worth it.
I'm different than you since my "best" winter clothing is for goose hunting. I have a couple non-hunting winter coats with the materials I described. One is a Columbia brand with their Omni-Heat liner. I only wear that when I'm in northern Pennsylvania where the daytime highs can be as high as 0 to 5 degrees this time of year, it's really warm.
Wear a hat.
I’m looking at 8 years or so. My daughters are thriving here, but that’s when they’ll both be graduated and adult and with any luck, I’ll be able to get back out west to the desert.
I guess the other reason I want to cheap out is that if I’m the future I do want to plunk down for high quality gear, I kind of want an idea of what I want, how to layer, etc. Living in cold weather, it seems, is a skill, and if you grew up here it’s one you got kind of by osmosis. The other thing is that I’m not gonna spend any more time outside than I absolutely, positively have to, but if I do have to spend extended time outside for any reason, I need some basics. Still, at base, I’m not really into being here and I don’t particularly want to waste wads of money on clothes I only wear half of the year. Winter stuff is part of the hidden tax people miss when talking about COL and don’t discuss about living in snowbound climates.
I’m looking at 8 years or so. My daughters are thriving here, but that’s when they’ll both be graduated and adult and with any luck, I’ll be able to get back out west to the desert.
I guess the other reason I want to cheap out is that if I’m the future I do want to plunk down for high quality gear, I kind of want an idea of what I want, how to layer, etc. Living in cold weather, it seems, is a skill, and if you grew up here it’s one you got kind of by osmosis. The other thing is that I’m not gonna spend any more time outside than I absolutely, positively have to, but if I do have to spend extended time outside for any reason, I need some basics. Still, at base, I’m not really into being here and I don’t particularly want to waste wads of money on clothes I only wear half of the year. Winter stuff is part of the hidden tax people miss when talking about COL and don’t discuss about living in snowbound climates.
If you think about it, 8 years of winters is equal to 4 whole years. I don't know what your issue is, but to get 4 full years, or 8 winters out of most any gear is asking a lot. If you do the math, over time, it pays to get the best quality, unless you want to freeze. You will then regret saving $20.
If you think about it, 8 years of winters is equal to 4 whole years. I don't know what your issue is, but to get 4 full years, or 8 winters out of most any gear is asking a lot. If you do the math, over time, it pays to get the best quality, unless you want to freeze. You will then regret saving $20.
Well, I also don’t have wads of disposable income, but I’d still not really be willing to shell out top dollar for gear. I would, though, reiterate that since I’m not from snowbound climates, I also don’t want to spend mondo dollars before I figure out what works for me; I might end up agreeing that saving up and spending triple digits on a jacket may be worth it, but I haven’t worked my way there yet, am a bit over saturated with options and terms, and have already spent a fair bit on stuff I thought would be adequate but isn’t. I’m gunshy, lack a lot of money, and I don’t want to overthink it. I’m overwhelmed with winter as it is, and I just want to survive for a bit without feeling like I’m blowing out everything for the sake of one season.
I don’t mean to come off angry, but I don’t really want to overthink this. Snow/winter basics on a tight budget, near Greece, don’t want to really have to go out and shop around.
If you think about it, 8 years of winters is equal to 4 whole years. I don't know what your issue is, but to get 4 full years, or 8 winters out of most any gear is asking a lot. If you do the math, over time, it pays to get the best quality, unless you want to freeze. You will then regret saving $20.
I agree.....
Quote:
Originally Posted by jcp123
....I don’t mean to come off angry, but I don’t really want to overthink this. Snow/winter basics on a tight budget, near Greece, don’t want to really have to go out and shop around.
Keep in mind, whether you want to or not, you may wind up spending more time outside that you anticipate. It's much easier to unbutton a really warm jacket, if you get too warm, than it is to stay warm, if your jacket isn't heavy enough. Greece or Victor, there are a number of stores that have winter gear on hand, and at this time of year, it's going on sale.....
It depends what you need it for. Do you just need stuff to commute in, or occasionally go outside to shovel snow, etc.? Or do you want to spend more time doing outdoor winter recreation stuff? Or will you be spending a lot of time stranding around outside?
It's easy to spend a lot of money really quickly on this stuff. A good LL Bean parka is $200-300.
If you don't need something high-end, but just enough to stay warm in, Walmart stuff can work. A big hooded parka and big "snowmobile" type boots with felt liners can work great.
True waterproof gear is difficult to achieve, and only really necessary if you are standing around in the rain a lot. For general winter snow and rain, in small doses, most people just need something that can shed the snow, and not absorb rain like a sponge. A parka with a nylon-type shell works most of the time. I have one I bought years ago that I got cheap at the time, and is amazing. If I stood in the rain for a couple of hours it would eventually get soaked, but the rest of the time is is toasty. It's huge, long and with a big hood.
Something like this: http://tinyurl.com/bdf9fv97 . Maybe not this exact one, because the reviews are iffy, but something like it.
If you're working in Victor you could stop into BJ's by the mall. Sometimes they have some decent brand stuff cheap.
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