Participants in the Iditarod, from volunteers to staff to mushers, know all too well how the weather, and particularly temperatures, can fluctuate in the Alaska interior in early March. And some of those fluctuations bring frigidly cold temps. Even a little bit of wind can take cold temps from daunting to downright dangerous thanks to the good ol' windchill factor. Frostbite of exposed skin can happen in minutes, and keeping those extremities like fingers and toes toasty is no small task.
I can understand why that level of cold, -20F to -40F, or even just below zero Fahrenheit, is simply unfathomable to some folks. If you live in the southern United States, for example, getting below freezing is a rare occurrence, let alone seeing actual snow or sustained cold temps. My heart goes out to those folks in Texas and other areas that recently experienced such unexpected cold and the consequences that can come with it, like power outages and frozen pipes. Lives were lost. Cold is a most powerful beast.
We had a stretch of bitter cold in northern Wisconsin earlier this year - to the point that we got excited when afternoon highs hit single digits ("look, mom! it's +5F!!"). That's a standard winter up here, though. In addition to propane, we have a couple wood stoves and a robust stack of firewood. We have spent years accumulating winter stuff - sweaters, jackets, boots, gloves and hats. Even our dogs have closet space for winter gear. I kinda doubt too many folks in Houston or Austin say that.
Which is my longwinded segue into a brief foray into the gear Kristy and Anna use for themselves out on the trail. I could do a whole other feature on gear for the amazing pups, but you have to agree - the twins have to take care of themselves in order to best take care of the dogs. So here are some Cold Weather Gear Tips for Humans, courtesy of two of your favorite mushing humans.
Smart Layers according to anticipated conditions. In Iditarod, that amounts to just about anything. If you're not overly sensitive to wool, the twins like quality wool base layers (like Smartwool / Merino wool) for their quick drying, lightweight, breathable properties. Top that with a winter-weight vest and/or fleece. Next, a lighter down jacket layer provides great insulation, and can be easily removed and tightly packed away if things warm up. Finally, any chance of wind and/or water requires an outer shell with proper resistance. To that end, long live Gortex.
For the kind of -40F crazy cold that mushers can face, you also need an arctic parka. These down-filled wonders are often advertised as having been field tested in the coldest places on earth. I think Alaska qualifies?!
If it's gonna get wet, pack multiples of it. This goes for neck gators, gloves, and socks in particular. If packing multiples isn't possible or practical, make sure your core item is quick-drying.
There's a whole new generation of chemical warmers out there (Grabber HotHands is nprobably the most widely recognized). Anna and Kristy said they have hand and foot warmers, toe warmers, and apparently they even make body patch warmers now?! I missed the memo. In any case, if you're going to spend that much time outside in those conditions, you'd want to have them.
And if you're spending that much time outside, including sleeping, you must have an arctic grade sleeping bag. This is both an Iditarod race rule and the only way to sleep outside on the snow and not freeze your bits off. Another key item the twins always carry is a sleeping pad. Today's options compact pretty small for traveling along the trail and save a great deal of body heat when you finally are able to catch a few Zzzs.
Last, but oh so very far from least - Respect the Foot. Keeping your feet warm and dry is paramount. This year, particularly with all the overflow, the twins are really happy to be wearing two things. An overboot by Neos. It's insulated, waterproof, and 15" tall with an additional 5" extendible gator. Weighing in at only 3.3 pounds, they're rated to -20F and the twins' model of choice has replaceable studded soles. The second is a Lobben boot. Developed in Norway, these boots are made of boiled compressed felted wool with a sole that can be worn alone or with the aforementioned overboot in extreme cold or wet conditions. If kept dry, the Lobben alone is rated to -49F and the natural lanolin of the wool repels some water while still remaining breathable.
The other thing that really helps in the cold is to keep moving. Keeping your heart rate up at reasonable levels and the blood flowing does keep you worm. Why do you think you naturally stamp your feet and rub your arms when you're cold? The twins do this by pedaling or even running behind the dog sled (although they do have those new sit-down sleds now.... I wonder if that's changed much?!).
I can understand why that level of cold, -20F to -40F, or even just below zero Fahrenheit, is simply unfathomable to some folks. If you live in the southern United States, for example, getting below freezing is a rare occurrence, let alone seeing actual snow or sustained cold temps. My heart goes out to those folks in Texas and other areas that recently experienced such unexpected cold and the consequences that can come with it, like power outages and frozen pipes. Lives were lost. Cold is a most powerful beast.
We had a stretch of bitter cold in northern Wisconsin earlier this year - to the point that we got excited when afternoon highs hit single digits ("look, mom! it's +5F!!"). That's a standard winter up here, though. In addition to propane, we have a couple wood stoves and a robust stack of firewood. We have spent years accumulating winter stuff - sweaters, jackets, boots, gloves and hats. Even our dogs have closet space for winter gear. I kinda doubt too many folks in Houston or Austin say that.
Which is my longwinded segue into a brief foray into the gear Kristy and Anna use for themselves out on the trail. I could do a whole other feature on gear for the amazing pups, but you have to agree - the twins have to take care of themselves in order to best take care of the dogs. So here are some Cold Weather Gear Tips for Humans, courtesy of two of your favorite mushing humans.
Smart Layers according to anticipated conditions. In Iditarod, that amounts to just about anything. If you're not overly sensitive to wool, the twins like quality wool base layers (like Smartwool / Merino wool) for their quick drying, lightweight, breathable properties. Top that with a winter-weight vest and/or fleece. Next, a lighter down jacket layer provides great insulation, and can be easily removed and tightly packed away if things warm up. Finally, any chance of wind and/or water requires an outer shell with proper resistance. To that end, long live Gortex.
For the kind of -40F crazy cold that mushers can face, you also need an arctic parka. These down-filled wonders are often advertised as having been field tested in the coldest places on earth. I think Alaska qualifies?!
If it's gonna get wet, pack multiples of it. This goes for neck gators, gloves, and socks in particular. If packing multiples isn't possible or practical, make sure your core item is quick-drying.
There's a whole new generation of chemical warmers out there (Grabber HotHands is nprobably the most widely recognized). Anna and Kristy said they have hand and foot warmers, toe warmers, and apparently they even make body patch warmers now?! I missed the memo. In any case, if you're going to spend that much time outside in those conditions, you'd want to have them.
And if you're spending that much time outside, including sleeping, you must have an arctic grade sleeping bag. This is both an Iditarod race rule and the only way to sleep outside on the snow and not freeze your bits off. Another key item the twins always carry is a sleeping pad. Today's options compact pretty small for traveling along the trail and save a great deal of body heat when you finally are able to catch a few Zzzs.
Last, but oh so very far from least - Respect the Foot. Keeping your feet warm and dry is paramount. This year, particularly with all the overflow, the twins are really happy to be wearing two things. An overboot by Neos. It's insulated, waterproof, and 15" tall with an additional 5" extendible gator. Weighing in at only 3.3 pounds, they're rated to -20F and the twins' model of choice has replaceable studded soles. The second is a Lobben boot. Developed in Norway, these boots are made of boiled compressed felted wool with a sole that can be worn alone or with the aforementioned overboot in extreme cold or wet conditions. If kept dry, the Lobben alone is rated to -49F and the natural lanolin of the wool repels some water while still remaining breathable.
The other thing that really helps in the cold is to keep moving. Keeping your heart rate up at reasonable levels and the blood flowing does keep you worm. Why do you think you naturally stamp your feet and rub your arms when you're cold? The twins do this by pedaling or even running behind the dog sled (although they do have those new sit-down sleds now.... I wonder if that's changed much?!).