MT Minds

Staying Warm Inside

I’m a software engineer who works from home, or that’s the closest that I can come to something that means more to my friends and neighbors than “Solutions Enablement Engineer — Data Center”.

Since I live in an area that features sub-zero temperatures a good portion of the winter, I often get asked on my conference calls and in conversations with my compatriots “how do you stay warm up there?”  (This from guys and gals who live in the NorthEast or Utah…)

It’s simple, just have a lot of servers and other stuff that generates hot air (other than me, look out!) in your office and it’ll be the warmest place in the house besides the inside of the wood stove.  I also use a halogen lamp, which I have noticed puts out an amazing amount of heat.  All in all, inside, it’s not hard to stay warm.

Staying Warm Outside

Outside, that’s a different matter.  When it’s -17F like it was this morning (or -24 the night before last), you want to take a little more care.  This is not the kind of weather you just dash out in dressed like it’s a chilly morning, you’ll quickly get so cold that you can’t think well, always a bad combination.

From a number of years in the military in some of the colder climates, to winter construction in locations well above 7,000′ to years of outdoor working and playing in the NorthEast, England and Minnesota, I have picked up a few tried and true solutions to keeping warm, presented here:

• Dress in layers - not just big bulky ones, but several lighter ones, and preferably have a layer closer to you that wicks moisture
• Stay dry, most problems with cold are related to moisture near the skin, and cotton is a killer, avoid it
• Keep your core warm, if the middle of your body is cold, the extremities don’t have a chance
• Use an outer shield garment, something windproof that covers a large portion of your body but doesn’t restrict your movement, we used to use a big piece of thick canvas with a head hole, ponchos with a liner work well too
• Get 2 or more sets of liners for your boots, keep a dry set handy for mid-day, it’s amazing how much you’ll sweat in cold weather
• Shop for boots that have a temperature rating, and don’t bother with anything that isn’t rated for -15F or lower, and avoid 1-piece footwear, they’re harder to dry out
• Use the “Michael Jackson” metal-woven liner gloves for all tasks, never expose a bare hand in below-zero weather unless it’s to apply a bandage to it
• Get sheepskin or other big chopper-style mitts, and layer them with the liner gloves for the best warmth, otherwise get snowmobiling mittens, avoid gloves.
• Don’t rely on hand-warmers, gel-packs and other such stuff, if you’re so cold that you have to use a product like that, you’re not dressed properly, or it’s time to get inside, those are short-lived and expensive products and you can’t stock enough of them to make it a long-term solution
• Eat a protein/carbohydrate rich meal (less veggies, more meat/starches) so you have a good burst of energy and a longer burn to keep the warmth up
• Last but not least, keep some PowerBars or other quick and high-calorie types of food around, in a pocket etc, so you can keep your carbs up.

There you have it, both technical and practical information, just make sure to think before you go outside when it’s really cold.

RossB