Thursday, January 31, 2019

The Midwest Polar Vortex Kit


We're having record cold temperatures in Madison over the past two days: air temperatures below -30°C (-22°F), combined with a nasty wind to make things feel even colder. I've ridden in some very cold temperatures, but this was clearly a new low. As I have gotten frostbite before (not recommended!) I've been very careful about limiting the risks of being outside. I've kept ride short and dressed warmly. So what does my kit look like for a 6 kilometer (3.7 miles) ride look like? Like so:



  1. Cheap polyester tights (I think from Costco)
  2. Ibex El Fito wool tights (no longer in production)
  3. Lake MXZ-302 boots (no longer in production; replaced by the MXZ-303)
  4. SmartWool mountaineering extra thick wool socks
  5. HotHands chemical warmers
  6. Neoprene toe covers (meant for outside the shoes but worn over the socks, inside the shoes)
  7. Army surplus Arctic extreme cold mitts (without liner)
  8. FoxRiver Extra Heavy Double Ragg Mitten
  9. Merino wool sweater
  10. Dickies 874 work pants
  11. Wisconsin Bike Fed Forward cotton t-shirt
  12. Swrve Milwaukee ES hooded jacket
  13. Cheap synthetic buff
  14. POC Fovea goggles
  15. Cheap fleece balaclava with mesh
  16. Bontrager Windshell skull cap
  17. Pogies (not pictured)  
 Did it work? Mostly, as in I made it to work, didn't get frostbite, and wasn't too uncomfortable.

Weak spots:
  • The goggles were useless, as they fogged up within the first ten minutes of the ride. I have yet to find a way to solve this issue. On the other hand, I find riding without goggles not too bad, even in these temperatures.
  • My thumbs got pretty cold and I had to pull them into the main mitten to warm them up. Of course, that meant I couldn't shift any more. Eventually they'd probably have warmed up; in the morning I have a hard time getting my hands warm even in much milder temperatures. I may invest in better pogies at some point.
  • The balaclava wasn't thick enough, and the skull cap slid up enough to make my earlobes very cold. I have a thicker balaclava that I can wear without the skull cap, which works better.
  • My toes were warm enough, but on a longer ride they'd probably have gotten too cold eventually. Having roomier boots would help, but I've already maxed out my options with a size 15 wide.

2 comments:

  1. I have found a well-fitting N95 mask will keep my glasses (and presumably goggles) from fogging and keep my face warm-ish. Might not work for -22F, but it worked really well yesterday for 14F.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That sounds like a really good idea! I'll have to give it a try.

      Delete