Cold Weather Preparation Gifts
December 7, 2013 3:09 PM Subscribe
My family is moving from a warm (hot) climate to a colder one in a couple of months. I would like to get my heat-loving husband a fun Christmas gift to prepare him for a snowier habitat. Any ideas?
how cold?
When I moved from California to Wisconsin, the best gift I received was this pair of water-proof duck down mittens. The best thing I bought for myself was a very high quality knee-length down coat.
If you're looking for something more on the stocking-stuff level, smartwool socks and hand- or toe-warmers are things you will always need more of.
posted by juliapangolin at 3:37 PM on December 7, 2013
When I moved from California to Wisconsin, the best gift I received was this pair of water-proof duck down mittens. The best thing I bought for myself was a very high quality knee-length down coat.
If you're looking for something more on the stocking-stuff level, smartwool socks and hand- or toe-warmers are things you will always need more of.
posted by juliapangolin at 3:37 PM on December 7, 2013
My husband hates the cold, and we live in a snowy clime. A nice coat, mittens, hat, scarf, warm pajamas, blankets, and slippers are all nice, but nothing beats a small space heater pointed directly at his feet.
(It's running now! And will until April or so.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:44 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
(It's running now! And will until April or so.)
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 3:44 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
oh! along the lines of a little space heater, my heated mattress pad is awesome.
posted by juliapangolin at 3:48 PM on December 7, 2013 [4 favorites]
posted by juliapangolin at 3:48 PM on December 7, 2013 [4 favorites]
If you really want to make it fun, get him a really nice hot chocolate mix and a bottle of peppermint schnapps. The combo is fantastically delicious and warming. (I've heard this drink called a "smuggler" but the Internet does not seem to agree.) I also endorse the ideas above for warm clothes. Being properly dressed makes a huge difference in quality of life in cold climes.
posted by Wordwoman at 4:02 PM on December 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
posted by Wordwoman at 4:02 PM on December 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
Mittens. The difference between warm hands and cold hands.
posted by LonnieK at 4:05 PM on December 7, 2013
posted by LonnieK at 4:05 PM on December 7, 2013
This hat is the best hat. I have three in Wisconsin. My dad also has several, my wife has one, I have purchased it for a number of other people too, to universal acclaim.
posted by rockindata at 4:08 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by rockindata at 4:08 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
oh! along the lines of a little space heater, my heated mattress pad is awesome.
YES I just got a heated mattress pad and it is the fucking best thing ever, if someone broke into my house I would KILL THEM WHERE THEY STOOD if they tried to take my heated mattress pad.
posted by elizardbits at 4:27 PM on December 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
YES I just got a heated mattress pad and it is the fucking best thing ever, if someone broke into my house I would KILL THEM WHERE THEY STOOD if they tried to take my heated mattress pad.
posted by elizardbits at 4:27 PM on December 7, 2013 [2 favorites]
If you're drivers and if you'll own a car in your new chilly home, perhaps consider an automatic car starter. When it's negative a billion degrees outside, it is really nice to get the car going a minute or two before you leave the house. Not terribly planet-friendly, but neither is living in frigid regions to begin with.
posted by erlking at 4:34 PM on December 7, 2013
posted by erlking at 4:34 PM on December 7, 2013
A more serious answer:
These are awesome if he works at a desk.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 4:39 PM on December 7, 2013
These are awesome if he works at a desk.
posted by [insert clever name here] at 4:39 PM on December 7, 2013
I am a warm-parts native who lived in New Jersey for a while. Things I did not have when I moved up there that I really needed: warm hats, driving gloves, and really warm socks (my feet were cold all winter). Also houseshoes for inside the house and a good warm throw for sitting on the sofa.
Another thing that was not an immediate warmth-bringer but that I loved for getting me out of the cold faster was an industrial-strength snow and ice scraper for my car. It's not something I had ever thought about, but my husband had one from growing up in NJ, and damn if it didn't make a lot of difference when winter hit and we had to park outside sometimes. (Keep it in your trunk when you move home, too. We're not sorry we have it right now in Austin!)
posted by immlass at 4:41 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Another thing that was not an immediate warmth-bringer but that I loved for getting me out of the cold faster was an industrial-strength snow and ice scraper for my car. It's not something I had ever thought about, but my husband had one from growing up in NJ, and damn if it didn't make a lot of difference when winter hit and we had to park outside sometimes. (Keep it in your trunk when you move home, too. We're not sorry we have it right now in Austin!)
posted by immlass at 4:41 PM on December 7, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also in the driving vein: if you're bringing a car and you're talking about a really cold area, a quality battery and a block heater (if you're warm-climate car doesn't have one).
It's not a super lovey-dovey gift, but few things are more annoying than being stranded with a car that won't start when it's brass-monkey cold out.
posted by CKmtl at 4:46 PM on December 7, 2013
It's not a super lovey-dovey gift, but few things are more annoying than being stranded with a car that won't start when it's brass-monkey cold out.
posted by CKmtl at 4:46 PM on December 7, 2013
Might make a difference if we knew it was damp cold, ie the Northeast vs dry cold like in Colorado.
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:26 PM on December 7, 2013
posted by TWinbrook8 at 5:26 PM on December 7, 2013
The softest electric blanket money can buy.
Also under layers, wool socks. A good pair of snow boots.
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:15 PM on December 7, 2013
Also under layers, wool socks. A good pair of snow boots.
posted by AlexiaSky at 6:15 PM on December 7, 2013
Canadian here:
A good jacket. I like Columbia ones myself, as they are warm and have lotssss of pockets. All the pockets. Also they have removable liners you can wear as a light jacket or sweater, and you can trade liners between jackets.
BIG fuzzy slippers. I love my fuzzy slippers.
A good toque, or fuzzy hat with ear flaps. Something you can pull down over the ears.
A hot waterbottle. I prefer these to electric blankets as I was always taught it isn't safe to sleep with the electric blanket turned on (Don't mix one of these with an electric blanket for obvious reasons)
Good winter boots. Not the things people claim are boots, but good, tall ones that go at least most of the way to the knee, for when you are shovelling. I forget the brand we used, but we usually got them at Mountain Equipment Coop.
posted by Canageek at 7:30 PM on December 7, 2013
A good jacket. I like Columbia ones myself, as they are warm and have lotssss of pockets. All the pockets. Also they have removable liners you can wear as a light jacket or sweater, and you can trade liners between jackets.
BIG fuzzy slippers. I love my fuzzy slippers.
A good toque, or fuzzy hat with ear flaps. Something you can pull down over the ears.
A hot waterbottle. I prefer these to electric blankets as I was always taught it isn't safe to sleep with the electric blanket turned on (Don't mix one of these with an electric blanket for obvious reasons)
Good winter boots. Not the things people claim are boots, but good, tall ones that go at least most of the way to the knee, for when you are shovelling. I forget the brand we used, but we usually got them at Mountain Equipment Coop.
posted by Canageek at 7:30 PM on December 7, 2013
I recently discovered the magic of a thin, 100% merino pullover. I wear it next to my skin as a base layer and now I can walk around at 40F in just a button-up shirt. Also, when worn to bed, makes crawling out of the blankets in the morning so much easier. I have a couple V-necks to wear as a base layer and a turtleneck to wear to bed.
posted by d. z. wang at 10:59 PM on December 7, 2013
posted by d. z. wang at 10:59 PM on December 7, 2013
If he's got sweaty feet, they'll sweat even though it's 20 below. That's why we have boot dryers (no endorsement implied, but genuine Eau-Claire-based company)
The Mountain Hardware hat is very hipster. If he wants to blend in with the hunters at the bar, check out the uber-warm Stormy Kromer cap, which I don when it goes below zero.
posted by Jesse the K at 3:29 PM on December 8, 2013
The Mountain Hardware hat is very hipster. If he wants to blend in with the hunters at the bar, check out the uber-warm Stormy Kromer cap, which I don when it goes below zero.
posted by Jesse the K at 3:29 PM on December 8, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by vitabellosi at 3:11 PM on December 7, 2013