ISO warm clothing for many purposes
November 17, 2018 8:31 AM Subscribe
The difficulty level here is, I seem to have zero circulation in my hands and feet. I need gloves, socks, slippers and PJs that will keep me warm.
Most gloves and socks seem to operate on the assumption that they can use heat trapped from your hands and feet to keep you warm. But since my fingers and toes don't generate heat of their own, ever, none of those gloves and socks will work for me. Help me find some?
I had gastric bypass surgery last year and lost over half my body weight. I am average-sized now. Yay, me! Only now I am freezing, ALL THE TIME. And Winter is Coming.
I've cobbled together various solutions that did well over the summer and early fall. But now the snows have started, and I'm dying the death of a thousand freezing icicles in my blood every day. I work from home, so I'm fine wearing hats and fleeces and many many layers throughout the day and around the house. I also supplement with an electric throw, but that's not ideal. Here are some of the things I know I need to survive a Boston winter:
1. I need some sturdy, waterproof, warm, winter gloves to help me survive shoveling snow/snowblowing in North Eastern Massachusetts at 5 in the morning. These don't have to offer much in the way of dexterity - just enough to close my hands and thumb around a grip.
2. I also need some warm, winter gloves to help me not freeze to death in my car, but will still leave me with the dexterity to, you know. Drive. I do operate my phone sometimes in my car, just to hit play or pause on a podcast usually, so the ability to do that through the gloves would be nice. However, warmth is my priority - not phone use.
3. I need some warm gloves to wear in my house that still let me type and operate a 12-button mouse competently with my fingers and thumb. My job is accomplished through computer and keyboard, and I'm a gamer for recreation. Fingerless options are okay if they are seriously warm, but I would prefer something super thin AND super warm that encloses all my fingers. Usually the issue I have with gloves for this purpose is that there's too much material between my fingers, so my keyboarding is thrown off - and/or there's too much fabric past the end of my fingertips so my keypresses are mushy.
4. I need warm, warm, warm toasty socks and the warmest slippers or house shoes on the planet, with grippy bottoms so I don't ski to my death every time I take a step on our slope-y, slick hardwood floors and stairs.
5. I need warm PJ bottoms that cover my legs all the way down to ankles, that will not ride up to my knees the second I get in bed, and that are smooth/non-grippy enough on the outside that they don't tangle in my sheets. Ideally something fleece-lined on the inside but sleek/satiny on the outside so they don't fight with my cotton (and maybe soon flannel) sheets.
For purposes of preserving the planet, I'd prefer not to resort to things like those little chemical packs you can insert into gloves or shoes/socks for warmth. Too many chemicals and too much plastic. I could cope with that for the shoveling gloves, since shoveling and snow blowing aren't every day occurrences (knock on wood). But for everything else, not so much.
I'd also prefer not to resort to USB/electric stuff. I already use a heating pad under my feet when working, a heated mattress pad to toast up the bed (turned off right before I get in it), and a heated blanket for watching TV and hanging out. I'd rather have gloves and socks and slippers that don't tether me to an electricity source.
Other than these things, innovative hacks are welcome! I need to stay warm, and I'm not picky about how I do it. Contrary to the category I picked, I just need clothing - not beauty or fashion, necessarily. I just need to not freeze. I'd love to get suggestions for any or all of these needs. Help?
(Sizes, in case it makes a difference: Medium for tops/bottoms, size 8.5 feet, medium/small hands)
I had gastric bypass surgery last year and lost over half my body weight. I am average-sized now. Yay, me! Only now I am freezing, ALL THE TIME. And Winter is Coming.
I've cobbled together various solutions that did well over the summer and early fall. But now the snows have started, and I'm dying the death of a thousand freezing icicles in my blood every day. I work from home, so I'm fine wearing hats and fleeces and many many layers throughout the day and around the house. I also supplement with an electric throw, but that's not ideal. Here are some of the things I know I need to survive a Boston winter:
1. I need some sturdy, waterproof, warm, winter gloves to help me survive shoveling snow/snowblowing in North Eastern Massachusetts at 5 in the morning. These don't have to offer much in the way of dexterity - just enough to close my hands and thumb around a grip.
2. I also need some warm, winter gloves to help me not freeze to death in my car, but will still leave me with the dexterity to, you know. Drive. I do operate my phone sometimes in my car, just to hit play or pause on a podcast usually, so the ability to do that through the gloves would be nice. However, warmth is my priority - not phone use.
3. I need some warm gloves to wear in my house that still let me type and operate a 12-button mouse competently with my fingers and thumb. My job is accomplished through computer and keyboard, and I'm a gamer for recreation. Fingerless options are okay if they are seriously warm, but I would prefer something super thin AND super warm that encloses all my fingers. Usually the issue I have with gloves for this purpose is that there's too much material between my fingers, so my keyboarding is thrown off - and/or there's too much fabric past the end of my fingertips so my keypresses are mushy.
4. I need warm, warm, warm toasty socks and the warmest slippers or house shoes on the planet, with grippy bottoms so I don't ski to my death every time I take a step on our slope-y, slick hardwood floors and stairs.
5. I need warm PJ bottoms that cover my legs all the way down to ankles, that will not ride up to my knees the second I get in bed, and that are smooth/non-grippy enough on the outside that they don't tangle in my sheets. Ideally something fleece-lined on the inside but sleek/satiny on the outside so they don't fight with my cotton (and maybe soon flannel) sheets.
For purposes of preserving the planet, I'd prefer not to resort to things like those little chemical packs you can insert into gloves or shoes/socks for warmth. Too many chemicals and too much plastic. I could cope with that for the shoveling gloves, since shoveling and snow blowing aren't every day occurrences (knock on wood). But for everything else, not so much.
I'd also prefer not to resort to USB/electric stuff. I already use a heating pad under my feet when working, a heated mattress pad to toast up the bed (turned off right before I get in it), and a heated blanket for watching TV and hanging out. I'd rather have gloves and socks and slippers that don't tether me to an electricity source.
Other than these things, innovative hacks are welcome! I need to stay warm, and I'm not picky about how I do it. Contrary to the category I picked, I just need clothing - not beauty or fashion, necessarily. I just need to not freeze. I'd love to get suggestions for any or all of these needs. Help?
(Sizes, in case it makes a difference: Medium for tops/bottoms, size 8.5 feet, medium/small hands)
A few thoughts: for warmth and dexterity while at your computer, glove liners might be better than gloves.
For outdoor, snow-shoveling un-fun, I'd look at mittens, rather than gloves, if you can stand to shovel with them on. Maybe shearling-lined.
Same for slippers. LL Bean, famously, makes Serious versions with a commensurate price tag.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 9:00 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
For outdoor, snow-shoveling un-fun, I'd look at mittens, rather than gloves, if you can stand to shovel with them on. Maybe shearling-lined.
Same for slippers. LL Bean, famously, makes Serious versions with a commensurate price tag.
posted by Making You Bored For Science at 9:00 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
As a cold skinny person, the biggest difference in my house comfort the last few years has been from always wearing a down vest with high collar. So, if you're not already doing this, do look into insulating your core and neck. (Maybe also wearing a hat inside, if it doesn't drive you crazy with your hair.)
For your warmest mitten needs: thrummed mitts - you can knit them yourself or buy them on etsy. I'd wear these over a pair of gloves, and take the outer mitts off if I needed dexterity.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:01 AM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
For your warmest mitten needs: thrummed mitts - you can knit them yourself or buy them on etsy. I'd wear these over a pair of gloves, and take the outer mitts off if I needed dexterity.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:01 AM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
In cold weather I use a pair of cotton gloves from the pharmacy, I think they are lotion gloves, under my work gloves. You could try these under fingerless mitts indoors and under mittens outdoors.
posted by Botanizer at 9:02 AM on November 17, 2018
posted by Botanizer at 9:02 AM on November 17, 2018
My husband has Reynaud's syndrome so he is always trying to keep his fingers and toes warm. A few "hacks" from him:
For shoveling snow/driving/outdoor time, the trick is to wear two layers of gloves. The first layer can be any sweat-wicking performance fabric gloves (on preview - yes, glove liners!)- you can get them with the conductive fingertip so you can still use your smart phone. Then over that wear mittens. He had a pair of leather driving mittens that had a knit inner layer and a leather outer - like this from REI - so really he was wearing three layers. The leather layer is windproof and keeps the knit mittens dry.
They now make USB-rechargable metal hand warmers, so you can carry them in your pocket or in your mitten and aren't tethered to a cable.
Get the blood pumping to your hands and feet with exercise. If it wasn't icy he'd sprint to the bus stop and stay warm for an hour.
Coozies for basically any beverage, even if it was room temperature.
For work and gaming, is an under-desk space heater an option?
posted by muddgirl at 9:05 AM on November 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
For shoveling snow/driving/outdoor time, the trick is to wear two layers of gloves. The first layer can be any sweat-wicking performance fabric gloves (on preview - yes, glove liners!)- you can get them with the conductive fingertip so you can still use your smart phone. Then over that wear mittens. He had a pair of leather driving mittens that had a knit inner layer and a leather outer - like this from REI - so really he was wearing three layers. The leather layer is windproof and keeps the knit mittens dry.
They now make USB-rechargable metal hand warmers, so you can carry them in your pocket or in your mitten and aren't tethered to a cable.
Get the blood pumping to your hands and feet with exercise. If it wasn't icy he'd sprint to the bus stop and stay warm for an hour.
Coozies for basically any beverage, even if it was room temperature.
For work and gaming, is an under-desk space heater an option?
posted by muddgirl at 9:05 AM on November 17, 2018 [7 favorites]
I recently discovered ice fishermans' closed-cell neoprene gloves (as manufactured and sold by this company at my local Walmart and presumably sporting goods stores too) which are basically the gloves from a diver's wetsuit. They are the ne plus ultra of insulated gloves.
posted by XMLicious at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by XMLicious at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I don't like the disposability either, but nothing has made a bigger difference to my overall quality of life in the last three or four years than going all-in on HotHands hand and toe warmers. Nothing. I'm not even talking just winter, either—I'm saying that they have made such a big difference in terms of making winter suck fewer balls that they are the best year round improvement that I've made in my life since moving back to a place with real winters. Having warm fingers and toes is basically the only thing that makes living in New England bearable for me.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
A good quality hot water bottle is a wonderful thing. Use it to pre-heat your bed about an hour or so before you go to sleep. And the bottle's residual warmth will last through most of the night. It can also be placed at your feet if you'd rather not use the heating pad while working.
For gloves, look for something that has removable liners that are grippy and touchscreen compatible for use when you don't need the insulation layer. Something like the Dakine Sequoia Glove might be what you need.
Aside from specific clothing rec's, my three keep-warm rules are to cover your head, dress in layers, and wear down-filled items when possible.
posted by theory at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
For gloves, look for something that has removable liners that are grippy and touchscreen compatible for use when you don't need the insulation layer. Something like the Dakine Sequoia Glove might be what you need.
Aside from specific clothing rec's, my three keep-warm rules are to cover your head, dress in layers, and wear down-filled items when possible.
posted by theory at 9:25 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
These Stormy Kromer mittens are seriously warm. I’ve lived in Minnesota for 25 years, and these are my favorites if I don’t need dexterity.
posted by advicepig at 9:26 AM on November 17, 2018
posted by advicepig at 9:26 AM on November 17, 2018
I pair these slippers with a pair of thick, merino wool socks, and that combo keeps my feet toasty warm all winter. Like you, I sit at a desk all day, and my inactive feet just turn into cold sinks. I also often sit with a blanket thrown over my lap.
posted by missmobtown at 9:34 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by missmobtown at 9:34 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I put old rice in an old sock and tie a knot in it to make a super cheap and eco-friendly microwavable hand/foot/bed warmer.
Other grains work too, as do beans. But don’t use beans unless you really like the smell of beans.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:48 AM on November 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
Other grains work too, as do beans. But don’t use beans unless you really like the smell of beans.
posted by SaltySalticid at 9:48 AM on November 17, 2018 [6 favorites]
I have a hot water bottle and it keeps my toes and feet so warm while sitting or in bed on very cold nights. A metal water bottle will work just about as well, or an old scout canteen. I tend to warm up the same cup of tea over and over as a hand-warmer while reading.
These are super cute. These and these are re-usable; I have something similar, works well. Fingerless wool gloves work well, or just buy cheap acrylic stretchy gloves and cut off the fingertips.
I hate wearing shoes or slippers, but I like my fleece socks. They are slippery, so the stairs may do me in. I have several fleece vests, and it's quite accurate that keeping your core warmer will keep your appendages warmer. I have a selection of big wool sweaters, big wool scarves and shawls, and I use them to read in bed, knowing the heat will go down automatically well before I am able to sleep.
Wear a hat. Your head is a big thing that loses heat, and a hat will help. I hate the feeling of a wool hat on my forehead, but fleece is swell.
I look hella stylish in a cozy flannel gown, with fleece socks, vest, and hat, and a big flowered shawl, carrying my book, hot water bottle, and a little glass of bourbon to bed. The small dog is a help, as well. Try all the things, they all work, you just have to find the ones that work for you.
posted by theora55 at 9:59 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
These are super cute. These and these are re-usable; I have something similar, works well. Fingerless wool gloves work well, or just buy cheap acrylic stretchy gloves and cut off the fingertips.
I hate wearing shoes or slippers, but I like my fleece socks. They are slippery, so the stairs may do me in. I have several fleece vests, and it's quite accurate that keeping your core warmer will keep your appendages warmer. I have a selection of big wool sweaters, big wool scarves and shawls, and I use them to read in bed, knowing the heat will go down automatically well before I am able to sleep.
Wear a hat. Your head is a big thing that loses heat, and a hat will help. I hate the feeling of a wool hat on my forehead, but fleece is swell.
I look hella stylish in a cozy flannel gown, with fleece socks, vest, and hat, and a big flowered shawl, carrying my book, hot water bottle, and a little glass of bourbon to bed. The small dog is a help, as well. Try all the things, they all work, you just have to find the ones that work for you.
posted by theora55 at 9:59 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Nth-ing the microwaveable mini pouch of rice. I also wear wristbands (think tennis players) under the theory if running cool water over my wrists in summer is extra refreshing, keeping them warm will also be weirdly effective to my overall warmth.
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:07 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by spamandkimchi at 10:07 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
I've had good luck keeping my feet warm with a combination of bulky wool socks over silk sock liners - in fact, a silk/"thermasilk" under-layer (shirt and pants) is also a good addition to my cold-weather wardrobe.
For indoor warmth, I have silk glove liners under wool fingerless gloves; the silk liner does help, and allows me to use my phone screen, but they don't work well in the slightest breeze so the parts of my fingers that stick out of the fingerless gloves don't stay as warm as I'd like. My next step will be to try full-fingered wool gloves with just the very tips of the fingers taken off.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:14 AM on November 17, 2018
For indoor warmth, I have silk glove liners under wool fingerless gloves; the silk liner does help, and allows me to use my phone screen, but they don't work well in the slightest breeze so the parts of my fingers that stick out of the fingerless gloves don't stay as warm as I'd like. My next step will be to try full-fingered wool gloves with just the very tips of the fingers taken off.
posted by Greg_Ace at 10:14 AM on November 17, 2018
I have some thick wool felt slippers that are more like boots: they have real soles, cover the ankle, and are fantastically warm. Mine are made by glerups, but I've seen other brands that make similar things. They keep my very chilly feet warm even in my attic room in Maine.
posted by dizziest at 10:20 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
posted by dizziest at 10:20 AM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
In non-disposable news, a friend of mine has had one of these Snuggle Safe heating discs since she was a child and still uses it all winter. It's full of paraffin, and you microwave it until the wax liquefies. It then continues to stay hot for hours and hours (much longer and with a more consistent heat than a water bottle) and doesn't start to cool down until the paraffin is fully solidified again. They're meant for orphaned puppies, to give them something warm to cuddle against.
I also swear by these Smartwool glove liners. They're not good for wearing alone because they're not durable, but I wear them under work gloves or heavy mitts to give them an extra level of warmth and so that if I need my dexterity I can still keep at least a light glove on. (I also put hand warmers inside the liners.) They fit well, are comfortable, provide a meaningful amount of extra warmth even when wet, and you can text through them.
I also wear insulated boots. I am a man so I have no specific recommendations for your feet, but I've had great success with Merrell's insulated boots, the ones that have a layer of Thinsulate in them. I also wear some of Darn Tough's heaviest over-the-calf socks, and would wear ones that were twice as heavy if I could. I don't know what it is about sock companies but they don't seem to get what it takes for a sock to be actually warm; even the warmest,
thickest, most expensive stuff on offer is at best moderately warm, so go all the way because nothing else will come close to being enough.
Coming back to your question though, all this insulation is no good if your hands and feet just aren't making heat in the first place. If you don't want to get battery-powered socks or disposable foot warmers or whatever, your best bet will be to warm up the rest of your body so that your body doesn't feel like it needs to hoard heat. The first thing your body does when it feels a chill is constrict the blood vessels in your extremeties, shunting blood and heat to your core at the expense of your hands and feet. If you can keep your core hot by upping your layering game, your body will keep those peripheral blood vessels open and allow more blood and warmth to flow to your fingers and toes. So doing things like wearing warmer underwear and wearing a hat even when indoors (your body considers your head to be part of your core—gotta protect that brain) will help keep your hands and feet from getting chilled.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:28 AM on November 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
I also swear by these Smartwool glove liners. They're not good for wearing alone because they're not durable, but I wear them under work gloves or heavy mitts to give them an extra level of warmth and so that if I need my dexterity I can still keep at least a light glove on. (I also put hand warmers inside the liners.) They fit well, are comfortable, provide a meaningful amount of extra warmth even when wet, and you can text through them.
I also wear insulated boots. I am a man so I have no specific recommendations for your feet, but I've had great success with Merrell's insulated boots, the ones that have a layer of Thinsulate in them. I also wear some of Darn Tough's heaviest over-the-calf socks, and would wear ones that were twice as heavy if I could. I don't know what it is about sock companies but they don't seem to get what it takes for a sock to be actually warm; even the warmest,
thickest, most expensive stuff on offer is at best moderately warm, so go all the way because nothing else will come close to being enough.
Coming back to your question though, all this insulation is no good if your hands and feet just aren't making heat in the first place. If you don't want to get battery-powered socks or disposable foot warmers or whatever, your best bet will be to warm up the rest of your body so that your body doesn't feel like it needs to hoard heat. The first thing your body does when it feels a chill is constrict the blood vessels in your extremeties, shunting blood and heat to your core at the expense of your hands and feet. If you can keep your core hot by upping your layering game, your body will keep those peripheral blood vessels open and allow more blood and warmth to flow to your fingers and toes. So doing things like wearing warmer underwear and wearing a hat even when indoors (your body considers your head to be part of your core—gotta protect that brain) will help keep your hands and feet from getting chilled.
posted by Anticipation Of A New Lover's Arrival, The at 10:28 AM on November 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
If my feet are cold then they never get warm so I use a hot water bottle to warm them up and then put on merino wool socks and slippers (also sheep skin like the ones mentioned above)... then they hold the heat. I also wear zip neck wool tops along with wool and silk under layers. I love wool so much that I have bought a wool mattress and wool duvet. Other wonderful items of clothing I have invested in are cashmere turtle neck sweaters and Dale of Norway jackets with merino wool cuffs (keep my hands warm when driving)... I will also be purchasing this year some merino wool pjs... I think your answer is hot water bottles and wool. Oh, and the sauna. I shower now at the gym after a sauna because then I don’t get cold after showering in my house and I seem to retain the heat.
posted by catspajammies at 10:42 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by catspajammies at 10:42 AM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
Agreeing with others that it helps with the extremities to keep the core warm. I'm a huge fan of Icebreaker Merino for base layers, particularly bottoms. LLBean also makes stuff like flannel lined jeans.
It's cold in my place right now and I'm keeping my feet warm with alpaca wool socks inside L.L.Bean shearling moccasins/slippers.
posted by gudrun at 11:13 AM on November 17, 2018
It's cold in my place right now and I'm keeping my feet warm with alpaca wool socks inside L.L.Bean shearling moccasins/slippers.
posted by gudrun at 11:13 AM on November 17, 2018
Surprised no one has mentioned Raynaud syndrome yet (on review, 5th response!). I used to be a sufferer but it seems to have abated.
Some years ago I read a paper from (I think) a Canadian journal which suggested that keeping the neck and head warm had great benefit in preventing the onset of symptoms for Raynaud's sufferers, regrettably I have been unable to track down that particular paper again. But since then wearing a scarf and (sometimes) hat helped me enormously.
Avoid forced heat. Placing extremities into hot water or on hot surfaces like radiators is not a good idea. Body heat is best, if hands get cold tuck them into your armpits to warm up.
posted by epo at 11:20 AM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
Some years ago I read a paper from (I think) a Canadian journal which suggested that keeping the neck and head warm had great benefit in preventing the onset of symptoms for Raynaud's sufferers, regrettably I have been unable to track down that particular paper again. But since then wearing a scarf and (sometimes) hat helped me enormously.
Avoid forced heat. Placing extremities into hot water or on hot surfaces like radiators is not a good idea. Body heat is best, if hands get cold tuck them into your armpits to warm up.
posted by epo at 11:20 AM on November 17, 2018 [2 favorites]
This might be a bit out of left field, but one of the major functions of muscle mass is to maintain body temperature. Here's a fascinating article about how a protein called sarcolipin makes muscles burn energy even when at rest, much like an idling car burns gasoline, playing a key role in the body's thermostat.
I realize that given your gastric bypass surgery, exercise is probably a complicated topic for you. Nonetheless, a plan to increase muscle mass would be a very effective way to stay warm in the long-term. This is not about getting "exercise" in the abstract. It's specifically about growing your muscles. Lifting heavy things will be a lot more helpful for this particular goal than any kind of cardio or endurance sport.
You can also use exercise as a more immediate way to warm up. Freezing while sitting still working at home? Do a set of jumping jacks, run around the living room, even just hold a somewhat challenging position like a lunge for as long as you can and then switch legs.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:42 AM on November 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
I realize that given your gastric bypass surgery, exercise is probably a complicated topic for you. Nonetheless, a plan to increase muscle mass would be a very effective way to stay warm in the long-term. This is not about getting "exercise" in the abstract. It's specifically about growing your muscles. Lifting heavy things will be a lot more helpful for this particular goal than any kind of cardio or endurance sport.
You can also use exercise as a more immediate way to warm up. Freezing while sitting still working at home? Do a set of jumping jacks, run around the living room, even just hold a somewhat challenging position like a lunge for as long as you can and then switch legs.
posted by danceswithlight at 11:42 AM on November 17, 2018 [5 favorites]
For me the key to warm feet and hands is having zero constriction in socks and gloves, absolutely nothing to restrict blood flow.
My wonderful granddaughter gave me a pair of Wigwam 40 Below socks for Xmas two years ago and they are THE BEST WARMEST NICEST socks ever.
posted by anadem at 12:01 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
My wonderful granddaughter gave me a pair of Wigwam 40 Below socks for Xmas two years ago and they are THE BEST WARMEST NICEST socks ever.
posted by anadem at 12:01 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
I use a Maine Warmer when sitting around, and in bed. For really tough chances, like using the snowblower, I use Little Hotties foot warmers, available fairly cheap at CostCo. I've never tried their hand warmers.
I wear diabetic socks from the drugstore in bed overnight because of their softness.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2018
I wear diabetic socks from the drugstore in bed overnight because of their softness.
posted by SemiSalt at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2018
Oh, and I also use Uniqlo HEATTECH long johns and same brand long-sleeved undershirt - very cozy.
posted by anadem at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2018
posted by anadem at 12:04 PM on November 17, 2018
It hasn't been specifically mentioned above, and you may already know this, but material matters. Cotton, polyester, acrylic, nylon, and rayon suck at holding heat. Cotton PJs, cotton/polyester/nylon socks, jeans, acrylic yarn hats, almost any regular t-shirt, almost any professional women's top - these are all not going to be helpful to you. You need:
wool
cashmere
angora
down
Thinsulate
Fleece and "thermal cotton" are kind of in-between. Fleece is polyester, which is not great at retaining heat. But it also can be made quite thick and with a texture such that it holds tiny air pockets which can then insulate you. Thermal cotton comes in a waffle weave which also holds air pockets. Down works primarily the same way, but is way more effective.
For all of the above, thickness matters too. Thick wool socks will be a lot warmer than thin wool socks. But material matters more. Thin wool socks will be a lot warmer than thick cotton socks.
posted by danceswithlight at 12:07 PM on November 17, 2018 [9 favorites]
wool
cashmere
angora
down
Thinsulate
Fleece and "thermal cotton" are kind of in-between. Fleece is polyester, which is not great at retaining heat. But it also can be made quite thick and with a texture such that it holds tiny air pockets which can then insulate you. Thermal cotton comes in a waffle weave which also holds air pockets. Down works primarily the same way, but is way more effective.
For all of the above, thickness matters too. Thick wool socks will be a lot warmer than thin wool socks. But material matters more. Thin wool socks will be a lot warmer than thick cotton socks.
posted by danceswithlight at 12:07 PM on November 17, 2018 [9 favorites]
You may have done this already but check with your doctor to make sure you don't have anemia which would make feeling cold worse.
posted by SyraCarol at 1:10 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by SyraCarol at 1:10 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
There's really nothing like mittens when it comes to keeping your hands warm outside. I went skiing in January in Montana wearing standard chunky ski gloves and my fingers froze; the next year I bought puffy ski mitts and my fingers were actually *too* warm sometimes. I'm a skinny person who runs cold with poor circulation.
If I'm sitting on the couch indoors and my feet are super cold (I live in California now so this is mostly when I do something stupid like walk around barefoot after my shower), I'll put on thick wool socks and then stick my feet into Restoration Hardware Foot Duvet slippers, which are basically a down comforter wrapped around your feet. The downside is that the soles aren't very grippy. I've heard good things about LL Bean Wicked Good slippers, which do come with a rubber sole. Definitely nthing the advice that wool socks are crucial, though.
posted by serelliya at 1:17 PM on November 17, 2018
If I'm sitting on the couch indoors and my feet are super cold (I live in California now so this is mostly when I do something stupid like walk around barefoot after my shower), I'll put on thick wool socks and then stick my feet into Restoration Hardware Foot Duvet slippers, which are basically a down comforter wrapped around your feet. The downside is that the soles aren't very grippy. I've heard good things about LL Bean Wicked Good slippers, which do come with a rubber sole. Definitely nthing the advice that wool socks are crucial, though.
posted by serelliya at 1:17 PM on November 17, 2018
If your hands are unable to create any warmth it doesn't matter what your gloves are made of, they won't be warm enough. So what I would suggest is to get a couple of pairs thin cotton gloves that you can work in comfortably and find a way to warm them up and swap from one pair to the second pair as they stop being warm enough to keep your hands flexible and comfortable.
There are many ways to warm things up. I liked baked potatoes. Back when I lived in a house that had no heat on the floor where the bedrooms were, I used to bake a potato in the oven, wrap it in a napkin and take it to bed with me, or pop it into a well insulated pocket. So if you have a baked potato in your pocket underneath your second pair of gloves you can warm them up this way without using any of those disposible chemical pocket heaters. It doesn't work for tight jeans pockets. The potato fits nicely in the pocket of a dressing gown or a jacket.
If you don't think you want to eat a couple of plain baked potatoes every day, consider other small heating sources. They sell little warming stands to keep your tea or coffee hot. You could have one of those plugged in on your desk and use it to heat your working gloves. Even if you don't have a car seat warmer you can put a spare pair of gloves under your butt and sit on them. If your butt is warm enough the gloves will warm up and can be swapped out for the cold pair. If you have an iron it produces a lot of heat. Place the hot iron on top of a sock or a glove on a folded towel for a few seconds and then put the glove or the sock on. The iron can also be used to iron the bottom sheet to warm up your bed.
People used to go around with a special brazier that held coals from the wood stove. It would go in the carriage or the sleigh, and you put your feet on it until you got to your destination, and then carried it inside. People used to sit on their pews unheated churches with their foot on the brazier. You might be able to figure out something that would work like that for when you are outside shoveling, and return to it periodically to change your frozen hat and mittens for a warm one. Something like one of those chimineas would work, if you have a long driveway and spend an hour outside shoveling. But it would be more practical to simply place a space heater just inside your door with the second pair of gloves and socks in that and just walk back to the door to swap for hot woolies. If you have a wood stove you can put a couple of bricks on the stove to heat really hot and then bring them outside. Insulated under straw or a wool blanket or two they will keep things warm outside, or inside, such as if you put them under your desk and work with your feet resting on them.
Make sure that your mittens and gloves and socks are loose enough. You want an airspace and you want to encourage circulation in your digits. Also, when exercising your hands and toes to warm them up don't bother flexing them and releasing them repeatedly. You have to actually use the muscles in the hands and toes themselves. Flapping your fingers doesn't work, but digging and scratching hard on something imaginary is much more effective. Putting a squeeze ball in your pocket might make a difference. If your mouse hand is freezing try squeezing the mouse repeatedly as if it were the squeeze ball.
When warm gloves and a cup of tea in the house aren't enough, because the tea goes cold instantly, and putting a heater under your work table which is covered in a heavy rug to keep the heat concentrated isn't enough, and you don't want another baked potato, or a sock full of rice in your pocket, don't forget to try running your tap water hot and putting your hands into that. Getting up and moving around every forty minutes or so is good for the circulation and the metabolism. For a few years in my house I could easily get up every forty minutes, go into the kitchen and find some dishes to wash. (Greasy Joan doth keel the pot?) I had three kids who could cook and feed themselves but could not wash dishes. However it is also possible to stagger the dishes from one meal out over half the day. An added bonus is that if you are standing up and moving and thinking about the work you are doing you often get ideas that don't come while you are actively writing, or doing the computer work.
Don't forget that your armpits and your breath are two traditional places to warm your fingers. "When Dick the shepherd blows his nail..." is a description of cupping your hands together and huffing warm arm from your lungs past your thumbnails into the hollow you have created. This actually works although your breath is damp so after doing that rub your palms and fingers hard on something cloth to dry them, such as your coat. You can also put your palms flat together and rub hard to warm your hands up with friction. People don't seem to do that much anymore. I don't know why. It only takes a few seconds of rubbing to make them warm enough that you can feel the difference when you lay your hand against your cheeks.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:19 PM on November 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
There are many ways to warm things up. I liked baked potatoes. Back when I lived in a house that had no heat on the floor where the bedrooms were, I used to bake a potato in the oven, wrap it in a napkin and take it to bed with me, or pop it into a well insulated pocket. So if you have a baked potato in your pocket underneath your second pair of gloves you can warm them up this way without using any of those disposible chemical pocket heaters. It doesn't work for tight jeans pockets. The potato fits nicely in the pocket of a dressing gown or a jacket.
If you don't think you want to eat a couple of plain baked potatoes every day, consider other small heating sources. They sell little warming stands to keep your tea or coffee hot. You could have one of those plugged in on your desk and use it to heat your working gloves. Even if you don't have a car seat warmer you can put a spare pair of gloves under your butt and sit on them. If your butt is warm enough the gloves will warm up and can be swapped out for the cold pair. If you have an iron it produces a lot of heat. Place the hot iron on top of a sock or a glove on a folded towel for a few seconds and then put the glove or the sock on. The iron can also be used to iron the bottom sheet to warm up your bed.
People used to go around with a special brazier that held coals from the wood stove. It would go in the carriage or the sleigh, and you put your feet on it until you got to your destination, and then carried it inside. People used to sit on their pews unheated churches with their foot on the brazier. You might be able to figure out something that would work like that for when you are outside shoveling, and return to it periodically to change your frozen hat and mittens for a warm one. Something like one of those chimineas would work, if you have a long driveway and spend an hour outside shoveling. But it would be more practical to simply place a space heater just inside your door with the second pair of gloves and socks in that and just walk back to the door to swap for hot woolies. If you have a wood stove you can put a couple of bricks on the stove to heat really hot and then bring them outside. Insulated under straw or a wool blanket or two they will keep things warm outside, or inside, such as if you put them under your desk and work with your feet resting on them.
Make sure that your mittens and gloves and socks are loose enough. You want an airspace and you want to encourage circulation in your digits. Also, when exercising your hands and toes to warm them up don't bother flexing them and releasing them repeatedly. You have to actually use the muscles in the hands and toes themselves. Flapping your fingers doesn't work, but digging and scratching hard on something imaginary is much more effective. Putting a squeeze ball in your pocket might make a difference. If your mouse hand is freezing try squeezing the mouse repeatedly as if it were the squeeze ball.
When warm gloves and a cup of tea in the house aren't enough, because the tea goes cold instantly, and putting a heater under your work table which is covered in a heavy rug to keep the heat concentrated isn't enough, and you don't want another baked potato, or a sock full of rice in your pocket, don't forget to try running your tap water hot and putting your hands into that. Getting up and moving around every forty minutes or so is good for the circulation and the metabolism. For a few years in my house I could easily get up every forty minutes, go into the kitchen and find some dishes to wash. (Greasy Joan doth keel the pot?) I had three kids who could cook and feed themselves but could not wash dishes. However it is also possible to stagger the dishes from one meal out over half the day. An added bonus is that if you are standing up and moving and thinking about the work you are doing you often get ideas that don't come while you are actively writing, or doing the computer work.
Don't forget that your armpits and your breath are two traditional places to warm your fingers. "When Dick the shepherd blows his nail..." is a description of cupping your hands together and huffing warm arm from your lungs past your thumbnails into the hollow you have created. This actually works although your breath is damp so after doing that rub your palms and fingers hard on something cloth to dry them, such as your coat. You can also put your palms flat together and rub hard to warm your hands up with friction. People don't seem to do that much anymore. I don't know why. It only takes a few seconds of rubbing to make them warm enough that you can feel the difference when you lay your hand against your cheeks.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:19 PM on November 17, 2018 [4 favorites]
When I lived in your climate and had a job that required me to spend a lot of time outdoors or in a very cold house I found cashmere made all the difference. I was lucky to find a hat, gloves, and sweaters at thrift shops and I wore them to death over the course of several winters. For sleeping high tech long underwear with cuffed, but not tightly so, bottoms work great.
Yeah and an extra core layer, a vest of some kind, really really helps.
posted by mareli at 1:23 PM on November 17, 2018
Yeah and an extra core layer, a vest of some kind, really really helps.
posted by mareli at 1:23 PM on November 17, 2018
Have you tried wearing a pair of knitted tights to bed, instead of pajama pants? They have built in feet so they won't ride up. If you buy a pair that are a bit too big for you they will be more comfortable, and if you wear them in bed it won't matter that they are prone to start falling down when you stand up and walk around.
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:27 PM on November 17, 2018
posted by Jane the Brown at 1:27 PM on November 17, 2018
One of the things that took me a really long time to figure out is that some of being/staying cold in the feet in the winter is being damp. So I now make a big effort to change out of socks that I've been wearing into "indoor socks" which are
- dry
- "lofty" (they aren't snug, they are thick)
- grippy (or I wear with down booties)
posted by jessamyn at 1:40 PM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
- dry
- "lofty" (they aren't snug, they are thick)
- grippy (or I wear with down booties)
posted by jessamyn at 1:40 PM on November 17, 2018 [3 favorites]
I know you don't want to be tethered to a USB, but a heated keyboard pad and/or mouse might make you more comfortable while working.
posted by metasarah at 2:39 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by metasarah at 2:39 PM on November 17, 2018 [1 favorite]
For pajamas, the thing to do is buy a relatively loose set for the top of whatever texture you prefer and then wear some form of merino base layers, e.g., from Icebreaker, underneath. They aren't inexpensive, but they work like a charm and are soft and comfortable, too. That way you get both the wool warm and the layering warmth.
posted by praemunire at 6:37 PM on November 17, 2018
posted by praemunire at 6:37 PM on November 17, 2018
Check your iron. Anemia = cold. If your iron ends up being low, you can try dietary changes and iron supplements for a couple of months... but if your numbers don't rise, consider intravenous iron- it is a very effective anemia buster.
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:36 PM on November 17, 2018
posted by pseudostrabismus at 7:36 PM on November 17, 2018
My hands and feet are always cold in winter and like you, I don't get the thing about trapping existing heat because by the time I am cold, there is none.
Two solutions I've found: put the gloves etc on while you are still warm. That means wearing them inside the house, maybe straight after a shower or whatever, for 10 minute or so before you go outside. At that point you do have warmth around your hands to trap. My motto is, by the time your hands and feet feel cold, it's too late and you are already doomed.
The other is that swinging your arms wildly in circles for 30 seconds or so forces blood into your hands and helps warm them. Then the gloves can help to keep the warmth there
posted by lollusc at 8:16 PM on November 17, 2018
Two solutions I've found: put the gloves etc on while you are still warm. That means wearing them inside the house, maybe straight after a shower or whatever, for 10 minute or so before you go outside. At that point you do have warmth around your hands to trap. My motto is, by the time your hands and feet feel cold, it's too late and you are already doomed.
The other is that swinging your arms wildly in circles for 30 seconds or so forces blood into your hands and helps warm them. Then the gloves can help to keep the warmth there
posted by lollusc at 8:16 PM on November 17, 2018
just as an aside idk why on earth you would turn OFF a heated mattress pad when you get into the bed. the entire purpose of their existence is to keep you warm while you are sleeping. they're not like a heating pad, you're not in danger of getting burned by them, and even that warning is for people who are elderly and/or disabled. i keep mine turned on a low setting all night and it's warm enough that sometimes cozy flannel pajamas are TOO MUCH PAJAMA.
posted by poffin boffin at 12:09 AM on November 18, 2018
posted by poffin boffin at 12:09 AM on November 18, 2018
SmartWool merino wool socks. I just took my last unopened pair out yesterday and immediately restocked six more pairs. These last! Main problem is the "orphan sock" syndrome, hence getting several identical pairs at one time. I'm allergic to wool, but not to these babies. Before discovering SmartWool, I bought Thorlos synthetic mid-weight hiker socks. I still have several pairs of these.
Changing into warm, dry socks is very comfortable. Feet really do sweat more than you realize.
Minnetonka Kilty suede hardsole moccasins. I have worn these for decades. I have pairs that are still in boxes because the others are still in good shape. I have a lot of love for the softsole version, too. It's the real suede (with no icky sheepskin liner) that does the trick.
Magellan Outdoors Men's Eagle Pass black liner gloves. I just got a couple of pairs of these in the hunting section at Academy, and they work! I need something waterproof over them in wet and cold weather, but they do work.
Buffs microfiber headgear, especially if you can find them in stores like Academy, Dick's, etc. I've had bad luck lately getting them online (the quality was not as good as previous purchases). I did like the merino wool Buff I purchased online, but gave it to my husband (somehow that wool was itchy wool for me).
Microfiber long underwear tops and bottoms. I've been getting the Cuddl Duds (Warm Essentials, Secret Treasures) at Wal-Mart, Sears, Dillards, Macy's, etc. I even use them instead of a 1-mil wetsuit/rash guard when scuba diving.
Lots of fleece throws strategically placed. Fleece sleeping bags. Fleece (not cotton flannel) shirts and hoodies.
"Cotton kills" is a hiker term. It absorbs moisture and hangs on with a death grip, dropping your body temp. Denim is not your friend in cold weather.
posted by TrishaU at 12:24 AM on November 18, 2018
Changing into warm, dry socks is very comfortable. Feet really do sweat more than you realize.
Minnetonka Kilty suede hardsole moccasins. I have worn these for decades. I have pairs that are still in boxes because the others are still in good shape. I have a lot of love for the softsole version, too. It's the real suede (with no icky sheepskin liner) that does the trick.
Magellan Outdoors Men's Eagle Pass black liner gloves. I just got a couple of pairs of these in the hunting section at Academy, and they work! I need something waterproof over them in wet and cold weather, but they do work.
Buffs microfiber headgear, especially if you can find them in stores like Academy, Dick's, etc. I've had bad luck lately getting them online (the quality was not as good as previous purchases). I did like the merino wool Buff I purchased online, but gave it to my husband (somehow that wool was itchy wool for me).
Microfiber long underwear tops and bottoms. I've been getting the Cuddl Duds (Warm Essentials, Secret Treasures) at Wal-Mart, Sears, Dillards, Macy's, etc. I even use them instead of a 1-mil wetsuit/rash guard when scuba diving.
Lots of fleece throws strategically placed. Fleece sleeping bags. Fleece (not cotton flannel) shirts and hoodies.
"Cotton kills" is a hiker term. It absorbs moisture and hangs on with a death grip, dropping your body temp. Denim is not your friend in cold weather.
posted by TrishaU at 12:24 AM on November 18, 2018
Wool socks & ugg boots for me to keep my feet warm in the house. Sheepskin slippers are OK too, but if you want a non slippery sole and your whole foot warm go for the ankle boots. I get cheap copy cat ones from Sams Club/Costco and wear them to death. I wear knee high socks to keep all the lower part of my leg warm.
This is only anecdotal, I don't know if there is any science to back it up, but my feet have never been toaster since I had to wear light compression socks as it seems to have improved the blood flow to my feet.
posted by wwax at 1:44 PM on November 18, 2018
This is only anecdotal, I don't know if there is any science to back it up, but my feet have never been toaster since I had to wear light compression socks as it seems to have improved the blood flow to my feet.
posted by wwax at 1:44 PM on November 18, 2018
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When I've been really cold in bed, thermal long johns have really helped for my legs because they have a loose cuff at the bottom that stops them riding up to my knees.
posted by crocomancer at 8:51 AM on November 17, 2018 [5 favorites]