Operating in Below Freezing Temperatures

[Janice Arthur]

keeping my body warm has never been a problem with all the Irish whiskey running through my veins, but my feet are another story. What footwear/sock combo are you guys wearing that keeps the piggies warm and won't turn you into Frankenstein?

 

rb

 

Ron;

 

Northern Outfitters.

 

http://northernoutfitters.com/~northe53/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=68&zenid=7bcc52e7cf302be6f7db4461a2dcd546

 

These boots are THE most amazing boots around.

 

You wear them around while waiting to shoot, switch to reg. shoes/boots of choice when shooting then back to these and you'll never be cold.

 

I've had stone, frozen feet and put these boots on outside and my feet have thawed to warm and toasting in them while outside in 10 F degree weather.

 

They're so good they say barefeet in them or just one thin layer of socks.

 

Production used to buy crew members the entire outfit on shows that were in horribly cold conditions.

 

The entire outfit can't be beat but today you do have those options.

 

(The testimonial I loved with them was a research crew got stuck in the Artic when a storm came up and there wasn't room in the tent for all of them. One member, in the suit, etc. spent the night outside the tent in -30 or more and was perfectly happy.)

[Ken Nguyen]

Hi all,

For clothing, I wear thermal suit under my normal wear.

Footwear, I use a pair of SealSkinz waterproof socks inside my working shoe.

I also use SealSkinz gloves. The one for my gymbal hand, I cut out the 3 fingers and wear a thin rubber glove under it.

 

Few years ago, I did a gig in Iowa without having cold weather protective cloths.

I got away with those days using plastic shopping bags and medical rubber gloves.

Plastic shopping bag is wrapped between sock and shoe.

Thin rubber gloves wore under my normal gloves.

 

Cheers,

 

 

Ken Nguyen.

[James Davis]

Haven't done any Steadicam work in really cold conditions yet although I have done some work as a jib assistant in some pretty nasty weather over time, I also used to rig large scale marquees for outdoor events when I was a lot younger often in winter in the snow and ice.

 

Here's what I like to wear:

 

Ultra thin Helly Hansen synthetic base layer

 

North face merino wool zip neck base later (slightly thicker than the synthetic one below and obviously a different material)

 

Polartec 200 weight fleece (mines a very very old Ralph Lauren one I found on sale in a department store) lasted me 10 years so far, can't go wrong with them, made by loads of different brands, all the same material, same performance.

 

This keeps me really comfortable, really dry and really warm, this is pretty much all I wear in cold weather down to about 5 degrees, or unless it's windy and or rainy.

 

It also gives me a really good range of movement because none of the materials stick to each other and because they are all fibres with a good wicking effect, the majority of moisture is removed from my skin and leaves via the fleece material.

 

Once it gets down to around minus 5 to minus 8 I wear a heavyweight shell jacket on top of this (windproof/waterproof job) the one I have at the moment is a berghause goretex paclite, although it does have a minor tear in it as the paclite version is not particularly the toughest of materials.

 

I am looking for something more heavy duty soon, considering a 5.11 tactical jacket like the 3 in 1 parka http://www.patrolstore.com/5-11-3-in-1-parka-black-p-8025.html as it is designed to be pretty tough and has low slung zips which would be perfect for allowing the arm to exit the jacket without hitching up the jacket too much, also it has mic clips and tucked away waterproof routing for two way radios, which would be great for on-set use as well I figure, in addition to having 10k/10k waterproofing and breathability. Lots of other cool features too, recommended by a few people to me.

 

Outside of when i've been snowboarding I can't say I have experienced working in temperatures below those kind of figures but that's what works for me at the moment in terms of clothing.

 

With regards to socks and footwear I have a lot of socks made by bridgedale which are great, down to around zero degrees that is what I usually wear and it keeps me toasty and comfortable and dry.

However when the temperature drops below that I usually like to switch to my calf length Wigwam outlast socks:

 

I have the much older version of these: http://www.wigwam.com/Products/Outlast-Snow-Fire_ProductDetails.aspx?ProductId=dafd9304-e9a1-df11-bb3e-0014384cc322

 

They are absolutely fantastic, I bought them originally for snowboarding but they are fantastic for general cold weather use as well seeing as they are not bulky whatsoever and the outlast material helps prevent your feet from getting too hot which is nice for me as a person who usually feels naturally warmer than most.

 

Footwear, of course boots are great where appropriate, but I really like to avoid wearing them as much as possible since I never have felt that comfy in boots to be honest.

These are the best heavy duty trainer type shoes that I have found for steadicam and general work use:

 

http://www.meindl.co.uk/products/Walking_and_Hiking/Mens_Shoes/41/Respond_XCR

 

Pricey but fully goretex lined so they are nice and waterproof and they feel rock solid underfoot even when in the forest or on crappy terrain, they have a really effective rigid heel cup stabilizer similar to that which is found in high end hiking boots, they are also flexible enough under the forefoot that you can run in them, I love them and as soon as my current pair wear out I will be buying another.

 

Hope all the above is helpful.

 

James

[Erik Barone]

good trick I picked up during the winter x-games was to use chemical handwarming packets taped onto the batteries and LCD monitors. This increased the battery life and kept the lcd's working good......and yes warm charging area is recommended.

Hi Pedro,

 

Which Winter X Games did you work? Aspen or Tingnes?

[Rob Vuona SOC]

I was going to mention Erik In this thread, being that he has done 10 or more years of Winter X-Games.

 

I did the first 12 years and really hated the late night standing on ice till 10 or 11pm.

 

I think Eriks trick to staying warm is just never take off the rig and keep running . . . . . LOL . . .