Cold weather operating

[Janice Arthur]

Hi all;

 

Ten days ago I got a call for an industrial walk and talk trick was it was outside and not the highest budget for support stuff like RVs.

 

I also checked the long range weather, very cold.

 

So I gave it up, now it's almost the shoot day and high in single digits.

Sure glad I'm not on it, but it reminded me of how seldom I do jobs in cold weather.

 

So except for lots of thin layers and a heavy coat over the vest while operating was my rule.

 

Hand and sometimes feet suffer most and loss of dexterity setting up is the most slowing part I remember,

any other ideas?

 

Peace to all and have a good 2015.

 

Janice

[Frederic Chamberland]

Hi Janice,

 

I live and operate in Montreal, Canada. Depending on where you live, we all have a different view on what "very cold" actually is. For me, very cold will be like today , -20 celcius (-4F) .

At that point, there is no easy solution . I have tried almost everything and have different answers, here's one that works most of the time:

Let start with hands, that's number one problem, gloves will make you swear for dexterity loss but hand warmers in the pockets will allow you to remove your gloves for the shot and rapidly put it back in your warm coat pocket after the shot.

Feet, no other solution than to have two pairs all the time with one warming up in the truck with extra socks , very important to change BOTH boots AND socks. I have also tried the NEOS overshoes https://www.overshoe.com/Pages/default.aspx and it works very well as long as I don't have to run , the nice thing here is that you keep your normal operator shoes so the feel inside the NEOS is pretty much the same as any day. Well worth the 150$.

The over the vest coat works all the time but I have tried the new milwaukee heated hoodie (powertool company) http://www.milwaukeetool.ca/heated-gear that I can wear UNDER the vest. This kind of gear works best when you have something over it to keep it close to your skin. The vest just does that. There are three settings for temperature, low,medium, and high (broil) , if you have ever used a heated car seat, it's the exact same feeling. A battery will last 2/3 hours so I bought 3 to make it thru the day.

There are some days where you just wish the equipment will stop working but I have been quite surprised up to now.

Hope that helps !

Cheers,

 

Frederic

[ClausStuhlweissenburg]

Handwarmers and toe warmers plus the heated hoodies that Fredrick mentioned. I've also used the heating pads that people with achy backs use.

[John Stout]

My cold weather gear is as follows:

 

1. Hat - UA Cold Gear Thermal scull cap. This is great as I can wear it as is, put it under a rain proof ball cap if it is wet out and still wear com over it or an ear piece under it. Works great under my jacket hood as well

 

2. Under Shirt - UA Cold Gear Evo Compression Mock Long Sleeve. I wear this if it is going to be cold enough that a polo isn't enough but not so cold I want the heavy over coat. I will also use this if I am going to take my jacket off during operating.

 

3. Polo - UA Golf Polo. This is my operating shirt preference regardless of temperature. It is loose fitting enough to have the compression shirt on under, but in the hot it keeps the moisture away.

 

4. Pants - Jeans

 

5. Over Pants - UA Armour Storm Rain Pants, these are great to cut the cold and keep dry. They are very light weight. This is used for rain as they are water proof. They are also a little long so they cover the tops and laces of my boots. I use a waterproof strap to hold them in place. You can get the straps at a any bike shop for 3.00

 

6. Shoes - Merrill waterproof ankle boots.

 

7. Jacket - UA Storm Jacket. This is warm, light weight and water proof with a hood. I took this too the tailor and had them sew a hole in behind the hand pocket for the socket of my arm to go through. This lets me keep the jacket and arm on and still stay warm. As it is big enough to go over the vest, it is comfortable enough for me to move easily and stay warm and dry.

 

8. Gloves - UA Cold Gear Liner Gloves These are great for operating as they are thin but warm. Can even use your phone with them as they have the fancy fingers. They are not waterproof so I either pull them off if it's wet or use my waterproof gloves if needed.

 

What Fredrick said about batteries is true, they go fast. We also have a small Igloo cooler that we put hand warmers in and put a towel down to lay batteries on to keep them warm if we are away from basecamp.

 

We also keep a small space warmer for our tent if there is no proper trailer.

 

John

[David Montroni]

What about snow and Ice? Frederic touched on the Stabilicer's and I am looking into them. I'll be operating for the Winter X Games and last year my YakTraks didn't cut it. They broke from the various terrains that I had to operate on.

[Frederic Chamberland]

Yesh, YakTrax are ok, try this pair: http://www.mec.ca/product/5017-316/kahtoola-microspikes-traction-device/?q=spike only if you can use them on ice and snow, they will be destroyed when you hit pavement. I have a pair with me but rarely use them.

[David Montroni]

I was on ice, packed snow, pavement, metal grated audience viewing platforms, carpeted rooms. Usually with very little time between.

And to complicate things: I wear a size 16 shoe. So I need the largest size possible, usually out of the range that most manufactures list.

I'm going to try

Stabilicer Maxx: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SMQX4E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A19Y6EEY9IL19R

and

Bigfoot Ice Claws: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003SMQX4E/ref=ox_sc_act_title_1?ie=UTF8&psc=1&smid=A19Y6EEY9IL19R

Once I get them, I'll definitely report back.

[Sanjay Sami]

I asked this question 2 years ago before I started on The Grand Budapest Hotel. We filmed in Eastern Germany through the winter.

Of the various suggestions, the jacket over vest helped a lot. Additionally, I also put the adhesive chemical foot warming pads on the chest spar and on the arm. I tried the electric vest, but I had bought the wrong size - expensive mistake on the internet.

I used Yaktrax and found them to be very effective, but be very careful if you walk on stone or tiles, they are extremely slippery.

 

I used the Baffin Control shoes and found them extremely effective in keeping warm when I was in snow all day.

 

https://www.globetrotter.de/shop/baffin-control-max-187624-worn-brown

 

And I used the Canada Goose Expedition jacket in between shots. Most expensive piece of clothing I ever bought, but well worth it.

 

http://www.canada-goose.com/expedition-parka-4565M.html

[Lars Erik]

Baffin are great shoes. We were stuck once in the north of Norway in February on a shoot. One of our snow mobiles was stuck in ice. We spent almost half an hour standing in ice, snow and water, but the shoes just kept going. Used these shoes a lot here in Norway where the winters can get freakin' cold. Two thumbs up here.

[Jess Haas SOC]

The heavy duty stabilicers kick ass on ice. I did a shoot on an ice skating rink and I was able to do running shots on the ice without ever slipping or feeling unsafe.

[Stewart Smith]

I second the Canada Goose jacket. It's ridiculously expensive, but my Snow Mantra even has a zipper opening that fits the socket block of my Klassen Harness perfectly. It makes working for 10+ hour days in 8 degrees or colder weather completely manageable with just some under armor cold gear under a pair of jeans, a breeze. Warmest thing I've ever put on.

[Lars Erik]

Here there's been a big campaign against the Canada Goose jackets. The hair they use on the hood the jacket, comes from dogs and cats. The dogs live in terrible conditions. The jackets are of course made in China as many jackets are.

[Jess Haas SOC]

I am a big fan of my carhartt insulated coveralls: http://www.carhartt.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10101&storeId=10051&productId=32198

 

When doing steadicam I usually wear them under the vest then if its cold enough a jacket can go on over the vest or just on between takes. They are easy to take on and off and covering that gap between jacket and pants makes a big difference in warmth.

[Mark Baluk]

Here there's been a big campaign against the Canada Goose jackets. The hair they use on the hood the jacket, comes from dogs and cats. The dogs live in terrible conditions. The jackets are of course made in China as many jackets are.

The Canada Goose jackets are actually made in Canada. Used to drive past one of the factories here in Toronto often.

 

That's one of the things they pride themselves in.. rightfully so!

 

www.canada-goose.com/our-story/our-story.html

[Janice Arthur]

Hi all;

 

Love the input and am considering how to upgrade my winter gear.

 

As far as additional suggestions remember the extras bag with clothes and shoes for changing conditions, (fresh socks or for an additional layer), different coats, etc., etc..

 

The clothes bag applies to any season and the contents shift with the seasons.

 

We've all been in places that were colder or warmer than we thought and surprised us let alone the job just lasted longer; that never happens!

 

One of the strangest cold places to shoot is an outdoor parking garage, you're surrounded by cold cement radiating it constantly to you.

 

 

Janice