Cold Weather

[Jon Myers]

I don't know how you guys up in Canada or any other cold parts of this world do it. I'm in Albuquerque ,NM right now working on a movie and it's freezing at night. What kind of gloves do you have that you can still feel your gimbal and keep your hands warm? What about batteries? I'm going through batts pretty quick. I've been throwing those little hand warmers in with my batts to try to keep them a little warmer but once I put them on the sled they cool down pretty quick. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Jon Myers

[Alf Tramontin]

I don't know how you guys up in Canada or any other cold parts of this world do it. I'm in Albuquerque ,NM right now working on a movie and it's freezing at night. What kind of gloves do you have that you can still feel your gimbal and keep your hands warm? What about batteries? I'm going through batts pretty quick. I've been throwing those little hand warmers in with my batts to try to keep them a little warmer but once I put them on the sled they cool down pretty quick. Thanks in advance for any info.

 

Jon Myers

 

 

I found that shining a 2K at the gimabal when the rig is on its stand is a great help. I once had a gimbal completely freeze and lock up on a night shoot at -15 deg C.

 

A

[Brad Grimmett]

Jon,

Setwear gloves are OK. They're not super warm, but they're form fitting enough that you can still feel the gimbal, and you at least have something covering your hands. Some hand warmers in the gloves helps too.

[charlesneufeld]

Jon,

 

I have used the Half-Glove Half-Mit. It's a mit that the finger part folds back and your fingers are covered about to the knuckle. Man that is hard to explain. But you can flip the mit flap over your fingers to cover them then flap them open for the shot :)

 

Love those -30C shoots yay.

 

Keep warm!

~C

[John Buzz Moyer]

Get a cooler and some hot water bottles...have the loader go to craft service and get hot water for them. Keep your batteries in the cooler with the bottles and they will stay very toasty.

 

John "Buzz" moyer

Pittsburgh Pa.

[Alec Jarnagin SOC]

Jon,

 

I also use the fold back mitt types (make sure the thumb folds too), but underneath I wear very tight, form fitting glove liners made of thinsulate (or some kind of synthetic - available at EMS or REI). Keep the mitt part of the gloves over your fingers as much as you can, but when it comes time to do a shot, you at least have the glove liners separating you and the metal.

 

You're on the right track with the hand warmer packets for the batteries, but leave them on the battery while flying (put a small bag over the battery to keep the heat in).

[Stephen Press]

Depending on how cold it is I wear three layers of gloves. The thinsulate, a set of North Face fleece/leather fingerless and then the fold back mitt types.

[Frederic Chamberland]

instructions for an electric battery warmer powered by your sled.

 

-Buy a baby bottle warmer for the car (12v) , got one from Wal-Mart for 10$.

It is simply design like a very small warming blanket, just unwrap it from the bottle by removing the vinyl shell.

-Take off the 12v car adapter and put your 12v connector that fits the bottom of your sled.

-Put some velcro here and there to cover the batteries and voila...

-The thing is not too power hungry and it keeps my batteries and recorder very warm.

-No waste from multiple hand warmers that last 1 hour...

 

Fly safe and toasty.

Edited November 30, 2005 by steadifred

[Denis-Noel Mostert]

I personnally use a pair of women real leather gloves 1 size smaller. They are very thin. With this I still have a good feeling on the gimbal and the metal doesnt burn my skin. But after each take I put back my warm gloves over.

 

For very low temperature I have bigger pair of leather sport gloves still a little smaller than my natural size. I use those when temperature is lower than -10C. I tried many gloves and found that leather is the best for the feeling (not for the cold). You can also try some "uder-gloves" made of polypropylene that will keep your hands dry. A dry skin is always warmer.

 

Denis

[nick franco]

On the gimbal try some tennis grip tape. I found one that was thin and slightly tacky so it didn't change the feel that much. If you really want to get creative, try some motorcycle handgrip warmers, the kind you slide between the bars and the grips, wire some 12v, wrap the grip. Good luck, Nick

[Alan Mehlbrech]

cold brooklyn piers at night ...

 

I find the deer skin or goat skin glove works good. Remove what tips you need to feel comfortable with sissors. Tennis tape on the gibal. The trick I like is to take the small shake up hand warmers and tape them (black paper tape-see dolly grip) to my wrist so the blood going to my hands is warmed and the warmers are mostly out of my way.

 

 

or a campfire is always nice ...

 

 

Alan

[Lars Erik]

You might also check out gloves that surfers use. Go to a surf shop, extreme sport shop and ask for what kind of gloves they use when they are in cold water, parachuting etc.

 

I've heard these are really good and quite warm, despite they are thin.

[Jon Myers]

Thanks for the responses everyone. I went to REI and bought some gloves that seem to work pretty well. It's not even that cold (30's F). I'm going to get the baby bottle warmer (great idea). Well thanks again and stay warm.

 

Jon

[Brant S. Fagan SOC]

Gents--

 

For your hand on the post/wrap grip/gimbal hand grip, try using a set of the nomex helo pilot gloves for that hand while you are shooting. When not operating, stick that hand/glove into another glove/mitten combination set that hangs from a clip dangling from the dock. Layering for hands works the best.

 

For your arm/gimbal hand, try the nomex as a base layer inside another glove/mitten combo that can stay on while shooting but is also up to the temperature challenge when resting.

 

For folks with batts getting cold, try wrapping the battery with a cozy cover augmented with hand warmers.

 

The cooler with heat source is the best for long days/nights in the winter, but remember to line the inside of the cooler with foil (blackwrap works great!) before adding your heat source. Add a layer of wood to keep the batts from sitting directly upon the heat source.

 

For best results, set the cooler on a pancake to isolate from the cold, cold ground.

 

Same thing for the resting Steadicam operator, try and get another pancake or two for your feet whilst hanging about.

 

For you folks with LCD monitors, try and get that unit to stay running all day/night as if the crystals get a long enough nap, they may freeze. Running them below freezing just takes some time off their life span but otherwise is not that detrimental.

 

Good luck.

 

Best,

 

Brant "Getting Colder in New Hampshire now" Fagan, SOC

[Matt Mouraud]

The North Face thinsulated gloves are fantastic...