Does your wife think the US is too cold ?

[sjr09 155]

Yeah, we're lucky here as well in San Diego...yesterday was mid 70s and sunshine... I think today...mmmmaybe 77... And we have 3 Jollibees....in San Diego !! Not weather related but my girl gets excited to hear that we have stuff from home.

I just moved down from 17 years in Alaska...you guys can keep your blankets and white stuff! I'll take the beach and sun any day..

Sure got that right!

[jim 66 6]

Sure got that right!

YA my wife has been here since 3/09 and still hasnt got used to the cold here. We have the electric blanket going every night and like many other filipina here hates to wear so many heavy clothes to keep warm.

[lbounds 16]

I never had any idea so many people would relate to this one. Some of the replies were really funny.

So I guess I'm not the only one... but I know my wife will be fine when it comes time for her arrival. I already explained the weather and the seasons the best I could. Philippines is like one long summer..hehe.

I'll take good care of her with some warm clothing and an electric blanket ...

[ryandgracey 2]

We arrived in Chicago in April of last year. The day prior, it had snowed some but had melted away by the time we landed. Hubby had heavy coats and gloves ready for us on arrival. That evening, my cousin took me to see downtown Chicago...it was windy and really cold. I think I spent some 10 mins outside the car before telling them that I wanted to get back in the car. I guess coming in the early spring made us able to adjust gradually to the weather here, and adjust to the cold. Now, I could go and take the trash out in just a shirt and jersey pants and flip-flops in below freezing temps (just careful not to slip on the snow-laden pathway). Our daughter sleeps with the fan on, using a thin blanket...and we had purchased an electric blanket for her I sometimes toss both the blanket and the down comforter to the side in the middle of the night, especially when I was pregnant. I don't really mind the cold...just no wind please.

[edp333 9]

After the single digit and sub zero weather during the last two weeks, Meryl walked outside today and shouted,"Thank you Lord for the beautiful weather!" The temps were approaching 40 degrees F. I laughed and replied, "in December you would have said it was cold."

Maybe there is hope for adjusting to the weather.

[David & Kezia 25]

I'm posting in this thread to bump this up.

I'm concerned about arriving in Vegas this Dec 30, and I am one person who is really bad at cold temperatures, and finds 78 F already cold, and is freezing at 75 F.

Vegas isn't that bad, although my normally optimistic fiance is now saying that it is colder this year and even he is already wearing a coat inside the house (and he's a little fat & doesn't easily get cold, and it's only November) so while he was just teasing me about the cold before, he is now starting to be concerned that I would freeze especially as my flight will have a stopover at Canada which is so much colder. He used to tell me that I will just buy my coats there, but now he's open to the idea to let my aunt (who has a big dress shop and used to making all kinds of clothing) make me my own winter coat.

I need an idea of what type of insulation those not so thick but warm coats have, as compared to some thick coats but not really good ones. I'm not sure of the availability of good winter coats here, so I'm letting my aunt make me one, and we need to have something that is not too thick but very warm. She knows some fabrics and insulation, as she makes her own coats when she goes to Germany herself, but I'd just like to know myself and make some suggestions.

If it's not available, I might just go look around and find a good one at a store myself, if I'm lucky to find some sporting goods store with polar coats, so I also need your advice on that too.

Thanks!

:-)

Kezia

[rlogan 2,036]

We broke down seven miles by snowmachine trail from the cabin at -30F here last year. About -70 F with wind chill on the snowmachine. You can see how worried we are:

She was eight months pregnant. We were over ten miles from the cabin the way we came, but the "short cut" was seven miles, so long as we took the right trails, everything was cool. It's a bit of a maze where we broke down and not an area I use much. So the only thing I was worried about was getting lost. The moon was covered by clouds so I couldn't use moon and stars to navigate. Look how dark it is. Headlamp all the way.

She walked home no problem. Toasty warm in that parka and snow pants. They're from Apocalypse Design, a professional custom outfit for dog mushers, trappers, etc. in Alaska.

She's been in raw temperatures of -50F and wind chills around -100F. No problem.

We don't have an electric blanket, and at the moment we need to keep the bedroom window open at night to stay cool enough to sleep comfortably.

A few tips on cold weather gear:

Forget about fashion. Do you want to be warm or flirt with other boys?

Insulated undies made out of polypropelyne. Get ones that zip up the neck. Poly pro or wool socks.

Polar fleece is pretty good for a middle layer or around-the-cabin wear.

Coats absolutely must extend well down below your butt.

Hoods are important, and a hooded sweatshirt underneath gives you two hoods plus your hat.

If your hands and feet are cold it is most likely because you are not keeping your core or head warm enough.

Layers, layers, layers, and more layers. Then put your snow pants and parka on. If you look like a round ball, you have enough clothes on.

Boots - well, nobody uses anything but "bunny boots" around here made by Bata corp. But down there you can probably wear sorels or something like that. But one trick in extreme cold is to put plastic bags over your socks before you put your boots on - this makes a vapor barrier that keeps the boot insulation from getting wet and losing its insulation value. This little trick is way more important than you might think. Dry boots are far warmer.

[adiiann 163]

I'm posting in this thread to bump this up.

I'm concerned about arriving in Vegas this Dec 30, and I am one person who is really bad at cold temperatures, and finds 78 F already cold, and is freezing at 75 F.

Vegas isn't that bad, although my normally optimistic fiance is now saying that it is colder this year and even he is already wearing a coat inside the house (and he's a little fat & doesn't easily get cold, and it's only November) so while he was just teasing me about the cold before, he is now starting to be concerned that I would freeze especially as my flight will have a stopover at Canada which is so much colder. He used to tell me that I will just buy my coats there, but now he's open to the idea to let my aunt (who has a big dress shop and used to making all kinds of clothing) make me my own winter coat.

I need an idea of what type of insulation those not so thick but warm coats have, as compared to some thick coats but not really good ones. I'm not sure of the availability of good winter coats here, so I'm letting my aunt make me one, and we need to have something that is not too thick but very warm. She knows some fabrics and insulation, as she makes her own coats when she goes to Germany herself, but I'd just like to know myself and make some suggestions.

If it's not available, I might just go look around and find a good one at a store myself, if I'm lucky to find some sporting goods store with polar coats, so I also need your advice on that too.

Thanks!

:-)

Kezia

Vegas is warmer than Midwest. I will suggest that you buy your coat/sweater here in US. 65 degrees F here in St. Louis, I am still wearing sleeveless. So probably, wear long sleeves clothing, thick sweater and if you can have long-sleeve knitted clothing, you will be fine, besides cars here have heater. Don't worry, if you are inside of any building, they always have heater.

Good Luck!

[rvince 0]

My wife is 7 days in America. She said "wow AMERICA is one big AIRCON!" But we went shopping and she really enjoyed dressing up like a snow bunny. I keep our place nice and toasty, and the holiday season festivities and decorations really makes her enjoy this season. The problem will be January 2nd until March. Whewwww It's just cold during that time with no distracting holidays. My wife is from Mindanao and her barangay was pretty humbled with very little electricity, no roads and so on. She says "No mosquitos biting at night? No flying roaches? NO PROBLEM!" We will just go into the downtown district and ice skate until spring.

Edited November 26, 2010 by rvince

[Tahoma 2,292]

@David and Kezia...When Chinook arrived here in Seattle, I outfitted her from head to toe in cold-weather gear from REI. You have an REI in Vegas too: Vegas REI link.

[David & Kezia 25]

@David and Kezia...When Chinook arrived here in Seattle, I outfitted her from head to toe in cold-weather gear from REI. You have an REI in Vegas too: Vegas REI link.

Thanks Tahoma! I'm not that worried with my stay there because I'm sure that I will have enough heating at our apartment, and we can get cheaper coats etc. in Vegas. My biggest concern in on the flight, and the shock of coming from a warm country and into a very cold place. Even at plane flights (domestic), I get very very cold even if I already have two 3 pieces of tops (including a very thick jacket), thick socks, thick pants, cap, and something around my neck.

When I was in college, during those semesters that I had one or two classes with airconditioned rooms, I would get sick too often (from the shock of coming from the hot sun and into a very cold AC room), and there was even a semester that I was forced to take a Leave of Absence because I had too many absences already. I didn't want to do that, because I had very good class standings then (all in the 1 range), but I was forced too.

When I last went to HK in November last year, I was only there for 4 days and it was just the first week so it wasn't that cold. But I came from the Phils where it was hot, and I returned to a very hot place, so just as soon as I arrived, I had this major headache. When I came back and the morning after my flight home, I noticed a lot of reddish spots all over my body. They were like very small pimples, but there were too small and too many, and they were all over my face, neck, upper and lower back, chest and up to my belly button. It took my dermatologist 4 months just to cure it, mostly with daily anti-histamine and some Benzac wash.

When I go to Vegas, I'll be passing by Canada which is very cold, and the plane itself will be too cold for me for the 16-18 hour trip. It's the shock on my system that I'm worried about, because I had a family friend who was already used to international travelling but also had some shock due to sudden changes in temperature, and when he wiped his nose with his sleeve, he found blood instead of snot.

I've got some good advice from some people here, but I couldn't find a good coat here that will be enough for me. I've been trying to find one with good insulation, but to no avail. Many are just thick for show, but doesn't really protect you much.

The other day, I think I got lucky. I found some flannel wool fabric at Divisoria. It's not the color I want but it's the only stock they have. Neither is it 100% wool, and it's only about 70-80% wool, but it's the best I could find. The price is also cheaper than I expected, at 650 pesos per yard. The fabric is a little thin though, but because it's wool, it will do the job better than most thicker fabrics that I found on ready-made (and more expensive) coats that I saw on a lot of boutiques all over Manila. It is cheaper too, and even if I double that layer of flannel wool, and add another layer of less-itchier (and maybe water-resistant or water-proofed) fabric underneath, it will be enough to keep me warm for the trip, until I get adjusted to the weather. I'll just pair it with thick pants and thermal underwear underneath, with a double layered knitted bonnet, and something more to wrap around my neck. I hope that those will be enough for me, the girl who is already freezing at 24-26C.

Wish me luck! and thanks to everyone for your stories, wisdom and advice!

:-)

Kezia

[Tahoma 2,292]

@Kezia...Yes, it is cold on those planes! I like your idea of making a warm coat for your trip to the U.S. It may be a good thing that the fabric you bought is only 70-80% wool because it shouldn't shrink when you wash and dry it. I wouldn't worry too much about your connecting flight in Canada because it is unlikely that you will be outdoors at all.

It may be a good idea to add some extra layers under your coat to stay warm during your flight. Dressing in layers is a great way to regulate your body temperature. That way, you can keep adding layers until you are warm. Also, you can remove a layer or two if you are too warm.

It seems that you are already up to speed on the other necessities to stay warm, such as a hat, gloves, scarf, thermal undies, warm socks, and shoes (rather than sandals). When you arrive in Vegas, one thing I would highly recommend is buying a wind-proof shell to wear over your wool jacket so you can keep the cold wind out. That would make a big difference in keeping yourself warm when it's windy.

One thing you will notice about Vegas is that the air is very dry there. While the dry air can be a great cure for oily skin or pimples, it also can be too dry. You may even want to use a humidifier in your house.

Hopefully, it won't take you too long to become acclimatized to Vegas weather...cool in the winter and blazing hot in the summer!

[marriedtomrg 141]

Top Shop and Zara are the best places to get coats (if your budget can stand it lol); they are properly insulated for winter weather. Top Shop even sells ones that are 3-in-1 or 4-in-1, so for one price you have 3 or 4 jackets you can wear in any temperature, rain or shine. Otherwise, there are some ukay-ukay stores that carry winter coats (if you know where to look...I got mine at an ukay-ukay store at Makati Cinema Square, near the BDO entrance on Pasong Tamo).

Would also be good to invest in a couple of turtleneck sweaters. When you arrive in the US, ask David to take you to some outlet stores. You can get some good buys at Old Navy, Gap and similar stores. They're great places to get warm gloves, beanies and scarves.

Last year we lucked into the coldest winter Florida ever experienced in years So it was quite a shock. lol At first I thought 63 degrees was cold. One morning it was 13 degrees...so when it went back up to the 60s, I acclimatized very quickly!

Edited November 27, 2010 by marriedtomrg

[David & Kezia 25]

@Kezia...Yes, it is cold on those planes! I like your idea of making a warm coat for your trip to the U.S. It may be a good thing that the fabric you bought is only 70-80% wool because it shouldn't shrink when you wash and dry it. I wouldn't worry too much about your connecting flight in Canada because it is unlikely that you will be outdoors at all.

It may be a good idea to add some extra layers under your coat to stay warm during your flight. Dressing in layers is a great way to regulate your body temperature. That way, you can keep adding layers until you are warm. Also, you can remove a layer or two if you are too warm.

It seems that you are already up to speed on the other necessities to stay warm, such as a hat, gloves, scarf, thermal undies, warm socks, and shoes (rather than sandals). When you arrive in Vegas, one thing I would highly recommend is buying a wind-proof shell to wear over your wool jacket so you can keep the cold wind out. That would make a big difference in keeping yourself warm when it's windy.

One thing you will notice about Vegas is that the air is very dry there. While the dry air can be a great cure for oily skin or pimples, it also can be too dry. You may even want to use a humidifier in your house.

Hopefully, it won't take you too long to become acclimatized to Vegas weather...cool in the winter and blazing hot in the summer!

Yes, I'm thinking of bundling up in layers, aside from the coat. I'm also planning to get another coat that is wind proof and also one that will be able to handle snow (water-proof).

Just another question/concern: aren't we supposed to just dry-clean clothing with high wool content? I don't know about the shrinking part, but if they do shrink, then I have to reconsider about getting one that has higher wool content. Does it only shrink when you wash it or they really shrink even if you dry-clean them?

[David & Kezia 25]

Top Shop and Zara are the best places to get coats (if your budget can stand it lol); they are properly insulated for winter weather. Top Shop even sells ones that are 3-in-1 or 4-in-1, so for one price you have 3 or 4 jackets you can wear in any temperature, rain or shine. Otherwise, there are some ukay-ukay stores that carry winter coats (if you know where to look...I got mine at an ukay-ukay store at Makati Cinema Square, near the BDO entrance on Pasong Tamo).

Would also be good to invest in a couple of turtleneck sweaters. When you arrive in the US, ask David to take you to some outlet stores. You can get some good buys at Old Navy, Gap and similar stores. They're great places to get warm gloves, beanies and scarves.

Last year we lucked into the coldest winter Florida ever experienced in years So it was quite a shock. lol At first I thought 63 degrees was cold. One morning it was 13 degrees...so when it went back up to the 60s, I acclimatized very quickly!

Yes, I'm actually on the lookout for those 3-in-1 or 4-in-1 jackets. Those jackets come in layers.

I'm also thinking of going around all the ukay-ukay stores, especially near my area (Dimasalang), and I've already looked at a few, but they just don't have what I'm looking for. I'm still hoping to get lucky one of these days, and before I have to leave. I'm also a small girl, so it's so much tougher to find something that will fit me, so I'm used to having clothes that are especially made for me.

Where is Top Shop and Zara? Are they in Vegas or in Manila? I might try that store at Makati Cinema Square, if I can't find something here in the Manila area (Quiapo, Avenida, Divisoria, Blumentritt, etc.).

-Kezia