Dressing for a winter commute
 

Soooo, what do you guys dress when commuting via public transport in winter.

Do you freeze your butt off in regular work clothing and a coat/hat/gloves on top.

Do office workers dress more casually in winter?

Do you travel to work in thermals/ski trouser and winter boots and then get changed into regular office clothing at work?

If you travel to work wearing regular clothing in your car, what emergency gear do you keep in your car for breakdowns etc?

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Downtown Toronto I wear trousers, boots, gloves, decent coat and a hat and simply changed footwear when reaching the office. For the most part it did the job

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

How long/how far is your commute? On foot, bus, train?

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

25-30 mins on streetcar(tram) and bus, with a change in the middle. It's all about that windchill, there were days when I wish I had more wind resistant bottoms on

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Last year I supplemented my usual polo and jeans combo with a Patagonia down sweater jacket (puffer'ish type jacket), plus when really cold a hat and gloves. Footwear was, if there wasn't snow and ice, my usual merrell shoes, or when the white stuff and ice arrives, my columbia winter boots.

my department is very casual, so there's no need to change clothes. I do on occasion switch from the boots to shoes, but didn't bother last year.

I do have a Canada Goose "expedition" coat, and in previous years I have worn that. I might look seriously stupid walking along with the hood up, but I'm warm and toasty :D
I didn't need to wear it at all last year, so it's either testament to the Patagonia, or that the winter was milder, and I think that's the real reason.

Commute wise, it's either an hour, with 98% on the GO Train, with 5 to 10 minutes of walking at either end, or a 20 minute streetcar ride, with 5 minutes walking either end.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Commute wise, it's either an hour, with 98% on the GO Train, with 5 to 10 minutes of walking at either end, or a 20 minute streetcar ride, with 5 minutes walking either end.

What? I guess it depends on which woman you spent the night with, eh? :p

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I refer you to my profile picture!!!
Heavy coat. And on really cold days snow pants that either go over my work clothes or over tights and then I'd change at the office.
I kept a wardrobe of skirts etc at work for changing into

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I had a knock-off Canada Goose that was too warm for the subway. Depends how long you're likely to be out waiting for a bus.

I found a lighter winter coat, winter boots and most importantly a good hat that covers the ears to be sufficient.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I have silk long johns and tops that I wear under my clothes on the rare occasions when we venture from "banana belt" to places where it is -30 or -40C

I've found those, plus dress pants (I don't like jeans), sweater and down jacket along with hat and gloves have been perfect, even when commuting by bus or walking to work or whatever.

The advantage is that they are light enough that I never felt over warm inside a house or office, unlike thermal underwear.

The long johns and tops are similar to what my OH's family wear in the nothern community where they live and out on the ski slopes.

I buy mine from Lands End because they wash and last well, but you can find them in many places.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Cheeky sod! But you're *nearly* correct. I live in Oakville and take the GO train into Toronto. My girlfriend lives in Toronto and so when spending time downtown I'll take the streetcar to the office.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

That's the problem I have with my CG, it's too damn warm unless it's at least -20 or colder out.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Coat, boots, gloves, snow pants, hat. If it's very cold, scarf and earmuffs, too.

Waiting three hours for a bus with windchill around minus forty, you're pretty much getting into Scott Of The Antarctic territory.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

My experience is that you are much more likely to be dealing with icy sidewalks than snow ............ most cities and towns manage to clear the streets and sidewalks very quickly after snow, unless they have had a real dump. The snow will be piled up at the edges of the sidewalks, the gutters and corners and you often have to "plough" your way through that.

But you need boots or shoes with good non-slip soles.

We had great fun this past winter watching the young ladies in their ultra-fashionable leather boots with very high heels trying to maintain their balance on the ice.

You also have to remember that salt or salt mix is commonly used on sidewalks and roadways to melt the ice, and this stuff can damage leather boots ............. so you may end up buying one or more pairs of boots every winter.

I usually have 2 pairs of boots .............. one ankle height that I use here and a much warmer knee high pair for when we go to colder climes.

OH wears his hiking boots in winter with an extra pair of thick socks for warmth, and finds that these give him excellent grip.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

When I worked downtown my commute included the GO train plus a 20-25 minute walk. On the coldest days I would wear work clothes, then a knee length quilted coat, ski pants over the top of work pants (if really cold thermals underneath as well), gloves with sheepskin mittens over the top, woolly hat with hood over the top of that, plus scarf around neck and another one around lower part of the face and snow boots. I never felt cold, too hot occasionally but never cold.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Wow, thats quite bundled up :thumbup:

I have to confess to being somewhat in denial of the obscenity that is a Canadian winter so I go outside in just a winter coat and normal shoes, and try and find the closest parking space :lol: :o

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

+1 No great difference in how I dress, maybe a sweater on top of a shirt, and a coat in the car.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

My driveway is completely available and it's close.

Oh...you mean close for you. :rofl:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

This is a very important point- don't sneer at "winter grip" on boots. My first winter I would walk to the subway in my trusty para boots. I would slide and fall once per week...

My winter boots, which were around $100, have much softer rubber and the similar "slit tread" the suckers onto sheet ice; same principle as winter tires I guess.

There is a big, big difference!

:goodpost:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

could it be this simple?

How should I dress for winter in Ontario?

Climate and Clothing

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I looked at that, but I wanted more specific info about how office workers manage rather than just general keeping warm outdoors info. Similarly in Aussie, we have to think about commuting in summer, and having at least a litre of water and a wide brim sunhat for the journey plus a cardigan so we don't freeze when there is frigid air con. That means carrying more gear around each day.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

What's the reason the rest of the year? :rofl:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

its all down to doing what everyone else does in the winter, no rules, common sense, just like summer when its +35'c like it has been this past week here.

Take someone that commutes by car to work from their underground parking garage condo building to an office that has underground parking. Wears only spring/autum like clothes till their vehicle breaksdown or are in an accident enroute - then get stuck on the motorway with only spring clothing.

The commuter on transit will wear winter clothing for the time they spend in -10 to -30 blowing freezing snow, slush etc. Armed with indoor shoes (at their desk or in a kit bag) will get rid of all the heavy winter clothes when they arrive at work.

If you live in a house that you need to shovel the driveway as well as scrape the ice off the windsheild - then dress appropriately for that & the drive to work or shopping. Discard the heavy clothing at work into what you'd wear inside at home

For me ,when I was working, driving to work, I never ever wore boots or a north face artic type clothing (just autumn clothing with a sweater underneath) , most dont unless they have to be outside on the commute.

During the winter months, just in case, I always kept a pair of boots, heavy gloves & havy coat on the back seat

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Did you ever actually use these regularly or were they a spare set?

We've always keep a fairly sizeable first aid kit, 2 heavy wool blankets, toilet roll, some container or potty to wee into (never ever something to overlook when stuck in standstill traffic with a family for several hours), water, torches, emergency space blankets, sunblock and baby wipes (to clean oily hands etc) in our car. But I guess those blankets are not going to be much use with a family evacuating a broken down vehicle in winter.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

No evacuation kit, just a first aid kit & a minor vehicle breakdown kit, consisting of jumper cables, flares, flashlight, can of WD40, some cloths..... thats about it.

On the winter gear kept in the back of the vehicle - heavy coat, boots, gloves, ski goggles & a full winter headgear with flaps... just in case of a breakdown or caught in a snowdrift.

Other than that, as I mentioned, its basically autumn clothing all through the winter, maybe (I say maybe) wear gloves, usually not, even at -10c, since I'm going from the house to car, to supermarket & never out in the cold for more than 5-10 minutes. Footware, same as what I wear in the autumn. After all the years in Canada, you sort of learn how to walk the ice, avoid the slipping & sliding, don't trudge the slush.

Outside walking or shoveling snow for more than 10 minutes - then its full artic gear.

.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

We always have cushions, a small bottle of water and a torch in the car, jump cables and shovel in the back

Whenever we travel outside Vancouver in winter, we make sure that we have checked the torch, and add a large thermos of water plus 2 small bottles, more cushions, a pair of boots each, heavy jackets, hats, gloves, scarves, and at least one throw, all in the back seat of the car. Plus of course checking that the mandatory shovel and jump cables are in the trunk.

We are likely to be driving 800 km north on such trips, through temperatures that do go as low as -40C, and the Fraser Canyon with its potential avalanches.

Other advice is also to carry one or more candles plus matches ............ if you get stuck in snow, lighting a candle for short periods of time can raise the temperature inside the car. It is NOT advised to sit there with the engine running ............. unless you get out regularly to ensure that the exhaust is clear.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

As well-prepared as you are for expeditions into arctic conditions, you might consider adding some of these to your emegency winter equipment as they will be a lot safer that lighting a candle, and more effective at keeping you warm too. I would guess that most outdoor activty stores would sell something similar if you don't want to buy from Amazon.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I should think it prudent to have a tracked vehicle, a rifle, several knives, a portable barbecue, charcoal, matches, some newspapers, a marine radio and flares of various colours when setting out for a day of over the counter sales or bank clerkery. A deflated life raft would be handy in case of floods and could be stored on the bonnet, if not placed too close to the hot exhaust snorkel.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

You forgot "a month's supply of MREs for the driver and each passenger space in your vehicle". :lol:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Or just do something villainous before getting away in your escape pod. :blink:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

well, I have always wondered about the candle :lol:

It is actually amazing how one can get into trouble within a short distance of Vancouver ................ we have been very lucky.

OH will be 78 next month, so I'm planning other ways to get up north to the relatives to prevent him driving that distance again, and those plans do not involve flying

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Can we just enjoy the limited summer first before talking about winter? Trying not to think about the fact it's nearly August :thumbdown:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

It's winter here though!! By far and away the best time of year here in Sydney. People are wandering around in long boots and down jackets, pretending that 17 degrees is cold :lol:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

http://www.northern-lights-tours.co....-Adventure.jpg

:rofl::rofl:

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

yeah ............. I thought that might be fun

As long as someone else was doing the mushing

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

When I was working, I took transit to work in the mornings, and Vancouver while nowhere near as cold as elsewhere, can be chilly in the early mornings especially when waiting at 2 bus stops for buses that are running late, and don't connect anyway.

I had (still have) waterproof jackets from Lands End that are rated warm down to -25C, and wore a light turtleneck sweater underneath. I was perfectly warm waiting at bus stops, and comfortable at work.

I wear heavier sweaters, or add a cardigan, another sweater or a down vest under the same jacket when we go north or across country, and find I am still comfortable outside in the cold and in houses or offices.

Malls and stores are always the problem ............. unless you can find somewhere to leave the jacket!

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I'm sorry I'm on a tablet....that doesn't seem to play too well with other posters! Where are you Pine Cone? Is it 'actually' cold? Surely not:huh: even here???

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

I now realize Sydney...but is it cold?

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Compared to the 45 degree days we've had here over the last summer, yes it probably does feel pretty cold by comparison. But 17 degrees just isn't 'cold' - not really. We've never needed mroe than a regular sweatshirt hoodie here in winter apart from once when there was an viscious arctic blast and it got to -3 overnight, but even then it is so dry that my down jacket and a beanie was all the addition I needed.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Ha - 17c in winter and an Aussie summer. Maybe I should move down under.

Re: Dressing for a winter commute
 

Actually ....... I think Pine Cone meant it was +17C, and some are wearing boots and fur coats :rofl:

I've been there and seen it :nod: