mamboya

Hi guys i will be landing in Winnipeg on a work permit in the mid of January and was wondering where i should buy the real winter clothing after i land. The only winter cloths i have are the ones i bought in US consisting of a regular winter coat, leather gloves and just regular shoes. Please let me know what i need to survive the cold.

Thanks

PMM

Hi

1. Good down duffel coat, ski gloves, toque, longjohns (if you intend to spend a lot of time outdoors) Try one of the ski shops as they should be still having their after Xmas sales. Rubber buckle up overshoes (if you can find them) work really well, keep the shoes clean and dry and can be removed when you arrive at work.

PMM

Judy in Calgary

PMM has given you a good list to get started.

I'll add a few comments. A toque (pronounced "took") is Canadian for cap or beanie. In Calgary they sell a lot of synthetic ones. However, they don't cut the mustard when the weather is cold. I've found that a boiled wool toque is warm. That said, my down coat has a down-filled hood, and that too is warm.

The rubber overshoes that keep your shoes dry are fine for commuting to and from an office job, if the commute consists of a drive plus a short walk. However, if you go out for a long walk during your leisure time or even if you have to spend any length of time at a bus stop in really cold weather, leather shoes with rubber overshoes aren't nearly enough to keep your feet warm. In that case the warmest boots that I've found are felt-lined ones, such as those manufactured by Sorel.

Obviously if you wear felt-lined boots to and from work, you need to carry a pair of indoor shoes into which you can change once you reach the office. Quite a common practice is to leave a spare pair of indoor shoes at the office for the duration of the winter.

While my felt-lined Sorel boots are very warm, I find them rigid, and they are uncomfortable when it comes to walking long distances. In another thread "jcexit" said he found that Kodiak boots from Canadian Tire were both very warm (good to -40 deg C) and comfortable.

In addition to getting stuff on sale at ski shops, as PMM suggested, you also might have a look at Mark Work Wearhouse's selection of outdoor winter clothing. I have bought some good stuff there.

Department stores like The Bay and Sears also can be good sources of some kinds of winter clothing (especially during sale season). I bought an excellent down-filled coat when it was on sale at Sears.

Here is a previous discussion thread entitled Cold Feet. It has loads of information, not only on winter footwear, but on winter survival in general.

Biiiiink

If you need serious outdoor gear you could try the Mountain Equipment Co-op on Portage Ave, right in downtown.

I haven't bought any "serious" gear, it's been so mild and I've only spent moderate amounts of time outside walking the dog and child, and UK winter wear with a decent pair of boots has sufficed so far.

mamboya

Thank you so much guys for your replies. I will visit these places and see what i can find