winter clothing
#1
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31
winter clothing
Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
#2
Mans
Joined: Jul 2005
Location: Oakville
Posts: 343
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by iwantwork
Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
I was there on a research trip last Jan/Feb. The pilot announced on the plane that totronto was -21 (wind chill -28). I therefore panicked a little on the plane as all I had was a t-shirt, jumper and woolen coat with gloves and a scarf.
However, having picked up the car at the airport I had to make a quick stop at the first shops.....SUNGLASSES as I could not see a thing as it was a very bright day with not a cloud in sight.
From my experience .... yes it was cold. However my t-shirt, jumper and coat was adequate......the worst bit is any expsoed parts....especialy your face if you are going to walk around for more than 5 mins it was tough!
In reality though it was not that bad either....most places have underground parking etc so you don not really have to walk around too much in Toronto area.
Oh....and jeans were bad...as made of cotton my legs were frozen...wollen trousers were not too bad though. Next day it snowed around 10 inces and dropped to around -10 which was not that bad...I felt worse once I got back to London's damp winter!!!
So all in all.....yes very cold....but a crisp bright cold .... and only bought sunglasses and a woolen hat......i did not feel it was necessary to purchase more for a short trip....might be a different story if I lived there or planned on going for many walks though.
HTH
Mans
#3
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by iwantwork
Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
The February before last, Phil, a man I know slightly from the pub, slipped and fell outside his apartment building. It was late and he was drunk and he passed out. Someone found him two hours later and woke him up but it was too late. He lost three fingers to frostbite; a serious blow to a professional writer. Exposed flesh is not a good idea even here in the south of Ontario, bring gloves and balaclavas. I don't think you'll need particularly heavy coats, I wouldn't bother buying parkas and whatnot unless you're going up north, but I do think you need to cover as many bits as you can.
#4
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by iwantwork
Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
We had temperatures of +2 to –20C but only felt cold at night when the sun went down.
Most of all enjoy the snow .
#5
Re: winter clothing
when we have been over in the winter before, we have been lucky enough to have my family lend us all the winter coats, they always say that our one wouldn't be warm enough, but that said, for just nipping in and out of the car , or going from shop to shop , I have always found my UK stuff fine, but if you planning on doing a bit of Snow Fun... rolling around in it, etc then I would say buy it there, snow pants from a place like wall-mart will cost very little compared to what you would pay over here, as really over here you would have to go and get Ski stuff , which will cost loads! hope that help, and enjoy your trip,
Jen
Jen
#6
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by john fisher
We went to Ontario (Kingston) Feb this year. Buy long johns and vest, thermal underwear a real must, in England a lot cheaper. Boots I’d get from Canadian Tyre or Wall Mart over there, they do some good rubber boots with a felt inner liner. Gloves here and over there, you can’t have to many. Neck tubes from motorbike shops better than scarf’s. Hats that cover your ears.
We had temperatures of +2 to –20C but only felt cold at night when the sun went down.
Most of all enjoy the snow .
We had temperatures of +2 to –20C but only felt cold at night when the sun went down.
Most of all enjoy the snow .
#7
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by dbd33
Last February it got down to -7F on our patio. Allow for windchill and that's really quite chilly.
Last edited by Cowtown; Sep 6th 2005 at 12:44 am.
#8
Re: winter clothing
Just to add to what others have said, and your own comment about layering. Dont make the mistake of thinking that you will be OK going from heated house/hotel to heated car to heated Mall / Restaurant. Be prepared for if the car breaks down...have spare layers with you just in case...best case have an emergency kit with a candle, food and thermal blanket in the car...you almost certainly wont need it, but you will be glad (and alive) if you do.
The cold is easily managed here as the country is set up to deal with it, and with the right equipment an emergency can be dealt with without Drama too as long as you are prepared. Good Sunglasses were one of the first things I got too.
If you do need serious winter stuff, get it here, its much cheaper and selection will be wider than the UK.
Hard to give an average temp for Ontario, its huge, bigger than France and Spain together. Far North will be Arctic temps, and even Ottawa is significantly colder than Toronto as the lake moderates things a bit...Ottawa in Feb is fun, "Winterlude" is worth a visit, slkating on the Canal and fantastic snow and ice sculptures, and nice hot beaver tails
The cold is easily managed here as the country is set up to deal with it, and with the right equipment an emergency can be dealt with without Drama too as long as you are prepared. Good Sunglasses were one of the first things I got too.
If you do need serious winter stuff, get it here, its much cheaper and selection will be wider than the UK.
Hard to give an average temp for Ontario, its huge, bigger than France and Spain together. Far North will be Arctic temps, and even Ottawa is significantly colder than Toronto as the lake moderates things a bit...Ottawa in Feb is fun, "Winterlude" is worth a visit, slkating on the Canal and fantastic snow and ice sculptures, and nice hot beaver tails
#9
Forum Regular
Thread Starter
Joined: Aug 2005
Posts: 31
Re: winter clothing
Thanks for all your help everyone
#10
Forum Regular
Joined: May 2005
Location: Canada
Posts: 75
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by iwantwork
Myself, partner and 4 children are planning to visit Ontario in Feb. Could anyone give me advice on whether to take winter clothes from home (have been told is the layering thats important) or to buy Canadian coats/snowsuits etc when we arrive? What is the average temp in Ontario in Feb?
Thanks for your help
Thanks for your help
#11
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by ginaf
Are you going to Canada? I ask because I grew up in Norton, Letchworth spent a lot of my youth in Baldock and have never seen anybody so close to where I lived. Hi, by the way!
Hi ginaf
Yes trying for Calgary. Bragg Creek I hope depends on the wife though.
Applied in November 04 under the skilled worker application.
Part of the reason for going out in Feb was to take my Journeyman certificates in Heavy Transport Equipment. I took them in Calgary (had to fly down from Ontario as we stayed with friends in Kingston) and passed must have been my lucky day. Had a job interview and got that as well , a very lucky day.
I live near the Engine and Old White Horse, which had its beer festival last bank holiday.
Are you going to Canada if so where
#12
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by iwantwork
Thanks for all your help everyone
We had a good days sking in a place called Calabogi and it was cheap £50 for two of us with an hours lesson.
#13
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by john fisher
Ski Pants are a must try TK Max in England.
#14
Re: winter clothing
don't have exposed flesh... the cold will really bite... and get a couple of pairs of gloves for the kids... you don't want to be losing one and going without!
have a blanket in the car at all times.
when it's seriously cold (-40C was as bad as it got here in montreal last winter, including wind chill), you just don't go out unless you have to, and then only stay out for the minimum amount of time.
have a blanket in the car at all times.
when it's seriously cold (-40C was as bad as it got here in montreal last winter, including wind chill), you just don't go out unless you have to, and then only stay out for the minimum amount of time.
#15
Re: winter clothing
Originally Posted by ksct97
get a couple of pairs of gloves for the kids... you don't want to be losing one and going without!