Advice for my first winter up north?

[springparrot]

Try these
I love them and they don't mess up your hair
http://www.qvc.com/qic/qvcapp.aspx/view ... Insulation

[A1Jay]

A better Travel Agent!

[nutmeg]

One thing to clarify. When people are talking kitty litter for the car you need to make sure it is NOT the clumping kind. You need the old fashioned kind. The clumping stuff gets slippery instead of sticky.

I have Ugg boots and treat them with a weather proof spray. (Do not spray your boots anywhere near where your cat is--that stuff is very bad for them.) Keep the boots away from her until they have completely dried. I keep mine in the garage after spraying them for a couple of days.

I love Cuddleduds! They are soft and comfy. They aren't "real" long underwear, but are comfy when it is chilly indoors.

For outdoors you will need real long underwear.

Windproof polarfleece is dandy!

Yak Trax are good for traction on ice.

For indoors, if you are saving money on heat, a Slanket (see QVC) is a good bet. I love mine and Nutmeg loves to get into the sleeves and sleep

Do have a winter kit in your car...you never know when you might get stuck somewhere and need stuff to eat, drink or keep warm. Also always take your cell phone with you when traveling in winter.

[Summerlover]

Love my Subaru!!!!

[inked-parrotthead]

RUM!!!!! Winters s***!!!

[big john]

You might want to start binge-eating and build up a protective layer
of blubber.

[gunthermoose]

Airline Tickets....

[tigzoe]

LOL Chip!

[livingstonbob]

A Patagonia brand parka, a Patagonia jacket and a pair of HS Trask boots. All are warm and last forever. Rent or buy a place with a garage and always carry a good ice scraper. Also a few trop rock cds to remind you that winter isn't forever.

Livingston Bob

[tigzoe]

Adding my two cents:

Yes to the window washer fluid that doesn't freeze. It is really handy for when you are too lazy to scrape your windows after a frost. You never want to use hot water to remove ice from doors because it will only refreeze at some point.

Yes to non clumping litter in your car, but you can also use your floor mats if they are long enough. Keeping a blanket in the car is great too. When I am driving in snow, I try to keep my cellphone in a coat pocket. And I make sure it is well charged for a drive in bad weather. I also make sure to fill my tank up with gas for added weight and traction.

As far as winter coat of choice, I have an LL Bean jacket. The LL Bean website will tell you how comfortable the jacket will be. I think mine is rated to keep me comfortable to -30F. It has a pocket on the chest where I keep my cell phone. And a pocket inside to keep my ipod dry while I snowblow.

My boots are the boat boots from Bean as well. I think they are 8 inch because we get some pretty nasty snow storms in Maine. But they do stink for traction on ice, which is why I bought some slip on spikes. They slip right on to the bottom of the boots and work great.

I also use Safe Paws to melt the snow and ice for the dogs to go in and out. It works great for melting ice and it doesn't irritate their paws like salt does.

Snow blower is a must but won't do anything for an ice storm. Get one of those big ice picker things to deal with that. And make sure you clean out your gutters (if you have any) at the end of fall. That way snow/rain/ice can drain more efficiently and you to help limit ice damns forming on your roof.

[wheatsailor]

Just as you wouldn't go hunting without having at least fired your weapon at a target once or twice, neither should you try winter driving without a little practice too. Too many newbies to the Great White North — as well as a lot of natives with short memories — seem to feel that the white stuff that's on the ground is just beach sand. It ain't!!

After the first snowfall, go with someone you trust (and who has lived there before) to an empty parking lot, preferably one that hasn't yet been plowed. Let that person throw your car into various skids and slides in the parking lot while you ride shotgun, and show you how it feels when you first start to lose control and skid/slide, how to correctly and safely recover from them, and proper driving techniques to prevent them from ever happening. After a while, trade places and do it yourself. Get a feel for what the car is doing. Once you get comfortable with what is happening, you will be a much more confident and safer driver.

The other key to winter driving is to BE DEFENSIVE!!! As mentioned above, there are those people who forget that snow turns into ice, especially at intersections, and that ice is slippery — then they look surprised when try to stop but instead slide through the intersection into a snowbank or another vehicle. By watching for and being ready for this sort of stuff, you can avoid becoming their victim.

One other thing: four-wheel drive, while useful, is overrated as far as winter driving is concerned. If you don't have traction, it doesn't matter *HOW* many wheels are turning.

-"BB"-

-"BB"-

And watch out for the idiots with 4 wheel drive that think they are unstoppable as they whipped by doing 50 when they should be doing 25. You will find them in a ditch somewhere up ahead usually.

[buffettbride]

Why would someone move TO central Ohio on purpose?

[Karacal]

(((((Erin)))))

No advice here...I'm from the South too, but stay safe!!

[citcat]

GO BACK SOUTH ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RUN, DON'T WALK!

Can you tell, I also hate to be cold

I agree ! Cold hurts.
And according to the Farmer's Almanac, this will be a mild winter. So you have time to get acclamated. I hate winter. I want to move to Florida and live with Desdamona. heh heh, she'll be so pleased to hear that.

[ph4ever]

If you end up in a snow bank, make sure that your exhaust is free from snow. You want to have a clear path for the carbon monoxide to escape instead of backing up in the car.

[pema]

GO BACK SOUTH ASAP!!!!!!!!!!!!!
RUN, DON'T WALK!

Can you tell, I also hate to be cold

I agree ! Cold hurts.
And according to the Farmer's Almanac, this will be a mild winter. So you have time to get acclamated. I hate winter. I want to move to Florida and live with Desdamona. heh heh, she'll be so pleased to hear that.

yes it does!

during my brief visit here last year, when i was outside or even in the car with the heat on. my down filled coat that was rated to keep me warm down to 0 degrees left me shivering so hard that i looked like a vibrating cell phone that someone left on a hard surface.

we went from the airport to Bob Evans to eat, and i was just barely warm enough inside the restaurant WITH the coat on. so i left it on while i was eating, and i really paid for that when i went back outside. so, i learned to take my coat off when i go inside, even if i am cold without it.

but my neck and shoulder ended up really achey from all the shivering.

during summers here, i wear a sweater in restaurants and outside at night after the sun goes down.

and i've YET to experience single digit temps, and i've heard that i can expect some periods where it will go down to zero.

as was the case for everyone, nc had an unusuallly cold nasty winter last year. so, that may have been my dress rehearsal hopefully you are right about the mild winter this year and i'm hoping that being here through fall and the build up to the cold weather will be easier than getting on a plane some place warm and getting off some place freezing *crossing fingers*

someone mentioned gaining some weight, and that is definitely part of my problem. i've had some health issues, and i am below a healthy weight for me right now and have been for a while. it's a struggle to maintain my current weight, so i'm not sure how i would go about gaining weight.

[pema]

If you end up in a snow bank, make sure that your exhaust is free from snow. You want to have a clear path for the carbon monoxide to escape instead of backing up in the car.

i really appreciate all the advice, and i'm sure i'm gonna need it... but y'all are really starting to scare me

food, water, blankets in the car? digging out of snow banks?

[ph4ever]

If you end up in a snow bank, make sure that your exhaust is free from snow. You want to have a clear path for the carbon monoxide to escape instead of backing up in the car.

i really appreciate all the advice, and i'm sure i'm gonna need it... but y'all are really starting to scare me

food, water, blankets in the car? digging out of snow banks?

I've never been stuck in a snow bank HOWEVER it's something I heard once and thought I'd pass it on.

[MacPhin]

Erin,i'd gladly give you some of my "extra" if i could. if you need to gain weight, find a few ice cream flavors you really like and eat a ton of it!! or you can do what my dad is doing. buy Ensure, specifically for gaining weight.
good luck.

if you find that your neck and shoulders are cold, purchase a nice warm scarf. someone else mentioned cuddleduds. i wear those all winter under my tops. when i'm at home ( our place is a bit drafty and i'm the orginial 80' girl) i wear the bottoms under my pants or sweats.

[pema]

Erin,i'd gladly give you some of my "extra" if i could. if you need to gain weight, find a few ice cream flavors you really like and eat a ton of it!! or you can do what my dad is doing. buy Ensure, specifically for gaining weight.
good luck.

if you find that your neck and shoulders are cold, purchase a nice warm scarf. someone else mentioned cuddleduds. i wear those all winter under my tops. when i'm at home ( our place is a bit drafty and i'm the orginial 80' girl) i wear the bottoms under my pants or sweats.

i have a pair of isotoner gloves and a scarf. i also have a hat with ear flaps and a pair of gloves made by Columbia that Mom bought me when she was on a ski trip last year. i have a couple of 'they'll do as a back up scarves', but if i lose the good one early in the winter, i'll def want to replace it. i'm thinking i'll prolly want to upgrade the gloves, but with the long list of things that i don't have, that may end up on my Christmas list.

but i'm def gonna look into the cuddledud/long undwear thing