Chicago Weekend Fun!

I was recently asked about how to survive a Chicago winter by someone moving here from a warm southern state who had never dealt with extreme cold, wind, snow and Ice. I have lived in Chicago all my life, so I figured I could help with some tips for survival and hopefully help him avoid being cold and stuck somewhere during a blizzard. Here are some clothing tips for how to dress for the coldand how to deal with getting un-stuck from the snow and navigating through icy streets with a wind chill that makes it seem 20 degrees colder than it already is.

If you are moving here from someplace warm and sunny, you will need to invest in the following clothing, outerwear, coats and gear:

1. Buy waterproof Boots with as much insulation as possible for warmth. Some kind of rubberized tread on the bottom is good for grip walking on the icy sidewalks and driveway too. Some people who walk to work in all the elements keep dressy shoes in a desk drawer so they can wear their boots to work and just change shoes there. Heavy thick socks that pull up over your calf are are also helpful.

2.Buy waterproof goves with thinsulate. This is especially important if you will be shoveling your driveway or trying to uncover your car from the snow and scrape off  ice. They are also good for use in building snowmen and snow forts with the kids.

3. Buy a hat and scarfpreferably a hat that covers your ears and is not knit. (the knit ones let the wind right through) If your hat does not cover your ears you will need ear muffs or those men’s ear covers that have the strap behind the head. Otherwise your ears will get frostbite. Avoid the frostbite on everything you can by covering as much as possible. The scarf is helpful because most coats either don’t seal off the cold air completely or don’t cover your neck well. The scarf is also helpful to wrap around your face if it’s below zero and you have to walk in the wind. We also joke that ski goggles would be helpful since the wind does hurt your eyes on extreme days too.

4. Buy a long knee length or longer down filled coat. (Synthetic stuffing might be ok if you’re allergic or ethically opposed to sing real feathers but I have never tried it) I have always found that leather coats are useless in the cold and rain ruins their finish. Wool coats are better but most lack a lining that will actually block the frigid cold wind here. So, you have to upgrade to an Alaskan polar level of parka to survive outside in the coldest days. North Face is good but really expensive and Eddie Bauer has more reasonable prices on their winter coats.  You should also get a coat with a hood attached. A hat is sometimes not enough to block the cold, wind and snow.

5. Buy Long Underwear or some kind of extra layer under pants and clothing. The more layers you have that are close to your skin the better chance you have of retaining some heat. The pants that are popular now aren’t going to block -20 degree winds when you have to walk to the train. Flannel lined pants are great and some kind of leggings, long underwear or 2 layers of tights can help.

6. Buy sweaters and preferably turtlenecksthey are the best bet. Somehow you loose a lot of heat through your head and I think your neck is included in that. It is much easier to stay warm with a turtle neck. The GAP, Old Navy, Sears and just about every other store carries them here. They are a winter staple. Watch out for wool turtlenecks if you are allergic to wool. Synthetics are just as warm and don’t stretch and fade like cotton.

And remember even if we get 3 feet of snow, school, work and the stores do not close down. We live with most of our snow in January and February and it happens every year so we know how to power through it. We dig out the cars and buses, take public transit, shovel the sidewalks and driveways and bundle up and go out slowly and cautiously. Nothing is stopped by bad weather in Chicago.

Have any other tips or suggestions for cold weather wear? Let me know by posting them as a comment with your helpful hints and cold weather clothing strategy below: