Staying warm in the Great White North

As the weather dips I'd like to share my tips on staying warm. I live in a very cold climate where it is winter basically 6 months out of the year. I am almost always cold, colder than the average person. Most of these tips are very cheap and will help reduce your electric/heating bills. These are all just my opinion and a bit from my elderly Asian mother.

First of all keep your house humidity up. I find using a small humidifier works better than the whole house ones, and you can clean it better. Humidity should be around 50%, your house will feel much much warmer if property humidified. don't overdo it or you could get mold.

Use those plastic window wraps, I know they can be ugly, but they are making them better and clearer than every before. I had friends that laughed that we used them, and the very next month they were putting them up too. They make an astounding difference. Don't over do it as you do need some air flow in your house. Try one window and feel the before and afterl I don't care what kind of window you have they will all benefit from the plastic. I have one of the industry best insulated windows, and I still use the wrap! For doors use those draft blockers, and if you have a very drafty door hang a curtain rod above the door and hand a quilt up there. They make a special silicone caulk that you can use outside your windows, or anywhere that is drafty. There are two kinds, permanent and removeable. You want the removeable ones on the windows.

In winter don't have any cold floors exposed, use throw rugs everywhere. Wear socks at all times. It is very unhealthy to allow cold to travel into the body from your feet. Some say this can cause infertility and other health problems.

Buy hot water bottles and fill them with hot water. You would not believe how warm these can keep you and for a long time. This coupled with a down comforter and you could probably sleep with the heat almost turned off. I know down is very expensive, but it is one of those things that will pay for itself ten times over. I've used down alternative and never felt it was as good. A good quality down blanket and two hot water bottle is all you need, trust me on this! This can outdo any electic blanket hands down! The hot water bottles are super cheap and last a very long time. We don't use covers on ours. One other tip for the bed. Put a comforter under your fitted sheet like a mattress pad. It has to be a comforter, I don't know why but this reflects the warmth right back onto you unlike pads. In spring take it out.

You know what your mom said about layers, well she was right, but it has to be the right kind of layers. One of the warmest type of clothing is silk. Silk is very expensive if you purchased it at an outdoor store etc, but you can find it for next to nothing on Ebay and other online sites. Wear silk as a base layer and something breathable on top. Next to silk pure linen is also good. Speaking of clothing, I have three winter coats, a Michael Kors wool coat, a North Face and a Walmart coat. I can say hands down the Walmart coat is the warmest. It isn't as pretty as the other two but it is my go to for warmth. Remember we aren't talking high fashion, we are just talking warmth.

You have a lot of heat loss out of your head but I feel keeping your ankles and wrist warm will keep you warmer overall. Some Asians believe it is healthier to let your head breathe in winter.

Eat warming foods. Yes there is such a thing as warming and cooling foods. In western society we tend to just eat whatever we want at any time. It is better to eat traditonal winter foods, stews, things cooked slow and low with little water. No ice cream!! Root crops and meats. Basically eat like our ancestors did and for the season.


I hope some of these tips helped! good luck and stay warm during the holidays!

a reply to: JAGStorm

Good post.

 Some Asians believe it is healthier to let your head breathe in winter. 

I think that was probably to kill head lice.

I live in the U.P. What is summer?

I just fill the kettle and put it on top of the Kitchen woodstove to get the humidity in the air. The furnace never seems to get it nice and warm in here, even if it is set at seventy five. With the woodstove going it is warm even at sixty eight. We just burn it part time though, maybe eight to ten hours a day. The downfall, I have to go put a small piece of wood in it every forty minutes or so. I guess it is good, a person should get up and move around at least once an hour.

If the power goes out, I can cook just about everything, we have enough water to do that for a few days without starting the generator.

I get hounded all day till I start the stove up. One of our cats seems to need the heat, she sleeps in a basket about four feet from the stove on the desk, when she uncoils and one foot comes out, it is seventy degrees, two paws out is seventy two degrees and all four poke out at around seventy five degrees. Otherwise she is in a ball. She says she wants to get adopted by someone in Texas, but I told them that it gets cold down there in the morning and they have spiders and snakes there that bite and she changed her mind.

Living in the house with the wife and three cats tends to make you go just a little nuts. Oh, can't forget the fish and the deer that come to our door for food. We talk to the animals a little too much since we retired, practicing for Alzheimer disease.

a reply to: rickymouse

I recently visited the UP in summer, and I have to say going through the winter might be worth the glory of summer you have there. I think it is one of the biggest secrets in the US. It's is one of the most beautiful places for sure and still seems so unspoiled. I remember making my husband stop the car just so I could go out and take a dip in the water. I can still see that turquoise water. I

There is just something about -40F windchill that is magical. Winter has just begun. 4-5 more months of this wonderful blessing from the gods.

let it snow let it snow let it snow




Good memories, chopping wood to last all winter. We had a return air duct installed directly above our wood burner so it would recycle the heat back into our furnace air return. Growing up poor was a delight.

a reply to: JAGStorm

This coupled with a down comforter and you could probably sleep with the heat almost turned off.

Prefer Fleece or Polyester hollow fill, reflects heat better.

If you are trying to remain warmer indoors with the heat 'almost turned off', it might help to get a Fleece Parka with a hood and open front pocket so you can put your hands together inside it. Also, if you wear gloves, wear mittens instead.
All things being equal (fabrics, thickness, and insulation), mittens are warmer than gloves. Mitts trap body heat by keeping your fingers together and reducing evaporative heat loss.

a reply to: ClovenSky

My dad said he was so poor they used to go to the train tracks to collect coal to heat their house. That house was built by my grandpa with supplies available. The kitchen was 5ft tall, no joke, it was 5ft tall. The men all had to duck to go in the kitchen! The house would probably look shacky by todays standards but as a child I only remember the love and warmth it had. (and no mortgage!). Even though my dad had really tough times as a child he remembers it with a happy heart. I think we take a lot for granted these days, especially modern comforts.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Our fireplace gets lots of use in the winter.
We thought about puting in one of the wood heaters with the fans to circulate air but we don't want to give up the beautiful fire.

a reply to: JAGStorm

Your dad must be an old fart...lol
Mine too.
He said his upstairs bedroom walls would frost during the night.

a reply to: Bluntone22

Yes my dad is an old fart, and I'm probably considered one too.

I have a friend that lives in a house/ cabin from 1860's and last winter one interior wall turned into a giant frozen sheet. They had to fix it as it was causing mold in other areas but that was something to see and probably pretty much the norm 100 years ago.

Fur around the house also, I have sheepskins everywhere. Great in winter best thing to keep me warm I hardly light the fire.

Flannel jammies, thick fluffy socks, fuzzy slippers, and a big oversized cardigan sweater is pretty much what I live in all winter around the house.

I'm constantly chilly while hubby is constantly sweating, so we've learned to compromise by setting the heat at a moderate 21 degrees and then I just bundle up with warm layers. He doesn't sweat to death and I don't freeze to death.

It keeps the peace in our house.

Lard also rubbed on the skin keeps you warm.
Attempted Jam but got sticky and bears.

Secret to staying warm in The Great White North.......Beer.

It's expensive but the new high tech fabrics from REI are warm, light weight and fashionable on the slopes.

www.rei.com...

Great tip on keeping wrist, ankles hands and feet warm. I might add for us balding men, heat loss thru the top of your head can be considerable.

I live in Saskatchewan and love the 6 month winters! Easier to warm up than to cool down. The crappy thing is that we get both extremes here. -30 winter +30 in summer. I hate summer

I lived in a camper by the railroad tracks, at a RV park, had electricity and used an electric blanket. Heat was using a small ceramic heater, propane was too expensive and would last a couple days max. Water pipes in the camper could not be kept thawed so once they froze up that was it until it warmed up for at least three days. winters were in the negative F's. It sucked. The only good thing was going to a cheap hotel every now and then to take a long hot shower and watch TV!

a reply to: Autorico

I hear ya.

I'm in Manitoba and we get the same crazy prairie extremes.

I used to be able to handle the extreme cold or hot with no problem, but I find as I'm getting older my body just can't seem to tolerate either one anymore.

And you're right, it's definitely easier to warm up than it is to cool down (or at least not without the added help of central air conditioning).

originally posted by: CranialSponge
I used to be able to handle the extreme cold or hot with no problem, but I find as I'm getting older my body just can't seem to tolerate either one anymore.

have you considered cutting open a Tauntaun and crawling inside it for warmth?

originally posted by: AugustusMasonicus

originally posted by: CranialSponge
I used to be able to handle the extreme cold or hot with no problem, but I find as I'm getting older my body just can't seem to tolerate either one anymore.

have you considered cutting open a Tauntaun and crawling inside it for warmth?

I only do that when I'm on an ice floe hunting trip clubbing baby seals.