Winter nights and covering up!

[castor]

It's winter in Victoria, just wondering how you people keep warm while observing.

From experience the parts that are most vulnerable to the cold are the extremities, that includes the feet, the hands, and the head. In fact a huge proportion of body heat is lost through the head. It's important to have your hands and feet well protected.... but it's even more important to keep your head covered up. I've learnt in my own experience that if you don't you're whole night can turn pear-shaped.

I usually wear a beanie/hood that I can pull down over my forehead.... and also a scarf as well. When wearing it I keep the ends of the scarf under my jacket so that it doesn't dangle and it stays in place. With my collar turned up, I then pull up my scarf up to cover everything under my eyes. Having the cold wind on my face is unbearable - and, as a hypochondriac, I also want protection from asthma attacks and head colds :) . I used to have one frostbitten ear as a kid so I make sure that my scarf covers both of them too. After that I'm pretty right to observe for the night. Well here's a pic of me covering up and you all should too.

I'd like to hear how you guys are dealing with the low temperatures out there on the observing field.

[iceman]

Freezer suit! It's great, nice and warm.
Along with an IIS beanie and some fold-over fingerless gloves.
Though my feet do get cold.

[astro_nutt]

I was up at the ASV's site outside Heathcoate on the weekend and it got down to 1 degree...as for keeping warm..I wore my thermals...flying boots...coveralls..gloves..long arctic jacket and a double-knitt beanie..toasty warm!!!..only the dew caused a problem..have to get the hot water bottle next time to keep the eyepieces warm and clear!..still had great viewing though!!
Cheers !

[cahullian]

Buy the husky boot mike then your toes will be as warm as toast.
As far as I'm concerned it's not even cold yet he he
Gazz

[acropolite]

Castor, I have to agree about keeping your head and neck warm above all else, if your head (the same applies to your chest area) is cold your body shuts down circulation to your extremeties (hands & feet) to keep your vital organs warm. In the days when I was a fanatical winter wavesailor the difference between having cold hands and feet was simply a neoprene helmet, once your head was warm, feet and hands were toasty warm again.

[Kal]

I take the onion approach. Lots of layers! :lol:

It's important to not have areas that let heat escape, so make sure that you overlap alot.

[leon]

Just ask Ken and I, you sooky babs, :lol: :lol: :lol: cold is in the mind of the beholder, and you can control it, ask my dear wife, she reckons my thermostate don't work. :P

When your scope freezes, then it's cold.:whistle: :whistle:

Leon :thumbsup:

[erick]

....and I've put my hand up to go to Snake Valley this Friday evening! Forecast - a balmy 2 deg :cold:



and I was looking forward to seeing the first ice on my scope. :sadeyes:

[ballaratdragons]

True, it ain't cold enough yet. I've had my scope covered in ice only once so far this winter.

But when the chill really comes, I wear Thermo's, Flying Boots, double layer gloves from Rays Tent City, a Roman polar jacket and thick beanie.

That keeps me warm enough :thumbsup:

[davidpretorius]

hmmmm, ambient was -3.1 and the mirror was -2.5 this morning at 5.30am.

lotsa layers and try and move around a little bit!!!

[Clear Skies]

I purchased by first pair of 10x50 binoculars last week so I am truly a newbie. I am starting to think that stargazing is perhaps best suited to the warmer months.
:)

[iceman]

Welcome moon man! Don't let the cold stop you :) The winter milky way is absolutely magnificent overhead!

Great to see some more tasweigans!

[ballaratdragons]

:eyepop: No, don't think that way.

The winter sky holds the best objects and also the clearest skies!!! :thumbsup:

[Clear Skies]

Your right Ballarat.....I get my first look at the moon next week. I will need to rug up for it as I suspect it will keep me outside for quite a bit of time.

[sheeny]

Welcome aboard!:welcome:

Mike's right, the winter milky way is awesome especially for binos! Summer, of course, is good too with Orion in the evening sky, but not as many rich fields.

Don't be put off by the cold. With a bit of planning, you can keep warm even on the coldest nights. I work on the layer principle too, but the last layer I put on are freezer pants and jacket. I start with thermals, jeans and shirt, thick socks and boots, fingerless woolen gloves (with the optional ski gloves if necessary), IIS beanie:thumbsup::D, a throat coat, windstopper jacket (with the option of a tech vest if its really cold) and then finally the freezer jacket and pants when it gets reeeeally cold!!!;)

If you're observing with binos, don't forget one of the best ways is to roll out a sleeping bag (with a therma-rest is good!) or swag and snuggle in!:P It beat's standing and looking up:thumbsup:.

Al.

[davidpretorius]

welcome moon man, we have another moonman in launceston.

there is a viewing night at evandale on the 16th, if you are interested

dp

[ballaratdragons]

Moon Man, don't be concerned about winter.

How to keep warm doing Astronomy.

Step 1: Build a control room :thumbsup:

[ballaratdragons]

Then step 2: Add the Astronomers friend and say "what cold?" :rofl:

[jjjnettie]

If you are on the edge of a hill in your sleeping bag, be careful when you turn over. Someone in this forum wasn't careful and she went rolling down the hill unable to stop herself.:whistle:

[ballaratdragons]

:lol: Gee, who was that Jeanette? ;) :lol:

[KG8]

I think the freezer suits are great, though very bulky. I bought the pants, not the one piece set, and even so I gotta sit legs well akimbo. For the upper body I need a lot of freedom and mobility so I use a long sleave silk shirt under cotton skivey with a furlined nylon bluey jacket over the top. There is so much good thermal gear available from different sources you should have a good look around. At the motorcycle shops for example they sell great neck warmers "RJ's brand", for around $12. There a sort of sleave that you pull over your head and it sits around your neck from just under your chin on down. Little things like this really count, especially if a mild wind picks up. Fingerless gloves are a must as well as some fingered ones you can pull over the others whin it gets really cold. A wool balaclava "IRA style" is handy too. Boots are a whole post in themselves but don't overlook thermal sox. A couple of good pairs of sox will go a long way to making an ordinary pair of boots "Thermal Boots" You can never be too warm I reckon :)

[Terry B]

I was out last night in 2 jumpers and a coat with a beanie. (and intermittent use of the hair dryer that is allegedly to get rid of dew on the seconday but also good at warming hands :))
I deceided enought was enough at 2300 with ice on the scopes cover. It was -1 at the time. We had a very hard frost this am. Our birdbath was frozen solid. Brrrrrrrrr

[astro_nutt]

Welcome Moon Man..just a thought...with your bino's..would adding a cardboard tube over the lenses to act as a dewshield?...cause I did the same for my finderscope and it seems to work ok!!..and don't forget the hot cocoa!!
Cheers!