Monday, February 16, 2015

Ottawa the freezing - seven layers and counting

I walk every morning around 6AM. Ottawa was rather chilly today. As it has been for at least the last month or so. Maybe chilly isn't the right word. Maybe freaking freezing is more appropriate.

It was -26C with a wind chill of -40C.

So I have learned to dress, how shall I say this, intelligently. In fact by the time I'm finished dressing (takes me about 10 minutes) I start to steam up.

Today I had on seven layers: a T shirt, three long sleeved thin layers, a woolen sweater, polyester vest and a winter coat. I wore long johns, jeans and snow pants. Then a thin pair of gloves covered by honking mittens. Then my tuque and coat hood. Oh and my ski goggles. I don't ski. And my old, but still very warm, Sorel boots. And a neck warmer up to my nose.

The ski goggles worked pretty well until I needed to remove them once I turned around to come home. I had to blow my nose and that caused the goggles to condense and freeze up.

Below are my before and after photos.

You may say I look like a moron. I saw maybe. But I'm a warm moron.