What is some advice that you would give to someone who is moving to the Midwest and has never ever experienced real winter or seen snow in his life? Driving? Clothing? Things to buy and keep around? What to do during the winter?
What is some advice that you would give to someone who is moving to the Midwest and has never ever experienced real winter or seen snow in his life?
A good pair of winter boots and a down jacket, and don’t cheap out on that shit.
>boots
Bloat
Bloat?
A comfy layer of thermal underwear is a godsend for being in the cold.
Drive slower than you think you should, retards get complacent theb get surprised when they skid uncontrollably.
As a safety thing I like having a small tote of a cold-weather stranded kit. I dont know where you are going to population wise but if you ever get stuck you'll be happy you have a kit of a blanket and snacks.
Very general questions you have though.
are studded tires legal where you're moving?
Friction tires are a scam. You will fast learn that 4wheel drive is far superior than alternatives.
As a person who has lived my entire life 260miles north of the arctic circle, get a pair of good gloves that actually fit your hands and are semi resistant to getting wet. Good grip is a luxury you will miss with gloves in general.
Also woolen clothing is really nice to have, as they retain most of their heat retention even while they get wet.
>You will fast learn that 4wheel drive is far superior than alternatives.
What I mean is. If you're a petrolhead, nothing is more fun than rearwheel drive in the snow. But its not for beginners at all, and 4wheel drive is the safest alternative for overall driving
Also now that I think about it. Gets shoes that support your ankles too. Snow can hide mirror ice and other nastiness, and without some support to ones ankles, it can fuck up your day, if not a week.
It gets very very very very parts-of-your-body-freeze-and-fall-off cold.
Red
If you're outside and you get too cold but can't go inside for awhile, shit your pants. It will keep you warm long enough to get inside. This works especially well id you dont have gloves because you can just jam your hands in your pants for warmth to avoid frost bite
Shovel the snow on your driveway as soon as it starts snowing. Don't let it build up then melt/refreeze into large ice chunks. Saves a lot of heavy shovel work. Oh and don't pour hot water on your frozen winshield this cracks the windshield.
>Oh and don't pour hot water on your frozen winshield this cracks the windshield.
What are you supposed to do with your windshield then
you can get an ice scraper or use regular lukewarm water. The huge temperature difference between freezing glass and hot water causes glass to crack/shatter.
Shit on it. The heat will melt the ice much like the pants advice above
I know Maine isn't the midwest but I moved there from North Carolina and learned a few things about harsh winters.
If you can, park indoors or under shelter. It'll really save you a shitload of snow removal. Even so, assuming you drive to your job and park there in an open lot, you'll want to keep a shovel and brush in your trunk (snowplow might pile up snow behind your parking spot). Drive carefully by knowing your route, slow down early, don't stop abruptly, and god forbid you start to slide: TURN IN THE DIRECTION YOU ARE SLIDING TO CORRECT.
Don't let your gas tank go below 1/4 full because you'll need a good buffer to stay warm if you get stranded somewhere or need to idle your car to warm it up in the mornings. Also a good idea to keep food rations in your trunk.
We regularly had temps below zero F in the mornings, and my girlfriend's car needed a stronger battery to compensate. If your battery ends up sucking, you need something that has high cold crank amps.
I did a fair bit of outdoor activity in the cold. I remember one thanksgiving we went to the headlight and it was -11f with the wind chill. Best advice is layering. Thermal underpants under your regular pants, thick socks, gloves, nice warm knit hat, some form of face covering like a buff or scarf so that your hot breathe can stay close to your face and reduce the pain of the cold air hitting your nose/throat. Overcoat, something windproof preferably. Don't let the social pressure of looking nice override your bodies need for warmth.
Pretty cool pic. What part of Maine?
Lived in Portland. Then Biddeford. Left in 2020 because we lost our jobs for Covid reasons. Travelled around much of New Hampshire, Vermont, Quebec, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Isle.
Gets cold. Have to wear clothes indoors. Still better than going to Alaska.
>Put a couple bags of road salt or water softener salt in the trunk of your car to help mitigate fishtailing
>stay hydrated
>remote start your car early with the defroster on so it's defrosted by the time you're ready to leave
>lip balm
>lip balm
here's a pro tip
you can rub behind your ears and use that oily gunk as a lip balm
thats old school and it works
Never heard that one
Huh
as someone from midwest: all you need is a couple sweat shirts and it's basically the same as summer