RTFM for Boston newcomers who come from places where 'winter' is a euphemism for 'damn I have to wear a sweater'

1. Winter 101
How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Snow
Fall 2014
Alex Rakitin
MIT Sloan School of Management

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Scope & Summary
• Feet: keep them warm with thick-soled shoes
• Body: thick wind-stopping water-proof jacket
• Head: cover your ears
• Hands: touch-screen compatible gloves
• Tricks: protect your lips and skin
Disclaimers:
- this is a manual for men. I don’t dare to advise ladies on what to wear. But you get the
idea, functionality is the same
- I do not have equity in any of the brands mentioned; these brands are here for example
only, there definitely are other great garments and shoes out there
- use at your own risk; this is based on my own experience in Estonia, Moscow, and Holland,
but yours may be different
- and remember: “Advice is a form of nostalgia, dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more
than it’s worth” (Baz Luhrmann)

3. Keep your feet warm and dry!
• Keeping feet warm is essential!
– cold and/or wet feet are the major source of discomfort and illness
• Thick soles for freezing temperatures
– the further you are from the ground, the longer your feet stay warm
– additional inner soles are great too
• Fur or other lining for freezing temperatures
• Water-proof, especially for fall and wet snow season
– membrane* (Goretex) is perfect: takes sweat away, keeps water out
– leather is ok, but needs more care
– again, thick soles help to keep you dry
• Tall sides and deep protector for snow
• Choose +0.5–1 to your regular size (eg 10.5 vs 10 US, or 43 vs 42 EU)
– extra air inside works as insulation and keeps you warmer longer
– you’ll be able to put on that extra pair of socks 3
*Membranes are graded with waterproofness/breathability numbers. You want the first to be 6,000–10,000 or more

4. Shoes: thick soles!
• Ultimate stuff: hiking / mountaineering gear
– Asolo, Merell, Marmot, Salomon etc
• If urban design is important, the likes of
Timberland and Ecco are good compromises
• Any high boots really, but with thick soles
– even Dr. Martens and Grinders
• Add Snowboarding / skiing / trecking socks
– great cost/value ratio
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5. Shoes: common mistakes
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- thin soles
- not water resistant
- no lining
- thin soles
- not water resistant
- thin soles
- might be ok
for 0–10C / 30–50F,
but not below
- not water resistant
- no lining
- thin soles
- low sides
- no lining
- ok if you’re a pimp

6. BTW, Celcius to Farhenheit conversion, finally
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7. Protect you body from the wind
• They say Boston winters are windy, humid, and below-freezing
– worst combo possible: chills you to the bones
• Wind is your worst enemy, so your jacket must be a wind-stopper
– high-collar and hood
– cover your ass (no, winter is no time to be sexy)
• Water-proof, esp for fall
– look for membranes (again, Goretex)
• Fleece or wool lining is nice
– but wind stopping is more important
– you can always put an extra sweater underneath
– if you want to ride a bike in the winter, sacrifice the extra fleece,
focus on wind stopping – you’re going to sweat anyway
• Under the outer jacket: fleece jacket is super useful
– for extreme cases, use thermal underwear as well
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8. Jackets: thick windstoppers
• Again, mountaineering gear is the best
functionally
– Northface, Marmot, Lowe Alpine etc
• Snowboarding / skiing gear is good
– but if you have that, you shouldn’t need to
read this
• For fall, focus on water repelling
• For winter, focus on wind stopping and fleece
– some people like down coats, but I wouldn’t
go too fluffy – it’s for long-time freeze
resistance, so unless you’re going to sleep in a
park, you should be ok
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9. Jackets: common mistakes
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- open neck
- not water resistant
- no hood
- not warm enough
- ok if you’re a pimp
- may or may not
be water resistant
- no hood
- too short
- not water resistant
- no hood
- too short
- not warm enough
- not water resistant
- no hood
- not warm enough

10. Hands: a lot of options
• That’s very personal, so a lot of options
– leather with some lining is usually enough
– fleece is good and durable
– thinsulate membrane is great, though
mine never survived more than one season
• Make sure they’re touch-screen compatible:
having to take your gloves off to take a call is
the worst!
– yes, the technology is there!
– old-school option: finger-less gloves or
transformers
• Consider mitts, if you’re sensitive, they are
much, much warmer
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11. Head: cover your ears
• Head is important to cover
– a lot of options: wool, fleece, leather, combinations
– just make sure it’s properly attached and is not gone with the wind
• You really want to cover your ears, they’ll freeze first
– so I wouldn’t go for caps and fedoras, fancy as they are
• A woolen scarf will never hurt
– though some people opt to omit that, esp with high collars
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12. Tricks: protect your skin when it’s freezing
• Chap stick (or alike)
– wind and cold will make your lips
dry in an instant
– yes, it’s there for men too
• Moisturizing cream for face and hands
– same reason
– yes, laugh now
• Well, beard is a good option
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13. Ultimate protection for extreme cases
–20C/0F and below
• Thermal underwear
• Polartec fleece
• Snowboarding / skiing / trecking socks
• Mountaineering boots
• Thick membrane jacket with fleece lining
• (Snowboarding) mitts
• Balaclava
• Ushanka
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14. Takeaways
• Keep your feet warm and dry
• Thick soles, water-resistant shoes
• Thick, wind- and water-resistant jackets
• Thermal underwear, fleeces are very useful
• Cover your ears
• Touchscreen compatible gloves
And, finally, DO NOT drink vodka outside to get warm!
– come to my place, I’ll serve it properly
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