Paul- Have you tried putting cayenne in your socks?
-Don > From: [email protected] > To: [email protected] > Subject: Re: [ENTS] Re: Cold is good > Date: Sun, 3 Jan 2010 15:17:49 -0600 > > James, > > I used Danner boots for most winter hiking. They used to all be > American-made, now only some of the most expensive models are. I use Sorel > style LaCrosse Icekings for really cold weather only, since the removable > liner boots are bigger and clumsier than thinsulate insulated boots. The > rubber traps too much sweat in the lowers and holds water if it gets wet and > the felt soaks it up so that you have to change them to dry them out. > Gore-tex thinsulate boots will dry themselves out if you have snug moisture > wicking socks and proper fit with the boot with not too much slack space > around your foot. If you don't "overdress" your feet and use synthetic > socks and lighter more breathable boots, then they don't get wet. I highly > recommend Wigwam socks formerly called Ingenius but now called Fusion brand > which are multiple layer synthetics that wick feet dryer than conventional > socks. My feet are warmer and dryer with those than with any other > combination that I have tested over the years. Our bogs freeze over up > here, so surface water is not normally a footwear issue in winter around > here. > > Paul > ----- Original Message ----- > From: "James Parton" <[email protected]> > To: "ENTSTrees" <[email protected]> > Sent: Sunday, January 03, 2010 12:49 PM > Subject: [ENTS] Re: Cold is good > > > Russ, > > I like your recommendations, especially on the Sorel boots, in which I > just looked up. They look like good winter boots with well above > average ratings. On the Sorels that have the rubber bottoms have you > ever had the rubber to crack or split? I had a pair of rubber bottomed > boots and that is exactly what happened, plus they froze my feet off > even with the 400gr Thinsulate insulation. Dad had a pair of rubber- > bottoms that split as well. > > My current two pairs of boots are Herman Survivors. Back in the 1980's > HS was a very credible and fairly expensive boot. Wal-Mart aquired the > company in the early 2000s and they are now no longer made in the USA. > They still have some decent boots but are getting worse year by year > and their selection of good outdoor hiking/hunting boots is becoming > less. I cannot even find the style I have in my hiking boots that I > have by them anymore. I have had them for six years and walked the > crap outta them and they still have lots of wear left. On my insulated > Hermans, they have 400gr Thinsulate and have done well so far. I have > not tried them much in really cold weather though. One thing is for > sure. They are waterproof. I slogged around in the muddy water of > Congaree Swamp last year measuring cypress knees without a leak! > > James Parton > > > On Jan 3, 10:31 am, [email protected] wrote: > > Paul: > > > > I, like you very much enjoy extreme cold ....there is something perversely > > enjoyable about being outside at temps close to zero or below with a > > gentle wind that feels like a laser on your cheeks. As I've gotten older > > and reached the point where I am almost always working alone, I no longer > > go out for more than six or eight hours in the woods if the temperature > > isn't going to get above zero. > > > > I agree about layering and how you mix them is so incredibly important. > > The general availability of good mixed material boots like Sorels with > > removable felts makes many aspects of extreme weather much more enjoyable > > today than 30 or 40 years ago. > > > > I'd like to offer a tip for heavy physical effort and perspiration in > > extreme cold weather. In almost any circumstance where I am going to climb > > up a big mountain or expose myself to a substantial period of serious > > effort in very cold temperatures, I'll carry a spare T-shirt. At the point > > where I decide that the period of most severe effort has ended I will > > immediately stop in as calm a point as possible and strip down my top > > layers down to bare skin and take off the wettest bottommost layer of my > > shirts and completely dress back up with a dry shirt on the bottom. Such a > > change has always been refreshing and nearly always prevents me from > > developing a chill. Also, if I plan it carefully and I am able to make the > > wardrobe change before my body starts to recover from the strain of the > > climb and begin cooling off I have an extremely good chance of remaining > > comfortable at whatever the temperature is for several hours. > > > > One question, for everyone who spends a lot of time in the woods during > > the coldest part of winter....have you noticed that there is a time in the > > afternoon when something changes to make the air suddenly "feel" colder. > > In Western Massachusetts during January I usually found that time to be > > between 3:15 and 3:30 on the coldest days. Other people were the first to > > point this change out to me and it seems to be most readily noticeable in > > forested locations that are on north or east facing areas (out of any > > sun). > > > > Russ > > > > > > > > -----Original Message----- > > From: Paul Jost <[email protected]> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Sat, Jan 2, 2010 2:30 pm > > Subject: Re: [ENTS] Cold is good > > > > Bob, > > > > As I get older, I also have reduced tolerance for the cold. The key is to > > have proper clothing and to keep moving. Conventional cold weather gear is > > woefully inadequate. It is a significant investment to outfit one's self > > with the proper clothing. From years of deer hunting, moving slowly or not > > at all for several hours at a time in subzero weather, I have evolved a > > clothing arrangement that allows me to do so relatively comfortably. Few > > people that I have come across in winter are dressed in winter clothing > > other than what is available in the typical chain store or department > > store. It's good for urban living but not rural stomping. Even most > > hunting clothing traps too much moisture. My cold weather midyear and > > outerwear, boots and socks come mostly from Cabala's, thermal underwear > > and glove liners from REI, glove-mitts and knit caps from anyone that has > > them. > > > > Paul > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: [email protected] > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 1:21 PM > > Subject: Re: [ENTS] Cold is good > > > > Paul, > > > > I salute you my friend. I never thought about the dvantages as you have > > described them. However, as one ages, tolerance to cold diminishes. At > > least, that is true in my case. I am becoming a real wuss. > > > > Bob > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Paul Jost" <[email protected]> > > To: [email protected] > > Sent: Saturday, January 2, 2010 1:38:21 PM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > > Subject: [ENTS] Cold is good > > > > I disagree. The best time to search some sites is when it is below zero, > > as > > long as the wind is nearly calm. About 10 years ago, I spent a three day > > weekend in fresh snow in the Cathedral Pines and Giant Pine Groves in the > > Nicolet National Forest. It never got warmer than -10F and was mostly -15 > > to -20F. The cold weather kept all people out of the woods (except for one > > individual on the December bird count survey day) and the fresh snow > > allowed > > me to track a real viewable grid pattern through the entire Cathedral Pine > > grove without having to refer to a GPS the whole time. This freed up my > > hands and eyes for quick on the fly rough-estimation scanning through the > > grove. The lack of other people due to the cold allowed me to refer to my > > footsteps in the snow for ensuring a thorough scouting of the grove. The > > lack of wind allowed me to not be burdened with a heavy winter coat. I > > generated enough heat by walking in the knee deep snow and crossing > > blowdowns. I wore a light sweater, light vest, and light jacket with light > > gloves and a cap. It was refreshing to be dressed lightly and out in the > > brisk weather crashing through underbrush. However, if I stopped for more > > than a few minutes to measure a tree, I soon got too cold. I kept the > > laser, GPS, and camera one layer deep within my clothes. Any more would > > have made them too warm and condensation would have damaged them after > > their > > periodic exposures to the cold air. The circumstances allowed me to find > > tall skinny 133 foot white pines whose crowns had been 25-35' higher but > > had > > at some time been bent horizontal by heavy snow loads. All of those trees > > have since fallen since then due to subsequent snow loads in combination > > with their arching bent over habit. Additionally, I covered an area that I > > normally would have ignored, but went into to stick to my regimen of well > > defined grids in the snow. As a result, I found 147' and 150' tall white > > pines adjacent to each other outside the main grove. Those are the tallest > > trees that I have measured in Wisconsin outside the Menominee Reservation. > > Both accurately laser measured in -22F weather in the dusky twilight and > > reverified within a half a foot on a 95F midsummer day the following year. > > That time, the grove was filled with tourists and nesting great blue > > herons, > > as well as mosquitoes! I preferred the colder day. > > > > Paul > > > > ----- Original Message ----- > > From: "Lee Frelich" <[email protected]> > > To: <[email protected]> > > Sent: Saturday, January 02, 2010 11:08 AM > > Subject: Re: [ENTS] Re: The Ramble Grove_Asheville NC > > > > > Bob: > > > > > Yes, keeping electronic instruments under your coat is pretty much > > > necessary when its below zero. However, I don't do field work on days > > > when the high is predicted to be below zero. Its just not an efficient > > > use of time. 0-10 degrees is my minimum for field work, although I do > > > recreational activities at colder temperatures. > > > > > Lee > > > > > [email protected] wrote: > > >> James, > > > > >> Well, north is relative. At my latitude, we grab opportunities when > > >> they arise and just limit our exposure, time wise. Farther north, in > > >> Lee's neck of the woods, I think measuring gets suspended entirely. He > > >> and Paul will have to confirm that observation, but trying to get a > > >> laser to work in sub-zero is not a smart idea. Maybe they have > > >> techniques like keeping the laser inside a garment next to the body, > > >> whipping it out, taking a quick shot and submerging it again. > > > > >> Bob > > > > >> ----- Original Message ----- > > >> From: "James Parton" <[email protected]> > > >> To: "ENTSTrees" <[email protected]> > > >> Sent: Saturday, January 2, 2010 9:26:16 AM GMT -05:00 US/Canada Eastern > > >> Subject: [ENTS] Re: The Ramble Grove_Asheville NC > > > > >> Bob, > > > > >> I was hoping for an outing tomorrow, but cold hands may be a real > > >> problem. How do northern ents cope? That button on the Nikon 440 is > > >> too small to use adequately with heavily gloved hands and try writing > > >> down data with heavy gloves on. I have learned that pulling off your > > >> gloves, even for a short time is not usually a good idea! > > > > >> James. > > > > >> On Jan 2, 8:20 am, Bob <[email protected]> wrote: > > >> > James > > > > >> > Good job. I sympathize with you on the freezing hands problem. > > >> > That was what curtailed my tree measuring in Montpelier. > > > > >> > Bob > > > > >> > Sent from my iPhone > > > > >> > On Jan 2, 2010, at 12:35 AM, James Parton <[email protected]> > > >> > wrote: > > > > >> > > ENTS, > > > > >> > > Today I finally got back to do some measuring of a nice White Pine > > >> > > grove that I found while on another hike back in January 2009. The > > >> > > grove is located between the Blue Ridge Parkway and Hendersonville > > >> > > Rd ( Hwy 25 ) near where the parkway crosses over 25. I call it the > > >> > > Ramble Grove because of the nearby Ramble housing development > > >> > > located nearby. > > > > >> http://www.nativetreesociety.org/fieldtrips/north_carolina/20090125-b... > > > > >> > > The grove is dominated by Eastern White Pine but also contains > > >> > > Tuliptree and Pitch Pine with American Holly as an understory tree. > > >> > > A few oaks and shortleaf pines are found here too, especially near > > >> > > the borders of the grove. Large Poison Ivy vines also climb to > > >> > > great > > >> > > heights into the trees. I found one huge vine that was two feet in > > >> > > circumference! Why do some forests have large Poison Ivy vines > > >> > > while > > >> > > others lack Poison Ivy all together? Poison Ivy seems rare in most > > >> > > older growth forests I visit while it seems more common in younger > > >> > > forests. Especially near populated areas. Does anyone know why? I > > >> > > would guess this grove to be young judging by the trees youthful > > >> > > appearance and many branch stubs on the trunks of the pines. I > > >> > > would > > >> > > guess the grove at 60-80 years old. > > > > >> > > The tallest tree found today was a respectable White Pine that was > > >> > > 143..2 feet tall and 6' 3" in girth. Tall and slim. The largest > > >> > > overall was a Tuliptree that was 138.3 feet tall and 8' 9" in > > >> > > girth. > > > > >> > > Also a hollylike plant was found in the forest that I believe is an > > >> > > invasive species. Can anyone identify this " mystery holly " for > > >> > > me? > > > > ... > > > > read more »- Hide quoted text - > > > > - Show quoted text - > > -- > Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org > Send email to [email protected] > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] > > -- > Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org > Send email to [email protected] > Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en > To unsubscribe send email to [email protected] _________________________________________________________________ Hotmail: Trusted email with Microsoft’s powerful SPAM protection. http://clk.atdmt.com/GBL/go/177141664/direct/01/ -- Eastern Native Tree Society http://www.nativetreesociety.org Send email to [email protected] Visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/entstrees?hl=en To unsubscribe send email to [email protected]
