Arctic Wear
I have had several comments on my travels around the State of Alaska and going up north specifically ‘above the Arctic Circle’, places with names like Kotzebue, Selawik, Barrow and Point Hope to name a few. Time of year comes into the equation but only slightly as it can snow or have freezing temperatures there even in summer. For many of those who ‘work’ in the arctic it is a place where seasonal changes do not hamper the operations of providing much needed oil and natural gas to the nation. It is a place where things continue to move about and work performed even in the harshest conditions known to man. 60 below zero with a 70 know wind many times is a common event with things moving a little slower and with safety always forefront in everyone’s mind as a misjudgment can be tragic to those who are complacent and not fully aware of their surroundings and wildlife.
When I moved from Atlanta to Alaska, I learned what a “winter coat” really meant. When I started traveling out to the bush and remote Alaskan villages I learned about “Refrigerwear.” If one harbors notions of glamorous furs in the frozen north there are seal skin hats and other items that PETA would frown about but to most villagers living out in the wild it has been a staple for clothing for hundreds of years . . . long before PETA lodged its first complaint.
I’ll share my shopping trip for proper Arctic clothing. First: All thoughts of ‘fashion’ pretty much bit the dust when the store most recommended was Classic Alaska also known as Army/Navy on 4th Avenue. I passed the Carhart coveralls and went to the men's department in the basement and threw myself on the mercy of the saleswoman. Sadly not the gal on the television commercials as I love her husky Demi Moore voice.
“Let’s start with the coat,” she said. I’m still thinking something like an Army winter jacket with hood when she presented me with a coat that weighed approximately the same as small shed and pretty much resembled one. When I put it on, my arms wouldn’t hang down against my body, they sort of stuck out like the Stay-Puft Marshmallow man. The collar pushed up against my chin so that I couldn’t look down or even straight out, I could only see up, kind of waiting to see what would happen to me next. The sales lady pulled the hood over my face and I couldn’t see up anymore. Just a circle of light and the tips of the coyote fur, or possum pelt or rat fuzz that encircled the rim of the hood. The sales lady put her hand on the crown of my head and pushed down, my head bent and I caught a glimpse in the mirror. She let the pressure off and the collar pushed my head back to its previous slant. She shoved again and held her palm there. "The collar needs a little breaking in. All that ‘down’ will compress soon.” I figured there must be a flock of naked ducks around to have provided this much down. ‘Down’ . . . that wouldn’t let my head to do that very thing, look down towards my feet.
I wish I wouldn’t have looked.
By the end of the procedure this is what I wore: long underwear, top and bottom, sock warmers, thick wick wear socks, fleece liner pants, wind pants, shirt, sweater, coat/shed, watch cap, wool scarf, glove liners, gloves complete with "snot wipe" band and boots. I was a sight to see for sure and about 30 pounds heavier from the gear.
Let’s pick out my boots. "Those are rated for seventy below," the helpful saleslady said and increased the pressure on my head so I could look down. "They’re so much more attractive than the old bunny boots. Those were huge and white, really ugly." These were rubberized and padded which looked like I had shoved my legs into a pair of fifty five gallon drums. All in all, I felt I looked like a idiot.
"Inside the coat in a special pocket is a kit with a fire starter and chemical hand warmers. For when you get lost." She told me.
Did you catch that? When, not if.
My clothes come with life support.
You may ask where do I wear all this arctic gear. For the first year I had my gear I did not make hardly any trips up north so it was when I walked the dog or went to the mailbox. The only problem, it was such a pain in that it took longer for me to get dressed and all of the gear on than to just quickly go out and do the chore. The only other times were going snow machining with friends.
By the end of the procedure this is what I wore: long underwear, top and bottom, sock warmers, thick wick wear socks, fleece liner pants, wind pants, shirt, sweater, coat/shed, watch cap, wool scarf, glove liners, gloves complete with "snot wipe" band and boots. I was a sight to see for sure and about 30 pounds heavier from the gear.
Let’s pick out my boots. "Those are rated for seventy below," the helpful saleslady said and increased the pressure on my head so I could look down. "They’re so much more attractive than the old bunny boots. Those were huge and white, really ugly." These were rubberized and padded which looked like I had shoved my legs into a pair of fifty five gallon drums. All in all, I felt I looked like a idiot.
"Inside the coat in a special pocket is a kit with a fire starter and chemical hand warmers. For when you get lost." She told me.
Did you catch that? When, not if.
My clothes come with life support.
You may ask where do I wear all this arctic gear. For the first year I had my gear I did not make hardly any trips up north so it was when I walked the dog or went to the mailbox. The only problem, it was such a pain in that it took longer for me to get dressed and all of the gear on than to just quickly go out and do the chore. The only other times were going snow machining with friends.
Later on I started working for a company who was actively building clinics and schools in the bush and several projects in Barrow at the top of the world. I have since changed out some of my gear to be both warm and functional in the extreme conditions. Oddly it is easy to overdress with too many layers on so choosing the balance of layers and covering any exposed skin keeps bad things from happening to you. It only takes a small amount of time for frost bite to set in and damage to be done to exposed parts of the body.
When dressed properly for the weather and conditions, working continues with no major problems only a slight slow down from the heavy gloves and padding. And the costs to stay warm and workable . . . around five hundred dollars give or take depending on whether it’s functional or ‘logo’ branded outer wear.
Stay warm & dry.
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