cold weather flying clothes

[uplandann]

Okay this may seem like a silly question but, where can I buy light-weight, low-bulk jacket/pants that will keep me warm and fit over other layer(s) (long underwear etc.) for cold weather flying? I didn't want a flight suit .... I need some good gloves too, that have good grip and keep my hands warm without compromising dexterity.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Ann

[kcarra]

Try reioutlet.com or sierratradingpost.com. Also the best solution I've found is to use decent grippy gloves with bar mitts. No glove with decent grip has also had enough warmth for me. You can drop hand warmers into your bar mitts for extra heat. Make sure that the bar mitts are big enough to be able to quickly and easily get your hands in and out.

[mcelrah]

As they say, great minds run in the same gutters.

First gloves: there are several solutions, each with costs and benefits:

1. Flytec (the company that makes varios) makes neoprene gloves (kinda like wetsuit gloves) that are grippy, protect from wind, but can get sweaty. I can mash buttons on my instruments with these on.
2. Some ski gloves have reasonable dexterity (not as good as the Flytec), better insulation and reasonable grip - but you can't work electronics, or set up your glider, with them on. For a price, there are some with electric heating. Others have a place to put one of those little chemical heat packs (at the wrist, near the blood supply to the rest of the hand, seems to work best).
3. Mittens - so you forget about desterity. I have a pair that you can flip the tops off the thumb and finger parts for fine work, then flip them back on for warmth.
4. (As karen says) Bar mitts - Steve Wendt at Blue Sky makes them. You can wear lighter gloves for setting up and working instruments (NOT the most important thing - I don't usually have to adjust anything), then put you hands in the bar mitts which keep them out of the wind. You can even put the chemical heat packs in the bar mitts - maybe a little tape to keep them from falling out...

Clothes:

1. Silk underwear (available from Land's End - not as expensive as it sounds) - low bulk, wicks away sweat.
2. Flannel lined jeans (Land's End and L.L. Bean - not sure about women's models)
3. Hardshell fleece with a windstopper layer - Eastern Mountain Sports has a model that people swear by. We don't fly in the rain (on purpose anyway) and we're not really exerting ourselves, so Goretex/breathability is less of a concern (but it is if you have just hauled your glider 1/2 mile up the back of Woodstock Firetower Road when it was closed for snow).

Balaclava (thin fleece to fit under helmet; keeps head warm and holds in-the-ear radio headset in place, some protection for chin)
Plexiglass face shield on helmet (flips up so you can see better during launch, landing - gotta protect from scratching)

As they say, if your feet are cold, put on a hat...

Socks (Smartwool). Heat packs in boots if feet run cold.

These are just some suggestions. All of us experiment with various combinations...

- Hugh

[Matthew]

Heat Factory Insoles

See-- http://www.sportsmansguide.com/net/cb/cb.aspx?a=153322

The toe heaters are crap. Your feet can actually get hot with the insoles when its zero F.

Matthew

[jyoder111]

I flew with a full face balaclava and cheap ski goggles last weekend for an hour and felt invincible. The goggles' strap goes around the outside of my helmet like a skier.

[dbodner]

I didn't like flying with ski goggles the one time I tried. They killed my peripheral vision.

I agree with the other suggestions, though I haven't tried the chemical heat packs. Also, a general suggestion: lots of layers.

[rlweber]

Highly recommend using football receiver gloves (having non-slip grippy gloves is an important safety issue during the launch). However, the receiver gloves will not keep your hands warm, that is where a good pair of bar mitts are crucial. Using the proper cold whether clothing technology is part of the fun of flying in cold whether.

Randy

[brianvh]

I flew with a full face balaclava exactly once. Breath condenses on it and it feels like you've got a dog's nose pressed up against your face. A big dog. So if you try one, ask jesse what his system is to make it work.

[uplandann]

Thanks for all your great suggestions! keep 'em coming if you think of something else. I like the ski goggle idea, but I have to be careful not to fog up my glasses! I'm set with the balaclava, smartwools and grippy receiver gloves. I think i even have some hand warmers from years ago.
Going to give Rei and Sierra another look. I like the neoprene glove idea and silk... where do I find the flip up visor and is it easy to intall?

Ann

[mcelrah]

I have an Icaro helmet and there are screw holes on each side for mounting the face shield. I buy both from Highland Aerosports (Ridgely). Dunno about other brands of helmets, but I bet they have visors available... Good ski goggles have enough ventilation to prevent fogging glasses. If anything doesn't work right, just add money!
- Hugh

[theflyingdude]

Wills Wing sells the Charley No Limit helmet that comes with a face-shield. I used to think that having a face-shield would be a detriment, but now that I've been flying with one over the past few years, I wouldn't have it any other way, especially for winter flying or when you expect to get stinking high. They can be easily removed for fair-weather flying, too.

JR