Staying Warm in Winter

Boston after an insane snowstorm, 2016

So my sister, who constitutes 33% of my readership (pretty sure the other 66% is my Mom and Dad) matched at her number one choice for pediatrics in New England! I imagine she is one of many soon to be doctors who will be living up North for the first time. Speaking from personal experience, the transition isn’t easy, especially if you come from somewhere where the worst of winter is around 40 degrees Fahrenheit. That being said, I’d like to think after 5 years in the Northeast I am doing ok. After all, I haven’t lost any fingers or toes to frostbite, lol. So when my Mom asked me to help my sister get some winter gear, I was happy to help (and post it on the internet in the name of oversharing.) Below are a handful of things I’ve found either essential or super helpful to live in a place where it’s pretty cold for more than half of the year. None of this content is sponsored because my readership is wicked small. Lolz.

[Sidebar: I also want to acknowledge that I’m writing this from a place of complete and total privilege in the midst of a pandemic that is having devastating on so many. As a healthcare worker I understand the gravity of this outbreak, especially on those who don’t have the privilege or resources that I have as a white person with a stable income, shelter and other resources. For now, writing is one of the ways I stay calm and remove myself from the constant flow of news and media. There’s a lot of information on coronavirus available on blogs and social media, both good and bad, so for the time being, I am personally choosing not to produce more content besides sharing WHO and CDC-based information. At some point this week I may post about ways to help, but for now, distracting content it is.]

Me getting way too excited at how warm my first down coat was, 2015

Invest in a super warm coat. I used to think this meant a cute wool peacoat. I quickly learned during interview season how wrong I was about this. I settled for an plain down coat (link here) with excellent reviews from Patagonia and have never loved an unattractive item of clothing so much in my life. This thing is amazing. It keeps you warm and dry during long snowy winters, is sustainably made, and has lasted beautifully for 5 years. The best part about it? Patagonia will repair any damage at their stores for free. Amazing. 10/10. [Sidebar: you can get a slightly more attractive and much more expensive coat from Canada Goose. I’ve heard great things but preferred Patagonia’s business model and also not spending hundreds of dollars more for a label.]

Layer, layer, then layer some more. My first month of residency I spent 90% of my night float shivering, either curled up in a creaky twin bed in the intern call room or while wandering the floors and ER seeing patients. Hospital-issued scrubs are flimsy (and hospitals are super cold!) By August I had started wearing leggings underneath my scrubs, and I pretty much never stopped. Now I rarely wear jeans in the winter without leggings and an under shirt, and never go to work without leggings on, even in at the peak of summer. And that’s just the beginning! Use multiple layers with a nice long sleeve shirt or sweater over the top. Turtlenecks will become your new best friend. (Also worth noting: everyone and their Mom who works at a hospital wear Patagonia fleeces with their hospital name inscribed on them. Many residency programs give them out as gifts which is awesome, and I live in mine at work.) This post has links to some great gear to help stay warm using layers. I don't own any smart wool (my leggings and undershirts are from Pact with a few old pieces from target) but I bet its worth the money.

Our toes living their best life in Patagonia, Argentina

Keep your toes cozy. It would not be an exaggeration to say that apart from when I shower I basically live in socks during the winter. And not all socks are created equal. Thick wool socks will keep toes dry and cozy and last a lot longer than cheaply made socks sold at the nearest department store. I even have a few pairs of moisture wicking hiking socks from REI that I tend to use anytime I can, and of course there are plenty of sustainably made options out there as well. 

That being said, I think the hardest lesson I learned after 2 or 3 winters up North was how important good shoes are. I basically had to cross a parking lot to get to work my first few winters, so I would mostly suck it up and wade across a couple of snowbanks in my nice-ish leather boots or sneakers. While it didn’t completely ruin my shoes, it definitely damaged them quite a bit and I had to replace them much sooner than if I had used proper gear. On truly snowy days, most people will wear boots like these ones to commute, and leave a pair of work shoes in their office or locker. I will say I don’t own a pair of L.L. Bean boots yet, but they pretty much have a cult following up here and I will probably be getting a pair before next winter.

Protect your vulnerable areas. It took me a while to figure out that if it’s really cold out, covering a few key areas is key to staying warm. That includes your neck, hands/wrists and head. Wool and cashmere are great options (love this beanie and Everlane also has some great options,) but it can be nice to have sturdy weather-proof gloves if you’re going to be spending a lot of time outside. We also got a box of these our first Christmas up North and I am basically obsessed with them. I don’t know the environmental impact of them (they’re single use so I have held off on buying more,) but if you are planning to spend most of your day outside, these are a great option for keeping hands and toes warm.

And that’s it! Any other Northerners out there? Comment with your favorite tricks for staying warm. And if you’re looking for some ways to keep busy when its cold out, here’s an old post I wrote about some things we did to have fun during our very first winter in the cold. Hope everyone stays safe and healthy this week.