(cargo?) WARM HEAVY work-pants? (google not much help)

[David Combs]

Am looking for heavy-duty **warm** work-pants, and can't so far find much somewhat near the top of a google search.

Years and years (30?) ago I bought such a pair, outside made of something strong, like canvas, maybe, with a quilted semi-sweat-impermeable-covered thickish lining.

So tough that I probably could have walked through a patch of catclaw without tearing it.

And WARM.

Partly due to the lining, and partly (or mainly?) due to the *weight* of the material, which helps lower *radiative* heat loss.

These days, however, I seem to find only cheap, thin stuff, (easy to tear, wear holes into, etc) and if with lining, then only with "fleece", which in my experience will stretch and of course provides a ZERO

*radiative* heat-loss barrier.

QUESTION: In northern Minnesota or Alaska, say, what do outdoor workers wear?

Or steel-workers 50 stories up, with wind-chill at -30 -- what do *they* wear?

Brands, places, prices?

THANKS!

David

[spamTHISbrp]

TSC tractor stores are great for outdoor work gear.

A brand name to look for online etc- carhartt

Dave

[Doug Miller]

A human body is not sufficiently warmer than its environment to lose much heat by radiation. The overwhelming majority of heat loss from a human body is by the evaporation of water from the skin and mucous membranes (including the lungs), and by conduction to the air. Any heat lost conductively to free air is rapidly removed convectively. The key to staying warm is to reduce this convective loss by dressing in layers, to ensure that the warm air layer next to the skin _stays_there_ instead of transporting that heat somewhere else.

Bottom line: anything that's reasonably well insulated, with a barrier to keep out wind, will keep you warm. When I'm deer hunting, I wear coveralls insulated with Thinsulate Ultra, and they keep me *very* warm -- despite the fact that deer hunting in the Midwest is a largely sedentary activity that consists mostly of sitting in a stand waiting for deer. You'll presumably be active while wearing work pants, so your need for insulation is correspondingly less than mine. My hunting coveralls are made by Walls; I don't know if they make outdoor work clothing too, but most manufacturers of hunting clothing do.

Try searching at cabelas.com or basspro.com

[HotRod]

TSC stores carr Tough Duck "Work wear" it's what I'll be wearing for the enxt few years or until soemthing better comes along. I have a set of insulated and uninsalted and I rarely get the chance to wear the insulated ones since they are to warm. Worth every penny I spent.

[Don Phillipson]

In Canada, you can buy cotton canvas work pants lined with traditional type flannel, and add wool long johns for cold days, ice fishing, etc.

[BobK207]

David-

As another posted suggested

carhartt, sturdy work clothes

They make lots of different styles because it depends on the person, what you're doing; how much mobility you want & the weather conditions

You can keep yourself warm with enough layers of any clothing but if you're wrapped up like the Michelin tire man...it's gonna be hard to move effectively

YEARS ago I had occasion to work outside in Ohio near the lake (luckily I was younger then) I used insulated overalls (bib style) with long underwear (uppers only) & a lighter jacket to mantain upper body mobility.

I doubt I could stand that setup now but it worked great for me, back then

Full insulated overalls can be a good choice but if you've got to integrate fall protection into the setup....it leads back to bib overalls w/ long jonhn shirt & another outer shirt. JMHO

In mountain areas (fall/ early winter) of California the guys seem to settle on bib overalls & long sleeve pullover shirts (& of course, hard hats & harness)

The concept is...keep the legs & trunk warm (feet too with insulated boots or regular boots oversized for thick socks.)

.......the arms will get warmed by circulation

If the weather gets colder or windy they add some sort of knit ski type "helmet" under their hard hats

I use a........

keeps the bald spot on the top of my head from shedding all my heat :)

you low level activity standing, walking, sitting outdoors

a Polarwarp heat exchange mask

has some value but if you're really exerting yourself..IMO it's too restrictive for adequate breathing

here are some "test drive" reports

hth

cheers Bob

[nicksanspam]

It is, on a cold clear day.

Nick

[Doug Miller]

Not in comparison to the heat lost through evaporation and conduction/convection. Not even close.

[Doug Miller]

In article , [e-mail] (Doug Miller) wrote: re else.

Update -- Walls definitely *does* make insulated work wear. I just saw a guy wearing some when I picked up some building supplies this afternoon.

[BobK207]

A cold clear night is even better

cheers Bob

[Nick Pine]

I disagree. Got numbers?

Nick

[Doug Miller]

In general, radiation is about an order of magnitude less effective at transferring heat than conduction or convection.

[Lawrence]

I live in the north country and always buy Carhardtt brand. there are many imitators that do a good job, however. I have a lot of carhardtt stuff and swear by it. They offer pants, overalls, coveralls, and shirts in both unlined and quilted versions. they are not cheap but are the best. They are the most rugged work clothes ever. It is possible to wear out a pair of Carhartts, but not easy. Most of their work clothes are union made in the USA. I buy mine online at:

They have the complete line and have been reliable for me. Don't know about where you live but around here Fleet Farm is the local source for Carhardtt. Other outdoor stores like Cabelas and Gander Mountain also stock it.

[nicksanspam]

Got numbers?

Nick

[Doug Miller]

Get your own numbers.

[Al Bundy]

[e-mail] wrote in news:elq10b$ [e-mail]:

6 27 1986

-22

55.8 |-500|

all numbers >=0 all numbers

[Jim]

I'm from Canada and had spent twelve years working above the arctic circle. You can forget about the designer stuff...buy Carhardtt brand. Jim

[volts500]

Carhardtt makes jeans that are very durable, available at Sears and Roebuck, Tractor Supply and a lot of other places.

I live in Florida now, but back in the "cold days," as a construction electrician, working right beside steel workers in the Midwest, here's what I used to wear:

Regular underwear ^ long johns ^ heavy socks ^ Uninsulated Carhardtt jeans, or regular jeans ^ heavy flannel shirt ^ zippered, lined, sweatshirt with hood ^ Insulated Carhardtt bib overalls (for better movement) ^ Carhardt insulated jacket with hood ^ sock hat ^ work boots ^ slip over rubber boots ^ cotton gloves under deerskin gloves. Everything slightly loose. In my case, doing electrical work, everything needed to be 100% cotton and Carhardtt wool linings, no plastic....something that is hard to find these days.

All that, and the coldest I've ever been, including living in Norway for 3 years, was right here in Florida....doing some wiring inside of a minus 40 degree F cold storage facility. Just had a winter jacket too.

The trick to staying warm is wearing slightly loose, layered clothing and don't get wet.....even from sweating. If you start to sweat, unzip, unbutton, or take off some clothing and go back to work until you start to feel cold again, then put cloths back on as needed. On sunny days sometimes I could strip down to just the flannel shirt and bibs for 10 minutes or so. The rubber boots go a long way to keeping your feet warm and dry. Once your feet get wet, you're screwed.

[marson]

I wear arctic wt. carhart bibs when it is below zero. otherwise I wear a pair of oversized jeans or light wool pants over fleece sweat pants. I can't imagine wearing all cotton. I go to secondhand stores and buy wool sweaters and coats which I wear in layers depending on the temp. I did go out and spent 60 bucks on a merino wool underwear shirt which was worth every penny. sweating or a little rain or snow is no problem with wool.

[nicksanspam]

Makes as much sense as Doug's reply :-)

Nick