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by hansvm 94 days ago
Does it take 10 minutes to choose? Back when I was commuting, I had different kit depending on the temperature, and it wasn't exactly hard.

>50F: Summer gear, and not much of it. I run hot, and there's no need to make it worse.

>20F: Add a thick sweatshirt and gloves

>0F: Add wool socks, long pants and a wool underlayer, a windproof outer shell, glasses, a hat, a thicker windproof layer over my gloves, and sometimes a scarf depending on how short I'd cut my beard.

>-20F: Similar, but with some extra layers over my core, and the scarf is mandatory.

>-40: Similar, more layers.

<-40: I know my limits. I've nearly gotten in serious trouble before when it's too cold out and I didn't plan for extra wind and a cold pocket near the river or having to walk because of a poorly maintained road or whatever. My gear wasn't especially high-tech, and I just called work and emailed my professors to let them know I wasn't going to make it.

Wind would have me reaching for wind breaking and insulation at higher temperatures.

It wasn't a 10-minute process by any means though. I'd pull out my phone in the wee hours of morning, see that it was X temperature on the homescreen, and plan accordingly. If he's just selecting between a few jerseys that should be even easier, right?

1 comments

-20 and -40? You're harder than me, I move indoors onto the turbo when it gets much below 28*F.
I didn't have a lot of choice. I was pretty broke and also couldn't afford to skip 2 months of work or school. Nowadays I'm a bit more careful with my time.