Hey out, visitor from /k/, here.
I'm getting ready to go to the Fairbanks area if Alaska for a year. Generally, I know how to handle myself outdoors, and have survived just fine in a range of climates, but the extreme cold of the area (As low as -50F) is something I'm not familiar with.
I'm not looking for any product recommendations or anything like that, just wondering if anyone has advice or suggestions on extra equipment or other things to bear in mind when dealing with such significant temperatures. 0-10 degree weather is more my typical experience level.
Thanks in advance. Y'all got a nice board here.
Layers layers layers. Don't let yourself sweat, if you know you'll be exerting yourself take some off, if you know you're going to be stationary for awhile add some (where a well made parka is nice)
Protect everything - Hands, feet, face neck EYES- goggles or sunglasses are a must- snow blindness fucking sucks.
Snow shoes are a must imo. Traditional for fluffy snow on flat terrain and modern style with studs for rolling steep hard terrain.
Wool and wool blends for clothing when you can find them.
A hot tent is a wonderfull thing to have if you plan on spending a lot of time outside.
>>792789
Check out master Rays videos on winter and arctic outdoorsman techniques
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bnxq0KrIr-E
from personal experience - don't pee the bed. even if you're not a bedwhetter, take precautions just in case.
consider shaving
I'd worry more about the pollution in the winter. They use wood stoves and it's one of the most air polluted towns in the US.
Also it's the same as with heat. Ever here the term it's not the heat it's the humidity? Fairbanks doesn't feel as cold when the temps dip that far down. I live in Alaska.
>>792807
>Layers
>Protection
this
>Wool
eh. My vote is for synthetics. Wool's not bad, but performance synthetics work better.
Weird shit starts happening around -30°F. Add a little bit of wind and that environment becomes real dangerous.
Also, plastic things get real brittle. Engines need a LOT more warm-up time before you load them (and carbs usually need to be jetted richer).
Lower than that, around -40°Fish (-43 iirc) is propane's boiling point - furnaces/heaters quit working because they need vapor, not liquid. Batteries tend to freeze around here too, making starting a cold vehicle impossible (Plug your rig in and keep underhood temps up if you can).
Diesels need a LOT of treatment at this temp.
If you're going there with a company, they should have a guide/recommendation list and maybe even set you up with some cold-weather gear.
Know the signs of hypothermia/frostbite and how to treat it, and do that before it becomes a major problem.
Snowshoes? I'd rather be on a snowmobile.
>Nighttime low of -53°F this trip
>never got above 0°F
>>792874
Would using AGM batteries help?
What about lifepo batteries?
>>792903
They still derate over temp, and most Li variants won't charge below 0°F (Charger prevents that to protect the cell(s)).
If it's that cold, the voltage is going to drop following the derating curve for the cell chemistry, and probably won't have the voltage/current to actually start anything.
There's a reason RTG's get deployed at brutally cold sites instead of battery/solar systems.
>>792874
>>792903
>>792916
Starting at ~-10ºF I put all my batteries in a condom and carry them in my rectum
>>792916
>0°F
correction, 0°C.
The 18650 cells I use in my equipment that gets deployed in the snow, onboard charger's set to allow charging between 3-42°C. Outside of that range, you risk cell damage/fire. Status including cell voltage can be read wirelessly, so if one unit's low I can dig it up while it's still functioning, throw it in the trailer/truck for a while to warm it up, and let it charge for a few hours.
>>792918
lel, that's a pretty good idea.
OP here, thanks a lot guys.
Seems like for the most part it's standard Cold Weather prep, just bigger and moreier.
