Those of you who know me well, know that I am not a fan of the cold weather. This poses a problem for me on the farm during winter. It is COLD outside. However, the chores must be done regardless of the weather out. Having family and friends in the south, I often get asked how I can stand being out in the cold. Well… to be honest, I do not handle it well and have learned the importance of good gear to stay warm and dry!
The other morning when preparing to do chores it was 20 degrees out. It was time to gear up and get the job done! This is how I roll in the cold:
#1 – Hands: when doing farm chores this is my number one concern. My hands get wet when dealing with waterers. Wet and cold hands are frozen hands. Frozen hands are not productive. My favorite gloves are these Kinco HydroFlector gloves. They are waterproof and thermal lined. They keep my hands dry and warm. They protect my hands very well whether I am digging out a crushed egg from my pocket, grabbing hay, or digging bedding out of the chicken waterer. They serve me well on the farm and I do not go out without them.
#2 – Feet: CJ has a saying that “Wet feet are not happy feet”, I would say wet or cold feet. My feet must be protected. Who knows what I will be walking through on the farm! I also empty waterers and deal with the hose quite a bit, so my feet occasionally get wet. My favorite boots are my Muck boots. They are simply the best. My feet stay dry and they are easily cleaned off with the hose if needed. I have owned this pair over a year – using them daily when I worked at the shelter and the past year here on the farm. They are still in great shape and hold up well! They are a tad big on my little feet as they did not offer half sizes when I bought them, so I had to go a size larger. A good thick pair of winter socks solves that problem though and helps to keep my feet warm as well.
On really cold days such as the 20 degree day, I employ my heated socks. These were a gift and I love them! You can feel the warmth as soon as you hit the button. They are quite comfortable! I thought the battery pack on the side would be uncomfortable, but I do not even notice it. The pocket holds it nicely and it does not move around or fall out. The muck boots have plenty of room so again, I do not notice it when walking around.
#3 Head – Long hair is a pain. It gets in my way and I cannot see if it is in my face. We all know how these animals like to come at me. I need to be prepared! A ponytail is a must on the farm. However, that does make keeping my head warm an issue. That is until I found this beanie hat with a hole in it for my ponytail. Seriously, love this thing! It is the small things that make me happy! I can wear my hair up and keep my head/ears warm. It is quite warm too. A must have in my book.
#4 Face – Typically I do not use anything for my face. On the snowy or windy days though, my chin will freeze solid and my nose will look like Rudolph so then I throw on my fleece lined face shield. It does a great job of keeping my face warm and thawed out! Sometimes I throw it on if I know I will be out longer than normal. I have recently learned that it helps with the dust from the hay as well so maybe I should wear it more!
#5 Body – I always throw on a pair of sweatpants over my leggings. I keep an old pair that I have deemed my farm britches in the closet for this purpose. Paired with the leggings they keep me warm and I do not have to worry if they get dirty.
My most favorite thing of all is my heated coat. This thing is worth its weight in gold to me. It is mine, and no one else can touch it – ever. HA! It has a battery pack that fits in an inner pocket that can be taken out and charged via USB. It warms up quickly and stays warm for quite a while. I have never had it lose power while wearing it. It has three heat settings, although I only ever use the warmest setting. Recently I learned that it washes well, after I accidently cracked an egg in the pocket. It also fits well under one of CJ’s large raincoats so I can still wear it if its rainy or snowy! It keeps me warm outside on the coldest of days!
These items are how I manage not to freeze to death outside while doing farm chores. They may be unnecessary or over the top for some, but I am warm and dry and that is what matters to me! I refuse to be cold or wet!