<p>I’m moving to Chicago for college and come winter I think I’ll be dead if I don’t have proper protection from the cold and the wind (cold wind). I’m trying to decide what kind of a jacket to get. Either one of:</p>
<li>An insulated down jacket like this one for example:
with a good 600 down fill.</li>
</ol>
<p>or</p>
<li>A 3-in-1 fleece and jacket like this one for example:</li>
</ol>
<p>The advantage of 1. is that it’s sure to keep me real warm and toasty however horrid the weather gets. It will also protect me from the wind / rain / snow etc. etc. The only problem is that it might get a bit uncomfortable during the three other seasons of the year! With the 3-in-1 jacket I can simply remove the outer layer when it’s not that cold. But the down side is obvious.</p>
<p>Also: My apologies for starting a new thread instead of continuing on my old thread but I just felt that more people would respond to a fresh thread rather than a post on page 2 or 3 or an old thread.</p>
<p>And don’t forget long underwear- merino wool is best- Smart Wool from New Zealand has socks, t’s and long liners that people in chicago swear by.</p>
<p>My D goes to Chicago, and wears a regular wool coat and sneakers most winter days. I sent her silk and wool leggings but its just a pain, as it gets really hot in the classrooms, so she just does jeans. Most kids wait inside whenever possible for the bus to arrive and thus minimize their time standing in the street.
I would say that with the whipping winds, most important areas to protect would be your head/neck/ears/face. So definitely get a nice warm hat that covers your ears, and a long scarf to wrap around face and neck, and good gloves.</p>
<p>Don’t worry <em>too</em> much about the cold. We natural-born Chicagoans got used to it Just get a good scarf and try to stay out of the wind! Also, you can get away with a lighter jacket if you wear layers (cami, t-shirt, shirt, sweater, jacket), though a longer cut is nice. Oh, and gloves are your friends! A nice pair of leather gloves will go a long way. And don’t worry about it being unfashionable. Chicagoans gave up fashion for not-frostbite decades ago. Hat hair is acceptable from November to March.</p>
<p>I live in a place with very similar weather as Chicago. The only time I wear a down jacket is when I walk my dogs and it is SUPER cold out (they have jackets and boots too ). The rest of the time it is TOO HOT. It’s way too hot in stores, and in and out of the car, and it’s bulky too which makes it annoying at restaurants or wherever.</p>
<p>If you are REALLY worried about being cold then buy down. Nothing is as warm. But it really isn’t always very serviceable. (It’s also a lot harder to wash. I know because my sons where the layered jackets and they wash up really nice.)</p>
<p>Weenie - I agree with you. Most times I do any shopping, I leave my coat in the car because it’s so dang hot in those stores and malls. I end up taking it off within five minutes of walking inside, and have to carry it the rest of the time I’m there. It usually means I’m really cold for less than five minutes when I’m done and return to my car while I wait for my body to warm up the coat and the car to warm up my body and coat.</p>
<p>weenie - a question for you. You mentioned the boots for your dogs. Every pet place I’ve looked at lately doesn’t carry them anymore - they say the dogs won’t keep them on, so owners don’t buy them anymore. What have you done differently? We have a fenced-in back yard, so I’ve never been one to take my dog for many walks, but over the last couple of months (that empty nest thing) I’ve been walking her at night; when it starts to snow, she’s not going to like being out very long. Plus she gets those furry snow balls where the snow adheres to the fur on top of her feet.</p>
<p>True. Also keeping your feet dry. Colleges usually sweep the snow away, but having a thick layer of shoe/boot sole keeps your feet out of the snow/slush.</p>
<p>The sad truth is that most people have more than one coat - a heavy coat for the coldest days, a lighter coat for 30 degree days, running errands, etc. and a lined jacket for when it hits 50 or so. Personally, I need a good hood on my coat during the coldest weather, but many people don’t use hoods. My parka style hood (tube-like fur surrounding the face) saved me on long campus walks.</p>
<p>It’s not as windy in NY as Chicago, but I’d recommend two jackets. A fleece for regular weather and a down or downlike jacket with a hood for the really cold days. I prefer a length that covers your bottom. I don’t like the fur around the face. Hats that cover ears and gloves are critical.</p>
<p>I hope you know the reason they call it the Windy City has nothing to do with the weather. So don’t be intimidated by the nickname. Yes, during bad blizzards, etc., it can be beyond brutal, but no different than any other location prone to dangerous winter weather.</p>
<p>These are the “all weather” version of Muttluks. I have one pair of these and one pair fo the cold weather Muttluks. The cold weather ones are fleece lined, but they are much harder to get on my dogs because their nails get caught. Really, the all weather ones are great. They keep the snow from getting packed into their pads - it always happens and then they just refuse to walk and I can’t carry them both out of the park!</p>
<p>Measure your dogs feet just as described. It takes some practice to put them on - but I get all 8 on (2 dogs) in no time flat. Cinch the velcro up very snuggly. I’ve only had a dog lose one in the snow once, and I went back and found it.</p>
<p>They are expensive, but really, without them my dogs wouldn’t get walked in the winter. Where we walk is not always plowed well, and if it is it’s loaded with salt.</p>
<p>I think Pet Smart occasionally carried these too.</p>
<p>I might be able to link to a photo of the pooches in their boots llater.</p>
<p>We are from CA, and DD attends school near Chicago. She elected to get both. To keep expenses down, she shopped at a North Face outlet during their annual sale.Her down jacket is long-just past her knees.Also, be sure to get rubber boots for the slush.</p>
<p>Awwwwww! Will check into it when I get back home. They’re so cute - what we do to keep our pets comfy in severe weather (OK, we take care of our kids, too)</p>
<p>Regarding the boots - both my Ds are at schools where they get rain and heavy snow. They both found they preferred two pairs of boots - some rain boots for rainy or slushy days, and a pair (i.e. Uggs or something similar) for really, really cold days when it’s so cold there is no slush - it’s all ice.</p>
<p>They are hard to fit and the dogs hate them … so they don’t stay on. One option is rubbers — one brand of which is called Pawz. Very well accepted and relatively inexpensive. The other option is a paw wax that protects the paw somewhat and keeps the snow and ice from sticking. There are several brands.</p>
Just get a good scarf and try to stay out of the wind! Also, you can get away with a lighter jacket if you wear layers (cami, t-shirt, shirt, sweater, jacket), though a longer cut is nice. Oh, and gloves are your friends! A nice pair of leather gloves will go a long way. And don’t worry about it being unfashionable. Chicagoans gave up fashion for not-frostbite decades ago. Hat hair is acceptable from November to March.</p>