It is raining across the majority of the contiguous United States. That means in almost every state in this great nation men and women are hunting around their office, storerooms, sheds, and behind the back seats of their trucks to find their rain gear. And guess what? It's just going to get colder.
It's time to figure out your weather and warmth gear for the coming seasons. Don't wait for the first really cold snap to order the things that you darn well know you are going to need in the coming weeks and months.
Most of your heat is going to escape from your head. A cap knitted by your grandma would be the best of course, but she probably doesn't go for the Hi-Viz colors. We like the Occunomix Hi-Viz Winter Caps in orange and yellow. It's even got a reflective stripe that goes around the cap and, as you can see, it makes you look like you on a deck hand on the Deadliest Catch.
Out in California, we aren't going to see a whole bunch of snow down at sea level, so something like this Waterproof Reflective Jacket is going to be great. And if it gets cold, a wool sweater, again knitted by grandma if possible, fits nicely underneath.
For pants, I'm looking for something that will stop the rain and wind. The Waterproof Reflective Pants meet ANSI/ISEA Class E requirements and they are also tough - abrasion resistant and durable enough that I can bend and reach, and crawl on my belly like a reptile when necessary. Which is generally only necessary after it gets good and muddy. If it's not raining, GRIT's Green Duck Work Pants will keep you warm.That's just the way things go.
On my feet I wear regular old Onguard Monarch Economy PVC Plain Toe Boots which I generally cut down by about 6 inches to make them more comfortable. The Onguard Polyblend Workshoes with Steel Toe are fine too if you don't expect to be stepping in deep puddles. And they are amazingly comfortable for PVC shoes.
Finally, cold weather means gloves. I like the MCR Memphis Forceflex Cold Weather Work Gloves. Again, great visibility, and pretty decent warmth. They are called waterproof, and they are pretty good at shedding the water, but if you're going to have your hands in tons of water, you might be better off going with something like the Ninja Ice FC N9690FC HTP Fully Coated Gloves which are very tough, and very warm.
Remember, if you're warm and dry, it's half the battle.
Thanks for reading. If you have any favorite winter work gear, let us know.