Cold weather observation techniques

Does anyone have any suggestions for cold weather observation techniques?
There have been some really clear but cold nights here lately. While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

The past 3-4 nights have been really clear here in Ontario but where my wife
and recently moved to it's been getting down to about -15F each night.

Because of that I decided I needed a different winter coat!

I found a 550 down parka made by The North Face (www.thenorthface.com) which
definately does the job. It kept me completely warm the other night when I was
outside for about 2 hours. They are a little on the expensive side---mine was
about $300 U.S., but it was definately worth it. I wasn't hot or cold, I was
just at a comfortable temperature.

This coat made me a fan of their gear and I went back and bought some fleece
underwear yesterday too.


Todd

http://www.backyardastronomy.com
http://www.skynewsmagazine.com
http://www.members.aol.com/tdcarls/s...otography.html

While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

The past 3-4 nights have been really clear here in Ontario but where my wife
and recently moved to it's been getting down to about -15F each night.

Because of that I decided I needed a different winter coat!

I found a 550 down parka made by The North Face (www.thenorthface.com) which
definately does the job. It kept me completely warm the other night when I was
outside for about 2 hours. They are a little on the expensive side---mine was
about $300 U.S., but it was definately worth it. I wasn't hot or cold, I was
just at a comfortable temperature.

This coat made me a fan of their gear and I went back and bought some fleece
underwear yesterday too.


Todd

http://www.backyardastronomy.com
http://www.skynewsmagazine.com
http://www.members.aol.com/tdcarls/s...otography.html

While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

The past 3-4 nights have been really clear here in Ontario but where my wife
and recently moved to it's been getting down to about -15F each night.

Because of that I decided I needed a different winter coat!

I found a 550 down parka made by The North Face (www.thenorthface.com) which
definately does the job. It kept me completely warm the other night when I was
outside for about 2 hours. They are a little on the expensive side---mine was
about $300 U.S., but it was definately worth it. I wasn't hot or cold, I was
just at a comfortable temperature.

This coat made me a fan of their gear and I went back and bought some fleece
underwear yesterday too.


Todd

http://www.backyardastronomy.com
http://www.skynewsmagazine.com
http://www.members.aol.com/tdcarls/s...otography.html

"Mark C. Lepkowski" wrote in message
.. .
Does anyone have any suggestions for cold weather observation techniques?
There have been some really clear but cold nights here lately. While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

Lots of layers.
Plenty of insulation for the head, or your toes and fingers will never be
warm (the brain has an obvious protocol as to where the heat goes). A
second wool hat over the first solved my cold toe problem.
Hand warmers in the pockets.
A shelter from the wind, if possible.
Make sure you are not dehydrated.

Equipment can be a problem too. My wife was out last night and her
eyepieces kept fogging over because her eyes were watering and very mosit.
A Kendrick eyepiece heater, or heated eyepiece box would be good.

Clear skies, Alan

"Alan French" wrote in message . ..
"Mark C. Lepkowski" wrote in message
.. .
Does anyone have any suggestions for cold weather observation techniques?
There have been some really clear but cold nights here lately. While one
side of me wants to do some observing the other side of me doesn't want to
end up a meatsickle.

Lots of layers.
Plenty of insulation for the head, or your toes and fingers will never be
warm (the brain has an obvious protocol as to where the heat goes). A
second wool hat over the first solved my cold toe problem.

Ah, this is good to know: two hats on one's feet to solve the cold toe problem.
So, where do the shoes go, over the insulation for the head? :-)

Hand warmers in the pockets.
A shelter from the wind, if possible.
Make sure you are not dehydrated.

A lot of people don't know how to determine if their body is telling them it's
dehydrated. A l-o-n-g time ago a doctor told me to note the color of one's
pee -- if it's yellow you're dehydrated.

Conversely, don't drink too much water as it can upset the body's sodium
balance and cause cell expansion and rupture. The local news recently reported
a bicyclist in a marathon drank way too much water and died because the brain
couldn't expand any further in that person's skull. Eerie.

Equipment can be a problem too. My wife was out last night and her
eyepieces kept fogging over because her eyes were watering and very mosit.
A Kendrick eyepiece heater, or heated eyepiece box would be good.

For the eyepiece(s), not the eyes! :-)

(Thad Floryan) wrote in message . com...
[...]
A lot of people don't know how to determine if their body is telling them it's
dehydrated. A l-o-n-g time ago a doctor told me to note the color of one's
pee -- if it's yellow you're dehydrated.

Conversely, don't drink too much water as it can upset the body's sodium
balance and cause cell expansion and rupture. The local news recently
reported a bicyclist in a marathon drank way too much water and died because
the brain couldn't expand any further in that person's skull. Eerie.

I felt the need to expand upon this. First, please note I'm NOT qualified to
dispense any medical information. Second, my recollection of that recent news
article was that 1.5 liters of water per 6 hours is the MAXIMUM one should
intake. The article was NOT clear if that meant "water" from all sources (i.e.,
moisture content of food one eats or just "plain" water that one drinks). If
in doubt, consult a qualified medical authority.

The point about the color of one's pee is valid dehydration determination
and was again mentioned to me by a cousin who piloted the EF-111A planes during
Operation Desert Storm. My cousin also mentioned that as little as 10%
dehydration dramatically affects (pilot) response time (flying jet aircraft)
brain and muscle activity, so this IS something to keep in mind while "piloting"
one's scopes under adverse weather conditions.

On 01/13/04 19:43 +0900, Thad Floryan wrote:

I felt the need to expand upon this. First, please note I'm NOT qualified to
dispense any medical information. Second, my recollection of that recent news
article was that 1.5 liters of water per 6 hours is the MAXIMUM one should
intake. The article was NOT clear if that meant "water" from all sources (i.e.,
moisture content of food one eats or just "plain" water that one drinks). If
in doubt, consult a qualified medical authority.

The general consensus is that if you're gaining weight during a
marathon, you're drinking too much water. Previously, runners
were simply advised to drink, drink and drink some more. Since a
few runners and bikers have died during/after races, that advice
has been attenuated to maintaining body weight.

Operation Desert Storm. My cousin also mentioned that as little as 10%
dehydration dramatically affects (pilot) response time (flying jet aircraft)
brain and muscle activity, so this IS something to keep in mind while "piloting"
one's scopes under adverse weather conditions.

No doubt about it. We ARE what we ingest. The body is a complex
chemical soup and if we allow the Great Balance to tip one way or
the other, our performance falters. It is incumbent upon us to
maintain balance if we are to maintain optimum performance.

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

On 01/13/04 19:43 +0900, Thad Floryan wrote:

I felt the need to expand upon this. First, please note I'm NOT qualified to
dispense any medical information. Second, my recollection of that recent news
article was that 1.5 liters of water per 6 hours is the MAXIMUM one should
intake. The article was NOT clear if that meant "water" from all sources (i.e.,
moisture content of food one eats or just "plain" water that one drinks). If
in doubt, consult a qualified medical authority.

The general consensus is that if you're gaining weight during a
marathon, you're drinking too much water. Previously, runners
were simply advised to drink, drink and drink some more. Since a
few runners and bikers have died during/after races, that advice
has been attenuated to maintaining body weight.

Operation Desert Storm. My cousin also mentioned that as little as 10%
dehydration dramatically affects (pilot) response time (flying jet aircraft)
brain and muscle activity, so this IS something to keep in mind while "piloting"
one's scopes under adverse weather conditions.

No doubt about it. We ARE what we ingest. The body is a complex
chemical soup and if we allow the Great Balance to tip one way or
the other, our performance falters. It is incumbent upon us to
maintain balance if we are to maintain optimum performance.

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.

On 01/13/04 19:43 +0900, Thad Floryan wrote:

I felt the need to expand upon this. First, please note I'm NOT qualified to
dispense any medical information. Second, my recollection of that recent news
article was that 1.5 liters of water per 6 hours is the MAXIMUM one should
intake. The article was NOT clear if that meant "water" from all sources (i.e.,
moisture content of food one eats or just "plain" water that one drinks). If
in doubt, consult a qualified medical authority.

The general consensus is that if you're gaining weight during a
marathon, you're drinking too much water. Previously, runners
were simply advised to drink, drink and drink some more. Since a
few runners and bikers have died during/after races, that advice
has been attenuated to maintaining body weight.

Operation Desert Storm. My cousin also mentioned that as little as 10%
dehydration dramatically affects (pilot) response time (flying jet aircraft)
brain and muscle activity, so this IS something to keep in mind while "piloting"
one's scopes under adverse weather conditions.

No doubt about it. We ARE what we ingest. The body is a complex
chemical soup and if we allow the Great Balance to tip one way or
the other, our performance falters. It is incumbent upon us to
maintain balance if we are to maintain optimum performance.

trane
--
//------------------------------------------------------------
// Trane Francks Tokyo, Japan
// Practice random kindness and senseless acts of beauty.