Cold weather observation techniques

"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! :-)

"Jan Owen" wrote in message news:uSfMb.43710$i55.22431@fed1read06...
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"Jan Owen" wrote in message
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"John Steinberg" wrote in message news:seesig-

SNIP!

and tongues stuck to metal OTAs are no laughing matters. Okay, maybe
that last one is.

-John Steinberg

Not to mention an eyeball welded to a 4mm orthoscopic eyepiece...

To be clear, that is to say that this would be NO laughing matter...
YIKES!

You bet! That's why you should apply several drops of eyeball oil to assure
proper ocular:eye spacing when using short eye-relief eyepieces, similar to
oil-spaced multi-element objectives in some refractors; the oil won't freeze
at any sane viewing temperature.

:-)

"Jan Owen" wrote in message news:uSfMb.43710$i55.22431@fed1read06...
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"Jan Owen" wrote in message
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"John Steinberg" wrote in message news:seesig-

SNIP!

and tongues stuck to metal OTAs are no laughing matters. Okay, maybe
that last one is.

-John Steinberg

Not to mention an eyeball welded to a 4mm orthoscopic eyepiece...

To be clear, that is to say that this would be NO laughing matter...
YIKES!

You bet! That's why you should apply several drops of eyeball oil to assure
proper ocular:eye spacing when using short eye-relief eyepieces, similar to
oil-spaced multi-element objectives in some refractors; the oil won't freeze
at any sane viewing temperature.

:-)

"Jan Owen" wrote in message news:uSfMb.43710$i55.22431@fed1read06...
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To reply, remove the "z" if one appears in my address
"Jan Owen" wrote in message
news:XOfMb.43709$i55.21843@fed1read06...
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"John Steinberg" wrote in message news:seesig-

SNIP!

and tongues stuck to metal OTAs are no laughing matters. Okay, maybe
that last one is.

-John Steinberg

Not to mention an eyeball welded to a 4mm orthoscopic eyepiece...

To be clear, that is to say that this would be NO laughing matter...
YIKES!

You bet! That's why you should apply several drops of eyeball oil to assure
proper ocular:eye spacing when using short eye-relief eyepieces, similar to
oil-spaced multi-element objectives in some refractors; the oil won't freeze
at any sane viewing temperature.

:-)

"John Henderson" wrote in message ...
"Chris.B" wrote:

I have observed comfortably down to -20C for many hours
unsheltered on the open lawn.

Did you do this voluntarily? If yes, you need to seek physciatric
help immediately. I bet you are one of those wierdos that owns
an amateur telescope.

Beats watching TV anytime.
You forgot the smiley John. ;-)

Chris.B

"John Henderson" wrote in message ...
"Chris.B" wrote:

I have observed comfortably down to -20C for many hours
unsheltered on the open lawn.

Did you do this voluntarily? If yes, you need to seek physciatric
help immediately. I bet you are one of those wierdos that owns
an amateur telescope.

Beats watching TV anytime.
You forgot the smiley John. ;-)

Chris.B

"John Henderson" wrote in message ...
"Chris.B" wrote:

I have observed comfortably down to -20C for many hours
unsheltered on the open lawn.

Did you do this voluntarily? If yes, you need to seek physciatric
help immediately. I bet you are one of those wierdos that owns
an amateur telescope.

Beats watching TV anytime.
You forgot the smiley John. ;-)

Chris.B

(Tony Flanders) wrote in message . ..
"Mark C. Lepkowski" wrote in message ...
snip
Feet are fairly easy; you need special insulated boots, like
Sorrels or the U.S. Army's "Micky Mouse" boots.
- Tony Flanders

Another excellent suggestion in Michael Covington's _Astrophotography_
is a rubber mat, like that used behind retail counters for extended
standing. The mat creates a thermal barrier between the feet and the
ground.

(Tony Flanders) wrote in message . ..
"Mark C. Lepkowski" wrote in message ...
snip
Feet are fairly easy; you need special insulated boots, like
Sorrels or the U.S. Army's "Micky Mouse" boots.
- Tony Flanders

Another excellent suggestion in Michael Covington's _Astrophotography_
is a rubber mat, like that used behind retail counters for extended
standing. The mat creates a thermal barrier between the feet and the
ground.

(Tony Flanders) wrote in message . ..
"Mark C. Lepkowski" wrote in message ...
snip
Feet are fairly easy; you need special insulated boots, like
Sorrels or the U.S. Army's "Micky Mouse" boots.
- Tony Flanders

Another excellent suggestion in Michael Covington's _Astrophotography_
is a rubber mat, like that used behind retail counters for extended
standing. The mat creates a thermal barrier between the feet and the
ground.