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mindaa
Nov 10, 2008, 5:46 PM
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shorty wrote: Diet is important in colder weather. I won't get into the details, as nutritionalists can say it better. But the wrong food and drink can make a cool day feel like being in a freezer.
Interesting...I'd actually like to learn more about this. I did a quick google search and came up with a few insights, but not much.
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bizarrodrinker
Nov 10, 2008, 6:17 PM
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fair enough
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tigerlilly
Nov 13, 2008, 3:39 PM
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mindaa wrote: shorty wrote: Diet is important in colder weather. I won't get into the details, as nutritionalists can say it better. But the wrong food and drink can make a cool day feel like being in a freezer. Interesting...I'd actually like to learn more about this. I did a quick google search and came up with a few insights, but not much.
From my own experience, I've found that if I eat a lot at once, I get really cold. "A lot" being relative. If I eat a whole pb&j, it seems like all my blood goes to my stomach to digest it and my fingers and toes freeze. I've had better luck nibbling, or eating no more than a half sandwich at once. Maybe pb&j is one of those things I shouldn't eat at all on a cold day, but it's my favorite trail lunch. If anyone finds more on this, I'd love to hear it.
Kathy
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olive
Nov 13, 2008, 5:15 PM
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tigerlilly wrote: mindaa wrote: shorty wrote: Diet is important in colder weather. I won't get into the details, as nutritionalists can say it better. But the wrong food and drink can make a cool day feel like being in a freezer. Interesting...I'd actually like to learn more about this. I did a quick google search and came up with a few insights, but not much. From my own experience, I've found that if I eat a lot at once, I get really cold. "A lot" being relative. If I eat a whole pb&j, it seems like all my blood goes to my stomach to digest it and my fingers and toes freeze. I've had better luck nibbling, or eating no more than a half sandwich at once. Maybe pb&j is one of those things I shouldn't eat at all on a cold day, but it's my favorite trail lunch. If anyone finds more on this, I'd love to hear it. Kathy
When it is really really cold I find similarly that nibbling the whole day, eating small amounts consistently works better for me then eating something big (in my case big is also relative) and not eating anything else for the next few hours.
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acacongua
Nov 13, 2008, 5:16 PM
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You have a point, Tiger Lilly. Also, high caloric preferably warm foods are best at this time. When your body is cold, the metabolism kicks up to keep the internal parts warm. It's a great time for chocolate!
I suggest buying merino wool as a base, get a good fleece jacket, and a high fill down. Also, I hear North Face has a battery heated jacket.
Bring a propane heater and put rocks on top to heat up while waiting to climb. They work much better than Hot Hands.
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tavs
Nov 13, 2008, 9:02 PM
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During ice climbing season, I keep a pocket full of hard candy of various kinds. A little shot of sugar throughout the day seems to help stave off some of the cold.
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Gmburns2000
Nov 13, 2008, 9:09 PM
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tigerlilly wrote: mindaa wrote: shorty wrote: Diet is important in colder weather. I won't get into the details, as nutritionalists can say it better. But the wrong food and drink can make a cool day feel like being in a freezer. Interesting...I'd actually like to learn more about this. I did a quick google search and came up with a few insights, but not much. From my own experience, I've found that if I eat a lot at once, I get really cold. "A lot" being relative. If I eat a whole pb&j, it seems like all my blood goes to my stomach to digest it and my fingers and toes freeze. I've had better luck nibbling, or eating no more than a half sandwich at once. Maybe pb&j is one of those things I shouldn't eat at all on a cold day, but it's my favorite trail lunch. If anyone finds more on this, I'd love to hear it. Kathy
This is interesting because every late autumn I start to get the munchies. I always lose weight over the summer and always gain weight over the winter, and the weight gain usually starts to happen just as it gets cold and the loss begins as it starts to get warm.
The thing is, I think I eat because I'm cold (OK, so that's obvious), but the deeper point is that I normally eat a little bit throughout the day anyway (as opposed to three meals), which is in line with what you state above. However, I never get warm when eating like this. I always find that I become warmer upon eating a larger meal. In other words, if I'm just munching away, I never feel comfortable, but if I just say, "screw it, I'm hungry and I'm eating until I'm not hungry anymore" then I'm not so cold anymore.
Or, maybe I'm just weird.
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acacongua
Nov 14, 2008, 3:45 PM
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Fat is insulating so your body boosts metabolism for the heating properties, which means more hunger.
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mheyman
Nov 17, 2008, 4:51 AM
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In reply to: When it is really really cold I find similarly that nibbling the whole day, eating small amounts consistently works better for me then eating something big (in my case big is also relative) and not eating anything else for the next few hours.
Last weekends partner told me the same thing.
A dozen years ago better climbers than I taught me to tape the hand warmers to my wrists and also to avoid cracks. Use surface holds whenever possible. Both help prevent frozen hands.
When to stop? Depend on sun and wind, but I agree things are less fun below 45.
(This post was edited by mheyman on Nov 17, 2008, 4:55 AM)
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shorty
Nov 18, 2008, 1:23 AM
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mindaa wrote: shorty wrote: Diet is important in colder weather. I won't get into the details, as nutritionalists can say it better. But the wrong food and drink can make a cool day feel like being in a freezer. Interesting...I'd actually like to learn more about this. I did a quick google search and came up with a few insights, but not much.
As previously mentioned, huge meals generally aren't your friend. Most of us perform better with smaller, more frequent meal intake. Eat before you are hungry.
Don't radically change your diet the day you push yourself to new limits. I learned this the hard way from long distance bicycling. Bonking isn't pretty, especially on a full stomach. On one long ride, I found out that even changing the brand of supposedly similar energy drinks made a difference.
Eat a balance of carbs, proteins, and fats. Your body needs all of them.
When possible, go with the complex carbs over the simple ones (i.e. processed sugar). But if you're really getting low on energy and warmth, sugar and caffeine can be your friend. Just don't expect a lasting effect.
As easy one -- warm drinks work on cold days. However, high intake of caffeine (coffee or tea) probably isn't a good idea if your body isn't use to it. If I remember correctly, caffeine constricts blood vessels /blood flow to the extremities which could be an issue with circulation.
Ixnay on the alcohol. It sends blood to the extremities (causing an initial warm feeling), which could eventually lead to hypothermia.
Stay hydrated. Being thirsty won't help circulation. OK, so you have to pee more, just learn to deal with it. Drink before you are thirsty.
Common sense time -- Be well rested before a big day in the cold. Add layers before you need them (a lesson I learned the hard way high on a Mexico volcano). Wind chill is your enemy, but so is trapped sweat -- work to keep a balance.
And finally, the biggest lesson -- at some point we all have to realize it's too cold, and it's time to call it quits. That means getting off the rock, down from the mountain, or out of the wind. My favorite example is one day while ski race training giant slalom at Copper Mountain. It was a brutally cold day -- below 0F, high winds, no sun, 11,000' altitude. Our course was right next to the Italian men's World Cup team. The Italians would only ski for 90 minutes or so before they went into the lodge to warm up and have coffee. We finally convinced our coach that if the best in the world (who were paid to be out in this garbage) couldn't hack it, we weekend warriors should also get a break.
Our coach finally relented when we offered to buy him a hot chocolate with brandy. Bottom line -- be prepared to bribe your warmer climbing partner.
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acacongua
Nov 18, 2008, 2:12 PM
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I had to use a slightly damp crack sidepull on Sunday (real feel sub 30°) and now I have a little frostbite damage. Really little, but I did send!!!
We use hot rocks and the rock (minus that crack) felt fantastic. The Hot Hands don't get warm enough anymore. Bummer. Just go to Walmart and throw down $25 for a catalytic heater.
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cloud9climber
Feb 7, 2009, 12:55 PM
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gblauer wrote: Rock climbing NOT ice climbing! We climbed on Sunday at the gunks and it was 38 degrees when we started. We enjoyed direct sun on 1 climb (2 pitches) and then the sun slipped away and the day just got colder and colder. By the time we got back to the car it was back to 38 degrees. Truthfully, it really bordered on NOT FUN. So...how warm does it have to be for you to hit the rocks? I think my new threshold is 50 degrees with full sun and no wind.
I have a VERY low threshold. I live in california so I'm spoiled temp wise. I hate climbing in the cold! I'd say 50 degrees with full sun and no wind is about where I like to be as well!
We climbed at the beach one time on a crappy day and I had to go sit in the car with the heater on between climbs. It sucked.
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rockie
Feb 7, 2009, 9:00 PM
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cloud9climber wrote: gblauer wrote: Rock climbing NOT ice climbing! I think my new threshold is 50 degrees with full sun and no wind. I have a VERY low threshold. I live in california so I'm spoiled temp wise. I hate climbing in the cold! I'd say 50 degrees with full sun and no wind is about where I like to be as well!
Pretty low threshold for cold here too.
Am aok with skiing as long as I wear inner and outer gloves and the hand warmers.
But with climbing hands are exposed and it is my fingers that always suffer in the cold, white, very painful if I continue to stay out in it with hands exposed.
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ladyscarlett
Feb 11, 2009, 8:42 PM
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I am a wimp when it comes to the cold. To offset this, I often do cold weather climbing trips looking like a StayPuff Marshmallow.
My personal record as of now is 35-40, light breeze, no sun - usually at dusk or dark (top pitches of multipitch days-heh) I have gone bouldering when there was solid ice on the ground, no melting, so I suppose I have bouldered in at least low 30s. But when it's cold, it will always win, it's just a matter of how long before I lose.
My biggest problem is my body is warm, but the rock just sucks the warmth right out of my fingers. I'm not cold, but my fingers are numb. Do the fingerless gloves trick work for that? And how do you address the issue of reduced grip capability where the glove covers?
My weapons in the battle against the cold - alpaca sweater, warm beanie, arm/leg warmers.
Thanks for the tips about food. I don't get hungry during the day and often forget to eat. It's scarey when at the end of a cold day, I realize that I've only had a light breakfast and a stick of cheese w crackers.
ls
(This post was edited by ladyscarlett on Feb 11, 2009, 8:44 PM)
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kbearchk
May 7, 2009, 2:46 AM
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I don't even go if it's below 60. I hate cold fingers and hard nips...
When it hits 90 and sunny I love it.
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lhwang
May 14, 2009, 2:37 AM
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ladyscarlett wrote: My biggest problem is my body is warm, but the rock just sucks the warmth right out of my fingers. I'm not cold, but my fingers are numb. Do the fingerless gloves trick work for that? And how do you address the issue of reduced grip capability where the glove covers?
No gloves. Put those chemical handwarmers in your chalkbag. I've even taped them to my wrists (on the side where the arteries are).
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WordsVerbatim
Jun 25, 2009, 6:21 AM
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I can't stand it if it's below 40 degrees. Anything lower and I'll be miserable. I love when it's in the 60s. That's perfect weather for me! :D Climbing in winter in general is just not my thing at all.
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