- When winter takes hold here in Canada
we don't just batten down the hatches and stay inside.
We like to get out and enjoy the winter.
And in order to do that, you have to dress properly.
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- Welcome to winter in Canada.
- Yeah, a lot of people ask us actually what it's like here
and how we survive a winter here in Canada.
So we're going to show you.
- The first thing about surviving winter here in Canada
is that you have to dress for it when you head outside.
- Definitely, it's really important to layer up
and make sure that you have the right clothing
because you know temperatures fluctuate here.
So you have to be able to adapt and change with the weather.
- So we have all kinds of different clothes
that we have for different types of weather,
whether it's snowing, whether it's freezing rain,
whether it's just a nice balmy day of five degrees Celsius
or whether it is usually what we get around here in Ontario
on a very cold day is minus 20.
That's about the most. - That's about right.
- But we do have something here called windchill factor.
So it can be a minus 10 on the weather network.
It'll say you have a minus 10 degrees Celsius day,
but the windchill factor is minus 20 and that's the wind,
can just hopefully make the weather even more freezing.
- So you have to really take that into consideration
when you're dressing.
That's why I like to have at least a couple layers.
One that actually breaks the wind
and one that keeps the warmth in.
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The key to staying warm and enjoying winter here in Canada
is having a great base layer.
Now the base layer is the layer that actually sits
against your skin.
It's the first one.
And our recommendation is to use merino wool.
Merino wool is great because it's breathable
and wits away the sweat and it's insulating.
So it keeps you warm at the same time.
So it comes in a lightweight, it comes in a medium weight
and a heavier weight.
So depending on what activity you're planning on doing,
you can plan appropriately.
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- The kids were out tobogganing on the hill.
That is such a Canadian tradition.
Canadians really loved the winter.
The way to survive it is to get outside and enjoy it.
Right behind our house we have a great toboggan hill
and the kids are out all winter after every fresh snow.
- Yeah, and you can get up there.
You can go snowshoeing, snowmobiling, ice climbing.
- [Deb] Cross country skiing.
- There's just like so many different activities.
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So for most situations here in Canada,
you can probably get away with a base layer
and then your heavier outer layer.
But when it gets really cold,
like around like minus 20 or anything like that
you're going to want to add an additional layer.
And that goes in between your outer layer
and your base layer, which is the mid layer.
And for that, we suggest using polartec fleece.
These are from a Canadian company called
Mountain Equipment Co-op,
but what's important about these
is that fleece does actually breathe as well
but really keeps you warm.
And when you're looking for a fleece layer
I would recommend look for something
that has zippers on the sides down the legs
so that you can actually,
if these do start to sweat, you can open those up
and it will continue to keep your body breathing
and keep it at the right temperature.
My mid layer personally,
usually consists of this Arc'teryx mid layer here.
It's nice and warm.
It's also poor polartec fleece
but have a little lighter weight
because I'm usually doing quite a bit of activity.
So I would say gauge your mid layer
based on what kind of activity you're doing.
If you're just going out for a stroll
in super cold weather, then go for something heavier.
But if you're doing something like ice climbing
or snowshoeing or something like that,
then you're going to want to have something
that's a little bit more lightweight.
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- My parka is keeping me so warm.
I don't need to wear anything.
I have a T-shirt under here and it's so great.
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- One of the things you can't live without here
or survive a Canadian winter without
is a parka, a good parka.
I use a Triple F.A.T Goose.
This is their three in one parka which I absolutely love
because I can use it for all different types of situations,
because it has a nice down-filled inner layer here.
You have an outer layer that works
as a waterproof and windproof
that you can actually separate.
So these become two different jackets.
And then put together is the perfect winter parka.
I love this thing.
It's fantastic.
It keeps me warm.
I don't have to wear too much underneath
and it's not too bulky.
Even though this is definitely fashionable,
you want it to be functional as well.
For example, Deb really loves her Triple F.A.T Goose parka
because it's fashionable.
It has a belt, but it's still built for technical.
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The next layer that you're going to put on
is your outer layer, the final layer
and this serves two purposes.
One, to actually keep the wind out
if you're in a windy area and two to keep the heat in.
But you want to look for something that's breathable
because if you don't want to be walking around
like you're wearing a garbage bag
and that where it seals everything in,
and it allows you to sweat.
You want to have something that's breathable.
And that's why we recommend GORE-TEX.
Especially if you're doing high impact activities
where you'll sweating a lot.
I've had these particular GORE-TEX pants for like 20 years.
They really last.
These particular ones are three ply.
They come in different plies and different durability
depending on what you're doing.
You might not need three ply GORE-TEX,
but I would look for something that is durable
and breathable.
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As I saying about the fleece layer.
It's important to have the zippers.
It's just as important to have that
in your outer layer as well
so that you can regulate your temperature.
These particular ones have a full zipper
that goes all the way down the side so I can open it up,
and there you go.
I can continue to breathe.
So if I'm, walking or hiking up with the polar bears,
or if I'm say, hiking in Ontario where it's minus 25 outside
and I'm pulling a sled, like we did an expedition,
then I can actually open these up, vent out
and it actually regulates my temperature
which is super important.
Because regulating your temperature is the key
to staying warm in Canadian winter.
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Another reason why it's important to ventilate
is because regulating your temperature,
you don't want to get too hot.
As soon as you get too hot, it's already too late.
You're already going to start sweating
and you're going to start to get cold.
So the key is to anticipate your heat level.
I also have a second version of my outer layer,
which I use for like strolling around the cities
when it's really cold.
If I'm at a winter loot in Ottawa and it say,
you know, minus 20 or minus 30 outside,
you still want to get out and enjoy it, right?
So you want to dress properly.
And on the bottom half, I use something like this
which is a snow pant.
So inside it has a down inside
as well as an outer layer like this to keep the wind out.
For something like this
I would just wear my base layer underneath and nothing else.
'Cause this sort of doubles as the second and third layer.
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what most people tend to forget
or not pay enough attention to is your extremities.
Your hands and feet are getting colder
faster than any other part of your body
and your head is actually the place that regulates
the most of your temperatures.
So you want to choose the proper hat
by keeping heat in and releasing it at the right time.
So you're going to be able to regulate your temperature
even better than just opening the vents on those jackets.
Now I have three different types of hats.
Of course, you're going to notice that here
we have a lot of different clothes
and a lot of different layers
for a lot of different reasons.
I have a very light hat like this,
which is actually, I just put on do
any sort of physical activity
where it really allows the heat to escape out of my head,
but keeps my ears warm.
So if I'm doing super intense activity
like snowshoeing or something like that
where I know I'm going to be sweating a lot,
I definitely use a hat like this,
because it allows all the heat to escape out of it
and keeps my core nice and cool and regulated.
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For those extreme cold situations,
I'll use a heavier hat combined with what they call here,
a balaclava.
So basically this goes on your head
and it covers up your nose,
your mouth and your head and acts as an extra layer.
And then you can put an actual heavier hat,
say something like this over top,
and it keeps you super warm.
I don't recommend using this if you're doing something
that is really high intense activity,
but if you're doing snowmobiling
or hiking up in the Arctic,
this is a great way to keep your head nice and warm.
When it comes to your hands, gloves are super important.
I have a whole ton of different types of gloves
for different situations.
And my recommendation is to layer your gloves
just like you do the rest of your body.
So, I'll have a liner glove like this
which are just made of fleece so they are breathable,
but they do allow me to do anything
that I need to use my fingers for or I need to be dexterity.
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And what I'll do is I'll put those into a mitten like this.
So basically I have two layers,
the outer wind layer that keeps it nice and warm.
This is also line,
as well as a gloved liner or a fleece liner.
That way you keep your hands nice and warm.
One of the reasons why I recommend a mitten like this
is because gloves in extreme cold don't overly work
because they isolate your fingers, right?
So by keeping them together
that's why mittens worked very well.
That's why all of the indigenous
who live up North in like Nunavut
and that kind of stuff use mittens.
Because if you can keep your fingers together
they're going to stay a lot warmer.
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Air hockey on an ice table.
What is more Canadian?
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Also for extreme weather situations
I'll combine the balaclava with a pair of goggles,
because frostnip and frostbite can be a real concern,
especially when you're up in the Arctic
and this seals everything in.
So, you have your nose and your mouth covered,
put on some goggles
and there's nothing exposed on your face to the cold.
(gentle music)
Lets go.
A quick tip.
If you are outside
and you find yourself getting hot and building up,
the first thing you should do is take off your hat.
That's where you'll lose the most heat
and it will cool yourself down the fastest.
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And we can't forget about our feet.
The other extremity that's going to get really, really cold,
really fast.
So just like our hands, we want to layer
and we want to insulate.
So when you're starting off with your socks
I recommend using two different socks.
I start off with a polypropylene sock,
which is quite thin.
Again, breeze and wicks the moisture away.
And then I'll put a second layer over top
which will be Merino wool.
And then if you're looking for a boot,
you want to look at something that has a thick rubber sole,
as well as some insulating properties.
So that way you have basically three layers between you
and the cold ground.
That will keep your feet nice and warm
in those cold Canadian winter.
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As you can see, as Canadians,
we really love to get out there and enjoy the winter.
And in order for us to do that, we have to dress properly.
So if you follow all these tips
and you layer and you get the right material
and you make sure you regulate your temperature,
you can have fun up here in Canada in winter as well.
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- So that's how we survive winter in Canada.
- So come on up here, give it a try.
You're going to love it.
Maybe skip summer and do Canada in winter.
(gentle music)
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- Happy winter.
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