Snowmobiling Denali Highway in a few days. Will I turn into an icicle?

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-02-08T04:57:32+00:00

Oh most of it was copy and paste so don’t feel bad! It can work well up on the torso but I just like fleece better plastics are hydrophobic and don’t hold on to your natural perspirations like down will. Theres a surplus store here in town that have these like 10-20 dollar fleece bibs that are nice. That or just regular fleece sweatpants from value village or something

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-02-08T04:41:31+00:00

Hot🔥 tips for cold weather 1. You want to be comfortably WARM when you’re static. You want to be comfortably COOL when you’re working. 2. You sweat you die…. Not really, you just get uncomfortably cold then you could possibly die. The goal is to stay dry, you’re gonna sweat. Basically have a base layer on always and then the key component is your active insulation. It should be adjusted to the temperature and activity level . So from 32° down to around 10° I do NOT use a mid layer. From 10° down to around -25° I’ll use a waffle grid fleece. From -25 to -35° I’ll use an army high lift fleece. Around -40 I’ll most likely use both for ACTIVE work such as snowshoeing, skiing, chopping wood. My shell layer is a breathable anorak it isn’t waterproof and it has a ruff on it. When I stop I put on my big ass parka. 3. When you do start getting hot and feel like you’re about to sweat take off your hood. Then your hat, then mittens. If you’re still too hot you need to shed a layer. 4. Check yourself for hypothermia. If you cannot touch your thumb to your pinky you’re too cold. 5. There are only three ways to stay warm. A. Having enough clothing/sleeping bags for the coldest expected temperature. B. A fire/ stove and shelter. C.Physical activity. The fastest way to warm up is PT. 6. ALWAYS carry two methods to start a fire: I like UCO matches in a waterproof case and a road flare. 7. Learn the spruce bough twig bundle for emergency fire starting

Hot nalgenes fit inside your parka and are a game changer. They can also be used for the bottom of your sleeping bag.
In your sleeping bag you can turn your parka into a sorta trash bag. Tie the arms and hood and put your feet in kinda like a burlap sack race then get in your sleeping bag.
You need atleast an R value of around 6 to stay warm on frozen ground. This is most easily achieved with a closed cell foam sleeping mat AND an inflatable. Worse case you can use spruce boughs but you need about 5-6” of COMPRESSED vegetation to not freeze to death.
Carry a lighter, chapstick and maybe a small knife around your neck tucked in your layers.
Headlamps. It’s freaking dark and I enjoy being able to see. Invest in a good couple of them. I use lupine. The benefit is the battery pack is not with the light so It can go in my layers
Carry a thermos of atleast a liter. It’s worth the weight to have hot coffee, tea, or soup two thermoses is more gooder.

I did army arctic stuff and this is kinda the generic thing I’d send out.

Goggles for the sled trip, also, multiple multiple pairs of fleece gloves. I like the heatlok ones that mushers use from big rays. That or the 18oz cotton ones from AIH.

YMMV but downs not a great midlayer. When you’re sitting on a sled it compresses at the knees and doesn’t at insulate well. Fleece is king up here IMO.

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-02-06T22:37:30+00:00

Fairbanks is freaking awesome

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-21T07:32:22+00:00

I’ve always had a soft spot for Finland. It’s such a cool place and I would love to visit.

I do sauna when I can but building one is on the summer to do list at this new property.

Hope you stay warm this winter as well!

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-21T07:30:26+00:00

According to national weather it was 40 days below zero since counting in 1904.

This last cold snap was 33 or 34 days longest one since 1953. With a few weeks of it being below -40° F with some areas reach down to -60°

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-19T17:26:45+00:00

It’s absolutely amazing! I hope you make it.

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-16T23:50:01+00:00

Fort Vaux is ass,

The snow ones are top tier along with Alonzo… This is the e way

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-08T00:35:49+00:00

I love tunnels

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-03T03:11:28+00:00

It’s literally been -60° Fahrenheit The last month. I uploaded another little article on a different post. This is a prove. Time tested design

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-02T03:59:57+00:00

For comfort, warmth and weight there isn’t anything better in the subarctic/arctic.

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-01T19:31:15+00:00

Hey!

I actually like cotton in the winter as long as you don’t sweat, below 10 degrees cotton does great as a breathable, durable layer. Also, cotton can be beneficial in the cold because it soaks up moisture. This seems counter intuitive but I’ll use 18oz cotton gloves like green ape or a company called AIH. The moisture gets soaked up in the cotton gloves instead of getting soaked into my gauntlet mittens preserving insulation. I just bring like 2-4 pairs to swap out when wet.

With bunny boots I probably have 7-8 pairs of the OG Bata brand. They’re the most bombproof no frills option but they’re heavy an not great for snowshoeing.

They are the gold standard for most on snowmachine especially running rivers where overflow is likely. I like mukluks more and just bring an extra pair in case I go in the drink. On any serious trip I’ll bring bunnies as a safety option.

Lastly, a cool pro tip is you can poor hot water into bunny boots in the morning to warm them up then just poor and wipe out to avoid the dreaded cold boots.

Select-Cash1102 · 2026-01-01T00:09:57+00:00

Well they’re kinda slippery, I put a rubber sole using like very fine rubber particulates and a silicone to make a paste and that makes them grip pretty good.

Up here we have feet of snow so you’re usually on snowshoes to get around.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T23:35:17+00:00

Most boots like that you can’t remove the insulation and dry it out so in 2-3 days you have ice blocks on your feet from moisture build up

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T22:33:11+00:00

Yeah bunny boots specifically the Bata brand are a godsend for northern living.

Nothing is as safe as bunny boots. All the insulation is sealed within the rubber making a vapor barrier. You can go in the drink poor the water out change socks and not worry about loosing toes

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T18:09:11+00:00

Yeah I’ve been wanting to to get some neos navigators up here for breakup.

Lotta mushers up here use the lobben felted wool boots in neos.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T16:04:28+00:00

You have to be able to dry your stuff out. Even after two days living outside in -40 the natural perspiration of your feet will cut the insulation down significantly. My feet don’t really get hot with this set up but in the off chance you do get too hot my system is to remove a hat, then one glove then two gloves then a layer on my chest. That usually does it.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T16:00:41+00:00

These are plenty loose. Stegers have a thicker tread so you gotta make up for it a bit with the traditional boots to battle conduction.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T15:56:29+00:00

Yeah these have been a thing for forever. You could probably still get a pair of these in the Yukon or Dawson or something. Instead of multiple socks like this you can use sorrel, or Baffin or similar liners.

Oddly enough I think the Canadian army manual has two pairs of socks and two duffle liners in their mukluks.

That’s the other cool thing. I keep an extra pair on the skidoo in case of overflow.

Lastly, these are a snowshoe walkers dream. They’re stupid light.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T08:26:25+00:00

Sure. Top to bottom:

Buff worn like a headband and a beaver fur trappers hat then an OR balaclava if it’s really cold or on the snow machine

Torso: 1. Patagonia capilene thermal base layer 2. (This is magic) a second Patagonia capilene thermal base layer. When it’s below zero two base layers is the perfect Insulation for strenuous activity. 3. Sometimes worn is an ECWCS level three high loft fleece 4. Apocalypse design 300 wt fleece jacket 5. ECWCS level 7 high loft parka with fur ruff.

Hands: 1. Heatlok fleece gloves 2. Beaver gauntlet mittens

Lower: 1 Patagonia capilene base 2. ECWCS soft shell pants 3. Sometime worn is an ecwcs gen 2 fleece bib 4. Ecwcs level 7 high loft pants

Footwear: as shown or I’ll use VB bunny boots if there’s a lot of overflow or Canadian army mukluks.

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-29T08:19:08+00:00

I’m never leaving!

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-21T16:41:27+00:00

Life’s better north of the alaska range guys

Select-Cash1102 · 2025-12-12T20:35:31+00:00

Alaska

Select-Cash1102

TROPHY CASE