One last post about clothing.

Mittens are always warmer than gloves made from the same materials.
Skidoo mitts are very warm and are usually pretty wind and waterproof. A lot of them are made with removable liners too.
Gloves inside mitts is an option.

The boots are normally made with removable felt liners.
Sorrel is a classic brand name, but there are a lot of other brands.
http://www.sorel.com/Product.aspx?top=1&cat=110&prod=140

With the removable liner boots it is common to have a spare pair of liners, so that you have a dry set ready to change into, kind of like having extra pair of dry socks with you.
It is hard to get boots to breath and still not get them wet from snow melting on them, so the removable liners are a compromise.

The US Army used to have a boot that was water proof inside and out so your foot didn't get the insulation wet. The boots worked but your feet sweated a lot and were wet all the time.
The Russians used to make boots that were just felt with no waterproof outer layer at all.
They worked to, just so long as it was cold enough to stay dry but they lost effectiveness as soon as it was warm enough for snow to melt on them.

For sweaty activities, Gor-Tex can't be beat. Snowmobiling is definatly a sweaty activity, and the premium snowmobile clothing is almost always Gore tex. It vents off the sweat vapor while remaining water proof. In my shell, I can lay on the snow and remain dry. Now cold is another matter, you definately want some insulation to keep you out of the cold and water your body heat and weight will probably create.

Hey, hold your horses!

Gore-tex is good stuff, but it does not possess magical qualities. It is waterproof, but it is by no means breathable enough to keep you dry in sweaty activities. I think a realistic assessment is that you will be 20% drier in Gore-tex than in a total "vapour barrier" garment (such as heavy-duty raingear). That 20% is a huge improvement from 0, but is a far shot away from being perfect. Those 20% is good enough to keep you fairly dry as long as you have a moderate level of activity and the totality of clothing is appropriate and functions well together.

For dry, cold conditions there are tons of materials better than gore-tex, including some natural fibers. The true benefit of gore-tex is that it is waterproof and allows SOME moisture to get through. Used correctly, it works great. Use it wrong and condensed vapor from your sweat will soak your middle layers and undergarments. Don't let the commercials fool you into believing otherwise!


The key is: DON'T SWEAT IT! Dress so you don't sweat excessively in the cold. Snowmobiling clothes are great for snowmobiling or standing still, but too warm for anything else. Layering principle (many thin layers, not one thick) is the best, but this may be problematic with a thick snowmobile suit. Use zippers to ventilate or remove clothing whenever you increase activity (such as freeing your stuck snowmobile). DON'T STRESS - DON'T SWEAT IT! Keep cool, take your time, do things properly, enjoy yourself - party on!




+1 - couldn't agree more! Having something underneath you is crucial if you want to sleep.

Add sum candy bars power bars and lots more
hight in sugar foods that you do not have to cook.
and you cen add jelo to hot watter and you got
a nice warm drink filled with sugar and much needed
carbs. or just have sum coffee.

litlefoot01

What if I'm cold and exhausted from trying to get the sled unstuck, I need a quick burst of energy and then some longer term energy. Is a candy bar going to do the short term and what is it that gets/keeps you warm? Carb's or what is it you want with you for the above scenario?

Maxwell House, and, I suspect, other brands, sell coffee bags,similar to tea bags, in both regular and decaffeinated. The individual coffee bags are sealed in foil, not paper like many tea bags. The smell and taste is excellent after months of storage: the foil does an excellent job keeping the product fresh. I occasionally drink decaff. at home; the jar version of decaff. get pretty stale by the time I'm half-way through. Not so with the foil-wrapped coffee bags.
The bags make a compact/easily rotated/satisfying/inexpensive addition to a car/snowmobile bag or BOB for those who need/want the caffeine/smell/taste.
Ditto for individual foil-wrapped servings of hot chocolate (Swiss Miss, and probably others).
Ditto for foil-wrapped creamer packs for the coffee (Cremora).
Ditto for some of the more expensive foil-wrapped tea bags (I can't think of any tea brands that come wrapped in foil at the moment).

Yes, fast and slow carbs. And water.

Fast carbs (= plain sugar) gives you the immediate boost. Slower carbs are more complex and takes a little longer to break down, providing you with more intermediate term energy. A good mix of those two prevents your sugar level to go jo-jo up and down. (called "sugar rush" accompanied by a "sugar crash"). And water. Your body needs water to process food. You need water and carbs to burn that body fat you carry around.

A good trick is snickers bar and a thermos of plain hot water and some instant chocolate drink. Enjoy your break and things start to look brighter. A mix of peanuts and other nice nuts (almonds, walnuts, whatever you like), chocolate, rasins and dried fruits will also give you a good mix of quick and slow carbs. You can buy some "trail mix" or make your own.


When the break is over, avoid trying to lift the snowmobile in one giant backbreaking struggle. If it was that easy you would already be free. Use your time and plan the work so you don't exhaust yourself. Use tricks like rolling in the snow to compress it, shovel the snow downhill and clear the path so you can turn the machine without moving a foot of snow with it, then slowly drag your sledge around in the downhill direction. Nice and easy does it....

Does protien have a place in this scenario, and what about fats?
Where and when do they kick in? Is Beef Jerkey helpful?

Fats are good for a slow, long burn. You'll get those out of nuts, chocolate, cheese, sausage, that kind of thing.

Protein is a very slow burn, nor does it burn as hot, but it makes all kinds of nasty waste products, so you'll need more water. Most animal protein sources have a lot of salt in them, so you need even more water.

Trick is, those aren't fast burst foods. These are entree, hunker down type things, because you won't want to be doing much that needs blood out at the limbs while you are digesting these. At least I don't.

One good thing to look at might be halva. Am_Fear recently brought it up, and I think it has been mentioned before. I'm always partial to Joyva, and it fine frozen.

Agree 100%. When combined with wicking layer on the inside it's very good. I'll add that goretex boots work great for me, because when I wear synthetic socks (which is always) it breathes enough for my feet to stay dry. If your feet sweat a lot it may not work as well for you.

Goretex also completely blocks the wind, which lets you use breathable layers on the inside, like fleece, to best effect. As an example, I'd much rather have a heavy fleece shirt with a goretex shell than some sort of windblocker fleece.