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Comment by iamwpj | Hacker News Reader

I live in the midwest and cold is normal for a chunk of the year, but one thing always worse than cold: wind. After college at some point I splurged on a North Face jacket with the wind protection bit and it was eye popping how much more tolerable being outside became. I always go for a nicer coat/jacket now -- the value brands at the department stores don't always have the right technology. Good outdoor gear is spendy, but lasts a very long time and is very effective.

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So much this. I got all my Marmot & North Face stuff years ago before they became trendy suburban clothing. The little things like reinforced knees or a bit of extra material in the back so you can bend over without wind exposure makes a huge difference when it's -20F. That stuff has been in constant use for 20 years and except for the gloves that finally gave up from being dunked in water and freezing on a daily basis, is still going strong.

There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear ;)

Wet-bulb temperatures above 30 C/85 F are pretty bad no matter what you're (not) wearing.

This is why I highly prefer living in colder countries. You can always wear better gear or light a fire.

But what do you do when you're spread-eagle naked in the shade and still sweating like a pig? That's not a place for humans =)

That's what people from cold places say :)

Talking about complying with things your parents said, but actually being annoyed by.

There is a saying where I live that wind is when the sheep don’t have curly hair anymore. And rain when the fish are swimming on your eye level.

In all seriousness though, it’s of course true.

It's almost like the cultures that have "always" lived in cold areas (nordic people, siberians, inuit, etc) knew what to do ... layer with natural fibers - keeping the "treated" side of the clothing facing the outside world :)

I live in New York and didn’t own a proper winter jacket until I was in my 30s. I always wore a warm jacket that in hindsight was more appropriate for the fall. I bought a Quartz jacket and it made being outside in the winter so much more fun and tolerable.

For wind I think what matters is having a hard ish shell, knowing that can make price flexible. I have pretty old and cheap winter jacket that I ski in and it keeps me really warm.

I have a hard mountain down jacket from 25 years ago with wind protection that I wear when it is below freezing. Still works amazing.

Any fleece under a wind breaker/shell is pretty simple warmth for most conditions

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