Comment by matsemann | Hacker News Reader

Comment by matsemann | Hacker News Reader

I don't feel the need for this for commuting by bike, even in cold Norway. Mostly because I for commuting am never that out of breath that my lungs hurt.

However, I use the Lung Plus variant often when cross country skiing. When it's -15C and below, pushing myself for an hour or more outdoors can make me cough all evening. Lots of people have cold induced asthma from training too hard outdoors in their youths. But with this I'm fine.

Also, the main point for me isn't necessarily the temperature, but that it retains more moisture. -15C can feel vastly different in humid Oslo, compared to the dryness of the mountain pass Hardangervidda. This feels like it "helps" avoiding dry coughing.

I don't really like the mask variants. If covid thought people with glasses anything, it's that masks fogs everything up! My Lung Plus mostly fogs if I'm standing still, then I breath straight ahead and into my glasses, otherwise it's fine. My girlfriend however recently bought a "OXYO one", which is the same concept. But it has more of a "snorkel" bite piece, and moves the air to the sides instead. So it's a bit smarter in that regard.

I guess looks is the main drawback. And how the saliva freezes, heh, look at the icicle in my picture. This is me the other day in -24C:

https://imgur.com/a/NXm8P79

I am not Norwegian, but I live in Norway and I do as the Norwegians do. If many neighbours go skiing, I can go skiing. The temperature reached -30C around Oslo this month and the absence of skiers in the Marka was a clear indication that I could stay home without feeling bad about it.

Haha, I approve!

I was actually one of those in Marka. The problem wasn't really getting cold. It was that cold snow doesn't compress to a form, it just gets really crunchy. So even in fresh tracks the snow is still somewhat "loose", and there is really no glide at all. The sound just makes lots of noise for each movement, but you get no speed.

That’s interesting. It was very cold snow for a while but I haven’t tried when it was super cold. I may try next time this happens to satisfy my curiosity. The snow is much faster since a few days.

I haven't tested how it is with the new non-fluorocarbon glide waxes, but definitely with the old stuff the very cold snow was a killer for stripping wax out of the base. Probably would do wonders with a fresh round of Swix TS5B melted on the glide portion of a cleaned sole, then wait 10 minutes and reheat the wax for extra durability. Then sikling and light brushing with the medium bronze. And just some VP30 over base binder for grip.

My impression is that fluor mainly shined in wet or dirty conditions, and weren't that big of a deal in colder temps other than durability. At least I've had problems with -20 snow all my life, so even before the prohibition, heh.

Maaaybe TS would make a difference, but no way I'm shelling out that kind of money for a normal day in the mountains. Mostly using PS6 as a base, and then perhaps something more specific for the daily conditions if warmer, but seldom anything more fancy than PS, maybe HS for a long trip.

Come up to the Yukon!

The colder it gets the more people are out. I rode my bike to work every day of the year, plenty of times past -40.

Friends were advised not to go running at -55C (-67F) because it can freeze your lungs. So they went walking instead.

There are breathing help for that, feels like a cold summers day. Well, that's what the article is about after all so I guess you guys know about it :-)

That sounds very cold for biking. Do you use studded tires or winter tires for bikes? Isn’t frostbite a major concern?

I studded my own tires by putting screws through from the inside out.

Frostbite can be a problem if you stand still or if it's really windy, but usually not something to really worry about. Not only did I ride to work every day for 3 years, I also went for a walk every single day at lunchtime to get sun on my face. Walking, outside, past -40C is really no problem. The days the wind was blowing from the north and the windchill was past -65C were a different story.

"I do as the Norwegians do"

Yeah... About that. How's well are you walking on ice? (Also an immigrant)

I'm in Trondheim and it's been wonderfully covered in ice. I watch kids run on it while I resign to slipping spikes onto my shoes just to stay upright. (I don't ski, but I have made sure to go out into the weather like "normal")

I’m originally from the Alps, so I had experience with snow, ice, and skiing before immigrating to Norway. However, I do not have the same balance and skills as the average Norwegian regarding Nordic skiing or moving on ice.

Without spikes, I walk on ice like a penguin and I struggle. I have no shame about using spikes, it’s magic and also a lot safer.

I am Norwegian, and I use (running) shoes with ice spikes when conditions are icy, even though I'm just going to the store.

Currently I'm happy with Icebug shoes; https://icebug.com/no/shoe-finder?usage-area=running&terrain...

I've been thinking of grabbing one of those fume hood helmets where the head covering has a generously sized visor, and hook up the pipes to a backpack-located heat- and air-exchanger. Possibly even inject the warm air from the top alongside the transparent material. How nice would that be in freezing cold! Like a cheap DIY space suit.

Just be careful you don't end up with a system where you breathe the same air in and out and suffocate! Like a child using am adult snorkel, where they only move the same air back and forth and pass out.

My problem is when it's that cold my nasal tissues swell and close up so I'm only breathing through my mouth like I had nose plugs. Unpleasent

Have you tried using this this with full size (downhill) ski goggles? It'll enclose your eyes and glasses from your nose. If you get good anti -fog goggles (expensive) you should be able to mostly or entirely avoid the fogging.

Not just because of the fancy lens, but some ski goggles stick so for out that your exhale tends to travel up and along their sides, and not over the lenses.

I considered a lung plus but the risk of tripping while running and it hitting my teeth made me buy a mask instead which also covers the nose. Icicles form on that too though.

That's why I added a string to it and around my neck. Then I can just spit it out with little consequences if I approach something scary. But for skiing that's mostly corners at the end of a steep hill. For running I guess a fall could happen at any time.

The lungplus can be worn between your teeth and compresses nicely if you have an accident. But spit it out is ofcourse better if you have the chance.

>And how the saliva freezes, heh, look at the icicle in my picture

it's probably condensate from the humidity of breath, no?

Yeah, mostly. But when it thaws it's quite sticky, so definitely some spit as well!

Any link for the "OXYO one"? I can't seem to find it.

Here's where she bought it from https://www.foss-sport.no/blunds/168592/oxyo-sport-varmeveks...

Edit: and I've seen it in loads of various sport stores in Norway. But from all my searching I only find a few Norwegian results. Making me think it's either a Norwegian product, or rebranded by the importer. But reverse image search doesn't really yield any similar looking products either.

Thanks!

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