Happy New Gear! How To Survive Cleveland At Its Best

Chotas...not the most attractive of footwear, but can be very helpful in wet weather.

Ahh...Cleveland winter. The snow is falling, the temperatures dropping, the lake freezing over, and all I can think about is how awesome it is going to be when this is all over!

Now, I realize not everyone shares my disdain for the winter months, but for those of us who greatly prefer those sunny and warm days we get between June and September, it is time to embrace what is inevitably upon us.

This will be more specifically “geared” (haha!) towards those of us who spend more time riding bikes or walking and need that head-to-toe cover, but even if that doesn’t sound like you, you might find at least some part of this information useful for your lifestyle.

So let’s start at the “head” end of things, and work our way down.

First of all, you obviously need a good hat, and maybe even a full head/face cover, depending on how hardcore you are.  Balaclavas are a great piece to have because of their versatility and functionality. A balaclava is essentially a face mask that can be manipulated to expose whatever amount of skin on your face you’d like, and can even be rolled up to serve as a hat, or pulled down as a neck warmer. Balaclavas are made from many kind of materials, but the best performing balaclavas I’ve encountered are made from silk. They keep you warm, and will do a better job of keeping out moisture than cotton or fleece. On top of the balaclava, I also recommend a comfortably tight winter hat, something like a Carhartt, that will pull down over your ears and not slip over your eyes.

Next up, you need a solid jacket set up. In my experience, the best way to go is to double-up. First, you’ll want a nice under-layer jacket that will fit you closely when put on over your layer of normal clothing (think sweater or even a good hoodie). There are an extraordinary amount of companies out there that make jackets like this, so you can choose at your discretion, based on what fits your body the best. The key piece in the double-up jacket set-up is the outer layer, which should be a very well performing rain jacket that is labeled as “wind proof” in addition to waterproof. While these can seem more expensive than you might think, believe me, they are worth it when it’s pouring and the wind is blowing so hard you get the urge to punch at it. I wear a hooded Northface jacket, with a Marmot rain cover on top. The Northface keeps me toasty warm, and the Marmot cinches up at both the wrist and waist, and has withstood the rainiest of days, keeping me dry underneath.

For cyclists in particular, gloves are absolutely key. As I found out the hard way, it doesn’t matter how many pairs of cotton gloves you are wearing...the wind will still come through those tiny holes in the fabric and your hands will freeze.  While they’re also a bit pricy, waterproof gloves are a necessity. Like the rain jacket, the waterproof layer keeps the wind from breaking through, and will also keep your hands dry. Personally, I chose to go with waterproof mittens, which I think do a better job of keeping my hands warm because there is no separation between my fingers.  On the coldest days, I also wear what are affectionately known as “hobo gloves” (cotton gloves with the fingertips cut off) underneath the mittens. As you can see, I’m all about the double-up.

Now that we’re at the bottom half, there is a whole world of options. Many people choose to go with long johns under their pants, some people wear under armor, but my gear-of-choice for my legs is a good pair of rain pants. Like the Marmot rain jacket, many companies make rain pants that cinch at the ankle, keeping that cold wind out, and in the case of rain or snow, keeping the moisture out as well. Rain pants are also baggy enough to fit over any kind of pants you’d be wearing, and are easy to put on and remove once you’ve reached your destination.  

Socks. Socks. Socks. Socks are a key component of winter gear that I took for granted for years! This might be the first winter of my life that I’ve sprung for a few pairs of really great socks, and it has absolutely been worth it. There are few things worse than having cold (and/or wet) feet all day long. Again, the array of variety can be intimidating, but this is another area of personal preference. Alpaca wool socks are fantastic for warmth and wicking.  Wigwam makes a few great pears of thick winter hiking socks as well as thin liners for, you guessed it, the double-up.  Smartwool also does a great job with support and warmth, as well as wicking moisture. Socks can also be pricy, and it may be hard to convince yourself to cough up $20 for one pair, but you’ll be thanking yourself in February when your feet feel great.

Lastly, we have to consider the many options for footwear. My friends and I spent months searching for a waterproof boot or shoe cover, coming up with fairly limited results. We happened upon a company called “Chota”, which makes a waterproof boot that is meant for canoeing. While conceptually, the Chotas are fantastic, they are a bit too tight on my feet to allow for enough circulation to keep my feet warm. Therefore, I use them on wet days when the temperature is slightly higher. Otherwise, a good waterproof shoe cover will work, or even just a solid pair of hiking boots. Many cyclists also employ the grocery-bag technique...wrapping their shoes in two plastic shopping bags and hoping for the best.

While buying gear can certainly get expensive, try to keep in mind that high-quality items, when taken good care of, will last you for many years to come. A lot of these companies also offer lifetime warranties and will replace your products if they become less efficient due to use or even just bad stitching. It took way too long for me to suck it up and just buy the things I knew I needed, and I’m happy I finally did it. I can be outside this winter and not be completely miserable, which makes me feel even better about embracing the next four months.