Depending on what you think it's worth, you might want to check out the Heat3 system. Lots of people (myself included) seem to be making do with whatever they can find but I have to admit, this winter had me thinking about these again - it's been a tough one this year. I just can't spring the money though and when it hits -47C with the wind then the darkroom or a book sounds pretty good.
sendero I wouldn't assume the winter photos you mentioned were taken in relative comfort, just a thought. I also have hands that are difficult to keep warm when I am not engaged in physical activity. Working with a camera is not particularly taxing, physically. If your camera location is more than 100 yards from the vehicle, be careful not to work up a sweat on the hike. When you stop hiking to set up the camera, your body will stop generating as much heat as it did during the hike, and any sweat will become a liability in the cold weather.
Open the chemical warmers and put them in your pockets 30 minutes before you need them. On the hike to the camera position, wear whatever gloves you have. When you are setting up the camera, work slowly and put your hands in your pockets for a few minutes to warm them as needed. Simple and inexpensive.
Ha, those look amazing. Although they cost a little over half my week's wages.Originally Posted by DHodson
My only vehicle is my bicycle. I have no license and no car. I suppose something I hadn't considered for shots like Lucas DeShazer's is that he probably was working out of a heated vehicle. Having no where to go to warm up after shots complicates the process. I'll buy some hand warmers, since that seems to be the most common recommendation here.
Mechanics gloves under some serious mittens.
For what it is worth, many decades ago in Ontario, Quebec, New England, and The Rockies I skied downhill, Nordic and used snowshoes; in temperatures down to -40. All I used on my hands were regular ski gloves. Agreed that I was using a Leica M camera, not LF, but again there was the need for camera adjustment. Two things worth noting going from -40 to a warmer place caused the camera to become an instant 'ice cube', and changing film was a very brittle affair. Secondly, hands are not the only part of the male anatomy needing protection. Once when taking part in the Muskoka 25 kilometre Loppet the temperature was -35C and I ended up with a frostbitten penis!!!!!! in spite of thermal underwear etc.
regards
Tony
There are no gloves that will do what you want. If a glove is insulated enough for 30 below, it will be too thick to operate small buttons etc. on a camera. I love winter and will be out taking photos on the coldest nights in blizzards. My strategy is to keep my body core warm and I wear a Mountain Hardwear Absolute Zero suit. It's 800-fill goose down about three and four inches thick. For colder than zero F I add a medium weight polar fleece layer, a thin Patagonia 800-fill goose down vest, heavy weight base layer, and wear an Outdoor Research Gorilla face mask. If your body core is getting cold, it slows down blood flow to the hands and feet. On my feet are Baffin boots. For gloves I wear Black Diamond Guide Gloves--warmest gloves listed on the alpine climbing websites. (Outdoor Research mittens are warmer yet.) They are thick though, and I can't operate a camera with them on. To use a camera I have a pair Outdoor Research PI 100 sensor gloves. These are thicker than liner gloves and have wind block. I use them for short periods of time, 5-10 minutes at the most, and then put the Black Diamonds back on. This kind of gear cost a lot of money, but it is well worth it. This time of year you can find much of it on sale at the mountain climbing gear sellers such as Backcountry.com and Moosejaw. Stores like Cabelas and Bass Pro will not have anything near this warm because their typical customers are hunters/fishermen who rarely venture out when the weather in the U.S. turns more extreme. For the really warm stuff you need stores that cater to mountain climbers, extreme skiers, and possibly outdoor workers in places like northern Alaska and Norway. This is a good place for the warmest stuff:
http://www.everestgear.com/om1298.ht...=om1298&Size=M
Kent in SD
In contento ed allegria
Notte e di vogliam passar!
Wow, ya'll are serious. I found that batteries in camera bodies that run shutters and meters don't like temperatures anywhere close to as cold as y'all are talking about. I hope your shutter functions correctly---even mechanical systems can have trouble at those temps. I once tried oil painting outside during the winter and let's say the paint and modifiers did not behave at zero centigrade and thereabouts as they do at 20 C. Maybe someday I will join you in the serious cold, for now I'm adjusting to a move in the opposite climatic direction PA to TX.
Lithium batteries will work in temps as cold as -40. That's the coldest I've ever tried them in anyway. For my Nikon D800E, I usually have my camera set on a tripod and I pull the battery out and keep it in an inner pocket until needed, along with two other freshly charged batteries. The Vagabond power packs I use to power my big monolights run off sealed lead acid batteries, and when it starts dropping to 20 below I put a large chemical hand warmer in the bag next to them, on the side not hit by the wind.
Kent in SD
In contento ed allegria
Notte e di vogliam passar!
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