Gear for moving and working up north?

[Goon]

Hey all

Going to be starting a job in northern Ontario at the end of the month and I'm trying to make sure that I show up prepared for northern winters. I'll be flying but I expect that I'll be loading the plane up myself when off base.

So far for gear I've got:

Some decent quality boots
Wool lined deerskin gloves, wool lined goatskin gauntlets and a couple of pairs of some thin liner style gloves for inside the plane. Also probably gonna get a set of mittens for when its too cold for gloves.
Merino wool long johns
Merino wool socks
a relatively thin Balaclava and neck gaiter, gonna get a nice wool scarf too

I've got a set of cheap snow pants and a parka from Marks, but I think they'll be no fuckin good for anything but winters in the south... is it worth dropping the cash on one of the bigger canada goose parkas?

Trying to keep a good balance of not breaking the bank but also not hating every minute of my life this winter.

[co-joe]

I never bought a snow goose parka for my time in the arctic, but there were days, especially in YFB with the combo of wind and high humidity that I regretted my frugality...bitterly. The bonus of the parka over layering, is that the aircraft has heat, so as soon as you get going you start sweating, layers and layers and layers have to come off to stay dry, then as soon as you land it's a 5 minute process to get geared up again. The parka is a 5 second process.There have been some really good threads on this forum about this over the years.

[co-joe]

viewtopic.php?f=113&t=130125&p=1066474& ... e#p1066474

2019, but not much has been going on since then. Send him a PM, if you search snow goose you'll get dozens of hits here.

[TrilliumFlt]

Look up Helly Hanson, one of their insulated overalls with a down vest over top served me well for many years. Once inside the airplane you can ditch the vest or even doff the top portion of the suit while keeping your legs warm.

This one,

https://cleanflow.net/products/helly-ha ... zQQAvD_BwE

Or this,

https://www.marks.com/en/helly-hansen-w ... o_s=gplaca

[trey kule]

Unless things have changed, go to value village and get some warm layered winter clothes..
If you are loading and unloading you will ruin a good jacket in no time.

[digits_]

If you are loading your plane you will stay warm from the exercise. I don't think an expensive parka is required. I wouldn't want to wear my expensive parka for dirty loading jobs anyway so it doesn't get ruined. A shitty reason, I know.

When I flew medevac and other 703 jobs, I was wearing a combo of:
- normal indoor clothes with long johns
- extra sweather
- flight suit
- company provided 3 season jacket (which was almost air tight, kept out the wind)
- hiking boots
- gloves
- toque

In retrospect, better gloves would have made my life more comfortable. Carrying freezing metal with mediocre gloves gives you cold hands pretty quick.

[‘Bob’]

Floats, skis, or tundra tires depending on the season.

[NotDirty!]

The type of flying and type of aircraft make a big difference here… the heating system in a C185 is not going to perform as well as a Navajo, which itself isn’t as good as a turboprop. And a loading a few bags in a Metro is a lot different than loading and unloading 3000 lbs of freight in a Caravan.

[olivierw]

I'm guessing you're going to Sioux Lookout.

I used a 200$ Snowboarding jacket when I worked there but most of the guys have a 1000$ parka. It depends on how you like to do things. In the Arctic I used the 1000$ parka because the turboprops are warm so when you jump in you undo your parka. In Sioux I layered up because the C206 heater doesn't work that well so you need to stay warm during the flight too.

What I will say is:
1) goggles vs sun glasses: The snow is blinding you need to protect your eyes. You might think that sunglasses are the way to go. But if your skin is soft and delicate like mine is, you'll want to use goggles to protect your face from the wind. In the cockpit, however sunglasses are a lot more comfortable.

2) hat: I love the aviator hats (the ones with the ear flaps). I used them in Ontario and the Arctic alike. It works great with the goggles too. If you decide to get an expensive parka however the hood of the parka will generally protect your head quite well.

3) gloves: that's the one thing you can't be cheap about. Understand that you'll be loading cargo and that it is hard on the gloves so don't expect them to last. There is 2 ways of doing things. You can either get huge mitts and small merino liners. You can do many tasks with the big mitts and when you can't they come off easily and you just use your liners for the tasks that require dexterity.
Other option is to buy gloves that you can do most things with without removing them but that are thick enough to keep your fingers warm. Now I use snowmobiling gloves I bought for 150$. But when I was broke in Sioux I used big leather mitts I bought for 50$ and small liners I bought for 10$.

4) don't expect your clothes to last. You'll get oil on them, you'll tear them. To give you an idea I go through 2 pairs of ski pants a season. Or 1 pair of insulated carhartt pants (ski pants are more windproof, but carhartts don't slips as much and have more pockets).

5) I don't think I should chime in when it comes to boots because it's very much a personal preference thing. I personally find that winter hiking boots are the way to go fo

Hope this helps, have fun in Cat Lake!

[Goon]

Thanks for the tips! I'll be in a twin turboprop and flying a mix of people or boxes so the amount of time I'll be spending loading is gonna vary a bit. I was leaning towards getting a nice parka but might just pick up a few extra layers and see what working there does to my cheaper one. Worst case if I'm miserable enough I'll order in something better.

[Cavalier44]

Speak to your new employer and see if they have any discounts at the local work supply stores. When I worked up north, my employer had a partnership with the local work supply store and they were able to secure us a great discount on Canada Goose jackets. I still have mine a decade later, and I spent three years up there doing all kinds of different flying - passengers, cargo, hauling fuel drums and drill rigs, you name it - with all that, it’s still in very decent shape. Certainly you’re spending more money up front but the quality is such that it will last you much longer.

My other tip - visit your local Costco! I got all my thermal underwater there and they have great prices. Gloves are tough because you’re inevitably going to beat the crap out of them - I bought a new pair every winter so I tried not to go overboard on the expensive ones. Giant Tiger has very reasonable prices for work gloves and other things like that - I’d wear a cheap pair of cotton liner gloves and throw my leather work gloves on over too of them when I had to jump outside and move some boxes.

[tractor driver]

When I was hauling fuel and handling pumps and hoses in NWO, Helly Hanson was the way to go. Dress the same way as the construction and hydro crews. When I flying passengers in Labrador, my CG snowmantra was the best. Always there when I needed it, easy on and off whenever required.

[altiplano]

Congrats on the new seat. Since you're going North for it, I'm guessing first twin turbine? Either way... congrats.

I'd try to talk to guys up there now and see what works, what guys are wearing. And if you get a parka, remember it's a tool, not a fashion piece like some in the cities think, wear and oil and work are all part of it, don't stress it.

Get some Nikwax for your gloves and boots.

[DanWEC]

I had a nice parka but never wore it for work. It was purely for not turning into a beercicle when leaving the house on wing night and spending the 6 bucks a week of disposable income.

A layered jacket system works much better for flying and loading your own planes. We had a company issued mediocre 3-in1 jacket that I wore with a fleece zipup underneath.

One thing I didn't see mentioned is a long sleeve thermal undershirt. Through the winter I'd have an entire long sleeve baselayer system on under the uniform and it was worth its weight in gold, like wearing a onsie.

[iflygirl_92]

All great advice and
I agree with trillium fit

insulated coveralls.

I Used those for years in the Arctic with a Canada goose, good lid to cover your ears and i used North Face glove because of the warranty.
Ended up getting a new pair set every other year because the stitching would come out and North Face has a lifetime warranty
i Still have the same gloves and boots from 25 years ago thanks to North face replacement policy
They just kept replacing it when i wore them out
also you know -20c starts to feel warm after weeks of -40

[NotDirty!]

Most of the twin turboprop operators in northern Ontario have some sort of uniform jacket or parka offered at a discount. I would ask about what they offer or suggest before spending big bucks on your own.

I spent many years in the North without a down parka. I eventually did get one, and they are definitely warm! I would be cautious about the insulated coveralls… they may be overkill unless you spend a lot of time kneeling in the snow, and may be bulky and too warm inside the aircraft. I found regular work pants from Marks, with some cheap long johns was all I ever needed (although I have a good layer of “natural” insulation, so your mileage may vary).

I would suggest to see what others in your same position do, and get an idea from there… obviously just because one guy is happy in shorts at -10 doesn’t mean we all should be, but you should be able to find a reasonable baseline. Hopefully you have time while in training to figure out what you need to get properly outfitted, and you still have a few weeks before it gets properly cold!

[iflygirl_92]

Most of the twin turboprop operators in northern Ontario have some sort of uniform jacket or parka offered at a discount. I would ask about what they offer or suggest before spending big bucks on your own.

I spent many years in the North without a down parka. I eventually did get one, and they are definitely warm! I would be cautious about the insulated coveralls… they may be overkill unless you spend a lot of time kneeling in the snow, and may be bulky and too warm inside the aircraft. I found regular work pants from Marks, with some cheap long johns was all I ever needed (although I have a good layer of “natural” insulation, so your mileage may vary).

I would suggest to see what others in your same position do, and get an idea from there… obviously just because one guy is happy in shorts at -10 doesn’t mean we all should be, but you should be able to find a reasonable baseline. Hopefully you have time while in training to figure out what you need to get properly outfitted, and you still have a few weeks before it gets properly cold!

thats fair comments about the coveralls

My aircraft (DC3 & AT98) was terrible cold and we had a janitor heater that frequently broke down --usually away from base so you might not need them on a turbine.

[EPR]

Insulated two piece Tough Duck is perfect for the job!

[TrilliumFlt]

Most of the twin turboprop operators in northern Ontario have some sort of uniform jacket or parka offered at a discount. I would ask about what they offer or suggest before spending big bucks on your own.

I spent many years in the North without a down parka. I eventually did get one, and they are definitely warm! I would be cautious about the insulated coveralls… they may be overkill unless you spend a lot of time kneeling in the snow, and may be bulky and too warm inside the aircraft. I found regular work pants from Marks, with some cheap long johns was all I ever needed (although I have a good layer of “natural” insulation, so your mileage may vary).

I would suggest to see what others in your same position do, and get an idea from there… obviously just because one guy is happy in shorts at -10 doesn’t mean we all should be, but you should be able to find a reasonable baseline. Hopefully you have time while in training to figure out what you need to get properly outfitted, and you still have a few weeks before it gets properly cold!

Likewise, I still have my Woods parka (just try to find one of those now !!) it saw infrequent use. I layered the insulated overalls with a Woods down vest at the colder OATs. Much like iflygirl_92 the airplane I flew was a bit drafty. I just doffed the top portion of the overalls; draped the arms, upper body over the armrests while keeping my legs cover down in the drafty area of the cockpit.

Someone earlier mentioned layers, this is key and wise words to dress by.

[crpilot]

Spent a couple winters up in Yellowknife. Highly recommend Watson "Red Baron" gloves. You can get them at marks. Good down to about -30, -40 with a thin wool liner inside. Won't fall apart when saturated with engine oil, should last a season...