School me on cold weather living

My900ss

My900ss

Puts the work in
Batteries discharge faster in cold weather.
Outdoor wheel chair ramps can become ice ramps.
Salted roads are hell on cars/trucks.
4x4 gets you going, does not help you stop.
Layers of clothing.
Support team... i.e. who will help if you need help?
 
SM610

SM610

Well-known member
Currently in Cleveland, and although there no snow here yet it reminds me of my wintery childhood. The sun shines only a matter of hours per week. Thats from Oct thru March. Made me a depressed little kid. :laughing

The other surprising thing is seeing reletively late model cars rusted THROUGH. As in big holes. "Dayum! Is that a '01 Mercedes-Benz with huge holes in it? Really??"

Never buy a car from ohio/Pa/NY!
 
augustiron

augustiron

2fast 2live 2young 2die
The idea of layers are good if you are going to be in a consistent temperature for a while. But if you will be indoors mostly (as sane people are in Syracuse in winter) then you need a bomber outer removable layer to get you from warm point A to warm point C while passing through brutally cold, windy, icy and snowy point B for some period of time.
Having layers on for 10 deg weather is great while you are out there, but when you get where you are going and will be for a while (work, restaurant, etc) you will be uncomfortable and it will be difficult to adjust.
A big thick long down jacket with hood is the norm up there. You may also need a wool or down blanket for your lower body.
Seat heaters and remote start in the car are also must haves.

I went to college near Syracuse and in Buffalo, I currently live in Tahoe. I love the cold and snow.
But I think snow and ice will add huge difficulties to your mobility that I can't see how to avoid. Best wishes in your endeavors.
 
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bcj

bcj

Spagthorpe RA
Down. Definitely. Coming indoors, you can leave it on for an hour or so before it gets too hot.
Better range of comfort than anything else I've found.

"Love is a snowmobile racing across the tundra and then suddenly it flips over, pinning you underneath. At night, the ice weasels come."
 
Climber

Climber

Well-known member
Blankpage said:
Cars are not cheap so rusting from all the winter road salt is like a huge extra tax on East coast residents that Californians don't have to worry about.
Click to expand...
During my 13 years in New Hampshire, I often wondered how much lobbying the automakers did to keep the states using salt on the roads.

Salt vs sand was a constant debate over there.

Many people spent $2k to get the underside of their cars coated to protect against salt, that was back in the 80's, it may be much more now.
 
dravnx

dravnx

Well-known member
I've lived in Rome (near Syracuse) and Plattsburg (all the way up in the NE corner of NY. You'll learn to power slide your car. Find a parking lot and practice. Driving on ice is a skill set that you have to learn. Your parking brake can get you out of a skid. Carry a bag of cat litter in your trunk to get you off an ice patch and warm gear in case you end up in a ditch. It's no joke. People die from hypothermia up there all the time. If your drinking, keep any eye on your buddies. You don't want one of them going out to piss and passing out in a snow bank.
 
russ69

russ69

Backside Slider
Blankpage said:
Cars are not cheap so rusting from all the winter road salt is like a huge extra tax on East coast residents that Californians don't have to worry about.
Click to expand...

And your heating bill. Has anyone mentioned the snow belt? Because upstate NY is in it!
 
wazzuFreddo

wazzuFreddo

WuTang is 4 the children
A friend and former coworker used to talk about this place in Rochester. :laughing

www.garbageplate.com

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Blankpage said:
Cars are not cheap so rusting from all the winter road salt is like a huge extra tax on East coast residents that Californians don't have to worry about.
Click to expand...

I'd lease if I lived in the north east so I wouldn't have to worry about it but that is just me. :dunno
 
augustiron

augustiron

2fast 2live 2young 2die
Me and friends would drive a carload of us drunks an hour from buffalo to Rochester for a 4am garbage plate.
Good times
 
msethhunter

msethhunter

Well-known member
Sheeeeiiiiiit. Upstate NY doesn't get cold. Minot, AND gets cold. I lived there for a year, and it taught me a few things.

Listen to what others are saying about how to handle it. Upstate cold blasts are usually short lived.

Get proper cold weather gear, it's going to be expensive.

Use the proper washer fluid in you cage.

Switch out your coolant for 100% coolant, no water.

Buy a new battery.

Pack your car with a cold weather survival kit. It could literally be as simple as a warm blanket provided you dressed warm enough, or as complex as a full on kit if you didn't.

Don't run low in food at your house. You won't be snowed in for weeks up there, but you could be for a few days.

Learn how to enjoy what we don't get here in California. I'm not a big fan of the color, but there are a lot of things you can do to have fun in it.

Littlebeast has a lot of good tips, but the winters she grew up in are way more hardcore than what you'll experience in NY. Great advice, and you'll be well prepared if you listen to her.

And don't waste your money on a block heater. I got by just fine in ND without one, but I did have a summer and winter blend for my coolant. Money would be better spent on a heated battery blanket.
 
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