Can you hire cold weather clothing?
 

I`ll be travelling around the USA & Europe for 6 weeks before heading to Russia & Norway for 3 weeks. It will be most of November when I`m in the really cold parts.
I usually travel very lightly, which is fine till I leave Rome .But I will need very warm boots & probably a down coat ( Especially for Tromso).
Given I am from Australia ,I very much doubt I would ever wear these again.
Should I try to hire or are there some discount outlets anyone can suggest?
Also I`d rather not haul all of the cold weather gear around with me. When i was younger sending a parcel to yourself to be collected at Poste Resturante in any city was possible, In my case it would be Copenhagen. Does such a service even exist these days?

Instead of considering "hiring winter clothing", you might want to consider going on a shopping spree. It will end up costing you a lot less. We do it all the time in Paris during the winter months and it works out fine, especially with the January sales.

If you were coming to the US during cold weather, then I would recommend going to a thrift shop and buying the clothes there for next to nothing and tossing them (or re-donating them) when you left. I don't know if such shops exist in Europe, but I would think they do.

Where are you going in the US? If you're going to Southern California, AZ or HI you may find that cold weather clothing is cheaper than in places where they need it.

The only reason I have coats is because I travel.

Every Goodwill and thrift stroe in the States and Charity shop in the UK and other parts of Europe will sell totally serviceable winter clothing for pennies on the dollar. Buy a 'puffy' coat or wool things enroute. They will be very cheap.

Also invest in some thermal underwear in the States - great for layering under your clothes.

You can do this without any puffy, poofy, cumbersome clothing. There's a tactic called "layering" whereby you put various . . . wait for it . . . layers of clothes on.

If you are in a large city in the US, consider dropping some cash in an REI store (see www.rei.com) or other top end sporting goods place. If you're going to be in one place for a week or more, shop llbean.com. These stores sell lightweight jackets that will keep you warm to about 40 degrees, sometimes less than 40 (that's American 40, not Aussie -- if you can't stay warm starkers in weather that's 40 degrees Aussie, you're hopeless), and with a couple of layers from the same places (thin, wicking), you can insulate yourself from all but the worst of the Russian weather. Add some headwear and good shoes and you'll be fine.

If you're going to Calif, there should be ton(ne)s of places that fit the bill because so many of the Californians live in warm coastal cities all year and can bugger off to a mountain just about whenever they wish from November to April to go skiing without leaving the state. There's actual snow in those mountains, so the Californians have stores that carry warm clothing even though they lounge around on the beach for most of the year.

We do not know where you are traveling in the USA but you may easily need these warm clothes before Norway and Russia. good advice on where to buy in the USA from thrifty to good sportswear.

I fyou're traveling in the US in OCtober - which is what it lookslike - you won;t need cold eather clothes unless yu'rei n the very far north. Most places that is fall ad you will get highs in the 50s/60s and no lower than 45 or so at night. for that a midweight jacket (not winter puff coat) should be plenty, perhaps with a light sweater underneath at night.

I agree with the suggestions for Goodwill, Salvation Army, thrift and consignment stores. You can buy perfectly serviceable, and sometimes even designer-label, clothing there for $5.00-$15.00 per item, at least you can here in the DC area. That would be my choice. Then you can ditch the stuff once you're past Russia without any guilt.

Sorry but that just totally creeps me out... buying from Goodewill or Salvation Army? I'll donate to them but I will not buy from them (I don't know if they even clean the clothes before selling, they expect the donor to do that). And shoes... yuck!!!

Go to Kmart, Kohls, or Target for cheap clothing that you can throw out.

"<i>Sorry but that just totally creeps me out... buying from Goodewill or Salvation Army? </i>"

Sounds like it just isn't your thing -- but millions of people do buy clothes from Goodwill/Salvation Army/thrift and consignment shops every day.

The charity shops in posh neighborhoods often have VERY high end designer things.

Much depends on how important to you being comfortable while out and about, versus having to curtail your activities due to lack of appropriate outer weather.

What matters is not whether you will ever need appropriate outerwear for your travels when you return home, but what it's worth to you to be properly/warmly attired during your travels.

I cannot imagine visiting cold weather destinations without a down coat(3/4) or jacket. 3/4 has the advantage of covering your bottom. One that is windproof/waterproof is recommended. And, one with lots of pockets. One with a hood would preclude the need to haul an umbrella all about. There are definitely better places than others for acquiring a terrific garment, depending on where/when/how long you're staying in the USA. LandsEnd and LLBean offer excellent options, with 2-3 day delivery.

If you'll be in the USA first, that's probably your best bet for finding something suitable at an appealing price.

Also recommended would be a warm sweater (cashmere) or polartec that layers nicely under the jacket.

Unless you plan hiking, suitable shoes with socks such as Smartwool may be the better bet.

It's not that inconvenient to haul a lightweight down jacket/coat, considering that they're very handy to have along on chilly planes/trains and the pockets are useful, especially considering how grateful you'll be to have them to be comfortable in the chillier weather.

And, you can usually stuff them into the outside pocket of your bag, and they emerge fairly wrinkle free.

For a nine-week trip to chilly/cold destinations, I can't imagine NOT investing $100 or so in proper outerwear (whether I'd ever need it again of not) versus being uncomfortable or having to seriously curtail activities due to weather.

Ok folks,all your suggestions are great.I`ll be in New York early October,so the name & address of any relevant stores .outlets,&thrift shops would be very welcome.I am more than happy to buy 2nd hand.And last seasons (indeed several seasons ago) designs are just fine by me.




I have tried to buy Sorel snow boots in Australia but cannot track any down in my size & the outlets in the States do not want to ship to Australia.
I haven`t got a hope in hell of getting a decent down coat here for anything less than , $350 !!For a couple of weeks wear thats kinda expensive.
I have been reliably told that the temperature in Russia & Norway could get as cold as -20oC.So I need thermals & layers & a decent coat!
That necessarily drastically increases the `bulk` of my luggage,which I`d like to send on, if possible.At the end of my trip I would be happy to donate these item back to a thrift store. I was also hoping to avoid having to spend too much time shopping while I was away,there are much better things to do & see.
I will then be going on to London for 1 week, so any suggestions for shops there would be good too.
Thanks again.
Sue

"Sorry but that just totally creeps me out... buying from Goodewill or Salvation Army? "

My partner worked as a volunteer in an Oxfam clothing shop. They wash everything before putting it on the racks, and don't sell anything that is in a bad state. They also would get corporate donations of new clothes. They also have a a pretty sharp pricing policy; is don't sell labels such as Primark, as they are so cheap new, that there is no point.

For many years it has been next to impossible to find Salvation Army, Goodwill or other thrift store clothes in New York, especially in Manhattan.

Instead, head to the general area around Herald Square and go into the super-cheapo stores and buy parkas, fleece and sweaters for under 20 USD. The names of these places change all the time -- but they are pretty obvious as to what they are. Some even have "Everything for $10" signs. Canal Street and 14th street are also good places for super-cheap clothes. K-Mart is also good. (There's one right at Penn Station.) Daffy's is worth a look in their clearance sections.

You should be able to buy warm socks from sidewalk vendors, as well as gloves and hats, all for $5.

In addition, it is worth going to a Patagonia store in NYC and getting their long underwear. It's not super-cheap, but it is not outrageously expensive. You can wear it as pajamas in Australia. You can find Patagonia on the web, with a store locator.

Winter Silks sells extremely lightweight-to-pack but warm long underwear. If they deliver to Australia, it would be a very good investment. No bulk.

PS, for shoes, find a Payless store in NYC.

And definitely check out Conway's

http://www.yelp.com/biz/conway-stores-new-york

susielou,

here is list of thrift shops in NYC, but I really don't recommend them. You tend to have to get lucky and be there when a large donation arrives, and really dig through a lot of stuff, and then the prices are sometimes not as favorable as the cheap stores.

http://www.eattheapple.com/thrift.htm

Again thank you all. I have all the small stuff(socks, gloves, thermals) sorted out it, is only the boots & coat that I`m looking for.And some way of not having to haul it around for 6 weeks before I actually need it.I`ll check out Patagonia on the web.

I live in the northern US in MInnesota which has a climate similar to that of Russia and Norway. Unless you plan to be outside for 4 to 6 hours straight without going inside, you do not need Sorrels. And, most cities in northern climates do shovel snow fairly quickly because it is a common occurence they are prepared to deal with. It is a myth that you need boots nearly up to your knees. I have some of these but probably only wore them perhaps 8-12 times this past winter. For walking around cities where you will be going in and out, what you want to make sure you have is something that is insulated and waterproof so your feet do not get wet. When we take walks in our area (we live in a city) in the winter I nearly always wear my Goretex-lined, ankle-high, hiking boots. With a pair of nice wool socks, my feet stay warm. Footwear similar to this is probably what I see 90% of the walkers around here wearing during the depths of winter unless a major snowstorm has just dumped a fresh foot of snow in the past 24 hours.

One more thing, definitely wear layers. When we visited Paris in the winter I thought I'd die every time I went inside becasue they keep most of their buildings so warm.

Hi Sue,
We're Australians and leaving London soon after living here, wish I could sell you my lovely warm coat! I figure if I take it back home I'd never wear it, it's so heavy. It's been fabulous over the snowy winters here though.

There are very few op shops/charity shops in central London but if you go to the outer areas - say 30-40 mins away from Oxford Circus by tube - you should find more. If you do a day trip to anywhere from London there will be op shops - for example there are lots in Cambridge and I saw decent fur coats in secondhand shops there for £30 or £40.

There is one Salvation Army store in the street behind Oxford St, if you can't find the address online, I can try and find it for you on Google maps.

You can do a search for charity shops in the UK or London but whenever I've done that and gone looking for specific shops, they often don't exist any more. They also tend to be grouped around one area in a town, if you find one, you'll often find 3 or 4.

Good luck,
Kay

I agree with the Target suggestion. I got a very nice wool coat there last year, for under $50usd. I also don't think you need to spring for the cost of real Sorel boots just something lined and waterproof would be OK (I had Sorels when I lived in VT and they are great, but I think overkill for your needs).

I`ve got myself some Sorels,so all thats left is the coat.
I work outdoors all year so will wear the Sorels occasionally.
I am going to Tromso in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights (which necessarily means I`ll be outside at night)so i am more than happy to overestimate how warm a coat I`ll need.
Kay,thanks,I`ll try the op shops , behind which side of Oxford st? Marks & Sparks or the other side?
Suze ,I`ll also try Target,do you think I could get a down/feather coat?
Julies, yep I remember in most countries that experience cold winters,that they usually have the heat indoors to cater for tee shirts only. I will definitely layer my clothes.
Any one with any thoughts on forwarding on all my heavy/bulky gear?
Thank you all.
Sue

If what you really need is a coat and you want to buy it in NYC, try the Burlington Coat Factory. They have stores in central NYC (Manhattan) and you can find the addresses on the web.

Hi SusieLou, the Salvo shop is in Princes St, just near the Oxford Circus tube station. I knew where it was but had trouble finding the address - 9 Princes Street, W1B 2LQ.

By the way, there are two Marks and Spencers on Oxford St, one on each side of the street, one towards Marble Arch and the other towards Tottenham Court Rd.

Good luck with the trip.
Kay

Thanks Kay,I was thinking of the Marble Arch end.
And good luck to you with your move home.
Zeppole ,I`ll check out that site,ta.

Yaay! I`ve got the coat ,down & feather AT a very reasonable price.
All I need do is get both boots & coat from the States,The Americans certainly can teach the world a lot about customer service,I love them!
Thanks everybody.

For those that buying from a thrift store "creeps them out". I have 7 designer suits (3 Armanis) that I purchased in a Salvation Army store in Florida. I paid $7.50 each. They all fit perfectly and look essentially brand new. It looked like they had all been dry cleaned before being put on the rack. Creepy or not, a deal is a deal.

dave

Try places like TJ Maxx (US) / TK Maxx (UK) / Primark (UK) for servicable but cheap cold weather gear (including ski jackets) from about October onwards until about March

Hi Susielou - pleased to hear you have got the coat and boots!

Did you buy these online from the states for delivery to Australia - as I would love to know how to do this?
I plan taking couple of winter trips over the next few years and would be interested to hear how it went.

Happy travels and stay warm.

Are you guys serious about making this so complicated?

If you go to New York, you can ask for outlets or other reasonable priced shops in the neighborhood from basically anyone. If you ask 5 different people, you probably know the best shots without sending things or trying to find a shop on the other side of the city.

Have you ever checked the temperatures in Tromso in November? Norway is right next to the Gulf Stream and it is less cold than what you would think.

You say, you are visiting Russia. That's a pretty large country so the temperatures depend on the place which you visit.

And I don't know what you mean by bulk in the luggage. If you buy a down jacket or any other jacket, you can fold it up and squeeze the air out so it can be packed in a very small space.

About getting rid of the stuff: just ask in the hotel you are staying, if they knew anyone to whom you could give your winterwear or ask for a salvation army or a flea market. Simple. Or just leave them in your last hotel room.

love-travel-aus,I could only order on line if I had an American postal address for one site & could pay with Aust credit card,the other site I had to get my friend to order & pay from the States.then she will ship both items to me.Thanks for your good wishes.
roadmovie,_25oC is cold in anybodies language,believe me,I`ll need the boots & coat.
I simply do not want to spend time shopping for such mundane things while I`m away,so I`ve organized it now.
I don`t believe this has been complicated,it`s just taken a little time!
And it`s lovely that people can be engaged enough to be so helpful,as I said earlier I usually travel VERY lightly,so boots & coat(even down)will add considerably to my luggage. If I don`t have to carry it around for several weeks before I need them,that would be good .
I`m with you Daveesl,there is nothing wrong with 2nd hand stuff,I`ve bought stuff ,worn it & then donated back.It works for me.
Thank you all again.

Go to Kathmandu online - they have fabulous, very good quality duckdown jackets that pack into a small sleepingbag cover, taking up very little room in your bag. We've just spent Winter in Europe (many palces with heavy snow!) and layered one of these jackets with a polar fleece jumper underneath, a wool high neck polo under that and then a thermal singlet under that. We each had a polar fleece neck wrap which could double as a headscarf and earwarmer!Waterproof gloves are essential. As are Goretex lined boots and thick socks. Individually, each item is perfect for winter in Australia. Layering is what it's all about. These jackets are a little pricey, but worth the money & are very saleable if you don't want it once home. You may even find a second hand one on ebay if you don't want to spend the money.

Thanks for explaining that Susielou - I have often fancied one of those lovely longer down filled coats that are referred to by other posters!
Yep Ronael - I know Kathmandu - and have a down filled vest (not from there) and positively live in Icebreaker tops when I am away in cool weather.
I also notice that rather stylish Goretex boots are now selling here - even in Adelaide - and some are fur lined - so that makes a nice change from the hiking boot style.
Hope you stay warm in -25 and safe travels Susielou.

love-to-travel,there is a site called thefind,com,which represents lots of stores in the States some of which do ship to Aus. They just did not have my size in what I wanted, give it a go! good luck.
Sue.

Oops www.thefind.com

Gee Outter4web, you should be in advertising.

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:-)

dave