Growing up poor and in a cold section of America has taught me how to stay warm in the winter, and I would love to share my knowledge with you.
Daily Clothes; don’t just wear one single heavy shirt/pants. You want to dress in layers of thinner clothes. My typical day is an undershirt, followed by a heavier shirt and my polo shirt for work. Over that, I wear a hoodie, somewhat thick, but not too thick. Then my jacket. I typically take off my jacket when I go to drive or am at work.
My apartment is harder to keep warm, with the Japanese standards are to keep houses cool(er) in the summer, and the culture typically uses kotatsu. I got a thing of packing foam that rolled out. I put that over my windows. That is to have a layer to keep the cold and warm air out. I use the same foam over my front door, and I cut strips in it, that way I can part the foam and walk out when I leave my apartment. Once I did this, it kept my house 20% warmer than it was before.
Last, when I go to bed, I turn off any heater in my house for safety and keep the electric bills down. but I don’t sleep cold. I have a 3 blanket system that works, and I find out that I typically throw off one or two of the layers in the night.
The bottom layer is a fluffy quilt that holds a lot of air inside the fluff. (yes, it is the first layer.) The second layer is a knitted blanket, one of the ones with holes in it, so that Air can pass through quickly. The top layer is a thick wool blanket.
This works because the first layer helps generate heat with your body, the second layer lets it travel to the top and the top layer holds it in. That moving air helps circulate the air and keep the warm air near your body.
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I hope this helps some people.
14 comments
>with the Japanese standards are to keep houses cool in the summer
What? my house is hotter than outside during summer and as cold as outside during winter. :'(
Thanks for sharing
I do similar w/blankets–sheet, then electric blanket, then down duvet, then some wool on top, which seems to cap the heat in. (also sort of weighted by that) In a room totally without heat. The electric is mainly to pre-warm it, either off or lowest setting when sleeping.
Nice tips. Yes, I remember seeing on TV (they’re always trying to teach us something) that putting the sheet on top of the cover is more heat efficient or something.
A sleeping bag within a sleeping bag means you never throw off your insulation. And it can be very toasty if expecially the outside one is thick and good quality.
No shame wearing your snow suit in the house either.
I built alarge indoor tent with a heater inside. Mind you, it has gaps for air exchange. I have no interest in dying from carbon monoxide.
My computer is in the tent. And here I sit, warm despite the fact the heater is on its lowest setting.
Its bascially plastic sheets hanging from a sheet of particle board suspended by four steel poles. Two full sized desks inside.
And here I thought I was the only one who sleeps in a room without heater/aircon on and just uses blankets to keep warm.
Never used electric carpets, hot water bottles, kairo, or whatever other hot tips that’s been flooding this sub lately. I’ve got a thermometer in my bedroom and by morning its usually about same temperature as outside +- a few degrees. I even keep a window open to prevent condensation and circulate the air.
I wake up at night because my face is freezing but I’m sweating from the blankets.
Next in japanlife: how to use your underwear twice as long between washes.
I find being hirsute really helps 😜
>This works because the first layer helps generate heat with your body, the second layer lets it travel to the top and the top layer holds it in. That moving air helps circulate the air and keep the warm air near your body.
That’s not right, it’s because the middle blanket has air pockets which hold the heat. But your method is still correct
And don’t wear socks to bed
This is the 4th or 5th thread on teaching people how to use clothes and or blankets this week.
I didn’t think the bar could be any lower but here we are.
Things I’ve learnt this week:
– I can wear a hat on my head to be warm! (Gloves too, but this is advanced)
– More blankets on the bed is an option; place them on top of other ones!
– Clothes shops sell clothes; you can buy them!
– Leaving heaters on full in every room with the windows open is more expensive than a hot water bottle!
– Wearing few clothes is colder than wearing many!
Man, in only 2 or 3 more of these threads I reckon I’ll be ready!…Until SUMMER, and then I’ll be screwed because *no way* I’ll know what to do then!
now tell me how to keep my hands warm enough to type properly. WFH my whole body is fine at about 15C, even if I’m just sitting there, but my hands are too cold to type use the mouse
I’ve got friends that pump the AC up as high as it goes and then walk around the apartment in a t-shirt. That shit dries my eyes and nose out in minutes.
Turn it down and put on an extra layer!
It’s like everyone discovered the concept of temperature when they moved here
And winter is coming