It’s New Year’s Day and while I type this, I’m wearing shorts… because we live in SW Florida. My son will be starting at UChicago this fall. Assuming he has no appropriate clothes for temps below 60 degrees, what does he need to get to avoid frostbite? Be specific. 
He is going to need at least two coats, one of moderate warmth (a fleece might be good), and one very warm. The warm one you might need to pick up in a northern climate, such as in Chicago. He probably should have a light sweater (I would go with cotton) to wear under the coat on really cold days.
He is going to need very good boots. Toes can get cold, and he will be slugging around on ice and snow quite a bit. The boots will need to be warm and also have good traction. Snow over a thin sheet of ice is probably the most slippery condition that he will run into.
It is probably a good idea to get silk gloves which are for wearing under your mittens. Then also get warm mittens. Mittens are warmer than gloves. He also should probably have a set of moderately warm gloves for the days that are not quite as bad.
He will need a backpack to carry books and stuff. When you hands are wrapped up in silk glove liners under mittens, you lose a lot of manual dexterity. Also, when he gets inside he is going to need to put the gloves and hat somewhere if he doesn’t want to lose them, and a backpack will be very handy for this purpose.
He will need a warm hat, or at a minimum something to cover the ears.
Some people like scarves, but I have never seen the point.
All of the above is probably best purchased in Chicago. I would trust the stores there to have a much better selection of warm gear compared to stores in Florida.
We live in New England. I have a daughter who is a freshman in a university in eastern Canada, but in a location where the winter weather is almost identical to where we live (and both are warmer than Chicago). Even though she was moving to a location no colder than home, she still needed more winter gear. The issue is that a university student walks from class to class and from dorm to meal hall outside, while a high school student usually stays nearly all day indoors within the school. Therefore a university student will need better winter gear. We have already spent $500 on gear (mostly a coat and a pair of boots), and she is going to need another warmer winter coat which is likely to be in the $300 range.
Unfortunately it is relatively easy to lose winter gear, particularly gloves and hats. Don’t be shocked if something has to be purchased twice.
And, right now, it is bitterly cold in New England, with strong winds which make it feel worse. Enjoy Florida! We will get you back in July.
Send your kid to college with a fleece in the fall. He can see what others wear…and order online once he gets there.
And he will need gloves and a scarf…and probably a hat too. But let him pick those things out.
And some kind of shoe to wear in the snow. My kids have insulated hiking boots…sort of look like sneakers but with some oomph.
Thank you - those are good tips.
What about dorm room bedding? Are the dorms overheated, drafty or does it depend on whether he’s in an older or new one? Guessing a moderate weight comforter would be OK?
Pretty sure he’s in a little bit of denial about exactly how cold it’s going to be. He wasn’t thrilled with the wool socks I got him, thinks he won’t need anything like that… Do we have an “eye roll” emoticon? I need one.
Make some of your purchases when you arrive for fall drop off. He can get the rest with friends.
My DS in in the NY State frozen tundra from Texas and had the same problem - no winter clothes. I got him wool socks and waterproof insulated Merrill shoes at Dick’s Sporting Goods. Burlington in Houston also had some great prices on the wool socks. He bought an 850/860 (?) lightweight down jacket from LL Bean on his northern roommates’ suggestion and said it keeps him warm, over a hoodie. I just bought him some fluffy lined fleece hoodies in Houston from Old Navy on sale.
One thing I was told was to get full zip items, to make it easier to remove those layers inside.
Good boots and wool socks are a must. Lots of warm stuff could be purchased now at online retailers like LL Bean, Patagonia, Lands End, etc.
You don’t need to wait to go up north to purchase winter stuff. You can get everything online and shop for discounts.
I would get him some waterproof stuff. My kids went to school in Ithaca and they had a lot of snow. I got them Sorrel boots and down coat with hood. My kids’ dorm was over heated most of the time.
Take a look at Lands End. Their prices are reasonable… especiallly at the end of the season. And their stuff is warm and waterproof.
One minor thing to look for: jackets that zip from both the top and bottom You can sit down (say, at a football game) and unzip the bottom enough that you’re comfortable. Also look for jackets that have a fleece or similar lining.
Also consider flannel sheets if you can get them in the right size.
Interesting thread. My son may be going from south to north as well.
Just as an FYI: it’s 12 degrees outside my front door right now on Long Island. TWELVE. And we dont get the lake effect snow or wind that Chicago does.
Brr! 8 degrees in my kid’s Prospective College City.
My daughter is used to cold weather and hates it. And is planning to go upstate for school. (We’re at the south eastern tip of NY… ALL of NY is “upstate” to us.)
Her #1 choice has one dorm that has a cafeteria in it. If she gets in, I’m going to strongly suggest that she apply there, so that at least she can stay reasonably warm getting to and from breakfast. Oh, and Santa got her a Keurig; she can bring hot chocolate and coffee.
OP and others… absolutely keep and eye on the end of season sales at Lands End, LL Bean, Columbia, Northface…
Get yourself an LLBean catalog and a Lands End one too. You don’t have to buy anything from them, but they will show you what is available.
As for the room, you are right to question whether he’ll need lot of blankets, etc. My daughter left for Laramie Wyo (first snow fall that year? Sept 29) with a ton of blankets and quilts, but her dorm was really really HOT all the time. she slept on top most of the fleece and the second year took only one. You have to dress in layers as you never know how hot a classroom or lab will be, you just know it will be 15 degrees outside. Columbia has several layers of jackets with a fleece that can be worn alone or zipped into an outer shell.
"Just as an FYI: it’s 12 degrees outside my front door right now on Long Island. TWELVE. And we dont get the lake effect snow or wind that Chicago does. "
You’re killing me here. This morning we had our windows open. Had to close them this afternoon as your cold front finally arrived… it got down to the 50s and all my friends are dressed like they’re at the North Pole. Seriously. I just got back from a New Year’s Day pool party (most years it’s warm enough to swim, this year not) and about 1/2 the people were wearing down jackets. We are not a hardy people… 
Now that’s just mean 
Two of my kids go to school in the Midwest and both bought electric blankets for their drafty dorms - they loved them!
D went to school in a colder climate and thought she had everything she needed. We found ourselves on the phone with her after the first bad storm ordering a heavier jacket and snow boots from Sierra Trading Post.
It’s impossible to say what the dorm situation will be - I would go with a blanket and medium weight comforter and then see if more is needed. Soft throw blankets are nice if you S would use them.
S is in Illinois - we got him a great multi-layer jacket and some Sorrel snow boots on clearance his senior year of high school. And lots of wool socks!
Down coat, decent boots (Uggs are nice but the knockoff version at Famous Footwear will do as well) and mittens/gloves or hats. My D17 told me that “flannel is in” at UChicago so she got a lot of nice flannel shirts from LL Bean for Christmas - but flannel from anywhere (Macy’s, Kohl’s, Sears, Land’s End, Walmart, and so on) should be just as fine. Also, I’m waiting to see if she needs me to send a faux-down comforter. Her room is radiator-heat and she had the window open in the fall LOL. The problem in winter is that your window can easily freeze open if you crack it. Best just to have light bedding.
This is a bit more Hyde Park/U of Chicago specific advice.
If OP’s son resides in the South or BJ, he most likely has to walk across Midway Plaisance everyday. That 1,000 feet hike from the Main Quadrangle to Cathey Dining Commons in January will likely be the most brutally cold walk he has to do daily. Tonight the low will be minus 8 degree with wind chill at minus 22 degree. As all seasoned Chicagoans will tell you, we pay more attention to the wind chill factor than the actual air temperature.
While in general university does a decent job of cleaning up the snow on campus, there is no guarantee along the main city streets like Ellis, University or Woodlawn Avenues that there would be no snow or ice on the pavement. When OP’s son is running from the South to catch his Core Bio class at BSLC, OP certainly does not want him to sprain his ankle on the icy street.
So what are necessary winter outfits for a college student at UChicago? My recommendation will be:
- Warm winter hat
- Scarf and/or ear muff
- Polar parka
- Waterproof insulated winter boots with a good traction outsole
The beauty of online shopping is that you can start shopping now for the above items no matter where you are. I would not recommend that OP waits until November of 2018 before OP starts shopping for cold weather gear.
Actually Chicago winter has been pretty mild in the last decade as compared to the 1970’s or 1980’s. Last year we barely had any snow for the entire winter. Given the high volatility of weather due to climate changes, we are due for another polar vortex just like the one in 2014. During that January we had a whole week with wind chill going as low as minus 40’s. And here was the real kicker: UChicago remained open all week and that meant all the students had to go to class.
“When OP’s son is running from the South to catch his Core Bio class at BSLC, OP certainly does not want him to sprain his ankle on the icy street.”
Or break his fib/tib slipping on the ice. It happens. Don’t run on ice.