Help Prevent My Florida Son From Freezing!

Parents Forum
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<p>DoctorDerrin, I empathize completely. We live on the equator and our son is in the Berkshires. Some days the temperature difference is over 100 degrees F!</p>

<p>Whether your son stocks up on winterwear now or later depends on where he's going to be next year. If he's going to be in or near a city, he'll have some options. If he's headed for the boonies ala Williams, Middlebury, then I'd buy now. As Driver said above, the cold comes on early and wickedly. Like many boys my son wouldn't have had the motivation or knowledge to buy for himself, so before dropping him off we spent a few days in New York stocking up on winterwear.</p>

<p>The other thing is that the retail cycle is wierd (don't ask).When it starts really getting cold, the stores the stores are closing out their winter clothes and stocking up on Spring. August is the right time to buy if you want to find a selection of sizes and colors.</p>

<p>I second the Northface idea, even though very expensive, their multi-layer polyfill zip together jackets are both cool and very functional. They can be worn for years. I agree with the parent who said that LLBean and Lands' End may not be popular on campus. </p>

<p>The next most important item is a pair of waterproof snow boots.
There are lots of styles of boots, so this is a more subjective buy. Both the coat and boots can feel pretty strange to a warmweather kid who's used to flipflops and cutoffs, so be prepared for some complaining.</p>

<p>He'll also need gloves, hats, scarves, socks and layering pieces. 100% polyester fleece is wonderful. It's light and warm and can be found in all price ranges, no need to go for the branded "Polar" stuff. All the on-line catalogs carry tons of fleece items.</p>

<p>I'd also suggest some thermal underwear. Silk is very warm, but synthetic is easier to care for.</p>

<p>If you can secure the coat and boots in advance he can supplement the rest on line or locally. Now for you when you visit. . .</p>

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<p>There is great shopping in Burlington - Fillene's, etc. The bus from Middlebury takes you there. And the shops in Middlebury - a bike ride or walk from campus, also carry nice things. We visited there this spring. D says she wants to wait and see what they have up there - we're in Houston area - she's going to Amherst. Not a fashionista, but very opinionated on what she likes. I told her about the snow clogs, and she thinks they might be just the thing for everyday, but still wants waterproof boots because she wants to make snow angels! Not much opportunity for that here.</p>

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<p>Just one more vote for: (1) some sweatshirts or fleece jackets for layering, (2) a lightweight jacket or windbreaker, and (3) wait until he gets there. No matter where he goes there will be shopping locally. The more money you spend on advance purchases, the less likely it will ever be worn.</p>

<p>I've been through this twice, with 2 kids going from California to cold places -- though at least we are in northern Cal. and don't need to bundle up every time the temp drops to 62 degrees. </p>

<p>I'd just scope out the local shopping. I did that with my son - found that there was a Sears near his campus, so I added him to my Sears card. Not that he actually spent much money at Sears -- but even when we walked into the store in late August, it was already well stocked with parkas. The kid wasn't going to freeze. </p>

<p>It's just not worth packing and schlepping all that stuff.</p>

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<p>I agree with the comments to wait and see what other people wear and how he reacts to the cold...my daughter said that the kids who came from the real warm climates were embarrassed by their big puffy knee-length jackets that made them stand out among the northerners...</p>

<p>Some kids wear sandals all year long--even through the snow and slush, but my daughter prefers waterproof hiking boots, which tend to be really popular...most colleges in the snow belt do a good job of clearing the snow off the campus sidewalks, but the roads (and city sidewalks) can still be slushy...</p>

<p>Other college kids will also need basics, and they will sometimes get together to search for stuff with their friends...Don't buy hats, gloves, scarfs at the campus store--the prices are outrageous! Be sure to bring a folding umbrella too! My daughter was surprised to see everyone (including the guys) using umbrellas in the drenching rains--</p>

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<p>I have to laugh about the shoes - I bugged and nagged my daughter mercilessly to get some waterproof Merrells. I thought they would be the perfect thing to wear around campus when it snowed - slip on, waterproof, not too bulky and snow boot-like. Every time I saw her during the fall, I'd nag and nag. We'd shop around a little but she never really liked them. I finally found a pair one day while I was shopping on my own - we wear the same size, I had them put on hold for her and made her stop by and try them on. They fit, she liked them and bought them. She wore them ALL winter long - even out in the snow to make snow angels and go sledding. They were perfect. See, sometimes mother does know best!!!</p>

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<p>My So Cal D who goes to school in the Northeast wore flip-flops until Dec 6th, long after the first snow. Kids. . .</p>

<p>We sent her with some silk long johns, forced her to buy a parka in October (when H attended Freshmen Parents Weekend). She did say that she could use some boots for next year. . .</p>

<p>I thought that the weather would be a problem for her, but she really enjoyed winter. At the first snow, a lot of kids ran out of the dorms and went crazy. You guessed it--they were kids from California and Florida!</p>

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<p>I live on the equator too and was wondering what temperature rating (saw this on the lands' end catalog) would you parents recommend for college in the northeast (williams, specifically, if it matters)?</p>

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<p>I don't know the temperature ratings, but ditto to the mom who said they wear North Face rather than L.L. Bean. I think because so many of the kids here grew up wearing L.L. Bean parkas and carrying L.L. Bean backpacks, they don't tend to wear it much in college. There are a lot of sources of discount North Face online. The most popular outerwear is the layered approach -- a fleece and a shell that can be worn separately or attached with a built-in zipper or Velcro or something. I forget the details. Me, I wear L.L. Bean, like lots of other moms. Maybe that's another reason the kids don't want to wear it...;)</p>

<p>There are big outlet malls both in the Berkshires and in southern Vermont, fwiw.</p>

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<p>could you direct me to some of the north face discount sites? thanks!</p>

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<p>Im surprised nobody's mentioned "hoodies" here(hooded sweatshirts). College kids live in them,no matter what the weather. If its cold,rainy,snowy, the hood goes up.</p>

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<p>Agree with cathymee on the hoodies as a fleece alternative. I have lucked into heavily marked-down Columbia fleeces at Sports Authority store. There are extensive discount outlet malls in Kittery and Freeport, Maine; North Conway, New Hampshire and I'm sure there are more in other Northeast regions.</p>

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<p>But won't hoodies get wet when it snows, you know since they're mostly cotton....</p>

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<p>We also wear and use a lot of LLBean. I mentioned to my son that Northface is popular at college campuses. He claims that he doesn't care what is popular or what others wear and that he plans to continue to wear his LLBean jacket. Are boys generally susceptible to fashion peer pressure once at school? I hoped the peer pressure thing would abate at college. Is that unrealistic?</p>

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<p>odyssey, I sure hope you are right about the peer pressure stuff. The son who is going to college this fall has never been prey to fashion issues, and I wonder if that will change. Hope not. The college he's going to seems to allow for lots of individuality, so maybe that will make the difference.</p>

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<p>I would have your kiddo wait until he gets to his "colder climate" location to get his garb. First, there are many retail outlets (Eddie Bauer and EMS have stores) plus online shopping (REI, LLBean). That way your guy will know what the kids at his school actually WEAR. DS and DD never wear boots...doesn't matter how deep the snow gets...so they would be a waste of time in this household. Good gloves and a hat are important. Cathymee is right...most kids layer with a hoodie (hooded sweatshirt...a staple of college clothing where the weather gets cool) and maybe a polar fleece. DS (in Boston) has a thinsulate lined jacket (I think his came from Beans) but he only wears that in the dead of winter when it's windy. His has a hood which is really nice when the wind is blowing. I would recommend thinsulate over down simply because it is easier to wash.</p>

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<p>sixsixty, odyssey and momofthree - I don't know about "fashion" peer pressure in college as S will just be starting next year. But I'm not sure it's about fashion for some of our boys. My S is no fashionista <em>at all</em>. But he won't wear what we parents would call logical cold weather clothing and they just don't in hs, and from what I hear and read, at college either. It may be a "macho" thing, although S is not macho. So I'm guessing it's an "I won't be dictated to; it's not comfortable; I'll be too hot when I get inside...." thing or something else entirely. The bottom line is that it is risky to spend money in advance on most any kind of cold weather/wet weather gear.</p>

<p>Yes, sixsixty, hoodies will get wet when it snows, as will fleece. Do they care? Apparently not. </p>

<p>I have seen otherwise intelligent girls screeching at the cold, as they walk in 6" deep freshly fallen snow in their flip-flops. The boys, at least, mostly wear their athletic sneakers. A slightly more logical choice. :rolleyes:</p>

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<p>jmmom, I see your point!! I am going to hold on to my cash until I get the scoop from him. S has been wearing an certain parka for a LONG time, so long that it has a name (Nice and Toasty) . . .man, if any of his friends are reading this, we are no longer confidential :). . . </p>

<p>But, I will hold off on other items, such as boots, until I hear what is really needed. Thanks for the counsel, all!</p>

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<p>I lived in really cold upstate new york, and after a little bit of time, the body gets used to it, and I don't know about your kid, but kids have a way of going out in the freezing cold (to us anyway) and they don't feel the cold like we old folks do</p>

<p>Warm socks warm socks warm socks</p>

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<p>wait until he gets settled in..around here in the NE kids are still wearing shorts in December...with their flip flops and hoodies. He will adapt and trust me, he won't freeze. Kids tend to borrow clothes from each other too.</p>

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<p>Related to the weather but not the clothes. Your son may do well to take courses that have intense end of semester work in the fall and classes with work load more spread out in the spring. In November, the cold and dark will drive him into the library early. In the spring when everybody starts to loose the heavy sweaters and coats and wear shorts and tee shirts in the quad...it gets harder to get inside to study.</p>

<p>Back to clothes....the modern layered coats where you can just wear a wind breaker or zip all the layers together and walk to the north pole. Decent warm socks, warm hat, and insulated gloves or mittens, and a decent pair of boots. Incidentally, most northerners know to sweep the snow off before going inside so that there is less to melt on your clothes.</p>