<p>hi guys. i have a ridiculous question. i'm flying out to northfield on January 17-20 to go on a tour, interview, and stay overnight with a student. </p>
<p>but...i'm from los angeles. we consider 40 degrees extremely cold, and i don't know what weather is. can anyone give me minnesota winter packing advice? :) </p>
<p>along the same lines...when staying overnight, what do i need/not need to bring with me?</p>
<p>Well, I havent been to Minnesota, but I have lived in Michigan and here in Sweden, so i should be able to give you some pointers ;)</p>
<p>It really depends on how much time you'll spend outdoors, but.
Long pants, obviously, and possibly a pair of thick tights to wear underneath if it's really cold. layers are your friend, so maybe a cami or t-shirt, and then a long sleeved over and then a sweater. But this is if you have a lighter coat. If you have a heavier coat, you should be fine with just a sweater.
A hat, gloves and a scarf, and some sturdy shoes and socks.
But if you're only going to be outdoors for five minutes, just bring the scarf, hat,etc and you should be fine.</p>
<p>Bring a sleeping bag. A thank you for your host would be appreciated, especially if it's edible.</p>
<p>As saaamie said, layering is very important. Since wind chill can be a factor, make sure your jacket has a windproof layer.</p>
<p>My daughter just arrived home from CA. It is amazing how quickly she forgot her MN skills. Here is what I have been telling her.</p>
<p>No wimpy, thin knitted gloves/mittens - if you have a little time before you go into Carleton, several of the shops in town sell good gloves/mittens.</p>
<p>Have a pair of decent shoes, sneakers, boots - ballet flats will be wet and cold should a couple inches of snow fall and the sidewalks are not yet cleared.</p>
<p>The thick tights suggestion as an under layer is good one. Make sure at home that this doesn't feel too tight under your jeans.</p>
<p>A decent hat even if you get hat hair. Everyone else will be dealing with hat hair. If the temp dips like it tends to do in mid January, even the slightest wind will make your ears cold.</p>
<p>The good news is that you will see the school at its coldest. There will be no surprises when you are accepted. The really cold weather usually lasts about 4 days and then it moderates back into the 20's. </p>
<p>There is a really good sledding hill at Carleton. Hope you get to play outside some.</p>
<p>oh god, i'm from chicago and when i saw the bit about the 20s not being really cold i shivered...</p>
<p>Hey, it's up to the mid 30's today so I only wore a cardigan when I went shopping!</p>
<p>thank you all for your help! :) </p>
<p>i have a pair of long underwear and sweatshirts/hats/scarves out the wazoo, so hopefully i can pick up a winter coat and be good to go.</p>
<p>Bundle up, baby! Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!</p>
<p>I'm from MN and it's freezing here! I actually quite hate it, so if you don't like cold weather, don't come here! </p>
<p>haha, a bit extreme, Carleton is a great school, but it's SO cold here.</p>
<p>I've enjoyed snow/super cold weather when I've been in it...I just haven't been in it that often, haha. So it's good I'm going to MN in January! :)</p>
<p>Good advice in this thread. I recommend leggings instead long underwear or tights for wearing under pants for warmth, but that's just because long underwear tend to come up too high and tights can be too pinchy. I get cold really easily and usually have to bust out the leggings under pants when it's 25 degrees or colder, which it probably will be.</p>
<p>Most female students wear wool peacoats/trenchcoats or a cute puffy coat, if that helps with shopping for jackets. Cropped coats are not your friend. If it's quite cold, I'd wear a thick hoodie underneath your coat, in addition to whatever you wear indoors.</p>
<p>Footwear-wise, go with Ugg-like things that have been sprayed with a water resistance treatment, leather clogs, sneakers that don't absorb water, or rainboots with thick socks. I'd stay away from anything with a heel or crappy traction or that tends to soak up water. You want to make sure whatever you wear for pants won't drag on the ground with the shoes you have on, too, or else it will be wet and salt-stained.</p>
<p>OK, I'm an MN resident. 40 degrees would bring people out in t-shirts and shorts (not kidding), so if you are that sensitive to the cold you better bundle up. Go with a warm jacket, some chopper gloves (if they sell them in LA), big boots, an eskimo hat (warm and fuzzy), and some snowpants and jeans. It will be below zero at least one or two of the days you are here, so be prepared. Don't let this deter you from coming to the school, however. You will learn to accept the cold with everybody else and once you get used to it, it is a really beautiful place to be. I love living here, there is nowhere else in the nation quite like it. Oh, and if you do go to Carleton, study up on some hockey before you come, it's kind of an obesession in this state.</p>
<p>EDIT: Remember to drive slow, it's icy out there.</p>
<p>Uggs are amazing. It was in the upper 30s yesterday and foggy and balmy so my friends and i all went for a walk. Of course, this meant the foot of snow was melting. My ugg-clad feet remained toasty dry. :)</p>
<p>Also, random chicago tidbit for ya: We are currently under a tornado watch out in the western suburbs. In december. Does MN have anything weird like that ever?</p>
<p>LOL about the hockey, jkaufman. Fang Jr says if he goes to Carleton or Mac he'll become a Wild fan (I say yeech--watching the Wild is like watching paint dry), but even if he ends up at Kalamazoo there's no way he could become a Wings fan. </p>
<p>Carleton doesn't actually have a club hockey team, does it? Does anyone ever play hockey in those nice rinks in the middle of campus?</p>
<p>Oh come on! The Wild games are so much fun! Go to one and you will be hooked. lol.</p>
<p>OK, going to an NHL game is fun, even if you have to watch the Wild play. But being a Wild fan would involve watching the Wild on TV in those paint-dry-fests they call games.</p>
<p>Believe it or not, hockey isn't that popular at Carleton. It's listed as a club sport, but the websites haven't been updated since 2003. I suppose there might be some pickup hockey games on the rinks on the Bald Spot, but those are used mainly for broomball games, which is very popular, or recreational skating.</p>
<p>Sorry for going off topic here: The Wild aren't that boring to watch! So Lemaire has them playing a defensive style, they still win games and probably will make the playoffs. It's not like watching paint dry.</p>
<p>Hollylove, buy/bring some thick wool socks (preferably two pair, so you can switch back and forth if they get damp), especially if you don't have good winter boots. Wool insulates even when wet. Smartwool is a brand that seems to work well. The secret to enjoying the it's-so-cold-my-nostrils-are-freezing-shut weather that we have in the Upper Midwest is to learn to dress for it. Once you do, it's fun to be outside on a sunny winter day, even when it's minus twenty degrees.</p>
<p>The Wild have Owen Nolan, that's one good thing.</p>
<p>So there are two perfectly good rinks in the middle of Carleton but they're not used for hockey? In hockey-mad Minnesota? What a tragic waste.</p>