Face protection at -40F?

[Boyan B]

Been doing landscape photography in Alberta over the past 4 days in the middle of the polar blast. Temps were in the -35C to -40C range for 4 days straight. At times I was outside for up to 3 hours. All my gear held upile a champ except the balaclava. Can’t remember what brand it is, but it is some type of polyester that got wet and cold almost immediately and became useless. I switched to a Minus 33 wool neck warmer which worked exceptionally well, except that I could not get it to cover the cheekbones very well.

Any recommendations for a balaclava or other gear that covers the entire face and holds up in extreme temperatures?

[peter v]

being a bit anal over that sort of thing, i made my own and it stands off my face. have not posted a pic of it as yet . but … one can go to “arctictrek” and in their gear/clothing section find/buy what they use on their guided polar adventures. plenty of folks have gone that route and i find no whining about it.

there is seldom joy to be found in any form of simplistic/easy face covering. it’s just too complex’y a reverse curve sort of shape to work without extra fabrication effort. native tech tip ; a ruff on the parka can work wonders.

you can go look up old pics of the eastern front (pic a war. any war. they’re pretty much All horrible) and note how the soldiers, no matter how many scarfs they layer over their faces, are still losing pieces of nose. eyelids too, if it gets really nippy. once the fabric touches the end-of-nose, it’s going to get wet, and your nose show is over.

cheers,

v.

[Bill Budney]

native tech tip ; a ruff on the parka can work wonders.

Yes, that looks like the best solution to me: A tunnel hood with fuzzy edge slows cold wind without collecting moisture from breathing hard.

Would be nice to find a standalone tunnel hood that I could use with whatever shell I happen to be wearing (rather than requiring a specific parka with the tunnel hood).

[Chris K]

How about KT tape? Quite literally a band-aid to the problem, but could be a short-term solution with other things in the mix (balaclava, buff, ruff, etc)

[Boyan B]

Great suggestions so far. Keep them coming.

[Boyan B]

PS found this

https://empirecanvasworks.com/product/removable-fur-ruffs/

[Boyan B]

<p style=”text-align: center;”>@peter v can you be more specific about the “arctictrek” search? It is rather generic and returns all sorts of spurious results.</p>
 

@Bill Budney I may have found what you are looking for. It is ugly but probably works well

 

https://armysurpluswarehouse.com/extreme-cold-weather-shore-parka-hood-a-1/

[Alan W]

I also am adrift using artictrek reference.

I wonder if the following mask is intended meaning??

https://icetrek.com/shop/guru-face-mask

[Bill Budney]

Yes, that looks like the right thing, Boyan.

I wonder if Timmermade’s WaterBear would be an ultralight alternative? It doesn’t have the fur, but it does have the tunnel.

(When I search for “arctictrek”, I see arctictrekadventures, which my browser refuses to open due to suspicion of malware. So, yes, we need more info about what to look for, Peter V.)

 

[peter v]

Alan’s right, it’s IceTrek, oops, my bad.

and ya, that’s what they use.

as far as ruff fur, i have read that wolverine is best, but i know that a coyote pelt is cheap and works ok. sewing the fur is not easily done. real fur sewers use an air nozzle to keep it out of the seam. i gave up on the sewing, but did end up with an ultimate cat-toy.

[Tjaard Breeuwer]

I have only been out in  -30F , never -40 (air temp, not windchill). And, not staying still doing photography, so the following  is conjecture:

I have used frost tape, now mosty just use pieces of generic roll athletic tape in the same way. It works well for its purpose: preventing superficial frostnip/windburn when you are exercising in the cold.
But for @Boyan B’s use: photography in the cold, I worry that it simply doesn’t provide any insulation. It relies on an elevated heart rate pumping warm blood around.

I use a cheap little coyote ruff on my regular hood, and it helps. But I will replace it with a better one from Boundary Fur Sewing, because my current one is worn out, and never was quite big enough anyway.

The snorkel/tunnel hoods I am sure are quite warm, but would be hard to use with a camera.

If it was me I would use:

1. big fur ruff, but on a normal hood, not a snorkel hood.
2. either a (head)band around nose and cheekbones or one of the Seirus style facemasks that have a opening for the mouth (I cut a full opening, not just the perforated area they have) and a full opening underneath the nose

 

[Boyan B]

Yes, sitting around at -40C/F is a challenge. It is relatively straightforward to keep the core and legs warm but hands and cheeks (and to some extent toes) are a problem. I think the army tunnel hood will work. At such temps I only use the rear LCD for composition (having metal parts near your face is not advisable) and the hood can be folded over. At $27 delivered it is a low risk even if it does not work.

Tjaard how do you find the Serius mask? Intend not to order Amazon-only brands  for demanding appliances.

[Mike C]

I was just skiing in Yellowstone Park at -20 F. When the tip of my nose started to freeze, I deployed my Seirus Bandit Combo Tube. Problem solved! The Bandit does a great job of protecting the nose and the mouth covering can be opened, thereby eliminating the glasses fogging problem. It also covers the cheeks pretty well. The Bandit also comes in a hinged headliner model. Any mask I’ve used that has a fixed covering over the mouth, regardless of holes, always fogged my glasses. A fur ruff would probably be ideal, if one spends lots of time out in serious cold.

[David Thomas]

I find tunnel hoods work although you get “tunnel vision”.  The fur ruff definitely helps reduce airflow into and inside of the hood, the best fur has long guard hairs plus a very fine undercoat, and doesn’t ice up.  Wolverine, wolf and dog (I suspect much “coyote” is dog out of China – Alaskan coyotes have great pelts, but western state coyotes do not).

Put a copper wire (about 14-gauge solid) in the edge of the hood, so you can bend it into your preferred shape and it will stay.  I got a set of work coveralls from a North Slope worker and LOVED that feature.

Not freezing your nose off is so important, it’s something (like a second Bic lighter and a second small light) that I’ll double/triple down on.  The set up you think you’ve proven to -40 might not work as well with a bit of wind or if you don’t the solar input you did the last time – the sun’s low but makes a real difference on a sunny day – in my area, all -40 days are sunny.

[AK Granola]

I have three balaclavas, for different conditions and temperatures. One is polypro, one fleece, and one wool, for colder temperatures in that order. I also use a parka with a tunnel hood for wind. Thick fleece neck gaiters can also be used to cover the face. For skiing (although I don’t ski below minus 20F), I use Dermatone to protect nose and cheeks.

And, not what you asked but in case anyone is interested, I use Bag Balm on my dog’s paws at minus 20. At minus 40 if we’re going for any distance, I’ll put him in booties. Not his favorite thing but better than frostbite.

[David Rostenne]

We hit -40 last winter.. and I was out for a a few hours. Thoroughly enjoying it. I used a balaclava, wool neck gaiter thing and ski goggles, and hat plus I kept my hood of my jacket up as a windbreaker.

I’ve done the same when downhill skiing at similar temperatures.

[Boyan B]

Got the army hood today. Built like a tank, has wire in the hood to help it heep it’s shape. The pelt is decent quality, long hairs on the sides and short hairs on top. Nice soft felt liner. Even folded back the hood would have been perfect for my adventures at -40F last week.  I can’t imagine even being outside in a situation where the hood needs to be fully extended, but it seems usable for photography even extended. Excellent value for $27 delivered.  Coupled with a wool neck warmer or a $20 seirus half mask this should serve all my needs, and it is so nice that it is there only when needed, can stay in the car or backpack otherwise. It is on the heavy side for this forum but not for my needs.

[Boyan B]

PS also got the “Chuckie” mask. Would not advise spending $6 on it unless you need a Halloween costume or are about to star in the B roll of a low budget horror movie. It is probably good if you need to be out for a week in sub -40 weather but feels like an overkill in most recreational scenarios.

[Bill Budney]

That’s great news about the hood you found.

Theoretically, the tunnel hood should slow wind without actually keeping moist air against your face. Pictures of people wearing them usually don’t have face masks, although they do often wear goggles.

OTOH, a neoprene mask (like Seirus) would block wind on your face when you have the hood rolled back. I like the suggestion of cutting out the mouth part. The idea of the neoprene mask is to vent your moist breath rather than trapping it against your face. I have a Seirus mask and it could benefit from some careful trimming.

I suppose you will have to experiment to find what works best for you.

[David D]

With some light exertion, a disposable surgeons mask does a very nice job keeping cheeks and nose warm to pretty cold temps.  It’s (ironic) side venting and light weight reduces moisture build up and helps keep the side of the face warm, making it slower to ice up.  It cuts wind decently.

Its my go to for outdoor night skating, which I discovered on a fluke during the heart of Covid.  I’ve used it for hours down to about -25C with wind chills near -40C, IIRC.

I used to use Buff, then poly, fleece and wool balaclavas depending on temps but they froze up pretty quickly IME, holding more moisture. The poly and fleece are still great for shoulder season sleeping, but keeping the nose exposed to not ice up and the nose bridge and eyes covered with a buff.

My youngest Santa gifted me this Decathlon balaclava this year.  It has a high breathability panel sewn in front so should manage freeze up better than a typical fleece.  Quality is good, price is right, though fit may be tight for some.  I’m waiting for some -30C weather to give it a spin.

Where you often see the Seirus used is winter sleeping for when the stove snuffs out in the hot tent and you’re completely static so you won’t overheat in it.

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