How Cold is "Too Cold?"

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Spa32

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2019
650
1,133
Wisconsin, USA
I used to smoke in the garage in the Winter. I had a heater blowing on me and I was still too cold. It usually made for a bad experience. One day I decided to build a smoking room in my basement. One of the best decisions I've ever made.
 
Jul 26, 2021
2,411
9,780
Metro-Detroit
I used to smoke in the garage in the Winter. I had a heater blowing on me and I was still too cold. It usually made for a bad experience. One day I decided to build a smoking room in my basement. One of the best decisions I've ever made.
Please describe this smoking room (especially any vent system).

I have a basement to work on (it is already a half finished basement with the unfinished side being used for storage) and am looking for ideas. It already has a small, full bathroom and a wet bar (that needs work). I would like my office there and possibly a small game rooms or lounge (or a single room that combines the two).
 
Aug 1, 2012
4,881
5,686
USA
For me, it depends on wind, shelter and humidity. 25°F At 75%RH is a lot different from 25°F at 40%RH.

If I have good shelter or no wind, I can happily go down to -10°F with low humidity as long as I have good outdoor gear. That temp changes drastically when you add high humidity. With wind or no shelter, it's a no go regardless of temp.
 

Spa32

Part of the Furniture Now
Oct 2, 2019
650
1,133
Wisconsin, USA
Please describe this smoking room (especially any vent system).

I have a basement to work on (it is already a half finished basement with the unfinished side being used for storage) and am looking for ideas. It already has a small, full bathroom and a wet bar (that needs work). I would like my office there and possibly a small game rooms or lounge (or a single room that combines the two).
I built my room similar to Ryan Deyer's room. You can do a google search for his room. I only had a small section of my basement to work with. The room is 5ft x 7ft with a small heater, a tv on the wall and most importantly a comfortable chair. There is a separate intake vent for fresh air and a separate exhaust vent to get rid of the smoke. I use an S&P inline duct fan for the exhaust vent. I have an exterior door to keep the smoke in the room and caulked all of the paneled walls for the same reason. It's very simple but it works great for me. Because I live in Wisconsin I spend about half the year smoking in my room.
 

F4RM3R

Part of the Furniture Now
Nov 28, 2019
567
2,515
38
Canada
Well here in Canada nothing is too cold, you’re just underdressed! I’ve smoked outside in -20c(-4f) but where it live it hovers around 0-8c(32-46f) right now (4c(39f) as I type this) and that’s fine by me. I don’t particularly like it colder than this, but it won’t stop me from a smoke. I grew up in a place that would get down to -40 in the coldest parts of winter, glad I’m out of there, that would sure test my limits!
 

HawkeyeLinus

Lifer
Oct 16, 2020
5,815
42,064
Iowa
We go out for little hikes all winter - it gets really windy here so that's more of a determining factor. -5 F is not bad if the wind is down, sun is up and dressed properly. Smoking? Not something I like to do while walking when it’s cold - I’ll sit on the deck to a point but a nice full garage heater keeps it as balmy as I want.


I discovered that I have a foam knee pad for gardening (the kind of pad you kneel on while pulling weeds) which is very useful now. I find that if I put it on our lawn swing, or on a chair, it insulates my backsides while smoking outside. Makes an amazing difference! ?
I found out if you put a couple pads on a rocker you dramatically change the center of gravity! At least it went back and over nice and slow and the clouds were pretty as I lay there looking up and reflecting on that first move back, lol.
 

LotusEater

Lifer
Apr 16, 2021
4,364
58,173
Kansas City Missouri
In another life I smoked cigarettes regularly in -4f and colder but pipe smoking is no fun for me if it’s if it’s colder than the mid 30’s. Like many others have said - wind is the key factor. These days during the winter months I I usually smoke in my garage. I’ve got plans for a smoking room in my house but I’m not sure the wife will ever get on board with those plans.
 
Jan 28, 2018
13,899
155,163
67
Sarasota, FL
I see smoking my pipe as an enjoyable and relaxing experience. I find no enjoyment in freezing my arse off. I'm fortunate to have a man cave set up in the garage with a heater and ac unit to keep the temp around 71 at all times and a comfortable humidity level. If I'm not smoking my pipe there,it would be in my vehicle which sweetly reeks of pipe smoke.

The times I've been somewhere for any extended length of time, I've set up an electric blanket and a space heater beside me.
 

karam

Lifer
Feb 2, 2019
2,574
9,834
Basel, Switzerland
The perfect conditions for me are 90°+, sunny, and humid.
This describes my hell. Anything above 25C is increasingly uncomfortable, humidity multiplies the effect. Favourite weather is sunny, dry and chilly (5-10 degrees C). I can handle cold temperatures that Eastern Europeans found unbearable, but can’t handle heat at all.