Smoking In The Cold And Snow Hints?

[aquadoc]

We recently moved to the Northeast and damn if it isn't getting cold. Any advice for smoking outside this winter? It will be greatly appreciated.
I was up at 5ish to get ahead of the shoveling. I puffed on some Billy Budd while shoveling but my mustache had a bit of rime from retrohaling.

 

[dethmutt]

Dear God... When I say its cold I don't picture anything like that!!! I got nothing.... geesh, I would have said a blanket, but Damn.....

 

[timt]

I live in MN. I can't stand standing, sitting or walking in the freezing cold, so I'm not going to smoke in it. The only answer I came up with was installing a 60,000 BTU gas heater in the garage. My car can stay outside and I'm good now.

 

[dethmutt]

My Hellcat does not like you!

 

[timt]

I'm sure your Hellcat would do just fine...

 

[maduromadness]

The garage and a space heater with your warmest clothing; or a military marshmallow suit and warm boots. Stay out of the wind to be the warmest.

 

[npod]

I used to set up an ice fishing house in the winter. I got a nice one from Bass Pro. Honest. I posted about it last year. It is wonderful. Get a long extension cord and a heater and comfortable chair and you are good to go. Of course you look kind of silly to the neighbors, but it works.

 

[pianopuffer]

Aquadoc - I smoke outside year-round, also in the Northeast. My advice would be to smoke your beater pipes during the really cold/snowy months. Cobs work well too. Nothing that will potentially be ruined by the extreme temp flux between your cozy house and the outdoors.
I also tend to smoke smaller bowls so I'm not out for longer than I want to be, and have recently taken to smoking shag cuts b/c they burn quicker w/o getting hot on me. Two that come to mind are Three Sails and Ryback.

 

[scloyd]

Here's an idea...an igloo.
The winter of 2014 I built an igloo in the backyard. It was big enough for two adults and it was comfortable. Here's a picture of me inside enjoying a beer...the beer always stayed cold.

 

[seldom]

For smoking I don't have much to add except for the usual outdoor smoking in wind advice (wind cap or something else to cover the bowl). Of course you'll want to avoid getting snow in the bowl.
Beautiful home you have there!
General cold weather advice:

Relax. I think when people tense up it restricts blood flow and makes them even colder. Dress in layers. When you are active (e.g. shoveling snow) you can remove a layer. You don't want to sweat because when you stop moving that sweat will be cold. Stay hydrated. Seems counter intuitive but drinking a lot of water helps keep you warm. Pee when you have to so your body isn't wasting effort warming urine.

Even in very cold weather if you are moving around a lot you will be warm. I was surprised how little clothing I needed for Nordic skiing in even -40 F and colder weather.
Imagine all those aquatic macroinverterbrates going about their lives under the ice. Later in winter you may encounter some of the little black stoneflies (Isocapnia spp) that crawl out onto the snow as adults.

 

[mikethompson]

There is an old saying, there is no bad weather, just bad clothing. Dress in layers and you are fine.
As for enjoying a pipe when the chilly weather hits, I usually don't, and wait until it warms up.

 

[davek]

Go to your local thrift store and get a warm winter coat. Then find another one big enough to go over the first one. Keep them near the door, put them on and take them off as one unit and call that your smoking jacket.
Smoking jackets were worn in Victorian times to absorb the smell of tobacco smoke and be taken off before the men returned to the gentile society of the ladies. Works a treat for that purpose as well.
I also have a heat lamp on the back porch for those times I want to relax out there for a bit. Someday I may try to enclose my spot for the winter but I haven't figured that out yet.

 

[blackadderlxx]

I lived in NY for several years. Below 20 was pretty much a non starter for me because of the whole burning skin thing. I smoked a lot while I was driving back then.

 

[captpat]

Propane heater in the garage works for me.

 

[aquadoc]

Great ideas and advice. Thank you.

 

[ericusrex]

The hardest thing for me about smoking outside in the winter is getting the tobacco lit. A pipe Zippo works well in the wind. Bics and matches, not so much. And I only take out the cobs below 20 degrees.

 

[mitch11]

lol @ smoking igloo picture.
My wife sends me to our garage to smoke so i have a designated “smoking parka” to keep me warm and avoid stinking up my nicer coat. A hot mug of coffee usually helps too!

 

[warren]

I dress for the weather and the activity, I don't simply go out to smoke, I'm usually working.
There are "anti-freeze" waxes for mustaches.

 

[shikano53]

I live in Central Alberta. The smoking arrangement that I made with my wife was that I would smoke in the garage or outside. I prefer to smoke in the garage.

I use an electric blanket. Plug it in, put the temp where you want it and sit in a chair and read while I smoke.

Works great.

 

[davet]

Any advice for smoking outside this winter?

Don't! I've discovered the best winter smoking method for me is to recline my Lazy Boy approximately halfway and light up. The television is an option, the furnace is not :mrgreen: