I am so paralyzed by trying to figure out how to deal with cold that I havent packed all. Dear @magic.wizards.com, stop putting these shows in the fucking tundra, onegaishimasu
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Layers help a whole lot. T-shirt/sweater/hoodie can all usually fit under a heavy coat, and you can take the hoodie or sweater off if you’re warm in the hall.
This reminds me of going to GP Sendai in 2001. It was gripped by a blizzard. I walked half an hour in almost two feet of snow to get to the venue from my room.
Being stalked by California pros when I went to lunch (because I knew where it was) was a complex memory.
I was waiting for a bus outside the Shinkansen station and the concrete pavement was covered with permafrost. After 20 minutes and checking how close the venue was, I just walked it (and learned where the konbini and other necessities were). But I watched people leave the station.
Half slipped.
It’s a horrible feeling of voyeurism seeing people who have been on the Shinkansen for a few hours come north, get off, get that “let’s get outside the station” feeling, and they get outside and suddenly the world decided to mess with you. The ice was so clear and invisible.
It was one of those moments which made me identify with all the NES game designers, putting ice levels into their games, because a lot of the eight bit era was inspired by people just walking around Japan and noticing hazards.
The really hard part was seeing people having trouble get back up.
And you don’t wanna go over to try to help them, because honestly, you can’t. You need to have good traction on ice to help pick someone up, otherwise they’re just gonna pull on you and you’re gonna fall too.
And then I saw two people fall simultaneously, and the third also fell.
So at that point after they left, because Sendai is not that busy a station, I was waiting and saw two people walking to the door so I held my hands to my mouth to show I was shouting 危ない！(Danger, look out!)
They saw me gesticulating and focused on me as they stepped out.
And fell. That was on me.
My only point of reference is Indianapolis, but that city seems built to hold conventions with the hotels hooked up to or a short walk from the ICC. I could easily see a Magiccon Indy. I can't imagine that downtown couldn't easily handle 20-30k people, especially if the hotel at PanAm plaza is done.
as a fan of winter, I don't really find chicago that heinous - i would hav eenjoyed it if i had been able to use my ticket...solstic in vegas i'm hoping there's a way to not go outside
Yeah but the point (that we all know it even if they won't admit it) is that the halls are cheaper during these times...it's a monetary decision plain and simple - the comfort of those attending is not important to them...just their money
Just get a decent L.L. Bean jacket, a good took, some gloves, and a pair of boots. You'll be fine. I'm from Maine, we just had about a foot plus of snow dumped on us in addition to the cold, and all was good. You're lucky, don't have to worry about the actual cleanup!
Tundra? I live in the northeast and I wear shorts every day, even in the winter. -2 degrees out? Still wearing shorts. My wife thinks I’m a maniac but I just don’t get cold like that.
I also live in the Northeast. Hell, I lived just south of the Arctic Circle for a year. I dropped a ton of insulation in the last two years. (I got into shape.)
If you train yourself to stop shivering, it gets easier to stay warm while in the cold. Your core retains heat for longer if you don’t shiver. Moving while avoiding shivering, steady movement, is how to stay warm while burning calories.
This is incredibly incorrect. Shivering is what keeps you warm. As an outdoor survival enthusiast, shivering is your body’s way to stay warm. You don’t “train yourself not to shiver”. I don’t know where you learned this from but it’s definitely misinformation.
I learned it living in Finland, a place where people who walk to work or school have to deal with very cold temperatures. If you are going to the sauna for a trip of five minutes, go ahead, shiver away, but if you have to go five or ten km in the snow, you need to keep your fuel checked judiciously.
Tshirt, zip up hoodie, one really comfy medium/big coat. If you’re a hat person a beanie, if not a scarf(faaaaashion). Good comfy pants. Wool socks/boots 4 outside, second pair shoes con floor. Gloves/long johns are really dependent on the wind not the cold and you’re going to Chicago sooooo.
The top half allows you a lot to shed as you move around the con. I hate wearing more than one layer of pants during the winter but If your group is going to walk any distance and the car isn’t already warm you might get long johns.
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Being stalked by California pros when I went to lunch (because I knew where it was) was a complex memory.
Half slipped.
The really hard part was seeing people having trouble get back up.
And then I saw two people fall simultaneously, and the third also fell.
They saw me gesticulating and focused on me as they stepped out.
And fell. That was on me.
Well, as long as is socially appropriate, anyway.
*unbearably hot some parts of the year
It is bitter cold AF and your wife has a point.
But it isn’t fun.
So yeah, not just making this ish up.
Stay safe friend
https://bsky.app/profile/travisnorman.bsky.social/post/3lhw25ihrxk27
But if the most time you spend outdoors is walking to an Uber, you'll be fine without them.
A nice down jacket is the truth, though. Light, warm, and they'll pack up into the size of a Satin Tower.
It seems so easy.
That and for me if I'm still in LA, a magic con here would be less travel and hotel fees.