Your solutions to keeping warm on the ice?

[KatieC]

I've been having difficulty lately keeping my hands and feet warm while skating. Several times in the last two weeks I've actually left early in order to get some circulation back in my fingers. I've tried different gloves, and mittens, (although I don't like skating with mitts on) and so far, nothing seems to be working. I will add, I've lost about 35 pounds over the last 8 months, and I don't know if that has anything to do with losing body heat.

Please, has anybody else had a similar problem, and if so, how did you solve it? Or even if you're good at keeping warm in rinks, tell me what you do to keep warm.

Yesterday it took me two hours after I left the rink to get some colour back in my fingers. They were dead white and pinched looking, which I'm sure isn't at all healthy.

[JDC1]

We have some doctors on this site who might have an idea as to why...sounds more like circulation to me since it's your extremities or it could just be you tend to have cold hands. :-) One of the women I skate with is so bundled up all you can see is her face. I start out cold but then after about 10 minutes I get warmere. Do you warm up before you skate? Try jogging in place or around the rink for 5 minutes or so and see if that gets your circulation going.

[Debbie S]

I got a pair of gloves at a store that sells ski stuff. The label says they're polyester on the outside, and they have a fleece lining. The brand is Marmot, but I'm sure there are plenty of gloves like them. They're not thick and bulky (pretty fitted, actually), and while my hands get cold, it's quite tolerable.

I only skate for about a hour at a time, though. If you skate longer, maybe you need gloves that are more heavily lined.

[garyc254]

When I was doing Boy Scout Leader Training, we taught the new adults that if your fingers or toes were cold to put on a hat. Lots of body heat is lost through your head.

Also making sure that your torso is well insulated, too.

If your body is cold, the blood supply starts leaving your extremities and concentrates it's heat on your torso and head thereby protecting vital organs first.

It could be that with your weight loss, some of the natural insulation you enjoyed is no longer keeping those vital organs as warm as before.

[mikawendy]

I wear a unitard under several other layers of clothing. I have a long-sleeve one and a short sleeve one. The only pain in the neck is having to go to the bathroom, which I always do. In the winter outdoors, I wear a knitted headband to cover my ears, then a hat over top of that.

If you have any long underwear from skiing to wear under your skating clothes, that might work. A friend of mine loves her silk long underwear underneath her clothes whenever she's doing outdoor activities for a long time in the winter.

[flo]

Unitards are great. I also use boot covers and the zip on-zip off pants.

[Chico]

I'm pretty warm blooded and don't get cold much. Saying that, I dress in layers. I enter the rink with tons on and take it off as I heat up. I wear 2 pairs of tights, 1 pair of sweater tights, sport sweatpants, 2 leotards and 2 sweatshirts to start. The jackets are usually off after I warm up with moves. The trick for me is to keep moving after this point. I wear gloves as a must. Once off the ice I make sure the jackets go back on as the chill down factor is quick at this point. Make sure you eat before you skate. An empty tummy doesn't fuel the body for energy or heat. Enter the rink warm and toasty. Dress in layers that can be added or removed. Don't hang when you skate, SKATE. Keep your skates under the heater in the car driving to the rink.

Chico

[KathySkates]

The best thing to keep warm on the ice is to move - A LOT! If that is not possible, say if you're coaching or working on figures or some other less aerobic aspect of skating, then you might try layers, insulated boot covers and inserting hand warmers into your gloves. My coach uses these. They look like little packets.
Good Luck!

[Designdiva]

I'm always cold. Especially my extremities. On the ice I often will wear two pair of gloves and sometimes I wear a tiny crocheted skull cap.

I have extremely low blood pressure (but not anemic) so it is hard for me to get and stay warm. Check with your doctor to be certain you don't need more iron or protein. I don't eat meat, so this is a problem for me.

— the Diva, who has a heater warming her popsicle toes as she types.

[skaternum]

My main rink is *really* cold, and I had the same problem. My advice is similar to what you've already seen:

1. Dress in layers. If you wear a dress, wear a unitard, a couple of pairs of tights, the dress, a cotton turtleneck, and a good jacket. Wear fleece pants if you can, instead.
2. Wear thin glove liners and a pair of stretchy fleece gloves.
3. Get a pair of neoprene "boot gloves." They're made by "Ice Light" and are very warm but relatively thin.
4. Wear at least a fleece headband, but preferably a hat.

Good luck!

skaternum

[singerskates]

My thing to be warm is getting to the rink 30 to 15 minutes early,warming up off ice by skipping rope, then off-ice stretching, not sitting down while waiting for the zamboni to finish before my session (keep walking and keep the body warm), then to do 2 forward laps Russian stroking and then 2 backward laps Russian stroking, then go to the boards and stretch some more and finally start warming up my jumps before the spins. By then I have to tear off my jacket and gloves because I'm dying of heat. I don't wear my jacket and gloves for the rest of the session. My thing takes me from 5 to 10 minutes to do. After that, I'm working on parts of my programs, running through my programs without music and then with the music. At the end of my session, I need a shower because I'm so sweaty.

Jumping creates the most heat, so start warming up the jumps before the spins and footwork after doing your laps and on ice stretches. Don't forget to do at least 1 lap each of forward and backward stroking to cool down before heading to the locker/change room to stretch and change.

Brigitte

[anital]

what is a unitard? is that like a leotard?

sorry, I don't actually have anything to contribute. I'm always warm in a singlet and a skirt after a bit, and before that I wear a light top.

[jasmine]

You may be getting cold due to circulation problems relating to dehydration. Your body is like a central heating system - if it doesn't have enough water circulating, it won't heat up properly. I had this problem for a while - suddenly going cold, or finding my hands and feet would go very cold.

Two things made a difference:
1. I gave up (or cut right down on) tea and coffee, because these are diuretic and make your body lose water.
2. I started drinking plenty of water, about 1.5 to 2 litres a day (2 pints to 3 pints)

Hope this helps!

[icenut84]

This is a problem for me too. I usually wear stretchy trousers and some kind of top and a zip-up top. I also wear gloves, but don't own any boot covers and don't actually really like them very much. I'm always cold at home, especially my hands and feet, so it's not just the rink, but last week at skating my feet were so cold that they were numb in places, especially my toes, and I had to keep trying to blow warm air into my hands to warm them up. It may be partly to do with standing around - I often have to wait for a space to practice something. I don't get chance to warm up before my group class either - there's a class beforehand so I just go straight on when it's time for my class. I keep meaning to find something thicker or warmer to wear but I can't find anything like that that is stretchy enough - I don't like skating in something not stretchy. And we're not allowed to wear hats on the ice anyway. I'm not sure what to do - it's not always that cold at the rink but as we get into winter it will probably be very cold quite often, unfortunately. (It can't be dehydration for me though, as I don't drink tea or coffee and drink a lot of water. My mum reckons I've got bad circulation, I dunno.)

[RoaringSkates]

I skate at a semi-enclosed rink, and when the wind really gets going, it gets really cold. I'm lucky, in that my normal attire - pants, long sleeve shirt, sweat jacket, and gloves, are just fine for me.

Your coldness may be due to the weight loss or the other reasons people mentioned.

If you go to an outdoor store (EMS, REI, something like that) they sell mittens that have a pocket for a warming device. These might help your hands keep warm while your body continues to adapt to your new weight and body fat amount.

[garyc254]

Just so you don't feel that you're an exception, I read a quote from Kristi Yamaguchi where she states that she is always cold when on the ice, even after all of the hours and the exertion she puts into her skating. 8O

[skaternum]

Originally posted by anital
what is a unitard? is that like a leotard?


A unitard is a one piece garment that is sorta like a combined leotard and tights. Look here:

http://www.riversedgedancewear.com/lonsleevunmo.html

skaternum

[KatieC]

Wow, what a lot of things for me to try. Thank you so much for your solutions. I'm actually just about to get changed to go to the rink. I'm definitely going to try the long underwear under my pants, and will try three layers on top. I'll even try exercising before getting on the ice, and will keep the mitts on in the car for the drive to the rink. I looked in the hall closet and found a headband - it would probably stay on better than the hat I found - it's a wooly tam and I can just see it flying off during a spin. :)
I usually do six fast laps when I get on the ice, followed by two laps of forward Russian stroking. (Don't do backwards much because I'm a klutz on them still) The only jump I'm working on is a half flip in the middle of the straight line footwork sequence I've been fooling around with.

It certainly appears I'm not alone in feeling the cold - makes for a good discussion. I'll post results after I skate today.

[dbny]

I lost 45 pounds last year and began to feel cold when I never had before, so I definitely think that is a factor. What helps me the most is to be sure my feet and skates are warm when I start. I have two pair of boots that are extra warm and wear them going to the rink, and, as someone already mentioned, keep my skates in front of the car heater. Re your feet, in particular, getting too cold, is it possible that your boots are laced a tad too tight over the arch? That is sometimes a problem for me.

[flippet]

For me, it depends on the rink. At my old usual rink, I could skate in one pair of tights and a skirt and a sweatshirt and stretchy gloves no problem, sometimes taking the sweatshirt and/or gloves off if I really got moving. At another rink, it was pure Siberia. The only thing to really keep me warm there was a fleece warm-up suit with the zipper legs. I also would wear two pairs of stretch gloves, and occasionally an additional sweatshirt, and sometimes that still wasn't enough. Earmuffs were also a good idea! But I highly recommend the fleece warm-ups--they really are quite warm, they're long enough to cover a lot of your boot, you can actually MOVE in them, and if you do get warmer, you can zip them off without removing your skates. I can't remember where I got mine...online somewhere. They're the Capezio ones, I think....whatever the ones were that Tara L. was modeling a year or two ago. I found them at a discount online shop for about half the normal price....I'll have to try to scrounge up the URL.

[dooobedooo]

Deleted

[kayskate]

Where polar fleece (or any brand of polyester fleece). Thi slofty fabric insulates your body while allowing it to breath. it does not absorb water. Don't wear cotton, even in layers. Cotton absorbs moisture making you feel colder.

Kay

[KatieC]

Okay, so here's what I did. I wore a cotton T, under a cotton/poly turtle neck, under a cotton waffle knit sweater. (kayskate, I hadn't read your post yet!)
I kept my hands warm going to the rink, and did about 3 minutes of exercises before going on the ice. Fifteen minutes later, I got off the ice, took off my right skate to massage my frozen toes, and used one of those hand warmers a friend gave me last night. I also put the headband on, which I'd forgotten earlier. When I put the skate back on, I made sure I tied the laces loosely over the instep. That helped the toes considerably. I put the handwarmer in a pocket and used it once or two in the next hour. When I left the rink, I went to a sports store to see if I could get a reusable hand warmer - I can't find anything although hockey people tell me they're available. I then went to a fabric store and bought a couple of metres of polar fleece. (Saw the most gorgeous Columbia polar fleece jacket at the sports store, at a most unbearable price!)
I'm working on drinking more water - I was really good throughout the summer, but have slacked off this fall. And, I'm going to try to remember to take vitamins - I've got them, I just forget to take them :(
Anyhow, this is an ongoing thing, and I will obviously have to keep trying things to find the right combination. I like the idea of the fleece pants with zip up legs. Flippet, if you find that URL, please let me know.

[skaternum]

Fleece skating pants and/or jackets:

http://www.gk-elitesportswear.com/skating/index.asp Go to the Polar Fleece section.

http://www.freidab.com/html/fleece.html

http://www.jerryskate.com/01_Pgs_36_to_47.pdf Go to page 46.

skaternum

[kayskate]

Originally posted by KatieC
Okay, so here's what I did. I wore a cotton T, under a cotton/poly turtle neck, under a cotton waffle knit sweater.

There is the root of your problem. With that cotton next to your skin, it is absorbing the perspiration and holding it right next to your body. You should get a polypropylene undershirt that will wick the moisture away. If you keep moisture next to your skin, you will feel cold and clammy as it evaporates and cools you.

Try a pair of polypropylene long johns if your rink is very cold or you skate outdoors. Also get some polar fleece tops and pants. You can get polar fleece-spandex leggings. They are great. They stretch and conform to your legs while keeping you very warm. I cannot sing the praises of this stuff enough. You can even get unbranded polyester fleece tops, pullovers and jackets at Walmart very cheap. Just check the label to make sure it contains no cotton.

I skated the entire length of the Rideau Canal (back and forth) in all polar fleece in February. I was not cold.

Kay

[Mrs Redboots]

I'm one of your well-insulated types, so cold isn't a problem for me! And my husband, although skinny, never feels the cold, either.

When I skated out of doors in sub-freezing temperatures, some years ago now (this is not normally possible in the UK, but we were visiting my daughter in Switzerland), I wore, from the inside: thermal spencer and long-johns, thermal socks (the very thin microfibre ones you can get in catalogues), a polo-neck, leggings, knitted boot-covers, a fleece jacket, microfibre gloves and I think a Balaclava. And I was well warm enough, if not too hot!

The one time I have been really, really, REALLY cold when skating was in Dunkerque last year at the Dune of Flanders Cup. I found then that a woollen cardigan I own was a great deal warmer than the fleece jersey I normally wear at competitions - I even wore it to warm up my Interpretive in!

As for reusable hand-warmers, my parents use a kind that burn a stick of charcoal very slowly, which stay warm for hours when they are out-of-doors. I don't know where you could get them from, nor even whether they are particularly desirable on the ice (what if you dropped them?). You can also get the wax kind that you replenish by boiling for six minutes, but they do not hold their heat very long.

Or you can buy (or make) mini wheat bags, which again don't hold the heat for very long, but are very nice while they do!

[jasmine]

The digestive system creates a lot of body heat. If you've been dieting by cutting right down on food altogether, or by some food supplement like the Cambridge Diet, then your body might have gone into "starvation mode" where it lowers its basal metabolic rate.

If that's the case, buy a calorie-counting book, count to 1250 or 1500 calories (or 2000 if you are at target weight) and eat plenty of bulky low-calorie foods like fresh fruit (apples, pears, melon, pineapple) and vegetables (cabbage, spinach, broccoli, zucchini, carrots, celery), some low-calorie fillers (jacket potatoes, boiled brown rice), and low-fat protein like chicken (protein requires/generates more digestive heat). Eat at least three times a day.

This should kick-start the digestive system working full-time again and raise your body heat.

Regarding clothes, I find cotton is quite cold - polyester velvet and polyester fleecey jackets, or wool are best; thermal vests and leotards can be useful.

:D

[wannask8]

While we’re discussing fluffy pants options for women: anyone out there know any particular manufacturers whose stuff runs long? I am tallish (about 5’9”), with fairly long legs. Even finding normal pants is a challenge, as I’m also pretty thin (thanks to genetics) – it is really hard to find things that are long enough in the legs and small enough on top.

--wannask8

[flo]

wannask8, try Capezio. They tend to run tall and thin. There were some great deals on one of the discount websites that many of us ordered from. I can't remember the name, but I'm sure someone here will.

[Elsy2]

Here's the site referred to above:

http://www.dancefactoryoutlet.com/index.html

[melanieuk]

In winter I wear thermal underwear under my skating clothes.

Skating clothes:
1 or 2 short sleeve T shirts
2 long sleeve tops
1 cardigan
2 pairs leggings or tights and leggings.

I warm up off ice till I'm warm all over. Fifteen minutes of jogging and stretching and off ice jumps.

Keep moving on the ice.

Wear 2 pairs of tights.
Wear gloves.
If allowed, wear a hat or a woolen head band.....loads of heat escapes from your head.

[KatieC]

I'm making a fleece jacket and top, didn't find any I liked at our Walmart store - most of theirs had at least 50% cotton. I'll see how the well the fabric does as a top before decided whether to make pants out of the same material. The pants at Walmart were also very baggy, not what I'm looking for at all. I checked out the above website, their prices look great, even in U.S. funds, but I'm going to hold off ordering until I find out if I get a job I've applied for. I'm crossing my fingers :)

Edited to add: I lost my weight through Weight Watchers, so I've been eating healthier for the last six or eight months than for a long time. I think I'm also going looking for some thin thermal socks, maybe Marks Work Warehouse will have them. Or a sports store.

[flippet]

Katie, I don't remember if this is where I got mine, but these are similar (same brand, just different year's product, I think), and while not quite the price I paid (I only paid $25 per piece, but that was an amazing sale), they're still cheaper than most sites will have them. Look at the grey ones at lower right.

http://www.mycoartistic.com/warm-ups.htm

I believe I ordered size medium, and I'm about 5'1", and was about 130lbs at the time.

I honestly can't recommend these enough...they're WARM! Wear a pair of tights under them, and you're good to go. I recommend wearing a leotard or a very long shirt on top though, because the back of my jacket will tend to ride up a little bit...even an inch of exposed back is COLD! 8O If you want, you can just get pants, and stick with a cheaper jacket from a discount store, or homemade if you wish. Just make sure that it's either snug-fitting, or has elastic or a drawstring to keep drafts out! :)



I'll post more links if I find them....

Looks like Skate-Mart's got similar for about the same price...

http://www.skate-mart.com/catalog/warmups.shtml?

[skaternum]

Originally posted by flippet
I believe I ordered size medium, and I'm about 5'1", and was about 130lbs at the time.


But, if you have a larger rear end or thighs or stomach, Capezio fleece pants don't fit very well. They fit better if you're slim hipped.

[flo]

The Capezio pants fit more like leggings, so there's little room underneath for leggings. I ordered a medium, and then exchanged for a large, but they were only longer, not larger. I'm 5-2 and 120.

[Yazmeen]

I too feel the cold more since losing 22 pounds two years ago. Might I suggest that you try glove liners? You should be able to find them at a ski store. They have metallic threads in them and they tend to "conduct" heat better to your fingers. I have to wear mine in the winter months. A hat or thick headband over your ears may also helpl


Beth

[jenlyon60]

I have 2 pairs of the Capezio zipper up the side polar fleece pants. Can't tell much of a difference in each except for length. One pair is Large, the other Extra Large.

I'm 5 feet, 150 pounds or so.

[flippet]

Originally posted by skaternum
But, if you have a larger rear end or thighs or stomach, Capezio fleece pants don't fit very well. They fit better if you're slim hipped.

I suppose that's true...I'm a 'thin' 130lbs, if such a thing's possible! :lol: I've found that my leggings are slightly higher in the front than the back, so a pudgy tummy might be ok, but a larger backside might be more difficult to fit. :oops: I still love my leggings to death, though! :D

[Mrs Redboots]

Today I had the opposite problem: I was far too hot! I wore leggings instead of my usual skirt-and-tights, and first off, felt so self-conscious that I was sticking out behind, so I went and got my skirt and put it on over the top. But oh dear, I was hot! I was then skating in a thick coat (for my Interpretive programme - don't ask!), and although I'd taken my sweatshirt off and just had a thin polo top underneath, I thought I was going to melt into a tiny pool of melted butter!

Even when I took the coat off and put my skirt back on, I was dripping.....

[peachstatesk8er]

Staying dry is a good start. For an under layer, if you don't like the silk thermals, try a Coolmax t-shirt. You can get them at REI (definitely buy the REI brand and not the brand names like Columbia etc. b/c REI brand is cheaper). It's a moisture wicking fabric that takes the sweat away from your skin and dries very quickly. I wear them to aerobics and as much as I sweat, I never ever FEEL sweaty. They're thin enough to wear under almost anything; not bulky at all. I know you can get long sleeved versions as well and if you don't have an REI store available to you, LL Bean also sells the Coolmax T's. Also, Target has a line of workout clothing called Pro-Spirit and I've found their moisture wicking clothing to work equally as well as the Coolmax stuff and it's a LOT less expensive. There are also Coolmax "yoga pants" and Pro-Spirit pants if you want to wear slacks while skating.

Another fabric that is incredible is Schoeller Dryskin. I've seen it sold in REI and LL Bean as well and it is just as awesome.

[skaternum]

I think this was mentioned already (I'm too lazy to review the entire thread), but it's worth a restatement. We're all (myself included) focusing a lot on what you wear, but what you do before is probably more important.

Before you step onto the ice, do a *serious* warmup. Your body should already be almost hot by the time you start skating. It's easier to get warm off-ice and try to stay warm on the ice than it is to try to get warm on the ice. (Did you follow that bizarre sentence?) So warm up with stretching and a good 5-10 minutes of cardio work. Get your heart pumping, then go skate!

skaternum

[KatieC]

Yesterday I went to Marks Work Warehouse and asked about thermal socks etc. The girl was really helpful and recommended WindRiver polypropylene liners, you can wear them under thicker socks, or alone. The packaging says Wonder Wick. I tried them today and my feet got a little cool at one point, but not bad. I might try again on Friday with another thin pair over them. ($11.99 for two pairs) I also bought Stanfield's Polar-therm long underwear - they also have wicking properties. ($29.99) And, lastly, I bought PolarKnits insulating gloves, to wear under my regular gloves. All these things, combined with a polar fleece top and jacket, with poly tear away pants, kept me totally comfortable when I skated today. And, I had a fabulous skate :) So, I think what I'm going to do is bookmark these sites and when I get this job, or any job, I'll start suplimenting my skating wardrobe. I still want pants and another jacket and top. The socks are hand wash only, so I can see me forever washing out my socks every night :(
Oh yes, I also warmed up a bit off the ice yesterday and today. About 20 jumping jacks, and stretches for about 5 minutes. Will try to lengthen the time on Friday.

P.S. When I looked in my closet yesterday, trying to find some kind of top other than cotton, would you believe I could only find one old silk shirt and one linen shirt! I always knew I liked natural fibres, but this was a bit ridiculous. I can't totally give up my cotton sweaters, (I have about 7 of them in various colours), but maybe I'll try some thin poly or fleece tops for underneath.

[flippet]

Originally posted by KatieC
I might try again on Friday with another thin pair over them.

I wouldn't recommend that, actually. Wearing either thick socks, or more than one pair of socks is a speedy route to blisters. New skaters often feel that 'thicker=warmer=better', but that's not really the case.

Also, I don't remember if you said what kind of skates you're wearing--your own, or rentals? Have you been fitted well? I've found that if my skates fit the way they're supposed to, VERY snugly, my feet don't get cold (and I tend to run cold in regular life anyway). I actually only wear nylon knee-hi's on my feet, not even skating tights, and my feet are almost never cold, even in frigid rinks. I have found that in very cold rinks, sometimes I do appreciate the warmth of microfiber footed tights however....warm on the feet, warm on the legs! And they don't shift around under pants like long underwear will sometimes do.

Making sure that you aren't cutting off circulation by making the laces too tight over the arch area is also a great help. Not only will feet get cold if it's too tight, but it can cause foot cramps too. Yank 'em at the ankle bend, but just let them sit on the foot. :)

I hope you're discovering what works for you! It's slightly different for everyone, and it's a journey, but you eventually find your way! :)

[KatieC]

Actually, my skates are Jackson, Competitor. I got them about two years ago and I'm almost guilty that I've never had a problem with them ever. No blisters or sores - they fit beautifully right from day 1. I know others have had problems with Jacksons, but they work well for me.

This has been a fantastic experience for me to have all your help with this problem. Thank you everyone, for your comments and suggestions - so much to think about and try.

[icenut84]

I've been wearing a zip-up top to skating recently. I checked the label the other day. "100% Cotton". D'oh!

[wannask8]

(Thanks, flo and Elsy2. I have to head to NJ later this month, so hopefully I can fit in a quick side trip to Wayne to check out Dance Factory Outlet.)

-- wannask8

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by Elsy2
Here's the site referred to above:

http://www.dancefactoryoutlet.com/index.html

Elsy2, thanks for the link! I just ordered fleece pants and jacket from there recently and the order came less than 24 hours later without rush shipment! Their prices on fleece were great, and their stuff has a snugger fit than what Old Navy, Target, etc. carry.

I bought a small (followed their sizing chart) jacket but am going to exchange it up for a medium one--it's too snug to fit layers under.

The one odd thing about the side zip pants is that the zippers go all the way up, and the zippers do this odd rumply-thingy so I have bulges on the sides of my legs. They're very warm though.

FYI for anyone ordering from the site, be careful--if you place your order by phone, they add a $5 service charge.

[Andie]

Here's my typical rink attire...heh.

*1 pair of skating tights under a pair of pants. If I wear a skirt, I put on an extra pair of tights.
*regular long sleeve shirt under a mock-turtleneck, which goes under my sweater or sweatshirt.

[wannask8]

Many thanks to flo and Elsy who suggested Dance Factory Outlet and Capezio for fleece pants for the longer-legged. I picked up a few pair at the Wayne store – they not only fit, but were also marked down to only $5 each, a real steal.

-- wannask8

[dbny]

Originally posted by wannask8
Many thanks to flo and Elsy who suggested Dance Factory Outlet and Capezio for fleece pants for the longer-legged. I picked up a few pair at the Wayne store – they not only fit, but were also marked down to only $5 each, a real steal.

-- wannask8

I was there last Friday morning and had a real shopping frenzy with everything marked down to $5. Brought home several dresses which have already been distributed.

[Lili]

I skate at possibly the coldest rink in Western New York and have been wondering what the heck I should do to keep warm. I've been there basically my entire skating life (except for 2 lost years) so I usually dealt with the cold air with lots of layers. I recently discovered that fleece works the BEST.

Yesterday I had on a pair of tights, leotard, fleece pants and turtleneck, and a sweater and I was so hot by the end of my warmup I had to take off the sweater. By the middle of the session I was skating in a tank top. So I would definitely reccomend fleece!

[Yazmeen]

WOW!!! I didn't realize the outlet in Wayne had such good prices!!! I'll have to check the one near Princeton to see if they are having a sale!!!

Thanks,

Beth

[mikawendy]

Originally posted by Yazmeen
WOW!!! I didn't realize the outlet in Wayne had such good prices!!! I'll have to check the one near Princeton to see if they are having a sale!!!

Thanks,

Beth

I just bought two pair of pants and a jacket from them, all fleece, and they were great prices through mail order but not as good as the in-store prices. Be careful, though because I had to send back one pair of the pants for an exchange because the size marked on the outer plastic wrapper and tag said medium but the tag sewn into the garment said large. I had to make two long distance phone calls to straighten this out (and to get them to send me the jacket they owed me after I sent the first one back for an exchange). They wound up giving me free shipping on the exchanges in return for my trouble. It is very warm stuff (even when the wind goes through my fleece jacket I'm still toasty).

You've probably seen the earlier posts on sizing (the sizes seem to be more suited to skinny minny kid's bodies)...

[dbny]

Originally posted by Yazmeen
WOW!!! I didn't realize the outlet in Wayne had such good prices!!! I'll have to check the one near Princeton to see if they are having a sale!!!

The $5 items were only available during a two day sale right after Thanksgiving. They had put away their regular stock for the sale.