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(meteorobs) Re: Brrrrrrrrr

The frozen fingers of wayne.t.hally@bangate1.tekdot com wrote:
>> The temperature by the time I got finished was only 27F (-3C)..
>> not even very cold. 

Hmmm ... -3C ... T-shirt weather, says the Norwegian. Well, I shall
not play the great viking here. -3 IS very cold if you don't have
the right clothing. This is especially true for meteor observing,
since the body is relaxed and all muscles are inactive.

I use a sleeping bag that is good for -40 C. At least - that's what
the factory claims. My experience is that I get pretty frozen after
a few hours in -20. (The -40 value does not mean you will feel well
in such conditions, what it means is that you will not die.)
Anyway, it is one the better sleeping bags available here in Norway.
One can get a model that is good for -55C, these are claimed to have
been used in expeditions in Antarctica.
My sleeping bag costs about 300$. Maybe a lot, but what the heck -
it is a one-time investment. I have used it for at least 6 hours
in temperatures similar to yours (i.e. Orionids). I did not freeze,
but I got a bit chilly in the end.

Experience: If observing in +10C, dress like you would do if walking
around (muscles active) in <0C. If the temperature is 0C, dress like
it was -20C.

One other thing that helps me survive, is that I do not plot meteors.
Plotting means that I must hold my arms outside the sleeping bag from
time to time. Cold air will then rush into the sleeping bag.
I am lucky that my perception is rather high. I never see less than
10-20 meteors an hour. So I usually have >5 meteors from all but the
very faintest showers.
Maybe IMO would like me to plot such meteors, but for me it is a
matter of making an observation or not making an observation. I am
never going to plot meteors in sub-sero temperatures.

All the best,
Trond