Winter Clothing Essentials

If you’re reading this blog, you’ve probably heard of Carleton College. If you’ve heard of Carleton College, you’ve probably heard about our weather. It … has a reputation.

First: I love the weather here. I’m not being sarcastic. It can definitely be a lot to deal with at times, but after eighteen years of living in the same, dry, Californian purgatory equivalent of “seasons”, I was absolutely ready, and excited, for the change. Every time I walk outside, I’m reminded of how I live in a fundamentally new place now. That’s refreshing and invigorating for me.

Anyway.

Minnesotan Winters are definitely a thing. When I got into Carleton, my family and I immediately scrambled to figure out what gear we’d need to get, how I would use it, and to what extent. We didn’t really know what to expect outside of research, and when that happens, I think it can be a little easy to go overboard. Which sucks when you’re already traveling with everything you’ll need for your New College Life, which is going to be housed in a single dorm room. So today I’d like to assert that there are no more than three winter essentials you’ll need in order to stay healthy and comfortable through a winter term here.

Serious boots

I didn’t own a single pair of boots before coming here. Now that I’m here, it’s probably the “winter item” I use the most frequently. What I mean by serious boots is that they’ll need to be warm enough to keep your feet, uh, warm, and waterproof enough to allow you to get from Point A to Point B even when faced with some new meteorological event such as Real Rain, or even Actual Snow. So you should be looking for insulation and water resistance. Additionally, it’ll be nice if your boots have some traction. That way you can avoid spontaneously slipping onto your butt on your way to class in front of everyone like I did a few times last year.

A large parka

In coming to Carleton, I learned that this “parka” thing is basically a super-jacket, and they often have these fun, puffy hoods. The reason I specify that you’ll want a large parka is due to considerations of cost and space efficiency: there will be days where just a parka will be enough to stave off the shivers, but chances are, there will also be days where it won’t. You could spend a bunch of additional time, money, and suitcase space getting a number of new special-purpose warm jackets to add to your collection, but honestly, I’d get a single large parka instead.

Why?

The large parka leaves you with room to layer underneath. I’m convinced that, like, 3 long-sleeved shirts you already own + 1 parka does the same thing that 1 thin jacket + 1 parka does. The large parka is more efficient in every way, and it means you get to retain your personal style (if that’s what you want to do) and have a fun shirt to present when you make it indoors.

A way to deal with rain

In California, rain is pretty much a sign of the Apocalypse, so I’ll admit that Real Rain took a bit of getting used to when I got here. Now that I’ve lived with rain for a bit (and have visited friends in Chicago over winter break), I don’t think it’s really that bad. You should be good with either a wind/rain slicker (big enough to go over your big parka), or even just an umbrella. Just find some way of being able to exist outside without destroying your precious new parka (which, trust me, will end up being one of your new best friends).

So that’s it! Obviously there are a bunch of additional items (a beanie, some gloves, long underwear, etc.) that can add a bit more convenience to your winter life at Carleton, but I truly think the above is all you really need, along with the ability to layer.

Happy bundling!

Lucas is in his sophomore year at Carleton, bringing with him a passion for all things nerdy and a talent for overthinking and awkwardness (and self-deprecation). He hails from Pasadena, California, and yes, he realizes it gets cold out here. He currently sees himself majoring in Physics, although he hopes to explore Cinema and Media Studies, Chemistry, Economics, and Computer Science (among many other subjects) as well. He misses his bearded dragon. Meet the other bloggers!