What is the coldest you have ever been ?

[jjeff]

Another time a friend and I were back country off trail snowmobiling with the intention to winter camp in the woods overnight. It was about -25 without wind-chill. After a few hrs of making trail we decided to hightail it back to a heated cabin. Needless to say I'm accustomed to outdoor cold weather activities unless I work up a heavy sweat dangerous misery soon follows in my experience.

 

[masscity]

I grew up in the UP so I've been around cold, but we wear clothes so it's not so bad.

In 1999 we did the Lake Superior circle tour, counter clockwise. We did the 1200 miles in 4 days and 3 nights with 4 bikes.

The last 300 mile leg we didn't put on our rain gear soon enough and we all got soaked. Temperatures were around 50 I think.

Now even with rain gear on I was still very cold. We wanted to get back as soon as possible, so we were driving 85 mph in the rain.

I was 52 years old and the others were around 30 something. I was so cold that once in a while I would go into convulsions and felt

like I was going to fall off of the bike. Coldest I've ever been. Got home and had a nice hot sauna.

 

[Little Red Tractor]

Cutting firewood on a 20 degree day, worked up a sweat despite shedding layers. Then the temp dropped--FAST! Wind came up as well. Couldn't get the truck warm enough to get ahead of it. Even a warm meal and hot coffee didn't help too quickly. All that when I was young. Now, I can't stay warm sitting still when hunting. That's the age and a few infirmities kicking in.

 

[JasperFrank]

Riding motorcycle in the middle of winter. I learned that I could stop at every rest area and then run the bath room hand drying machine through one sleeve and it would warm me right up.

 

[jjeff]

Some of you folks are truly die hard motorcycle enthusiast's.

 

[Jstpssng]

Some of you folks are truly die hard motorcycle enthusiast's.

My brother had a friend who rode his Harley all winter, back in the early '80s when sub zero weather was common and nobody had heard of electric vests. He called himself a die hard... I could think of a few other names. I've ridden on snow a few times and it is kind of fun; but I chose my spots and didn't get far from home.

 

[AWSubie]

Like others have said, u can be in cold weather and not “feel” cold, but u can be in relatively warm surroundings and feel like you’re freezing.

In my teenage years, I became ill with a fever of 106°, and was shivering and could not get warm. I did not think I would make it through the night and at that point did not care. I just wanted the illness to end. Obviously the fever finally broke. But that event is the coldest I’ve ever felt.

 

[WM75Guy]

It was in the 1980s, 9 degrees F. with a little freezing rain. We were the second engine in on a 2-alarm 2 story residential house fire, was a total loss. The guy had a wood shingle roof, liked it so much he used them for siding. If you stood too long in one spot working a hose line, someone had to break the ice on your sleeves to move it around. Had icicles hanging from our helmets. Chief got mad when he saw we kept a small fire going in the middle of the burnt-out garage, kept adding wood to it to get warm.

 

[stumblinhorse]

Last winter was very cold here. At -40*f without wind chill you worry about everything. Livestock, house, everything is at risk. We went 30 or so days below zero and close to 60 below freezing. We haven’t been above freezing here in 10 days and doesn’t look like we will for another 10 at least. But single digits is nice compared to -40. I’ll take it.

But the coldest I have ever been was in 1989. I was in the mountains and in -85*f windchill and got frostbite. It happens so quick you don’t even know. Burned the skin right off my face in about 5 minutes…

 

[daybreak1998]

Vermont in the 80's
-44 °Fahrenheit = -42.222 °Celsius on the thermometer /no chill added.
Went outside, turned around and came back in.