What the 'cool' people in Eaton Rapids are wearing

5 degree Fahrenheit, 8 mph wind with Lake effect snow.  That equates to a -8 windchill when walking into the wind, -2 degree windchill when walking with the wind....and feels like -30 windchill when you are sitting still.

I had a lot of company regarding -10 windchill

This is what the 'cool' people in Eaton Rapids are wearing.  This is my everyday wear when the windchill is between -10 F and +5 F.

This is in addition to skivvies, T-shirt and jeans.  The German Shepherd hair is optional.

Mittens are worn at the colder end of the spectrum or where it is windy.  Gloves are carried in my pockets and switched into when dexterity is required.

Knit hat and a scarf cut from polyester fleece.  The scarf addresses the weakest point in my system...my chin to my sternum.

Insulated "bibs" or overalls.  I used to wear coveralls, i.e., one piece suits but found that the loss in flexibility and the difficulty in layering up/down outweighed the greater warmth.

A quilted, duck work coat.  Another weak point in the system is that the knit hat wants to walk forward when I have the hood up.

Walking around creates about 3-to-4 METS, that is it creates three-to-four times as much heat as sitting still.  It is much easier to stay warm when you can move around.  This outfit is for just poking around outside with the ability to layer up for warmth or layer down when working.

The first two things I do when I start getting warm is to drop my hood and to switch from mittens-to-gloves.  Then coats and such start getting unzipped and/or removed.  It is better to be cool than warm and sweaty.

Footwear is personal.  There is little risk of getting wet feet when there is little snow on the ground and the air temperature is 5 F.  I wore running shoes and was fine for the two hours I was outside.

Your mileage will vary depending on your size, metabolism, fat covering and sensitivity to cold.