Help Florida Girl dress for skating outdoors!

[Neverdull44]

What do you wear when you figure skate outdoors?   I want to be able to move.

I hope to practice my Bronze Moves in Field and Free Skate.   My Christmas wish is the ice is somewhat smooth.   We'll be giving those Jackson Ultima blades a run for their money, LOL.

I am going to Big Sky, Montana at the end of this month, and there's an outdoor rink for me to skate at.    I've only skated outdoors twice; when I first leaned to skate in New Hampshire and a few years ago in Wyoming.   The skate in Wyoming didn't count because I wore my ski clothes, at night, at -15'F.  I skated about 15 minutes, because my kids were tired and whining after a long day of skiing.   Now, I'll be able to skate while they ski, and skating at noonish.  But, it is in an outdoor, filled in rink.   (Still dreaming of skating in southern New Hampshire on the pond where I first learned to skate).   

[rd350]

Unless this is a rare thing you might think about the Mondor pants that are super warm and the legs totally zip open so it's easy to put them on over anything.  Otherwise just layer, layer, layer with moveable clothing!  I'm thinking skate stockings - even one of those full body ones because that would protect against those pockets of air that can get through even layers, the thickest skate pants you have, the Mondor's if it makes sense to get them.  A tank, a thermal layer, a thin shirt layer and an anarak or fleece (or combo) layer.

[littlerain]

Under armour cold gear!! Possibly two+ layers depending on how cold it is. And a fleece or a lighter winter coat (like those lightweight puffy ones that are warm)

Then gloves, hat/scarf etc lol

[nicklaszlo]

Bring guards.  Unrefrigerated Outdoor rinks are typically too small to practice moves or programs on and have no sound system.

In my experience if it is cold the ice develops dangerous cracks before it is too cold to be comfortable.

I wear pants, a sweatshirt, and light gloves to skate outdoors.  Sometimes I take the sweatshirt off.  For me, a winter jacket is too warm.  If you are cold, skate faster!

[lutefisk]

Under armour cold gear!! Possibly two+ layers depending on how cold it is. And a fleece or a lighter winter coat (like those lightweight puffy ones that are warm)

Then gloves, hat/scarf etc lol

Check the Under Armour label as they also make cool gear for warm weather conditions.  Some stores might have tempting mark downs to clear summer stock.  I made the mistake of wearing one of the tight fitting cool gear Under Armour shirts which I wear in summer while racing my boat and was cold at an indoor rink--and this was with a fleece zip-up over the Under Armour shirt!  Wasn't horrible but it certainly wasn't warm and fuzzy either.

[Willowway]

Layers, layers, layers. The parts of you that are usually cold in cold weather (for me it's hands and ears) will feel colder and if it's windy then overdo it (you can always take a layer or two off). Even though my rink is cold, my feet get colder when I skate outdoors, always have, so I trade my usual tights for silk socks (look under silk long underwear for those, they're fabulous). Any exposed skin can really hurt if it's very cold and windy so make sure all the clothing bits overlap.

[fsk8r]

Tights, over boot tights and then leggings (and then if necessary ski trousers) for the bottom half.

Where are you going to be skating outside? I think skating outside in the UK where temperatures rarely fall below freezing is different from somewhere which I would consider frigid in terms of what I would wear.

I have managed to skate with both fleece gloves and mitten as I HATE cold hands.

[littlerain]

I wear pants, a sweatshirt, and light gloves to skate outdoors.  Sometimes I take the sweatshirt off.  For me, a winter jacket is too warm.  If you are cold, skate faster!

So true, except I am a generally cold person. Once I feel cold outdoors, it is often hard to get me warm again.

Skate faster means don't be lazy, which may or may not help me lol

[davincisop]

Fellow Florida girl here. Target has a bunch of gloves and hats and stuff for sale right now. Just skating in certain rink near nascar, I've had to learn to layer my gloves because I'm very sensitive to the cold. But two layers of fleece gloves works without being bulky, a headband that covers your ears (lifesaver for sure, I have two from Target that have worked well for me), and something to cover your neck. You probably won't be able to do much other than some simple moves outside because it'll be so cold, but as long as you bundle up you should be good.

[sarahspins]

Layers, layers, layers.

Ditto this, and honestly if you are intending to spend any significant time being active out in the cold I'd buy some soft shell pants - most are reasonably fitted and not too loose, and you can wear pretty warm layers underneath, but they also have the advantage of being water resistant, somewhat wind resistant, and they stretch easily.

[Query]

I agree with the shell idea - outdoors you sometimes need something water repellent, top, bottom, hands and your head, so rain and sleet doesn't come through. I love those zip pants that you can remove without removing your skates, or skis, or other shoes. (But! They take practice to put on without removing your skates.)

And everyone knows that lots of layers gives you lots of options to change.

Synthetic pile is warm even when wet and light, but wool works too if you happen to be allergic to synthetic fabrics. "Pit zips" that zip open under your arms if you get to warm are great. Likewise, jacket zippers with double zippers than can be zipped down at the top and zipped up at the bottom are great too - but zippers add weight, so you may skip that. "Wind proof" pile is great, but tends to add real money.

Big pockets are really, really great! Who needs a bulky fanny pack? But again, that adds money. It may make you look fat, if you care.

Certain natural fabrics, like cotton ([edit]and down), when they get wet, from sweat or outside water, lose all thermal insulation. I love "The Touch, The Feel, Of Cotton", but cotton and down don't do the job well in the cold and wet.

If you are serious about the cold, polypropylene or silk or equivalent underwear and socks help a lot.

Any good store aimed at the out of doors (e.g., camping stores), like REI, etc., probably has people who know what they are doing when it comes to clothing. They will also tell you about things like carrying food and water if you are far from indoor supply spots. Alas, they will tell you to spend lots of money.

A lot of people in the outdoors are more worried about fashion than any thing else. "The North Face" is very in, and shows that you have money to burn. Stephenson Warmlight (though "vapor barriers" are uncomfortable) shows you have A LOT of money to burn, to the few. Don't get me wrong - their stuff is great, but it's like buying a $20,000 bicycle to get a little exercise.

"Columbia Sports Wear", and your local Boy Scout or Girl Scout store, have good quality, but may be too pedestrian for upper cast "girls".

I have no fashion sense at all!  I've switched to fleece gloves and hats from the dollar store (they work just as well), and whatever fleece and decent quality small packable hooded rain jacket (and maybe rain pants) the department stores or REI have on sale (but stay away from the $2 thin film jackets that rip in the wind), jackets for $10-$15 if you know when and where to look. In the same vein, a big thrift store (e.g., Salvation Army) sometimes offers good deals on used clothing, though some thrift stores are overpriced.

Outdoors, if you are far from indoor places, bring a small amount of duct tape for emergency repairs. A small $1-$2 water resistant first aid kid wouldn't hurt.

Honestly, don't go over-board, unless you are into big fashion. This isn't really that hard. You don't need to overspend, or bring a lot of weight. Sometimes the most important thing is just to pack in an organized way so you can find what you need. $50 - $100 is more than an adequate total budget if fashion doesn't matter. Several pounds total is enough, with an extra bag for the layers you aren't using now.

EDIT BTW, those $1-$2 hand and foot warmers can help a lot for unexpected cold snaps, or if your hands or feet get extra cold. They only work once, but can be nice. Though your boots may not have enough space.

[Query]

P.P.S.

Their ice rink is probably just an outdoor poorly maintained ice pond. Maybe big bumps and no real glide, and you may need to resharpen your skates when you are done.

There is another option at a ski resort - go skiing. Very similar sports.

[Live2Sk8]

I actually got warm enough to remove layers while skating on an outdoor rink in the mountains.  On sunny days, I would end up in thick sweater tights, a long-sleeved skating dress and the normal fleece jacket I wear at my indoor rink.  I also had my normal gloves, and added earmuffs and a scarf for added warmth as needed.  When the sun was really beating down, I even removed my fleece jacket for awhile.  I had a parka to pile on if I got really cold but I never needed it.  I also wore some footless tights underneath the sweater tights the first couple of days until I realized the thick ones were warm enough.  I was very surprised with how warm I got!  Normally I am cold all the time.  Hope you have fun!