Happy Minot Monday! This week we’ll see high temperatures in the single digits and lows in the double negatives. Before the thermometer falls to highs in the double negatives I thought we should talk about practical items you can buy to make life more pleasant, despite very unpleasant temperatures. Today I’ve got a list of things that will help you survive a North Dakota winter.
I’ve read lots of other lists like this online. Most of them appeal to visitors. Or they focus on the obvious: snow pants, mittens, a car safety kit, etc. Don’t get me wrong. Those are all good things to own. (And they’ve made my list too!) But if you’re living here day in and day out you’ll need to be thinking about more than just a heavy coat to survive a North Dakota winter.
What You Need to Survive a North Dakota Winter
I mentioned a few of these items in my Minot Monday post that covered what a North Dakota winter is really like. However, with the holidays upon us, I’m sure you’ve got a couple people asking what you’d like under the tree. Or at very least you’ll be able to catch some good Christmas sales!
My list of things that will help you survive a North Dakota winter is geared toward folks new to the area. Locals, if you’ve got more tips–please send them my way!
Without any more introduction, here are my recommendations for things that will help you survive a North Dakota winter.
Things for the House
Before we get to the obvious things that will help you survive a North Dakota winter outdoors, let’s address the home. You’ll spend a lot of time in your home when leaving the house seems daunting (or is down right dangerous.) Here are a few things that will make your home happier in the dead of winter.
A Down or Down Alternative Comforter
Nights will get unbelievably cold. I’ve tried lots of things on my bed to keep me warm in the bleak winter months. Nothing comes close to a down comforter. You can pile a million blankets on and still be a little cold, or crawl under one down comforter and be perfectly toasty. For real. Invest in a quality piece and it’ll last you the rest of your life (or pretty close to it.)
**As a side note, please invest in down products made in the USA through ethical practices. Down alternatives are also a good choice, especially if you suffer from allergies.**
Flannel Sheets
This one might be a no brainer, but if you don’t have them–buy yourself some flannel sheets. I like these from Target because they have an extra deep fitted sheet that stays in place.
Small Space Heater
Even the most efficient house will have a chilly spot. If you tend to be on the cold side (or are moving in from a warm climate) I highly recommend getting a small space heater.
It doesn’t need to be anything fancy. Just something that can take the chill off of a cold laundry room. I like to use ours when I’m working in the basement or to warm up the bedroom before bed.
Crock Pot Liners
In my opinion, this is a bit of a luxury item. Could you just wash the crock pot? Yes, yes you could. When it’s unbearably cold outside, there’s nothing better than coming home to a hot meal. Start looking up slow cooker recipes now and make yours work over time. Sometimes I shy away from slow cooker recipes because I hate the clean up. If this is you–get some liners. Clean up happens in about 30 seconds. You may never want to cook any other way.
Window Insulation Kits
If you were raised anywhere with cold winter you’ve probably seen these before. Basically, a window insulation kit is like plastic wrap for your windows. If you live in a house or apartment with inefficient windows, you need to sit aside notions that you’re too good to “plastic your windows.”
You know we love old houses, so I’m very good at installing these. They are a little gaudy and definitely won’t give your house high-end appeal, but they are effective. Believe me, when the wind chill is -40˚F you’ll wish you’d set aside your pride to keep that draft out.
Draft Stops
In my opinion, the name of the game during the winter is Stop the Drafts. Roll a towel at the base of a drafty door. Or invest in an actual draft stop created for this purpose.
Big Boot Tray
Save your floors (and yourself) a lot of heartache by getting your house a big boot tray. Even if you have a nice mudroom, a boot tray will pay off. Your shoes will track in snow and mud this winter. Additionally you’ll track in all the things used to keep snow and ice at bay. Salt, sand, and chemical melting agents will come in with the snow and can be a real pain to clean off of floor surfaces (let alone carpet!)
Sturdy Mat or Boot Brush
Hand in hand with a boot tray, you should also equip your house with a good mat for knocking snow and grime off of your shoes before coming in. Derek and I like to have one on the outside of the door and one on the inside. (Since an outdoor rug will often get coated in snow–even if it’s under an awning.)
If you plan to be outside a lot or work outside consider getting a boot brush to clean your treads a little more thoroughly before coming inside.
Humidifier
Winter air here is d-r-y. Dry. Your hair will be staticy. Your skin will be dry. Get yourself a humidifier to put a little moisture back in the house. This will be especially key when you catch a cold and your throat feels like it’s being rubbed with sand paper.
We like this warm mist humidifier from Vick’s. This year we also installed a dryer hose kit that vents our dryer into our house. We LOVE it! Every time we do laundry, instead of pumping all that warm, moist air outside–it is vented in to our house. It smells good and it boost the moisture content of our air.
For the Outdoors
Now that we’ve talked about the inside, let’s cover some outdoor items that will help you survive a North Dakota Winter. From your front steps to your car and driveway, here’s what I recommend.
Ice Melt or Salt for Walkways
Exterior stairs and walkways will accumulate ice. If your stairs or walk accumulates a dangerous amount of ice, the mail carrier will be unable to deliver your mail. (Seriously–this happened last time we lived here.) Chipping thick ice away is hard to do. Instead use an ice melt to provide traction and break up the ice so it can be cleared.
Snowblower
If you own a house I recommend buying a snowblower. The first year we lived here we did without. It was the hardest winter of my life. Because the winter remains cold for so long, snow accumulation rarely melts. By the end of that winter we were literally out of places to shovel our snow. Your snowblower doesn’t have to be the best, but I recommend you have one. (Or even share one with a neighbor!)
Back Saver Shovel
Even with a snowblower, there will be places you’ll need to shovel. Always opt for something ergonomic.
Remote Start
Okay. You don’t really need this to survive. But you will need to start your car a few minutes before you plan to drive. A remote start will save you a trip outside. And in my opinion, any time spent avoiding a North Dakota windchill is time well spent. If your car doesn’t have a remote start feature, you can have one installed at dealers in town.
Ice Scraper
I’m shocked at the number of people I’ve talked to that moved to the North and didn’t realize they needed an ice scraper for their car until the windshield was caked with ice. Don’t be that guy. Now you know.
Car Emergency Kit
I’ve never had a major emergency on the road, but I’d be a fool not to prepare for one. Stock your car with a pre-made emergency kit–or create your own. Then hope you never need to use it.
Car Shovel
It’s good practice to stock your car with a shovel, in case of a slide off–or getting stuck in a drift. (Or driveway.) You can keep a full shovel in your trunk, or grab one of these cute foldable models.
Traction Mats
These are so handy! I got stuck in a friend’s driveway once and her family pulled out a set of these to free me. I’d never seen them before. Now I can’t stop raving. They are small and easy to store and work so well to get unstuck when your tires are caked with snow and the ground is icy.
For Yourself
I wanted to address the the other categories first, because I think some of this self-care stuff can be obvious. Nonetheless, as your Minot BFF, I’ll tell you what I think is actually necessary to survive a North Dakota winter. (So you can skip over the stuff that you don’t really need.)
Coat
Yes, you’ll need a coat to survive a North Dakota winter. Shocking, right? I bet you already knew that. Here are my tips for getting a coat.
- Get a coat you’ll actually want to wear. You’ll be wearing it a lot.
- Make sure it has a hood.
- Consider getting two–one for sporty stuff, one for every day use. Also, if one gets wet you’ll have a fall back.
- A coat that covers your booty will make sitting in an icy car more bearable.
Boots
Invest (yes, this might be a little spendy) in a pair of boots you like to wear. Make sure they are waterproof and can accomodate thick socks.
Boot Socks
Speaking of thick socks–stock your drawer with some good socks. Make sure they are warm and also come up high so your boots won’t pull them down off of your feet.
Sunglasses
The glare off of snow and ice is blinding. On a clear, blue-sky, sunny winter day you need a good pair of sunglasses for driving. And doing anything outside, really.
Mittens and Gloves
Cover your hands with a thin pair of gloves (be sure to get some with “tech fingers” so you can work your touch screen without taking your gloves off.) Then add a thick pair of mittens over the top.
Hat
Get yourself at least one hat you like to wear. I know a lot of people who aren’t “hat” people. To survive a North Dakota winter, you need at least one hat you can stand to wear.
Thick Hand Cream
Remember how I told you that the air here is dry? It’s really dry. Without a great hand cream (and regular use) your hands will crack and bleed. Pick something unscented and thick.
I hope this helps you stay warm and cozy. Or at least will help you get through the winter. And remember the best way to enjoy the winter is to get out of your house and take advantage of things going on around town. Be sure to catch my stories on Instagram and Facebook for a weekly round up of great events happing.
