What winter clothing for NY-Canada border

[ClickCardo]

This is the first year I'm thinking about being outside with my D80 in winter. The wind blows here, but my non-wind chill limit would probably be 10-15 Fahrenheit. I'd probably be outside no more than 2-4 hours at a time from the car. I'm looking to stay warm and still be able to use the camera. Lighter is always better, but the latter must prevail. I'm looking for insulated-windproof boots, pants/bibs, jacket, head-cover and most importantly gloves.

I read about www.windstopper.com in OP and found some interesting items, but there is too much to choose from just there alone. They are supposed to have really good gloves, but they all look bulky except for the Glomitts, but I cannot tell exactly what those are. Does one glove have no tips or are they no tip gloves under mittens. Any explanation welcome. All advice on any handwear is very welcome.

I see in Dick's ads the past several weeks boots made for hunting. The better ones all mention Thinsulate anywhere from 400gm to 1200gm. Do I need that stuff in my boots and if so how much.

For pants do I go with something for cross-country skiing? Do I get leggings or long underwear to match. What kind of for both.

Finally, the jacket. A single jacket or shell with liner or combo? What type of each?

For all these items any specific brands, models, types and/or where to buy them would be ideal. As you can tell from all these questions I'm a complete newbie when it comes to winter and am looking for some seasoned advice to get started.

Thanks
CC
Upstate NY

[leaftye]

I love these guys for fleece, and I'd get fleece in anything but the wettest and windiest environments, and I'd absolutely use fleece if I'm going to be moving about...ie, sweaty.

http://beyondclothing.com/

They use the best fleece, and it's custom made to your measurements, and you select the colors, vents, pockets, hood/nohood, patches, etc. They make tops and bottoms. Their product is comparable to the very best products. If you can find something by MountainGear or Acteryx with exactly the same options, the Beyond Fleece prices are a little better, but they're unbeatable when you consider that you're getting a tailored product. The jacket can be made with a removable hood, so you can decide later if you want it on the jacket or not. I like hoods because when I'm hiking about and taking breaks, my temperature will fluctuate a lot, and it sucks to keep taking off a beanie.

For skiing, you'll probably want something more snow resistant and durable than fleece...any ski pants with good venting should work.

Anyway, that's my recommendation for jacket, pants and head.

For gloves, I absolutely love the convertible mittens. I hate gloves. Gloves, even the best gloves, never keep my fingers warm. Convertible mitts keep my hands almost as warm as full fledged mittens, and I can easily get the full dexterity of bare fingers.

I don't really know what to recommend about boots. I have -25F boots, and my feet still get cold when it's only 15F. If you're going to be hiking in snow or tall wet grass, use gaiters. They'll keep your boots and bottom of your pants dry....and wet=cold, so stay dry.

The last thing I'd recommend is a neck gaiter. It's kind of like a sock for your neck, or maybe a thick turtleneck without the shirt. Neck gaiters keep your jacket sealed, keeping hot air from being wasted out the top of your jacket. I'm warmer with a neck gaiter and a $30 fleece than I would be if I didn't use one, but had on expedition weight fleece under a gortex jacket. Seriously, neck gaiters make an incredible difference.

For leggings/underwear, I wear basic polyester boxer briefs and t-shirt as my base layer. On top of that I'll wear expedition weight fleece. I got mine from the military, but you should be able to get it from a surplus store or online for about $15 each. On top of that goes out outer fleece or gortex. I've never wanted more, even in 0F at high mountaintop winds.