Deep-freeze tips from the pros
It’s been cold, it is cold and it feels like it will stay cold this winter. As a service to our shivering readers, The Journal News went to the experts to get some thoughts on how cold is REALLY cold and how to deal with life in the fridge. Atz Kilcher, and his son, Atz Lee, stars of the Discovery Channel’s “Alaska: The Last Frontier,” agreed to answer a few questions via email. The Kilcher family lives off the land in their homestead near Homer, Alaska, where the temperature on Wednesday was a balmy 48 degrees.
Q: When weather forecasters in suburban New York City talk about “real feel” vs. the actual temperature, do they really know what -15 feels like?
Atz Lee Kilcher: Real feel up here is when you stand up in the outhouse and the seat is frozen to your (behind)! I doubt the weather forecasters know what that feels like.
Q: On the homestead, what do you consider “cold?”
Atz Lee Kilcher: I guess below zero is cold and 20 is warm.
Atz Kilcher: Below zero is cold, but then again, I would rather have zero with no wind and dry, than 20 above with wind, or 30 degrees with freezing wind.
Q: Are there ever times when it’s just too cold to do certain tasks? What tasks might those be?
Atz Kilcher: Anything that requires bare hands. If you can’t do it with mittens on, it ain’t gonna happen. I do take my mitts off in the outhouse, no matter how cold.
Q: On average, how much wood does it take, per day, to keep the wood stove pumping in the dead of winter?
Atz Lee Kilcher: Around four large rounds per day. I start my fire in September and it goes nonstop until mid-May.
Q: During the Super Bowl, fans celebrating before the game may have to use portable toilets. What should they know about using them in extreme cold?
Atz Kilcher: Don’t sit on a seat with wet pee on it.
Atz Lee Kilcher: We used to hang the toilet lid up behind the wood stove (then grab it) and make a mad dash for the outhouse. Otherwise, I’d say get your business done as fast as you can. Start practicing now.
Q: How many layers can you wear and still be able to move?
Atz Kilcher: Depends on the type of work, how much you have to move. Many loose layers are best. Also, one-piece suits are great. Gotta be able to move.
Atz Lee Kilcher: At times it feels like you’re on a space expedition, mobility a long-ago dream. Five layers on top, three on bottom.
Q: There are occasions when people get stranded in the wilderness overnight while hunting. People here sometimes get stranded in their cars during severe snowstorms. What essentials should they always have with them to weather an overnight stay on the the highway?
Atz Kilcher: Quilt or sleeping bag, water, nonperishable food.
Atz Lee Kilcher: Sleeping bag, extra clothes, high-protein food, water, flashlight.
Q: Best tip for staying warm if you have to be outside in freezing weather?
Atz Lee Kilcher: Keep moving and try not to sweat. If you start sweating, take a layer off. If you get cold, put a layer back on. If all else fails, find the cutest person you can and cuddle.