Dealing with the Cold

Sledding in -30°C. My eyelids glued shut.

How Cold Does it Get?

Working with huskies in Swedish Lapland means braving some seriously low temperatures. You can't call in sick to work, because the dogs still need to be fed every day. Here are the monthly averages in Kiruna:

• November: min -11°C, max -6°C

• December: min -14°C, max -8

• January: min -16°C, max -11°C

• February: min -16°C, max -10°C

• March: min -11°C, max -5°C

And those are just the averages. On snowmobiles or sleds, windchill makes it feel at least 10°C colder, especially out on the lakes where there’s no shelter.

What's in My Closet?

• A few pairs of thermal under layers (from Macpac and Devold)

• An Arcteryx toque

• A fleece hood from Passenger

• A neck fleece

• An fleece headband from Haddock

• Glove liners

• A quarter zip fleece, and a full-zip fleece.

• SO MANY PAIRS OF SOCKS (double layer in winter)

Tips to Stay Warm

• Protect your skin: Vaseline or “Winterpad” cream creates a barrier against frostbite on exposed hands or face.

• Keep moving: Standing still on the sled is the fastest way to freeze. Drumming fingers on the handlebar, wiggling toes inside boots, or even shifting weight from one foot to the other helps keep circulation going. Small movements can mean the difference between numb and functioning fingers.

My Experiences

The coldest day last season was on the 5th of January. When we got to work, the thermometer in the staff room read -30°C. Down by the lake, the thermometer read -37°C. Tours were cancelled – too cold for the guests – but not for us (apparently). I’d experienced cold temperatures before. I’d experienced -42°C in Canada in 2023 when I did my exchange semester in Calgary. But this was different.

Our coldest kennel day last season. -37°C.

We did free-run all day, which meant a lot of standing around and not a lot of movement to heat up. I wore all of my layers (2 pairs of thermal underlayers, 2 jumpers, 2 beanies and my thickest work jacket) and I was still freezing. The cold worked its way into my chest. My fingers, toes, nose and chin all felt like they were falling off. Everyone’s eyelashes froze, and Icicles were hanging off the men’s facial hair. Nat told me to do 100-star jumps. It didn’t help. Damian told me to run 3 laps of the kennel. It didn’t help. Thore was skinny. His body was physically shaking when he stood still. He still refused to go home. Damian would run to the staff room every hour for refuge. I didn’t blame him. It was a long day.