Heading to fort macmurray...

[DougHighboy]

Work gave the option to go to fort mac for a few months (21 in, 7 out). Seems like a good option rather than risk getting laid off from the Sea to sky job thats winding down. Just need to go shopping for some warm clothes. It was -43 with windchill up there a couple days ago and we still dont hae a shop to work in. Anyone got any good suggestions on articles of clothing i should buy to prepare myself for this?? Hopefully heading up monday, more likely to leave the following week.

[Dave]

helly hansen insulated coveralls or two pice then you can seperate them, winter gloves , balaclava, your work will probably supply

Also some layer clothing like under armour or body tight wool and some bigger shirts, with layers you can peel off clothing as ou get hot from work

[physcofreerider]

Stanfields Long Johns. The commerical has me sold on them for next years hunting trip ( mine current ones are a little worn out). If the guy can be in a cooler thats -20 kelvin or whatever it is, they must be good.

[DougHighboy]

Alright im doing good then, just need to get extra pairs. I got some stanfield long underwear, just need a extra pair. Ill be looking for something thin to wear up top beside my stanfield wool sweater. Just gotta double check that work will sell the items you listed, im pretty sure they will but i dont wanna be caught unprepared.

[4Lo]

And you want to spend as little as possible there as prices are (from what I've heard) more expensive

[DougHighboy]

Ya ive heard the prices are unreal up there. This weekend ill be shopping like mad. Getting excited now...

[HMFI]

Ft. Mac sucks.

What are you going to be doing up there?

Helly Hansen everything. They make socks too.

Hope your making the right choice. Good luck.

[brian468]

what are you doing in fort mac?



i`d go for fire retardant arctic carharrt coveralls, been there done that fire happens.

[HMFI]

Outer wear may be dictated by the company.

This you need to know.

[Dave]

what are you doing in fort mac?



i`d go for fire retardant arctic carharrt coveralls, been there done that fire happens.


FRCs are expensive, you do not need them unless you are in a life plant and even if you are , your company will supply them to go over your other clothes. Anything that is outsides your frc'c must also be fire proof, some companies even supply hoodies.

[DougHighboy]

Ill be apprenticing as a heavy duty mechanic (2nd year). Aside from the extreme cold I dont see it bugging me. I plan on doing the 3 and 1 shift until march or april until the port mann bridge job is up and running. Sea to sky is winding down, theyve laid off and transfered 45 of our 60 guys in the last month(thats between horshoe bay and whistler). I managed to hang around until there was 16 of us and someone had to go. I saw it as an oppurtunity to make some quick cash (money in the bank and money to finish a project :D) and work on some very large equipment. Also helps that i i have worked with almost the entire crew that is up there and the also going to work for an old boss. my only complaint is that they havent built our shop yet :soso

[tony tt]

like the other guys stated,,,frc's is a good idea depending on where you're working. alot of places it isn't mandatory, and if it is,,it's usually supplied. the prices up here aren't really diferent than anywhere else for winter gear...with chain stores like mark's work wharehouse..walmart and so on..the prices are equal to other stores. i have been working here for over 4 years now (at syncrude) and can tell you one thing..it does get good and cold here. but there are safety guidlines that tell you how long you can be outside at a certain temp before going for a warm up break.

[ghaupt]

I haven't seen footwear mentioned. I don't have any suggestions, just want someone to make a recommendation. Cold feet = miserable boy.

Gary Haupt

[DougHighboy]

Ya, i need new boots anyways. My feet got wet last night for the first time since i bought them nearly a year ago.

[brian468]

I like my timberland pro boots for fottwear, they have a composite toe and tongue and their damn comfortable.

[Dave]

The other reason you may not want to leave getting some of your gear till your up there is that you may never see the town depending on where you are working

[DougHighboy]

Exactly. Pretty sure i wont see town, i aint gonna walk the 70km to town.

[tony tt]

for footwear you need 8" high boots on pretty much all sites here. 70k's to town...where are you headed?

[DougHighboy]

Kearl lake and i wouldnt buy anything less than an 8" boot. Here on the sea to sky, hiking through blast rock and simply crawling all over equipment I need all the anke support i can get.

[Dave]

kearl is about 1.5 hrs north of FM and you'll probably be flying into Suncor or Shell airports and never seeing FM thats if you're flying charter thats is. Staying at Kearl or Wapasu camp, do you know?

[DougHighboy]

Not sure which camp working for Kiewit if that helps?

[r_jacksontrucks]

For foot wear I bought myself a pair of the Canadian Tire KNock off Sorel steel toe boots. They were $60 and were warm and comfy during that cold snap before Christmas. We were hitting -22 up Jervis Inlet. Not good for around the cutting torches though. I also bought a good warm high vis rain coat what was insulated with polar fleece and a Helly Hansen Belaclava. And I just applied for a job with Keiwitt this morning for what sounds like the same location. Good luck up there and hopefully you get your shop up soon.

[MEK]

Big key here no one has mentioned is Vaseline intensive care moisturizer. A soggy coastal boy will have his feet split to the bone until he gets used to dry climate. And for outdoor work you can't beat the big green insulated gumboots all the guys wear, can't remember the name. Never saw them on the coast but all the outside guys wear them here (Fort Saint John).

[Steeliestalker]

check out Danner boots. i use a pair for work, and they're the best boots around. i will never buy another brand.

[black pearl]

Keep your ears covered. I made the mistake of going out in Ft.MAC once on a sunny winter day without covering my ears (-15) and let me tell you, I didn't do it twice. Very Painful!

Below zero socks $21.99 for 3 pair at Workwear World would be a good idea too.

[brian468]

duct tape :)

[HMFI]

Big key here no one has mentioned is Vaseline intensive care moisturizer. A soggy coastal boy will have his feet split to the bone until he gets used to dry climate. And for outdoor work you can't beat the big green insulated gumboots all the guys wear, can't remember the name. Never saw them on the coast but all the outside guys wear them here (Fort Saint John).

Dunlops.

[DougHighboy]

kearl is about 1.5 hrs north of FM and you'll probably be flying into Suncor or Shell airports and never seeing FM thats if you're flying charter thats is. Staying at Kearl or Wapasu camp, do you know?

Im staying at wapasu and im flying up tommorow, leave here at noon. Spent a lot of money, got some nice Helly hansen thermal gear & long johns as well as my other stanard long johns and other stuff. A pair of those -100 dakota boots that ive heard good things about them. Got a couple different styles of socks. classic wools, fancy wools for wicking sweat away. Some underarmout style socks and a set of dakota underarmour type underwear. I put some of the clothes on and now have a fear of sweating.

Pretty excited to go.

[Dave]

Wapasu is great, really good food. Redwing thinsulate boots is all I wear.

[DougHighboy]

Arrived and moved in, heading down for dinner. The menu looked good when i went by. Funny story, we loaded the plane and when they moved the ramp they crashed the ramp into a maintenance van, smashed the windows and nearly rolled it...

[HMFI]

Uh-o, wouldn't have bought the Dakotas. Marks keeps siscors on hand to cut apart broken Dakota boots that come back after a short work life.

[DougHighboy]

Hmm...I was told they worked great by the guys at work, might only be up for two weeks i got here partway through the turnaround. I could go invest in something new when i get back. Time and funds where short i just needed to get up here.

[DBM]

I've been working up in fort mac on a 3 and 1 hitch for about a year. We work outside 12hrs a day, nothing wrong with Dakotas as far as I'm concerned (get the -100 degree ones, not the -40). None of our guys wear Rig Masters anymore, and Dunlops work alright to about -20 if you're wearing bamas. A couple of guys got frostbite wearing Dunlops with our company. Everyone has their own cold tolerance, there's one guy working with us that runs around with his coat zipped up half way until it gets to minus 30.

Just wear lots of layers (including gloves), wear the warmest helly hansen balaclava you can get your hands on, and make sure your boots are dried out at the end of every day, and you'll get used to it.