is an electric blanket a good gift for somebody that lives in an igloo?
340998
only if it runs on batteries.
846367
Blankets!  I can't stress that enough.  When you are just sitting or lying there looking up, you can get really cold really fast.  Dress warmer than you think you need to, and bring more blankets than you think you need to.\n\nAlso, I'd bring hot chocolate or hot apple cider, or some other hot drink your family enjoys.  Yummy munchies are good, too.
44308
Depending on where you are camping, you may be able to get by with a fleece liner, a down throw blanket, or a sheet, any of which can be found in a discount store. All of which are under 20 bucks. Or you can just pack a cool weather pair of PJs or sleep in your clothes or bring an old blanket from home.\n\nIf you need anything warmer in the summer, you should be able to get by with ANY low budget bag from a discount store. They aren't too hard to pick out. Your basic 40-50 degree bag. \n\nThere are a lot of variables to picking out a sleeping bag. If none of your needs are that extreme, then it isn't such a dilemma. But if you need lightweight, compressible, easy to hike with, AND roomy, warm, durable, then you are certainly going to pay for it. That's when you need to turn to a reputable brand of backpacking gear and you will get what you pay for, including high performance fabrics and insulations. Otherwise you end up with a very warm sleeping bag that weighs 12 lbs or a very light sleeping bag that falls apart in your hand. You will always have to compare and balance the things you want out of your bag. You will not find a 40 below bag that fits in the palm of your hand and lasts for 10 years in the arctic expeditions, and costs 50 dollars. \n\nCheck Walmart for any of these items above, or if you want a "real" camping bag (beware crappy zippers) try Slumberjack, very low budget yet official camping gear. Kelty makes better sleeping bags, and other manufacturers can really set you up nice. However, you just don't need that kind of technology in the summer.\n\nOne thing to consider when buying any camping gear is that, in addition to the brand of the piece you choose, it is important to choose a reputable retailer that stands behind their products. Kind of like appliances. You can buy a Kenmore washer at Sears with a warranty, or you can buy the same item from Joe Schmo on Ebay and you are stuck with it if it is a lemon. One of the best retailers in the camping biz is Campmor (great online selection), and another is REI. \n\nDon't forget with your summer sleep setup...that you need a mosquito net.
981390
I do. Crisp cold air,snow on the rooftops, building a snowman with your child,(nothing like playing in the snow to wear them out) and then back inside to a warm blanket and a cup of hot chocolate. Bring it on!!!!!
775171
ME!! Love the winter: \n-bundle up with your loved ones and snuggle \n-fireplace\n-hot cocoa\n-warm fuzzy blankets\nand much much more!
876359
Go out and photograph the snowy scenes.  Help an neighbor shovel.  Invite a friend in to have cocoa and visit...a fireplace makes this very nice.  Or go out and play, play, play...build a snowman or snow "family", sled, have a (nice) snowball fight.  Find a stream, make snowballs, toss them in and watch the effect, big, small, put a twig in one, put a leaf in one, etc.
903353
Maybe some nice soap would be good, maybe socks?  Your idea sounds great, I'm just trying to add some other thoughts.  I think it so hard to know what they may need, but probably they could use many daily items.\n\nIt's wonderful that you are sending the presents. We, as the regular people of the US, need to reach out in friendship to Afghans and Iraqis.
157650
hmm if you live somewhere warm, go camping. if its cold and snowy go sledding/snow picnic.  BTW you have to wait 24 hours to pick an answer
201515
:}\nBeing a frozen chosen and loving happy clappers \nI'll let you know if I feel any increase in temperature
784220
Sounds like he likes outdoor adventure so I would get him a gift certificate to REI or Modells sporting goods,  Sports Authority, somewhere he can pick out the type of equipment that he needs for the sports he likes.
940578
Buy him a remote control 4x4 nylint rock crawler available at WalMart. My 26 year old boyfriend had to have one of those for Christmas last year. You can get the small one for around $50 or less and the big one for less than $100. I am pretty sure if he likes outdoors stuff, he'll love this.
863755
Call your supplier and ask.  Though I doubt it is anywhere near as cold as it gets where you are otherwise it is not what people would use to heat their homes.
730899
Many seniors complain about being cold, a sweater or a throw would work well.  Also, a radio to listen to talk shows or to music would be another great idea.  If you're looking for more ideas, contact a nursing home.   Merry Christmas.
854338
give them a hand made gift certificate good for one year. my hubby gives me like five free car starts which means any time i present a coupon he has to get out of bed and go start my car in the winter. I do several other things as well but you get the idea.
40026
A nice pair of silk long johns is a good place to start. Other little treats for yourself include down clothing, they even make pants. I have a pair of down booties for use in the sleeping bag. Other little clothing tidbits. Wear a hat at all times, even sleeping. You can also sleep with a warm water bottle. Some cautions with this: make sure you know whether the bottle leaks and Nalgene's are notoriously leaky, if you or your bag gets wet, you may be having a harder time keeping warm. If so you can contain it in a ziplock bag or a roll down velcro closure bag. If the water is too hot, you should put it in a sock or something to keep from burning your skin. My hiking buddy/co worker went to bed with a hot water nalgene between his thighs one night. He thought that was clever because a LOT of blood passes through there and warm blood travels to other parts of the body, warming them. But he woke up with blisters on his thighs...dangerously close to the family jewels. Last word about hot water bottle, if you use a collapsible canteen or bottle, make sure you fill it allllll the way up, because even then your bottle will cave in as the water cools down. At the very least you want to minimize this so you don't ruin your bottle. If the bottle cools this way, it will never hold as much as it used to.\n\nA good camping mat. The closed cell foam ones that roll up are cheap and effective and very lightweight, the next step up is the self inflating ones but they are heavier. And you can buy covers for those inflating mats that convert them into a chair.\n\nYou need to dress warm. The most effective thing in my opinion, and also more versatile, is to dress in multiple light layers. In the winter, I wear about 8 layers in the coldest weather...long john shirt, tee shirt, maybe a button down shirt, a fleece vest, as many fleece crewneck tops (the fuzzy polartec type, not sweathshirt fleece) as I can pile on, and my rain jacket. The good news is that if I can add or remove pieces at will until I am perfectly comfortable. IF you go the other route of a couple indoor layers and then one big poofy piece you need to understand the principles of loft, which includes your sleeping bag.\n\nLoft is the way insulation in a comforter, parka, or sleeping bag works. They create tiny little air pockets around you and hold YOUR OWN body heat in them. IF you have a lot of clothing between you and the insulating item, you will actually defeat the purpose of the item because you insulate the item FROM your body heat. This is why many things are true: it is better to sleep with fewer clothing items when you want to be warmer in the bag. It is also important not to compromise loft by choosing an item that doesn't fit your body and causes you to squash it from the inside out, or with a bunch of heavy layers on top of it to squash it from the outside in. If you compress your item too much, even in storage, or in your pack or its stuff sack, there are fewer air pockets formed and the item doesn't work as well.\n\nSO choose ONE dressing strategy and know how to apply it.\n\nOther important facts:\n\nAll the things discussed so far are only ways to insulate yourself. They are not generating any heat on their own. To do that, you need to DRINK plenty of water, and you need to EAT, warm foods that are high in sugars and fats are excellent, and you need to MOVE. A bedtime snack can be anything from a candy bar to a stick of butter, NO kidding! A bedtime activity could be a couple minutes jumping up and down, then one last go at the fire. AND YOU MUST DRINK WATER. \n\nEven if you can't stand cold liquids. EVEN IF you don't want to be up all night peeing. Your body needs the water to circulate the blood, and to metabolize food, both of which assist you in staying warm. Another thing you need to know about water is that both dehydration and hypothermia have the early warning sign of disorientation and confusion. The trouble is, if YOU are the one
865911
See if they'll let you have a yard sale, or since it is close to the holidays you could offer a wrapping service or gift shopping service to older people in your community if the mall is close by. If it's snowy you could shovel walks and salt them for safety. There is always a good amount of people who will let you wash their car and clean the interior. Good Luck!
303751
Man, I love these answers!!!  I think they should all win.  But to give you my take, here is another one to add to your already fun collection.\n\nIf indeed polar bears don't show up on infra red, it would simply show how greatly effective their insulation is.  Infra red would go for temperature, and the surface temp of the bear is similar to its environment.  It's body temp is much higher.  Its fat layers and primarily its pelt have evolved to sufficiently insulate the animal.  There is little heat loss, which is good because otherwise the bear would freeze to death eventually.  Think of it this way, the polar bear is an inverted refrigerator, only that it is warm on the inside and cold on the outside.  See what I mean?\n\nNow your TV question, I am not exactly sure that you would be able to concentrate much on CSI or Jim lehrer's News Hour (whatever you prefer) when there is a polar bear in between you and the TV.  But in case there were, i think at one point you could not change chanels anymore.  Think about it!  It swallows your arm with the control, and with that insulation you can try changing chanels as you like, it wouldn't get out to your TV...