Cold Weather: Best tips for the trek indoors?

[spa-ing]

The whole family tried the tub last night. It was 30 degrees and the tub is set to 100 (we have small kids and so I'm leery of setting it hotter than that). Getting in to the tub was great, but getting out is miserable! We only have to go about 20 feet, but dripping wet and in the wind---ugh! Any tips? We don't have a towel/robe warmer thing (we'd have to lug it out and back in each time anyway). Do we grin and bear it?

Also, my DH swears that using the hot tub in cold weather gives him a headache. His ears, cheeks and nose are so cold--like a ice cream headache! I'm wondering if it because we set the tub to only 100.

[cooltoy2000]

Wear a hat or a swimmers cap on your heads to keep the hair from getting wet. Get a bathrobe with a hood for getting out.

[spa-ing]

We have robes and towels with us, but they are FREEZING cold!  I guess this is just the nature of the beast!

[cooltoy2000]

Someone suggested to heat the towels and robes in a drier and then putting them into a camping cooler to keep the warm.

[East_TX_Spa]

One of my competitors sells these caps to keep your head warm on cold days...that's their story anyway...



Terminator

[wmccall]

DH=Dumb Husband?   Lock the kids in the basement, turn the tub up to 104 and then when you get out, you won't feel cold, the heat stays with you long enough to close the cover and get inside.

[rick_in_cleveland]

Get a large rubbermaid tub and put your towels and robes in it while you are in the tub.  It will keep them from getting too cold.  Its the wet suit and the cold and breeze that is the problem.  Leave the suits inside and you will never know that its 20 degrees

[Tman122]

I find getting in to be the cold part. No suits and 102 is plenty. By the time you get out you are steaming until you reach the door.

[Vinny]

The cooler the water the worse it is. At 100º it does feel a little cold but at 102º it doesn't feel so bad.

I usually get out, towel off, put robe on, remove suit and put dichlor in. I have found that once the robe goes on and the wet suit is off I'm usually OK. I put the dog out and sometimes stand out there to wait for her to come in.

I have read to take your robes, heat them in the dryer and store them in a cooler while you soak. I don't do that but for me the magic number is 102º. I soaked tonight and at 43º air temp, 100º water was not cutting the chill of the air.

Wind is a whole different story. I did soak once in a slight wind and it was miserable getting out. I had my son run for the door dripping wet to get him out of the wind. I do not do it at all if it's windy. One thing you you can try if there is a constant wind is to get a portable wind break, my cover acts as such while we're in the tub.

The whole hot water thing and kids is somewhat misleading I think. Yes, kids can overheat and their bodies can't regulate like adults can but what temp is bath water and how long are they really "soaking". My youngest is now 11 and he's constantly up and about and half his body is usually out of the water. Any concerns, you really should ask their doctor, that's the best person to get advice from about their health.

[spa-ing]

Thanks Vinny. I will ask the doctor. My kids are 5 and 7 and we soak for at least an hour sometimes. Yes, it was VERY windy last night. This made it worse. no wind would have been better. I like the robes in the dryer trick. I'll have to try that!

[devilwoman]

Someone suggested to heat the towels and robes in a drier and then putting them into a camping cooler to keep the warm.

Yep this works great, especially in Alaska.  brrrrrrrrrrr

[Repeat_Offender]

Anyone else have one of those gas fired patio heaters? We just got one to see if it makes entering and exiting in cold weather any easier.

[tileman]

I think I'm going to buy one of those outdoor fireplaces that you see at Home Depot and Lowe's. It's only about 10-15 feet from spa to door and I've got a 6ft  fence covering about 80% of my 10'x25' patio. But from what I've read you can't have enough when it comes to entering and exiting at freezing temps.

[kervis]

Santa is going to stuff a new pair of slippers into everyone's stockings this year.  

It will kill me to have to wait until then, but that way the stockings are mostly full and we all get something necessary and useful.  8-)

Target has a good enough pair at a good enough price--if I hit a sale I can get a couple extra for guests.

Oh--shower caps for everyone too!  

What an exciting Christmas morning we'll be having here...

[Stemay]

Our laundry room is right inside the back door that is close to the spa.  The past 2 nights we've put the robes in the dryer.  We dry off with the towels that we bring outside with us and the idea is to put the robes on when we get in the house.   One of the daughters is home from college for a few days, so suits are on right now and getting in the way of the plan.  But, I can see that when the suits are off and we dry off with the towel and then jump into the warm robes out of the dryer, it's going to be heavenly.  Might try warming the towels and storing them in the cooler outside when it gets really cold out.  Right now, it's not so cold out that the towels are a problem to dry off with as we exit.