I am going to be spending a lot of time in Pa and Northern Indiana for a while.  Curious what you guys keep on hand for winter.  Pretend price doesnt matter.  I am lookijg for your experiences with keeping warm while working outside.  Looking at Decemebr and Jnauary weather.

Carhartt and Red Duck have been my goto brands.  VA, Upstate NY and Mid Wisconsin.

Physically demanding work? Hard to beat some good quilt lined Carhartts.

I base layer with merino wool for breathability.

Now, looking good while working? I like Filson stuff.

ETA: Forgot to add Red-Head All-Purpose Wool Socks. One, they're warm, and two, they have a lifetime guarantee.

Carhartt and a Mad Bomber rabbit-fur hat.

+1 and wool

Carhartt and wear layers.
Hoodie, hat, gloves, and a scarf/insulated mask also help a ton.  I like the rain defender hoodies, good base layer or top layer when it's warmer out.  Make sure you have good waterproof membrane boots at a minimum.  Those pocket hand warmers are also nice if you know you'll be working outside for a while.  Pop them in your boots and gloves or pocket, or in your scarf around your neck.

A lot of it depends on what kind of work you'll be doing.  I'll always wear a hat and gloves, but even below zero, there area a lot of times we're just wearing a hoodie over our uniforms if it's physically demanding work.

At first I thought this was a GD question and of course I would have answer shorts and t-shirt because thats what i normally do

nonetheless living in Wisconsin for many years of my life it really depends

if it was shoveling snow out of my driveway for my mom it really was a heavy parka snow boots and shorts because my body tempature runs higher than most so working up a sweat was pretty easy to do so it was a way to keep me cool.

if I was doing extended outdoors Id have good wool socks (my feet always get cold) and Polar wear from Cabelas (when i got them they were the beset rated base layer). over that could be multiple layers. I never like using a super heavy coat so many of my layers consisted of some sort of sweat shirt hoodie under a ski jacket shell

its kinda hard to say whats best but a good place to start is which ever areas get coldest for you id start there which typically is head hand and feet

Define outside for how long and specifically what conditions.  City, Farm land/praire, Lake/River side?  Windy area?  Day/Night?  Doing what?

Sunlight during the day easily adds 10-15 degrees.  If breezy, subtract 10, if windy , subtract 20 degrees.  If humid, subtract 10 degrees.  Wet precip will sap heat quickly and with wind is far worse.

General thoughts - layering is king.  Always have waterproof parka (with full cover hood) and pants or overalls.  I have a mix of stuff (Outdoor Research, Marmot, Mountain Hardware, and Cabelas) for my heavier stuff.  GTX Pro shell, layered with fleece and light down and also heavy duty GTX Pro down parka from Cabelas.  Done both in COLD, even wet blizzardy snow that we get in VA and PA.  Been perfectly warm in both.  I don't think Cabelas offers the heavy parka anymore, shame - super warm if a bit heavier over the bigger names (they used lower count down).  Walked in my HD parka in polar vortex with just a tee underneath.  

If you're doing hard work - some of the others have suggested good things.  I would also offer Cabelas has a heavy duty cotton exterior lined coat.  It's almost like classic tent canvas thick and it's heavy and water resistant.  Put a fleece underneath that.  I have some good 3 layer shells, but they aren't meant to deal with tearing like the cotton or other heavy weaves.

Boots, Socks, Muffs, Mitts, Beanie,  Balaclava, and ski mask/goggles are what is most important as you loose more through your head/neck, hands and feet.  If those are comfortable, your core can maintain warmth pretty easily.

working=layers to control temps.

what I used in AK:

a wicking layer upper and lower (underarmour worked but so does the cheap rei brand)

a 100/200/300 fleece layer= use 1 or all depending on temp, usually the 200+300 weight when it was -20 plus

shell, usgi gortex for the price but I have a 20yo lowe alpine mountneering jacket I really like. The newer chinese knockoff north face and other cool brands are generally shit.

gloves=wool inserts inside mittens, If doing a lot of tool work and needed dexterity, I use winter weight flight gloves

shoes=bunny boots with blended wool sox if standing, if moving a lot plus ability to get warm again, ft lewis 300wt danners. If I was going to be working in mud/water I would get a more waterprrof boot (sorrels)

This is basically what I flew in and went to cool school in (-40 overnight). It works but you have to keep dry.



you want some badass stuff with no price considerations massif

I have a Woolrich wool shirt, that has served me very well for 10+ years.

Perfect example of "it depends on what kind of work:.

Carhart and merino wool.

Dress in layers. You'll want to be able to shed layers if you go inside.

Sweat pants tucked into wool socks, worn under thick blue jeans. T-shirt under a sweat shirt, under a jacket.

Steel toe boots get cold fast. There are composite toe boots available.

I would put it into 3 different category's.


1.
Work wear:

First, hard use actually outside working, possibly tearing cloths up, carhartt all the way. Full on bibs and heavy coat. They are not water proof, and will get wet, but they are warm, take a beating, and hold up. Its what most outdoor labor workers use in my AO.
I might also throw PVC rubber rain gear. Insulated etc. in this category.  Obviously polar opposite of carhartt work wear, but still that same work wear mentality, just serves a different roll.


2.
Hunting & Outdoor wear:

Second would be outdoor activity's, hunting, fishing, playing in the woods... You can go two ways here, high end wool which cost big bucks, or nice high quality gortex gear, whatever specific items fit the roll you need filled.
Cabelas, LLbean, pick good stuff from whichever brand you like and you should be good to go. Whether you pick wool, or gortex really depends on what your doing, and what you prefer. I use both, miss match gear, and use whatever fits the days weather and activity. Both can get very expensive but quality is key. Most stuff in this category will be mostly water proof and quiet.


3.
Snowsuit wear:

Third would be true winter wear, noisy, goes "swish" when you walk, is "snowproof," and can be waterproof, and meant to be out in the snow. Snow blowing, snowmobiling, ice fishing. Keep you dry, and is noisy as hell. I am not much up on current brands but think "snow pants" or "snowmobile jacket." All my stuff is decades old and still works well. I pretty much only use this type of stuff when snowmobiling. You can spend a fortune on this stuff, or find it at Walmart. Pick which ever brand fits your needs. In this category high cost doesn't always equal quality because some of it is a fashion statement/ trendy bullshit.

---

Now obviously all my above classifications can cross over to whatever activity is needed, but some things serve better purposes then others. I have a little of each, but I live in a place where its below 32 degrees half the year.

My snowmobile jacket and pull over shell pants would work while hunting, but be noisy as hell and just suck. My wool pants and coat would work while snowmobiling but suck up water and not be very wind resistant.
Carhartt stuff would do both ok, but not particularly well. My snowmobile gear, or wool gear would work for cutting splitting and stacking firewood, but I run the chance of ruining it or putting holes in it. Wool would probably work the best for working outside but for me, its way to damn expensive to have around my chainsaw bar and chain oil, gas etc.

Its hard to recommend specific items unless its for a specific task. Pick whichever brand you like.

Not rolling around in the snow?  Price not a factor?  I would probably go high end wool. because its nice, but just so damn expensive.  You could easily spend 500~1000 on some really nice stuff.

Think king of the mountain wool or silent predator.  heirloom quality gear.

JMHO & YMMV.

Long John pants make all the difference in the world, much more than outerwear.

Lots of good replies thus far.
I live in NEPA and spend a lot of recreational time outside in the winter.

Let me review my work clothes from the North Slope and what I use here and I will edit with more precise info.

I find the main issue where we are is the "dampness" to the cold.

I like (not requiring FR) a good Underarmor base layer, fleece lined cargo pants, and snow pants in my pack. (Old school North Face Bibs.)
For the top I also wear an Underarmor base, a Northface button down shirt, hoodie and a good wind/ water resistant shell.
As others have said.....layers. The temps can fluctuate greatly during the day.

Socks? I like Merino wool and Smartwool. Boots, Keens.

Hope it helps.

I agree with this. A pair of long johns, wool if possible, along with a merino wool undershirt is my starting point for making a big difference in comfort. Even cotton is fine if you keep it dry, and don't sweat too much.
Also some heavy Canadian wool socks to go over a thinner wool blend sock, your boots need to be large enough to accommodate this extra thickness.
Keeping your head warm with a hat makes a huge difference as well, a wool watch cap works well for me.
Don't forget gloves, it rarely gets much below freezing here, so the fingerless wool gloves are my choice to retain both dexterity and good warmth,

Your outer wear will work best if it can seal out cold and wind, there are too many options to list.

depends a lot on how long you are gonna be outside. gonna be working at night? If youre a linesman you better get top tier.
heres my list of stuff

Undergarments-merino wool longjohns
base layer- wool thermal long sleeve, Insulated jeans
Overlayer- Carhart overalls and a carhart coat with a snap on hood, get filson and waterproof the carhart
Socks- darn tough, FITS, or Thorlo socks
Boots- I love my insulated redwing boots with Powerstep inserts, but there are a ton of options, Mink oil the hell out of them
gloves- It depends a lot on what kind of work you are doing. On the ranch I like a thin set of undergloves with a pair or leather insulated gloves. Some folks like mechanix for unders.
Hats- I have always been a beanie guy, but I think I'm gonna make a change to something like this insulated flannel hat since I'm not a kid anymore.

For some extra warmth look into Milwaukee Tools' battery heated hoodie to wear under your coat. Have heard from some linesmen that they absolutely love them.

We're further north than you, but the crews doing heavy repairs in Michigan's Upper Peninsula during winter have:

Quilted or Arctic Carhartt brand bibs and jackets
Surplus ECWCS Layer 6 parka and pants for wet/cold
About ten pair of Kinco leather insulated work gloves, with liners
Two pair of insulated waterproof boots.  Baffins for extreme cold/wet, and whatever work boot you like for normal cold.
Yaktrax or similar slip on traction, some have Neos overboots.
Well fitted fleece balaclava with face drawstring and well fitted fleece hat that can be worn under a hardhat.
Heavy hooded sweatshirts, layered upper clothing, long underwear, good socks.


If I'm snowshoeing in 20 below zero weather I'll be fine with a sweatshirt, insulated bibs, and an old field jacket.  Field jacket will be unzipped pretty soon.

I am a carhartt fan as well, but have found that coveralls are much warmer when working.  Having one piece of clothing from ankle to shoulder is easier for me to work in/bend over/ lift things and you don't lose as much heat as even bibs and a jacket.

As it gets colder I add a fleece under the top and the. A jacket over the outside.

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What kind of work? You might need less than you think if you're actually working and not just standing around tinkering with things.

This + layers as was said before.
 

there is no way you'd get work done scratin your balls too often

Silk long underwear!  Light weight and real warm.  
As stated already, the conditions of work are important also.  
Foreman on construction site, silk under jeans will keep you warm.  Labor on the same site, silk under Carhart clothing will also keep you warm and be more durable!

Bill

Since you said pretend price doesn't matter I recommend Ullfrotte merino wool underwear. Non itchy and natural. Many weights.
I have a 200 gr. zip turtle neck top that has held up beyond expectation. Machine washable at home. Made in Norway.
I don't recall were I bought it online. The link is a quick search for info purposes.

Start off dropping enough coin on long johns to make you sick !

Buy at least 2 sets of mid-weights and 2 sets of heavy weight good quality will set you back a couple hundred at least.

I'm not a fan of wool on my skin and have found the synthetic base layers to be quite effective. I prefer lighter outer wear, Carhart's are great but it's really heavy and I only wear mine if I'm welding or something like that.
Base and outer layers are most important I tend to wear jeans and snowboard pants for a shell and some sorta wool shirt. I don't subscribe to the cotton kills mantra, wet cotton is nasty though.
Gortex Boots and gloves and currently a dead muskrat on my head, I prefer beaver for a hat though.  
If you are not used to being in a snowfield I highly recommend amber color sunglasses the brown really enhances shadows.

Duluth Trading performance base layer

I love this parka but tend to grab my Squall in Wisconsin winters when the white's hitting the fan.
Duluth Trading Whaleback Parka

These are surprisingly durable and have a great hood design.
Lands End Squall

long sleeves and jeans.  maybe thermals underneath???  if your cold your not working hard enough.

It must be AO and activity specific, but the amount of people suggesting blue jeans surprises me.  

Sure they might be find for the construction site where you have a spot to go warm up or change into dry clothing, but if your in the backcountry on your own its the last thing you want to wear. In my AO you would be soaking wet in about an hour or two.  Must be a dryer snow out west?  

I am another who doesn't subscribe to cotton kills, as I actually prefer a cotton base layer, T Shirt and underwear, but the next layer over that is going to be synthetic longjohns and usually a fleece or synthetic top. After that its some type of wool or goretex, or poly shell.  I would love to have some merino wool baselayers but they are very expensive.  Someday.

I have no problem wearing cotton or poly ripstop type stuff as an outer layer when I am near the homestead, but I am usually wet in les that an hour or two if I am doing more then standing around.  Carhart type insulated gear included, I will wear it while I plow my driveway on the ATV but I usually have a wet ass when I am finished.  If I was out for a snowmobile ride, on a hunt, or the trap line that type of stuff just wouldn't work for more then a quick outing, inside a couple hours.

I took some pictures when I was out hunting last weekend...













Cabelas Dry plus outer layer; revolution fleece pants I think, and a "packable" dry plus parka.
Synthetic longjohns,
fleece button up shirt.
wool socks
Lacross 600g insulated waterproof boots.
Surplus coated wool gaters.  
Pair of fleece, and wool gloves.
Silent predator lumbar pack (wool)
And one frozen Remington model 760 pump action 30-06    No really, by the end of the day when I got back to my Jeep the action was actually froze up.  Nothing I couldn't warm up with my hands and force, but I would have been in trouble if I need a "quick rack" and mag change later in the afternoon.  

Other then a bit of dampness I was dry after miles of hiking mountainous area.  Slipped and fell at least 3 times hard to.  It was probably the "blusteriest" day I have spent out hunting in a long time.

Blue jeans wouldn't work for a dark to dark day in the backcountry, covering 10+miles on snow-covered mountains.  

With that said I am not discounting any other suggestions, just pointing out the fact that this topic is very situation, activity, and geographic dependent.

Without a doubt.  Location, climate, season, elevation, humidity, precipitation and activity all play significant roles when it comes to clothing selections.  I grew up in the PNW, spent some time in the jungles of South America, stationed in central Texas, the mid-West and now (again) in the south-East.  I've seen blue jeans for those bumming around high-desert locations when temperatures aren't too cold and there is zero chance of precipitation and no humidity; cold and dry.  Even growing up under the umbrella of a rain forest and spending a lot of time in the Olympics, that is a vastly different climate from the south-east where I often battle the higher humidity and subsequent condensation.  

There are significant differences between wet snow and dry snow, but the end results are often the same.  

Activity plays a big role as well.  I love merino wool or synthetic base/mid layers with heavy-weight wool outer clothing when hunting and I'm predominantly static or moving slowly.  I prefer much less insulation and more just wind protection when backpacking, even in very cold (down to single digit) temperatures; of course when slowing down or stopping, layers are essential.  There high-exertion activities such as snow shoeing, backpacking, etc.; more stop and go activities like hunting, working, etc. that influence the best choices.  I prefer synthetics when doing those high-exertion activities in cold weather as they breath and dry much quicker, however, I just melted a small part of my nice soft-shell pants when I was trying to cook over an open fire.  Those cotton/nylon blends or wool would have been a better choice.  Again, location/climate, season and activity all influence the best attire selections.

ROCK6

I think this is key.  I keep a pair in my BOB, light weight easy to store.

Thanks to everyone.  PA visit is done with and on to Indiana.

Wool socks in Esolo boots kept my feel warm and dry.  Cotton underneath wool pants worked well for my legs.  Up top was cotton underneath cotton button downs followed by cashmere sweater and a soft shell jacket which together kept me really warm.  Leather wool lined gloves kept my hands warm and a wool watch cap kept my head warm.

ita not that cold in Pa yet, but Thursday looks interesting

late January at 10 degrees with a stiff wind is quite bracing

At the moment its still tshirt and shorts but well..
I'll go skiing soon so that will change. As others have said, layers. Sinthetic or wool, wool being better but sinthetic being pretty good too, also cheaper, tougher and drying up faster which is a big  +. NO cotton underwear and socks. Wool socks if youre tlakign serious cold climate.
If money isnt an issue then Arcteryx. North face and Columbia are pretty good for the price. HH has some good stuff.
FerFAL

2 most important things are thermals and boots.

I like the UA thermals.  I have boots with mylar lining and gore tex from North Face, they're coldest rated soft boots, and they can  still get cold if you're not moving

Carharrt jacket

I hunted all my life, and worked construction for 35 years. A lot of structural steel, walking steel beams., as a Boilermaker.

Main thing I have learned.... brand does not matter as how you dress.... The main thing is layering you clothes.

I use a thin Under Armor type base layer, then thermal, then outer layer(Heavy jeans, Duluth Firehose, Carhartt). Same with feet, a thin pair of socks, then a thermal pair of socks, then a good waterproof boot.

A good winter hat, good leather, or thinsulate waterproof gloves and your pretty good to go...... IMHO...