Aurora peaks in December, as does Comet ISON: what to wear?

Catch an Air North flight up from Vancouver! In winter there are specials that include accommodation in Whitehorse. Rent a vehicle and drive away from the city lights. Could give you a few tips on where it is best to sit and wait.

I hadn't really thought about it, but it looks as though I'm really going to have to as it looks as if the only chance to get clear skies is to go quite a way. Eastern Washington doesnt look that good, neither does Calgary! May have to watch it on TV!

Orion, where in the south are you going? The darkest skies we have found are in Utah near Bryce, but that is kind of far from Victoria! What about eastern Oregon?

And if we are still foolish enough to try to combine the aurora with the comet, where would we be most likely to find clear skies in December?? Maybe northern Alberta? I have no clue.

I thought it funny that you'd be heading north to see the comet this December as we were thinking of heading south!
We do get lovely summers here on southern Vancouver Island, no rain in July, low humidity and more sunshine than Yuma, the sunniest place on Earth. The winters though are something else, often no snow & mild temperatures, but lots of rain, and nearly always cloudy. As a result, we are thinking of taking a quick trip south to see the comet. If it does survive the pass by the Sun it should be a spectacular object, but it does look as though the predictions of it being brighter than the Full Moon are for when it will be very close to the Sun and therefore a daytime object.
As for the aurora, we can see them here when there is a big display, but I have not seen any yet this cycle. There have been some huge displays, seen down as far south as northern California, Kansas etc, but they have always been just after I've gone to bed or it has been raining. With the second Max predicted for December, I have great hopes as surely we will have the odd clear night that will coincide with a display.

When I'm photographing in cold temps, this is my outfit:
- the same insulated bib-pants I wear for ski-doing
- North Face 3/4 length parka with a hood that has fake fur trim, which helps keep the face warm. I don't usually wear my full face balaclava when aurora watching. It's usually on only for ski-dooing.
- the Sorel boots I wear for ski-doing which are almost knee high and have felt liners. I also enjoy my moosehide mukluks at -40 but for aurora in the dark I go with the boots because of their snow tread
- the glove/mitt combination ... looks like a mitt but the tip of the mitt peels back to reveal my shutter fingertip
- fleece hat in case the hood gets too warm over my head

This same combination is useful for photographing dog sled teams. I can plant myself in the snow anywhere at any temperature and stay warm. Was good for 6 hours at -30 last year.

Now having said that ... one night I photographed aurora in my fleece bathrobe and sheepskin slippers. Had stepped out with the dogs for their bedtime pee and saw an amazing display. Ran for my camera and tripod, and ran out to set up the camera. It was warm enough for me to stay out for 20 minutes in this outfit. And by that time the aurora had receded into the dark again.

For your camera ... batteries drain quickly in the cold so have spares that you keep warm next to your body. For the long exposures needed to capture the aurora, a tripod is essential. A sturdy tripod with insulated or foam hand grips is real nice to have so you don't have to touch the cold metal. If your camera works with a remote shutter release, good. If not, a camera with self-timer works well to ensure the camera is steady when the shutter opens. I use 2-second delay timing on my shots.

My best photography night last winter is shared at http://suethomas.ca/20121113_NorthernLights.html

Here's one example:


Note that these lights had disappeared by 8:30 p.m.
Sometimes they are visible for hours, sometimes only for minutes.

One of the best displays of lights I have ever seen was at 2 a.m. in February 2012 while driving to Circle east of Fairbanks.

"Culture shock" is right. To me, December usually means that I start using my heavier wetsuit when surfing -- the ocean temp gets down into the 50s!

Southern Cal to the Arctic in Dec, talk about culture shock.

A wind break comes to mind. Once your there some PVC pipe, a tarp and some bungee cords. Plan it in advance. I have a small heater that screws onto the small propane cylinders that helps warm the hands.

I would think you can leave the mosquito netting at home.

Depends, a bit, on how you intend to watch the aurora: i.e. from an organized tour, from a lodge in the area, from a car traveling the highway?

Depends, a lot, on where you'll be going: If it is into the interior of Alaska (i.e. Fairbanks and nearby), you might see some seriously cold weather (-30 or colder)in the winter. In the banana belt around Anchorage and nearby, you are likely to see between +15 to -20 unless its warmer (that has happened a lot recently). Easier to get away from the light pollution in the Fairbanks area than Anchorage.

Also depends, a bit, on the level of activity. Presuming you're going to be just standing around, big down parka, down pants, good headgear (lots of choices, I carry a fur hat in the airplane in the winter for a variety of reasons) and wool/fleece gloves inside big mittens.

If one is going to be standing around watching in -30 weather, you'll want (IMNSHO) bunny boots: double layer rubber insulated boots. If you'll be moving around much, LaCrosse, Salomon, and Keen make boots allegedly suitable for cold weather.

If you're into photography, I think you'll want some very thin gloves in addition to the wool gloves and mittens. I've never found a way to avoid cold fingertips when photographing (or trying to) the aurora.