In a passing conversation with the one male co-worker I know that actually balances his books, he said that his winter heating bills tend to range in the $200s, peaking sometimes at $300 a month.
I guess I shouldn't be surprised, even for one guy, as that tends to be the norm around here. I should also be happy about my personal accomplishments of keeping my own heating bills no more than $100 a month, if only to make sure the pipes don't freeze and break.
Still, with every approaching winter (and summer for that matter), I invest a little each time, to continue the war to keep the bills as low as possible.
Starting back at the drawing board, I recalled what worked last winter (and what didn't). Most notably, I was rather pleased with my Walmart sleeping bag. And when things got really cold, I did turn to my electric blanket as well, but it was my sleeping bag that did most of the heavy lifting.
However, there were downsides to it as well. Most notably, they only work when I am going to bed. Sure, I would tote it from room to room, but it would keep slipping off of me. I figure there must be a better way. SURELY, someone must have invented the Snuggie of sleeping bags, complete with arms and leg extensions. I couldn't be the only fool crazy enough to have thought of this. A quick trip through Google search revealed that, indeed, someone has already thought of it. Enter the Selk'bag.
So yeah, my Selk'bag just got delivered to my front door step today, and yes, I am typing this entry while wearing my lovely new Selk'bag. Yes, it's as ridiculous as it sounds. No, I don't have any personal pictures for you. Sorry. Haha.
But take my word for it when I say that, wow, it does work as advertised. It warmed up quickly, the moment I slipped in and zipped up. There is a slit in each arm for you to expose your hand so you can... type your blog entries for example. It's also got a jacket hood so you can keep your head warm while you look into the mirror muttering, "Join the Dark Side, Luke!"
However, there are also some downsides that I think all prospective buyers should also be aware of. Somehow, the bottom reinforced pads doesn't like to line up with your feet... or perhaps more accurately, your legs don't articulate very well in this thing. Unlike the picture above may suggest, I had a slight bit of trouble walking upstairs without feeling like I might trip in this thing.
Also worth mentioning is that there is no "rear hatch" so to speak so that when you need to sit on the toilet, you have to unzip yourself out of the entire upper body to do so.
Also, I still don't know how to tighten the hood, and I have no idea what the velcros on the front of each arm is suppose to be for.
So, bottom line is, while I don't regret spending $100 to try this selk'bag out, I do recommend giving conventional winter clothing and sleeping bags a try first. See if that works for you before you try this route with your hard earned money.
There is a fancier version called the "Patagon", that includes removable feet, which would help immensely right now as my feet feels itchy from the heat and enclosure, and the only way to relieve that is to get out of this thing completely. The Patagon is also rated for colder climates, but it costs $250. Standard versions like mine, but rated for colder climate is about $160.
So, hope you enjoyed the review. To turn the tables around, how do you guys keep warm for the winter, besides turning the heat up? What do you wear that works for you?
My selk bag review
October 25th, 2013 at 01:55 am
October 25th, 2013 at 05:19 am 1382678363
The electric lap blanket is especially helpful when I get home late from work and only have a little bit of time before bed but it is still to early. I use it in the evenings when I am reading or zoning out on the tv or reading blogs. I sleep with no heat on but do use an electric blanket as my apartment is usually about 60 degrees in the morning. The heat from the hot shower warms up my bedroom comfortably. I don't use heat in the mornings when getting ready for work.
I live in a 700 sq foot apartment in Sacramento CA (Yes, we do get cold just no snow) and my electric bills (which include all heat) are around $20 a month when I deduct the $12 per month surcharge for repairs and maintenance the utility company has done in recent years.
Only when I am sick is the apartment heater system used, which is pretty rare.
October 25th, 2013 at 05:42 am 1382679775
October 25th, 2013 at 11:40 am 1382701252
What the stylin' people in MN wear - thick fleece pants and jacket! We all jump into our fuzzies practically the moment we arrive home from work and school. Of course, we already had on the thick socks and t-necks. We also have a fine line of slippers - I'm sporting my LLBean mooseskin mocs with red flannel lining (a gift that keeps on giving for the last 15 years!) As we settle into less activity after dinner, we cuddle into our fleece blankets for tv and reading time. And yup, we look about as good as you can imagine - so no photos here either
October 25th, 2013 at 12:48 pm 1382705283
Enjoy your new heating system!!
March 30th, 2019 at 08:42 am 1553935334