There is some good advice in this thread. If you're coming from Florida for your first Snoball, you should definitely plan to be out of your truck shoveling. LOL
Every year there are guys who wear jeans and tennis shoes, but it must suck to get a shoe full of snow or to have wet pants all day. You might also see two guys wearing shorts, but don't try to be like them, they have years of training!
I normally wear the following for driving:
- Smartwool "base layer" long underwear top and bottoms
- Gore-tex hiking boots with a thin wool sock (I like Darn Tough or Smartwool)
- Gaiters - Nothing worse than a boot full of snow. You will have wet socks and cold feet that could have been prevented. I think my happiest clothing choice for Snoball is my gaiters. I can dress much lighter than others when my feet stay dry and warm.
- Softshell pants - these are a pretty good option for driving because they repel water and won't soak up snow.
- Flannel shirt or lightweight pullover fleece
- Baseball cap
- Sunglasses
When I jump out of the car, I have a set of mechanics gloves and a set of insulated gloves to choose from. I also have a beanie. These stay either in the console or the door pocket. If it's a quick recovery, I might just grab the mechanics gloves. If it's a longer **** stop, I'll usually grab the beanie and insulated gloves. Most of the fun of Snoball is heckling the poor decisions made by Florida drivers, so you want to be comfortable while you laugh about whatever has happened since the last stop.
In the back seat, I keep a warm jacket and a lightweight work type jacket handy. Those give me options depending on how cold it gets, but allow me to layer up if we are outside in the middle of the night freezing. I also usually bring a set of Gore-tex pants in case it's really ****** or super cold. In addition to my normal attire, I keep a small duffle bag in the back seat with an extra emergency change of clothes in case I get wet by falling through some ice and screaming like a little girl over the radio.
I hate bundling up too much because you will spend most of your time inside of the truck. We all have seat heaters and warm trucks to jump into if you get chilly. Best to wear whatever is comfortable to drive in if you have the stuff to layer up when you have to be outside.
Everything I listed is the stuff that I already have. If you don't have any of those items, I would look for a set of gore-tex boots that are comfy with some gaiters. You can wear your jeans or any pants with a set of cheap ski pants over them and then look for a warm jacket. Coming from Florida, you will be much colder than everyone who is acclimated to the colder temps, so you need to plan for that. Dudes who live in Michigan will be out there wearing jeans and a T-shirt looking at you like you're crazy because they are acclimated. Bring extra sweatshirts or whatever you have to stay warm normally, and you will be fine. Beyond boots, ski pants, and a jacket, you don't need to buy a bunch of shit you won't wear again unless you want to. Feel free to hit us up if you have questions about brands or sizing or whatever.
