Boot creepers are rubber bands made something like sandals that go on boots at a whim and have steel teeth to grip ice. Ice takes a while to melt even after snow and in Nh it can be a handy tool to assist in not bustin yer keyster.
These are commonly found in hardware stores locally, for 6 to 20 dollars. You can put them on and take them off boot with no tools, since they stretch.
I just ran a google search "ice creepers for boots" and came up with hundreds..
Historically these have been used here since before the French and Indian War, and can be documented with ease... Of course that type is extinct just about since the newer types are far handier. It isn't a joke.
Probably these are how moutianeering crampons were first created, but crampons are much longer spikes to put on boots and are not very city and town friendly tools to add to hiking boots.
Speaking of boots you will want some sort of pack boots with felt liners probably. One brand is called Sorell. These are a lower rubber boot with a leather top, for cold and wet conditions. It is really cold here in winter.
This winter has been called normal and with that about 30 inches of snow so far.
last winter was more snow than normal and around 55 official inches, the winter before was around 80 inches, and at a point out back in the field which is left alone, meaning not plowed there is garden posts 6 feet 9 inches tall and that winter all to be seen of the posts was 3 inches. apx 90 mm's.
The cold to people who are not accustomed to it is found to be hard. You will need warm things for sure to live in NH in winter and if you are walking alot you will need good gear.
I have been to the area you will be, while I don't live there. The north wind comes ripping down that valley in winter. The area is lower in a river valley and will collect cold. That area is the western mountains border area, and can be pretty harsh with cold.
If you are walking there a lot, you will need about that same gear a winter hiker out over night would need, and to leave home with out it for a longer walk could be life threatenng in winter.
The main differnce would be the boots..
I am the old geezer on the left, and this is on one of the higher mt's here, but you would need to dress like me or the younger guy in town in winter, less mt boots, to be outdoors a long time, and long time is a bit over 1/2 hour. Good mitts should be on the must have list too.
My mt mitts are part store bought in very thin and so dexterous glove liners, then old thick knee high socks made of 100% wool and altered to fit my hands then store bought shells. With thse i can pick up coins and run a manual minolta camera that uses no batterys to run. I can open the screw driver blade on a swiss knife if I need that tool and often times I do.
From +10 degrees F to - 40 below 0 is no joke not even to me.
That town on a cold day can be -40 below 0 where 'F' and 'C' temps meet and are the same thing.
This year the weather hasn't been like that so far, with the lows around -10, but to a guy that hasn't been around in that sort of cold for a while if ever this is a very real problem. There is no telling if that kind of weather is coming... 1,500 miles to the west it has been around -22 below 0 and it could come here still, in a couple of weeks!
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. Id rather take my time and get some lessons locally, plus I will probably have to do a driving test in NH to get a state licence too.
