What to...? Wear in Winter

Continuing the next in the series of ‘What to’, I am often asked what I wear in the winter on a long mountain day to keep warm and dry.

Alfred Wainwright once said that ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only unsuitable clothing’, which is very true.

In our early days of walking, we wore very unsuitable clothing, mainly because we didn’t know any better, we probably didn’t really care, we definitely didn’t give it any thought and we were possibly indifferent enough to think we would be fine. It’s only when you freeze in thin cotton trousers, get soaked in a meagre cagoule, endure agonising shoulder pain from a hideously oversized rucksack or are crippled by cheap second hand boots that you begin to cast around in desperation for something, ANYTHING, that will make you more comfortable.

This is by no means a speedy process. It has taken us about ten years to hone our kit and clothing. Only last year Bro finally found a pair of boots that don’t aggravate his sciatica and achilles after years of intermittent flare ups, much to his delight. It will, and does, involve trial and error, money, time, a bit of effort and some research, but it is so worth it. Walking clothing is expensive, but it’s designed to last and the fabrics are specifically and technically designed for their purpose.

So, here’s what I choose:

Hats : I love a bobble hat and have a few in a range of colours. Invaluable and worn pretty much on all our winter walks, they are also lovely and cosy under a hood in the rain. I favour hand knitted woollen hats, but anything warm will do.

Scarves : I don’t tend to wear a scarf as most of my tops have a zip which does up just under my chin, as does a down or waterproof jacket, but I have occasionally worn a Buff and I do have a wool scarf which I’ve worn when it snows on walks from home.

Baselayers/Fleeces/Jackets : This depends on what the day’s weather is going to be. My favourite, go-to combination would be a long sleeve zip neck merino wool baselayer with a down jacket. I find it’s enough to keep me warm even on a cold day without being bulky. If it’s going to be cold and wet, I’ll go for a wicking Tshirt with a thin fleece under a waterproof jacket (plus a down jacket if it’s freezing). If it’s cold and windy, I’ll wear a Tshirt under my merino wool baselayer with a down jacket, but I’ve never felt the need to wear Tshirt, baselayer, fleece and down jacket as Bro does. My waterproof jacket is really windproof as well, and is also very comfortable to be in all day.

Gloves : I have very thin hands and fingers, in which I have a touch of rheumatism, so I’m always conscious that I need to keep my hands warm. I have a few pairs of gloves in various thicknesses from thin summer weight to full on Gore-Tex gauntlets and take whichever is appropriate. Mittens are a good idea when it’s cold as you can make a fist inside the glove to keep fingertips warm. You can’t beat a Gore-Tex gauntlet when it’s pouring and freezing though.

Trousers : I have a lovely pair of fleece lined trousers I use when it’s really cold, otherwise I wear standard walking trousers and put on waterproof over trousers if it’s wet or windy. I got a thin pair of long johns for Christmas which I shall be trying under my trousers.

Boots & Socks : I swear by Bridgedale’s winter weight trekking socks. I don’t ever wear two pairs of socks as I find one thick pair is sufficiently warm for me. Having said that, my trusty Salomon boots are about a decade old now and are beginning to split, so I did get soaking wet feet last November and my toes froze in the cold wind. A change of socks would have been sensible (I left them in the car), but walking briskly warmed them up. I think I’ll have to break in a new pair of boots this winter though…

If you choose your clothing wisely, you should be able to enjoy your days out, whatever the weather throws at you.