Woodlife Trails

Carrying on from my last post about clothing and winter protection I’ll continue the journey down from the head. The assumption is that I’ll be getting out again before winter disappears.

Hats are no real problem. I bought the splendid possum fur/merino wool hat from Mears last year and it’s absolutely great especially during the evenings around the fire. During the day, I prefer a peaked cap, therefore I’ll use my standard cap or a “Millets special” fleece lined cap with ear covers that I’ve had for a couple of years.

As last year (and the years before that) I’ll continue the tried and tested method of layering. Last year I bought a WoolPower 200grm base-layer and that was a huge success for me. It was generally quite mild last year in the UK but even so, the temperature went down to -4C on one or two occasions while overnighting and I was grateful for the protection this garment gave me. The merino wool is designed to wick away sweat, which it does. The mid-layer is a reasonable quality thin fleece with the standard Swaandri on top of that. My Swaani is an older button up version. I’m tempted by Bison’s Field Shirt which have received great reviews, but unfortunately at £75, I can’t justify the cost when I’ve still got a servicable Swaandri.

The top layer will either be my SASS smock or my old, battered, trusted and favourite wax jacket. I bet I know what I’ll revert to as the winter progresses!

I have a pair of Peter Storm Long Johns (WoolPower also do nice leggings) and didn’t even put these on last year, so I’ll stick with these just in case the temperature drops significantly and put some thicker surplus trousers over the top. But here’s another solution for base-layer leg-wear. Ladies tights. Ask any self respecting infantryman and he will (in private) tell you that he has worn ladies tights or at least packed them in his bag at some stage during winter exercises.

During track and field training (many moons ago) us sprinters used these garments to great effect when training during the winter months to protect the delicate fast-twitch muscle fibres. So, come on guys; don’t be shy…I won’t tell if you won’t! Just say, “They’re for the wife” in the lingerie shop and ignore the all-knowing look from the shop assistant; or alternatively, raid the washing machine and blame it on the “sock-eating monster!” Stay away from fish-nets for obvious reasons. By the way, ladies tights make an excellent water filter and you can extend the life of premacs by quite a few uses.

Gloves are particularly important to me as I suffer from cold extremities. I picked up two pairs of Thinsulate fingerless gloves last year for £5-00 at the local market and I have seen them on Ebay for not much more. They are great for providing warmth but tend to fray quickly if you’re working with wood. They are also a bit slippery if using tools. In this case I revert to some leather gloves that live in my shoulder bag or tool pouch. These tend to be cold though and distinctly non-waterproof.

My new balaclava will do well for neck coverage, although on milder days I’ll stick to the ever-present buff. The shemagh will come out of the bag if the wind gets up or I need to wrap up well. Heat loss from the neck is only second to that of the head and I make sure this heat loss is kept to a minimum.

Two pairs of socks (thin under pair and outer wool) will finish off the clothes side. Wool socks are a must and as taught by the one and only Mors Kochanski, you can have 3 pairs of thick wool socks on at -30C in deep snow and no boots and you’d still be OK.

Pablo.