Snow time…

Greetings from a partially snow covered Yorkshire.

It’s bright, it’s sunny and there’s snow on the ground – just a light cover mind, but snow nevertheless.

It’s not going to last though.

The brisk walk up to the local shop an hour ago wasn’t through a full covering of snow and a quick glance out of the window now I’m back indoors has revealed that the multicoloured gnomes in the back garden have lost their frosty coating.

There is a breeze though and the temperatures are low, hence the choice of layers for that walk.

Which were pretty much the same as what I’d have chosen had I been heading out for a wander through the woods to the pub or for a day out with a pack in the country or on the hill.

First up was an Icebreaker merino base layer, then a Patagonia Snap Neck fleece pullover and then a North Face Nuptse 900 LTD down jacket. On the legs were a pair of Peter Storm soft shell trousers, a pair of Bridgedale socks and a pair of Salomon boots.

Result? Warm and toasty all the way there and back…

If I had been in the country or on the hill, then the chances are that the Nuptse would be in my pack and used when lunch or coffee breaks were declared.

I’d probably be wearing a fleece gilet and a soft shell instead (the old faithful TNF hooded soft shell has just been reproofed with Nikwax Soft Shell proofing) and have a pair of gloves and a mountain cap in the pockets, just in case. Oh, and a pair of base layer leggings too.

The choices aren’t too far removed from what Caroline was wearing earlier when she took Frosty The Snowbike out for its first spin. Frosty is her old Dawes hybrid bike that’s had winter tyres fitted and works a treat (especially now that the brakes have been fixed – the tyre fitter [not me or Caroline!] forgot to reconnect the brake cables)…

A base layer, bike shirt, fleece and reflective waterproof jacket do the job in virtually all weathers on both her leisure rides and her early morning/late evening commutes to and from work.

But layering doesn’t have to be used solely outdoors. We both wear layers around the house over the winter months – they keep us warm and comfortable and help keep the bills down so we’re not laying down the foundations for big gas bills later in the year.

Does it work? Yes, as it was a tactic I first used thirty-odd years ago as the first house I had after leaving home was an exposed, not very insulated farmhouse with single glazing.

We’ve also used the same techniques elsewhere too, most recently in a place that had a wood burner in the lounge.

Not saying it was cold, but we were both in there wearing merino base layers, fleece pullovers and down vests and were just about warm!

Mind you, it was even colder down on the beach the following day – thank goodness for high quality down jackets!

I’ll be going into more layering next week as there’s a round-up of base layer principles and some product reviews too happening on wisepacking.

The snow may be melting now here in Yorkshire, but it’s going to be back…

And we’re prepared for it – right down to the home baked cheese scones that are being baked this afternoon and a good bit of comfort food for tea.

Beef stew with dumplings and mashed potatoes. Cooked from scratch, not from a tin or a supermarket freezer section!