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This has been performing magnificently.in the recent rain and snow. A very good coat.

Do they have any additional insulation? It seems odd to have two similar membrane mittens. The inner mittens appear to be fully waterproof and breathable. I use them as outer mittens.

I biked to work this morning. The new snow/slush was very wet. It was foggy and then sleet began falling. It was more pleasant than it sounds.

I have a pair of DPM camo British Army ECW Mittens. They are fully waterproof, appear to be breathable and thin. They have a leather and finger/thumb area. I wear them over a pair of warm boiled (claimed to be merino) wool gloves for commuting by bike on snow/frosty days. They do the job well...

In the low-lying SW part of the Manchester conurbation we had a layer of melting slush on Sunday morning. There was a dusting of slush on Monday morning that disappeared during the day and a thicker dusting of slush on Tuesday morning. I managed to get out for a short Monday lunchtime walk in...

Absolutely. Humans adapt. Many people seldom experience anything other than a controlled 21DegC (or do much other than sitting in a chair/car/sofa or lying in bed). I cycle to work year-round. I know what clothing to wear for the conditions whilst pedalling hard without overheating...

It would be interesting to know what winter weather was like day-to-day in, say, the 1900s, 1920s, 1950s. Was it more consistently cold during winter? Nowadays, we seem to have very short spells of colder weather, rarely below freezing, then longer mild spells, often above 10DegC.

A good point. As somebody who cycles to work throughout the year I do think about these things and there is some satisfaction in getting it mostly right. Having done a lot of outdoor activities, knowing when to add/remove layers and put on/take off a waterproof has been gained from experience.

"The Beast from the East" gets a mention, but that was very short-lived and wasn't even particularly beastly in NW England.

As above, I remember 1981 & 1982? being snowy, although I was only 4-5 at the time. My Dad also remembers the winter of 1963, although that is because it was an outlier. The winter in 1945 or 1946 was apparently very cold too, from what I have read. I wonder if snow was as common as it was...

What era were you at school? Do you mean "a week of snow every winter", rather than "many weeks of snow every winter"?

So was there ever a time (post ice age...) when inhabitated areas in the UK routinely had long periods of snow cover during the winter, rather than rare/sporadic? Hill and mountain areas? Scottish Highlands? Northumbria? Wales?

When it comes to physical altercations, they are definitely best avoided, but if it does happen, the best preparation is to have done some contact sports when young and be accustomed to (and humbled by) physical contact with full resistance, being struck, pinned, restrained and being submitted...

Very true. "Spoilt for choice". Unless it requires almost bankrupting yourself, buying a coat is not a life-changing decision. Too many people become obsessed with looking at reviews of everything nowadays. If required, just pick a coat or two that suit your different needs.

I had considered including the above

Some thoughts on Life Skills. First and foremost: HEALTH AND PHYSICAL FITNESS! I like to keep in mind Georges Hebért’s Natural Method: “être fort pour être utile” (be strong to be useful) “In the purely physical sense, the Natural Method promotes the qualities of organic resistance...

I'm in my late 40s. I grew up in Merseyside/SW Lancs. I remember the snow and ice of 1981/1982. We went tobogganing on a hill near home and saw some Scottish people skiing! We lived at low altitude and had a few days of snow per year through the 1980s and 1990s. Winter Hill was the nearest...

It may be warmer than you are looking for, but I have one of these in Black for every day use. It is excellent. Probably the best all-round jacket I have owned. https://www.craghoppers.com/waverley-thermic-jacket-boulder/ I wouldn't describe it as quite as warm as this review suggests (It is...

Thanks. I was thinking of general use rather than specifically mountain scrambling or moorland hiking. Yes, I had noticed that most were microfibre rather than leather. I too have flat feet. In the past I had instep supports from the NHS, but these days I wear flat shoes (and my work boots are...

There are many models on the Freet site. Which would be the best all-round boots? I'd prefer a leather version. I am also tempted by a pair of Jim Green Barefoot Ranger boots. They appear to be good quality and get good reviews.