Best Kit for Current British Weather?

[Dunk]

i was out walking yesterday and it was really cold [0 degrees] and wondered what would i need to last a couple of nights..
I've camped almost all year round before but i don't think i've been when its this cold.
Frozen ground, dry bitter air, wet wood etc..
What do you guys pack in your bag for this kind of weather?

 

[-Switch-]

Same as summer really, just warmer clothes and sleeping bag.

 

[-Switch-]

Oh, and a hat for wearing at night. I don't have much hair and my head gets very cold.
Mind you, I usually wear a hat during the rest of the year as well so back to my last answer - same as summer, just warmer clothes and sleeping bag.

 

[Dunk]

Same as summer really, just warmer clothes and sleeping bag.

What if you woke up in a foot of snow with no fire etc...and you had atleast a days journey to safety with the snow still coming down?

 

[-Switch-]

What if you woke up in a foot of snow with no fire etc...and you had atleast a days journey to safety with the snow still coming down?

Mate, I live in the South East UK. I have no idea what a foot of snow even looks like, let alone have to prepare for the eventuality that I may wake up surrounded by it.

The worst I would have to prepare for is waking up with a couple of inches of snow around me. In which case I would prepare myself by taking pretty much the same as summer, but with warmer clothing and sleeping bag.

 

[big_swede]

Wake up, start walking.. What's the problem with snow? The snow doesn't automatically make it colder (well, sort of as it has less albedo than bare ground).

If you feel uncomfortable in snow get a bivvybag and a shovel.

 

[Dunk]

Mate, I live in the South East UK. I have no idea what a foot of snow even looks like, let alone have to prepare for the eventuality that I may wake up surrounded by it.

The worst I would have to prepare for is waking up with a couple of inches of snow around me. In which case I would prepare myself by taking pretty much the same as summer, but with warmer clothing and sleeping bag.

Ha ha fair enuff
is it not even cold down there?

 

[Chopper]

28' camper with central heating.

 

[andy_e]

It depends more I think on what kind of terrain you find yourself in, if you're in Pine forest, for example) then your options are different than if your travelling in moorland. If you are going to be exposed then a tent rather than a tarp but you can make do with a tarp and a decent bivi bag, maybe adding a folding shovel to the mix if you're expecting a lot of snow, just in case.

In winter, I think it's a bit more important to have a warm and dry set of spare clothing than in summer at the very least a spare set of thermals (wool is my preference) and socks, but apart from that I'd agree with -Switch-, same basics, warmer clothing and warmer sleeping bag.

Another thing I always carry in all seasons (after a Survival course instructor recommended them) are these ...

http://militarymart.co.uk/prod5.asp?prod_id=8161&id=189&grpid=8161&msg=&offset=

... British Army MVP socks, they come up to just below the knee and are great for keeping your feet dry in the worst weather. I happily stomped through a lovely cold wet bog in these and a rubbish set of boots, boots got soaked through, my feet were a bit cold, but they were perfectly dry. You can get them all over the place now, so shop around for the best price. I got given a pair of branded Sealskinz socks years ago and swore by them, they cost about £30 now and don't come up as high.

 

[-Switch-]

Ha ha fair enuff
is it not even cold down there?

Yeah, it's getting below zero at night, averaging about 8C during the day.

The thing is I find I can get by with the same kit in summer as in winter. Snow wouldn't really cause much of a problem. I'd be colder in the autumn with the temperature at 10C and rain pouring down. Even then my kit wouldn't change - I've always got light waterproofs with me.

I just can't see that the winter weather changes things much for me. I can still get a fire going. If it's been snowing, just clear it away first and insulate the fire from the ground.
I still use a tarp and roll-mat. The only thing different is a heavier sleeping bag and a couple of extra layers of clothes.

And gloves. Most definately a good pair of gloves.

 

[spamel]

Layering your clothing is important and overlooked. The amount of people who wear a t-shirt and then a big puffa type jacket! I tend to go for woolen layers, mainly because I have a preference for natural fibres at the moment. I mear a thin woolen shirt and then a Dockers woolen over shirt. I have my swanndri if I really need another woolen layer, but I can go with either my swedish snow smock which is a great windproof smock, or my long waxed Stockmans to keep the rain off. I also have an old army jumper, but it would have to be very cold before I put that on a it is so good at keeping you warm that you would start to sweat in no time!

I used a softie 6 at Middlewood in my hammock wioth an underblanket (the laserproof BcUK version, far superior to the Woodland edge! ) and was quite warm. I wore a woolen shirt and trousers, but my feet were slightly cold. I wrapped my feet with a woolen blanket around the outside of the sleeping bag and was warm afterwards. I think I have found my all weather hammocking system, a woolen blanket is a must for those times around the fire of an evening. It also helps to just bump up the rating of a sleeping bag.

 

[-Switch-]

It seems I may have been a little hasty with my first post.

I'd agree with Spamel here and suggest a woolen blanket. I take one folded up in an old sleeping bag stuff sack and it takes up no room at all.

 

[big_swede]

congrats -switch-! You're the first person I've ever heard of being able to compress a woolen blanket!

 

[-Switch-]

congrats -switch-! You're the first person I've ever heard of being able to compress a woolen blanket!

I'm not really compressing it, just using the stuff sack to keep it as tightly folded as possible. And it's not exactly a thick blanket either.

 

[andy_e]

laserproof BcUK version, far superior to the Woodland edge!

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! You're gonna tell me that the BCUK quilt is meteorite-proof now aren't you especially since I've just taken delivery of my WoodlandEdge one

 

[crazyclimber]

I bivied up on the beacons the other night to get some sunrise pics... it was COLD! Very alpine feeling; dry cold with the wind.
My kit doesn't actually change very much summer to non-snowy winter. Going lightweight I like my softie elite 3 SB and silk liner, full length multimat foam pad (one addition I take for winter) and 3/4 length thermarest. Actually I've got a link for the one I use somewhere... http://www.rvops.co.uk/sleeping-cooking-76/sleeping-systems-28/multimat-length-1538.html no connection with them etc, but that thermarest is brilliant. makes such a difference and it's nice and light. Nanok -10 is what i've been using more for bushcraft where I tend to do less moving and carrying - the extra room in it is nice.
With clothing I'm not actually such a layering fan. I tend to be quite active outdoors and I don't like stopping once I'm moving. Clothing of choice in winter is a paramo adventure smock, and if it's cold a thin synthetic base layer underneath. Merino wool has been recommended to me a few times, but I've not yet tried it. The great thing about the smock is the amount of ventilation you can open up while walking / climbing so you don't start sweating and creating problems. I also carry a bivvy jacket for long stops or severe cold. Montane and buffalo are the other two popular clothing systems, though I don't have much experience with either. The military guys seem to love them though so I guess it's passed that test!
Decent pair of boots, big enough so you can move your toes and wear a couple pairs of socks if necessary. Goretex socks as the outer pair are great for where it's wet or boggy. Erm what else. Hat and golves obviously. If it's snowy the gloves'll inevitably get wet, so two pairs of thinner fleece type ones (one drying in my jacket while wearing the other) as well as a thicker more waterproof pair. Many wear mittens - old army ski mitts for example which are great and you can do a suprising amount wearing them when you're used to them. If it's really cold a balaclava really makes a big difference too, especially with the wind.
I think that's pretty much it for this kind of weather. Where there's snow or the threat of snow things change a lot, and where you are and what you're doing also makes a big difference

right, enough daydreaming about being outdoors in the hills, back to work for me!

 

[Scots_Charles_River]

It's wet and wind that's a killer not always snow. Plenty of folk get exposure and hypothermia at 5 or 6 degs c in the rain.

I was mtb ing y'day three layers and not hot or cold. Different the other week when we were soaked thru.

Hence the best ventile/gore tex/event fabric jacket you can afford.

Nick

 

[tombear]

Since I'm a big sweatty bugger and don't mind drafts I am using Pertex and pile this time of year if I'm exerting myself. Mainly Snugpak stuff as I've found the Elite Pile shirt better than my Buffalos.

When it gets really cold I'll ware some buffalo trousers, it was too warm (1 to 2 C) yesterday when I was wearing them for the first time this year, otherwise its some high wicking longjohns with some old Mardale pertex over tousers on top, I'm a big fan of Sealskinz socks (except the price) and mittens (worn like a toddlers on a lenght of para cord down the sleaves ;-{D) with some thin gloves underneath if its really cold.

On my head usually is a Lowe Alpine Mountain cap with if its really bad a fleece balaclava or a Merino/synthetic job I picked up years back

The only thing I have to remember with the pertex / pile stuff is to carry another layer to put on when you stop generating heat through activity ( to eat, camp etc. ) I've vaious windproof sleeping bag material type jackets which pack down small and don't weigh much which fit the bill.

Pertex/pile (IE not layering) doesn't work for everyone but the day I slipped and fell into a melt water stream, broke my left tib and fib and then sat on my bergan for 3 or 4 hours before mountain rescue turned up (I was 150 feet from a main road but the wrong side of a river in spate, long story), soaked through without any ill effects really sold it to me!

ATB

Tom

 

[crazyclimber]

I see your point, but I was referring more towards this cold but dry weather.
Sure wet and windy can be dangerous, but 95%+ of the time I'm a 100% softshell convert. I'd much rather be wet but warm then have the ability to dry out in no time, and without annoying layer-changing, than have all my layers soaked through a combination of sweat and rain. It's more comfortable and IMHO safer than 'breathable' fabrics.
A perfect example was on one occasion finishing a climb, then getting dangerously cold in the sleet and cutting wind removing my jacket, sticking on a couple fleeces then putting the jacket on again. Gloves had to come off, I could barely do my rucksack up...
Now it's a case of stick a belay jacket on over everything - gloves stay on - and I'm off to go.
Saying that if the weather forcast is for that annoying middle ground of temperature around the freezing mark, wind and HEAVY rain I will take a light single layer breathable overjacket and trousers.

 

[spamel]

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!!!! You're gonna tell me that the BCUK quilt is meteorite-proof now aren't you especially since I've just taken delivery of my WoodlandEdge one

Dunno, I don't have the quilt, but my Aussie hootcie can stop alien invasion in a small localised area!