Preparing for winter II

maryb

Uniqlo also do those heat generating thermals in lovely colours but there aren't that many branches. If you are near one grab a handy student to get a 10% discount.

Alison, cotton is fine as long as you are not likely to get wet as it loses all insulating qualities then. Mountain rescue teams have a saying - "cotton kills". But worn as an extra layer in suburbia it's fine

MrsRogers

Gosh it has really turned cold here tonight .. have my new blanket over me and currently resisting the temptation of putting on the heating.

So glad my winter preparations are coming along nicely :j

NualaBuala

maryb wrote: »

Uniqlo also do those heat generating thermals in lovely colours but there aren't that many branches. If you are near one grab a handy student to get a 10% discount.

Alison, cotton is fine as long as you are not likely to get wet as it loses all insulating qualities then. Mountain rescue teams have a saying - "cotton kills". But worn as an extra layer in suburbia it's fine

Ooh, I like the look of that shop but there are none in Ireland, pity.

Alison_Funnell

maryb wrote: »

Alison, cotton is fine as long as you are not likely to get wet as it loses all insulating qualities then. Mountain rescue teams have a saying - "cotton kills". But worn as an extra layer in suburbia it's fine

Seeing as you'd never catch me mountaineering or hillwalking I think I'll be safe.;)

bluebag

Alison_Funnell wrote: »

Has anyone used standard cotton leggings/tshirts etc instead of thermals?

I tend to layer anyway but tbh normally have a warm house so am interested in if they work as well.

Thanks

I can only tell you something from my outdoorsy and camping days the word then was, in cold weather 'cotton kills' the reason is cotton has no insulating properties ,which is why it is the fabric of choice for summer.

bb

wssla00

Evening all it's absolutely FREEZING up here today! Definitely getting colder. I am going to do some ironing and some drying of clothes later. Thanks for the link to those leggings I will grab a pair for the snow!

Incidentally does anyone know where I can find different coloured knitted tights for adults? Really want at least a grey pair for the winter.

Also, I posted this on the christmas thread but if you are doing hampers oil and vinegar are doing wicker baskets for a couple of quid each- got three A4 ones for £1.35 each very happy!

smileyt_2

I made a scrummy lentil dahl in the slow cooker today. I have decided that when winter comes I will have the slow cooker in the living room with me as it gives off enough heat to heat the room as well as cook the food! Even a couple of degrees will make a difference.

It's a big 3.5l slow cooker so I will have enough left to freeze :j

hmc

triticale wrote: »

Thought I'd join in as the thread inspired me to start prepping -I never have in the past, and always get caught out one morning with a frozen car and no scraper/de-icer etc!

So far I have:

1. Swapped to my winter duvet - lovely heavy goose down one.
2. Put away bikinis etc, got thermals out (once it's cold enough for long johns, they are on till Spring! Well, during the day, and I do wash them obviously! :eek:)
3. Restocked sock drawer - trainer socks away, thick socks out (in winter I wear two pairs of socks every day)
4. Checked heaters
5. New gloves for the kids (poundshop - I will be buying many replacements I'm sure!)
6. Blankets, jumpers and winter coats out
7. Candles and torch under the sink, stocked up on batteries
8. Bought 4kg of value salt - shops were empty when I needed it last year
9. Checked my car box and made list of things needed (new scraper for one)
10. Checked food stocks and made list (need UHT milk etc)
11. Found and washed a door curtain in the shed, tried to fit but I need more curtain hooks and they are sooo expensive! :eek: Might try and scrounge a few
12. Finally (and most importantly) I have my fleece Honchos (http://www.festivalkit.co.uk/products.asp?Cat_ID=6) DDs have a poncho each, I have both the fleece poncho and the fleece trousers. Unbelievably warm, they go straight on when I get home from work and keep me well toasty. You can keep your slankets etc!
    

I looked for £2 fleeces to line my curtains at Tescos but struck out.

As I walk to work, I'm looking to buy some boots suited to winter abuse! They need to be warm, waterproof and comfortable. I have some german army boots which are all of that but unfortunately they suffer from sole detachment! Don't know why, it's happened to 3 pairs but only to me.

I've seen fleece lined 'muckers' boots that look perfect (a bit like this http://www.cottontraders.co.uk/content/ebiz/cottontraders/invt/aq10355/aq10355_l.jpg), just need to find the best price. There are some for £20 on the market but I don't want them to fall apart...

This is my first winter in my nice new flat after 3 hard winters in the awful place before (gaps in windows, no insulation, intermittent central heating, unbearably cold kitchen and bathroom) so I'm quite looking forward to hibernating

Unfortunately I have to use my car at 6:30am in the week, and do regular long journeys so I am at the mercy of ungritted roads and inappropriate driving - but at least I'll be safe in the knowledge that I have a sleeping bag and some cereal bars in the boot! :rotfl:

those honchos look fab! what size would i need do you think, im 12/14, i was thinking med. thanks for the link.

hmc

does anyone know if the aldi longjohns for ladies are reasonably long? im 5.8 and have had them finish just below the knee before lol. thankyou

chopandchange

Minor hijack:

miaomiao, salt doesn't "melt" snow. Salt is not hot. It does not give off heat.

The reason salt works in turning snow back to water is that it has a unique chemical property which means that it lowers the freezing point of water. Or something. (I'm not some kind of science geek; this just happens to be one of the facts that I remember learning at school). Normally, water freezes at below zero, but the more salt you add, the lower the new freezing point will be. That's why the surface of the sea doesn't freeze. It's because it's so salty.

So, why am I saying this? Just to make the point that, if your thawed snow freezes up again after you've salted it, it just means the temperature has dropped. Try throwing more salt on, to lower the freezing point of the water even more.