Preparing for winter IV

greenbee

2t - a couple of years ago OH and I were stuck away from home in temps that went down below -20 at night. Shared body heat, early nights and decent duvet with extra blankets helped then. Plus not getting up at night to pee (that was COLD!!!). As we were stuck in a B&B we really had to be out most of the day. Walking poles and good boots were a help, with backpacks for carrying stuff (they keep you warm too!) and lots of layers. Keeping moving was probably the best thing for us. We spent most of the day outside, dropping in to museums, galleries, coffee shops etc when we needed to thaw our extremities. Just sitting all day doesn't help, so maybe getting a sledge and going out each day to keeo an eye on elderly neighbours and chop wood for them would help keeo you warm!

I find sheepskin boots great for keeping my feet warm, and use sheepskin insoles in smart winter boots and have sheepskin lined walking boots for the really cold weather. Gilets are good for keeping you warm and leaving arms free, and scarves for keeping draughts out.

mineallmine

rosieben wrote: »

worth looking at Rainy-Days excellent check list too, its in post # 4033 on the previous thread

Reading it now, really useful thank you :j

SpikyHedgehog wrote: »

I got my blankets in a pack of 4 from amazon - I think they were about £2, but I'm on my phone now, so can't do a link.

Thank you :j

icontinuetodream

just caught up with the thread...loads of great ideas and advice!!:D

I bought a new thermal vest last week - reduced from £23 to £8 in field and trek...some shoe gripper things reduced from £18 to £8, a couple of reduced fleece tops and a headlamp torch thing for walking the puppies also bought them a high vis vest thing each from the poundshop....they aren't too keen on them, but they will get used to them eventually!!!

I have not had the heating on for more than a couple of days yet which is very surprising for me as I am a lizard at heart and normally have it on from mid september or earlier :eek: Perhaps these boards have had a bigger influence on me than I thought!!

We have loads of wood from the doors etc that the builder has ripped out which I intend to chop up next weekend, along with a job lot of pallets and I am hoping to get the garden sorted next weekend too....

I also have an emergency foil blanket stashed in my car just in case...feeling quite virtuous now!!:rotfl:

2tonsils

bluebag wrote: »

2tonsils

some sleeping bags may be useful, they don't have to be state of the art all season ones. In my student days when we had no heating I used to lounge in one with a hot water bottle inside on the sofa .

You can also use them inside the bedclothes too if it gets really bad. They are quite cheap. Warm hats and fingerless gloves are useful too.

If you have sun you can make a solar heatcatcher for your windows, cardboard with foil on one sde and a black bin bag on the other. Put in the window with the black side facing the sun. Adds a few degrees of heat for free.

Hi the solar heatcatchers are a great idea...I live in Greece so even in the winter we get the sun at the front of the house till early afternoon. I am going to make some...will let you all know how effective they are. If its that cold we don't get any rain, anything under 14 degrees in the winter and its sunny.....it feels like a ski resort without the snow at times....shades on and still with a sun tan.....:T

Rainy-Days

Not sure how true this is as I have checked my weather forecast and it looks pretty miserable all week

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2220928/Weather-A-New-England-autumn-Try-old-England-Lake-District-transformed-sea-red-leaves-forecasters-predict-temperatures-high-20C.html

- BUT they are saying that temperatures will drop like a stone and we could have snow by next weekend. It would be interesting to see Piers Corbyn's forecast as I think so far he has come right up to date. I have the cordylines wrapped up but not yet put away. I will see about finishing off the garden jobs in the week. The horses medium weight rugs will be ready to go on them on Friday night if it turns nasty.

I might have a good look at tonight's Countryfile five day forecast and see what that throws up.

MarilynMonroe_2

There's some lovely photos on the daily mail link.
We've had fog lately and its been getting on my chest, looks like we're due that again. I think I will stock up so we don't have to go out in it as we were just getting over bugs.

*The silver blankets, Poundland did them when they had all their camping stuff in, so worth looking out for next year, they also did solar torches.

*I have been freezing waking up on a morning last few mornings ... yet now I have taken my top off and just in my thermal vest as the sun is beaming through my kitchen window.

*I'm going to buy a single quilt and sew it to my other ones then I have a winter 3 quilt side and a summer 2 quilt side.

*I mentioned before I got a new kitten, well it must be cold through the night as one of my older cats has taken to using the litter tray, I'm not amused lol and neither is my kitten.

annie123

Rainy-Days wrote: »

It would be interesting to see Piers Corbyn's forecast as I think so far he has come right up to date.

Piers is no better than many of the others out there, still waiting for the shorts and t short warm spell he said would happen mid month. Kittie would know if he's changed his mind about it.

edit: here's a list of assorted winter forecasts so far, one of them may right!

http://www.snow-watch.co.uk/viewforum.php?f=59


With the summer we've had here in the south, anything could happen this winter. But I'm prepared, well nearly finished, for any type of weather,cold, mild, windy, snowy, drought and last but not least hot and sunny well you never know

Uniscots97

Co-op have stocks of fingerless gloves (black) for men (but not overly big so could be worn by women) for £1.29.

mineallmine

mineallmine wrote: »

Winter prep list:
1. Write winter prep to do list :rudolf:

Now written :rudolf: Aiming to sort prescriptions/medicines cupboard first of all.

Rainy-Days

Snow in the north east and Scotland on the fringes of the North sea by the looks of things. Forecast to get very cold from Thursday onwards. No snow was forecast for Durham down to the south, but allot of rain on Thursday with a very brisk wind.

Not sure where they are getting this 20 degrees malarky from because that did not show at all.