Preparing for Winter V

weenancyinAmerica

Fiona - I don't think George needs to decide he likes being "owned" - it's whether he wants you as his staff instead. 

Elisheba

Wouldn't want to need to go to the loo in that in the middle of the night 🤣. What a palaver that would be! 

Primrose

On second thoughts, separates would be much more practical.  I have a really thick quilted & padded body warmer that makes me feel very snug when I'm feeling mean and don,t want to switch the heating on.  I suspect such practical items will be much in demand in charity shops this autumn as people look for other practical ways of keeping their heating bills manageable. 

nannygladys

I have a couple of sleeping bags in the airing cupboard, I will have to get them down when it gets a bit colder. I suppose you could put them on top of the bed as well, opened out of course.
Nannyg

MandM90

Thanks for the slipper recommendations (can't remember if this thread or another). Very toasty.

Primrose

Fully zip- round sleeping bags which can be opened up very useful for adding extra wedding warmth on really cold night.  Also make useful "throws" for sofa or armchair lounging - if your pet doesn,t ,purloin  it first as elderly animals can get arthritic and feel the cold too.

Our elderly cat often used to take himself upstairs and crawl under one of the duvets in winter as the heating generally wasn,t on during the day  when we were both working.

skogar

Primrose - In my experience cats are extremely choosy. They generally shun a decent quality duvet to make a nest on a proper down filled sleeping bag! If you do go for a nice down jacket to fend off the winter chills you'll proobably have to evict the cat from it first!

Laura_Elsewhere

Primrose said:

On second thoughts, separates would be much more practical.  I have a really thick quilted & padded body warmer that makes me feel very snug when I'm feeling mean and don,t want to switch the heating on.  I suspect such practical items will be much in demand in charity shops this autumn as people look for other practical ways of keeping their heating bills manageable. 

Many people find that several thinner layers can be warmer than one thick one, especially if they are natural fibres which have a thermoregulating property like silk, wool, linen or some viscose. 

Some years ago one of the big universities did research on the clothing worn in earlier expeditions up Everest and discovered that so long as the fabrics were pure-silk, pure-wool, etc., then they actually performed as well as modern hi-tech mountaineering kit. 

I've always been amused when I've gone along to a walk with the Ramblers, as they are all always kitted out in masses of "performance" gear, and then there's me in my skirt and knitted slipover and cardigan...  

annieb64

Not all ramblers go in for the performance  gear but I know what you mean. There are some in our group who will only buy certain  brands and will refer to their jacket as my "pa****o" etc.i buy my walking gear from all over the place-discount shops, charity shops etc. I do like a good waterproof  but don't  care who makes it as long as it keeps me dry.I have noticed that on very wet days even the people with expensive gear complain of getting  wet.

MandM90

@Laura_Elsewhere I agree on several thin layers. I just updated DH's winter wardrobe. We previously lived in a tiny Victorian house with an excellent heating system (previous owner was a heating engineer!) and went to air conditioned offices. Now he sits to work in a draughty 24ft dining room. I got him vests, long sleeved cotton tops and fine knit turtle neck jumpers and he is snug as a bug with all three layers. It also looks more professional on cam than a bit lumpy fleece which was his previous outfit.

On the subject of fancy gear though, an ex boyfriend bought me a patagonia down jacket from a discount rack in a mountaineering shop in the Peaks (pre-vegan days) and it was indeed ridiculously warm, packed away to nothing and lasted a good 10+ years before the cat got his claws into it. I also do like their company ethics...the stuff is made to last rather than pile high, sell cheap. That does rather depend on people having £££ for the initial outlay though!