How to live without heating - save £000s

HertsLad

kimwp said:

I was pretty cold. Base layer, thick sports t/-shirt, thermal long sleeve t/-shirt and thin fleece (plus scarf), leggings and jeans while I was inside, then gloves, hat, waterproof jacket when I was outsid...was looking at heated thermals, but there's so much choice and not enough convincing reviews. Any advice welcomed!

I wouldn't waste your money with anything electrical such as heated panels or gloves.. It's so much easier to wear highly insulating layers and be done with it, adding or removing one or two layers as the temperature goes up and down. It's far too much effort to lug around battery packs, then find they don't last long enough. If your "thick sports T shirt" is short-sleeved, replace it with a long-sleeved polyester base layer or mid layer. My current, favourite hunting ground for these garments is Decathlon. 

kimwp

HertsLad said:

kimwp said:

I was pretty cold. Base layer, thick sports t/-shirt, thermal long sleeve t/-shirt and thin fleece (plus scarf), leggings and jeans while I was inside, then gloves, hat, waterproof jacket when I was outsid...was looking at heated thermals, but there's so much choice and not enough convincing reviews. Any advice welcomed!

I wouldn't waste your money with anything electrical such as heated panels or gloves.. It's so much easier to wear highly insulating layers and be done with it, adding or removing one or two layers as the temperature goes up and down. It's far too much effort to lug around battery packs, then find they don't last long enough. If your "thick sports T shirt" is short-sleeved, replace it with a long-sleeved polyester base layer or mid layer. My current, favourite hunting ground for these garments is Decathlon. 

Thanks HertsLad, I'll head to decathlon!

HertsLad

kimwp said:

HertsLad said:

kimwp said:

I was pretty cold. Base layer, thick sports t/-shirt, thermal long sleeve t/-shirt and thin fleece (plus scarf), leggings and jeans while I was inside, then gloves, hat, waterproof jacket when I was outsid...was looking at heated thermals, but there's so much choice and not enough convincing reviews. Any advice welcomed!

I wouldn't waste your money with anything electrical such as heated panels or gloves.. It's so much easier to wear highly insulating layers and be done with it, adding or removing one or two layers as the temperature goes up and down. It's far too much effort to lug around battery packs, then find they don't last long enough. If your "thick sports T shirt" is short-sleeved, replace it with a long-sleeved polyester base layer or mid layer. My current, favourite hunting ground for these garments is Decathlon. 

Thanks HertsLad, I'll head to decathlon!

Good to hear. They do at least two ranges of polyester base garments, some of which are on special offer at present. First is the 100 range for about £8 each, top or bottom. Even warmer, due to thicker fabric, is the 500 range. They are normally about £15 each. I'm not presuaded they are twice as warm for twice the cost but I still like them.  These are in the section for mens, womens and kids ski wear. They also do similar garments for running and football but I haven't bought any of those. I also have a couple of mid layer polyester tops, which I bought fom Decathlon in a sale about 8 years ago. I am wearing one right now, instead of a cotton shirt. I think it must be warmer. It also has the number 500. Good luck.

kimwp

Got a bit flustered in decathlon, but managed to get two 500 base layer tops and bottoms. It was 13C today and I wore a thin short sleeved technical top, then two of the 500 thermal tops, a thin fleece, thick softshell top, scarf and waterproof on top. One 500 thermal bottoms and jeans. I was warm enough most of the day occasionally needing gloves or to move around when the rain made it a bit colder. So not yet tested the -1 that had me asking for help, but have additional thermals for bottoms, plus I ordered some last season on sale insulated trousers, additional fleece and fleece hat. I might need to think more about midlayers and outer, but the reality is that if it is really cold, the farm will probably be snowed in and I won't be able to get there.

HertsLad

kimwp said:

Got a bit flustered in decathlon, but managed to get two 500 base layer tops and bottoms. 

I hope you managed to grab the special offer, with a reduction down to £10 from the normal price of £15 per garment. I bought two further pairs of '500' tops and bottoms (4 items) last week @ £10 each, as I seek to effectively upgrade my previous holding of Campri base garments from Sports Direct.

kimwp

HertsLad said:

kimwp said:

Got a bit flustered in decathlon, but managed to get two 500 base layer tops and bottoms. 

I hope you managed to grab the special offer, with a reduction down to £10 from the normal price of £15 per garment. I bought two further pairs of '500' tops and bottoms (4 items) last week @ £10 each, as I seek to effectively upgrade my previous holding of Campri base garments from Sports Direct.

I did indeed, with some further reductions for the second of each, so £36 total. 

I started off fine (even too warm) in 7C today with Monday's getup, but had to add a second fleece and hat and was still chilly (albeit sitting still and no gloves on) by the time I left, when ice was forming on the car. Hopefully thermal trousers will arrive soon, with space for the additional thermal baselayer