Blog: Winter Hillwalking - Tips & Tricks

It's that time of year again... The clocks are going back, there's definitely a winter chill in the air and days are deceptively short. Here's a list of tips & tricks which can help keep you safe over the winter period when out and about in the British hills.

1. Steal ideas from far more experienced people. Whether you're out walking, on Twitter or in Cotswold Outdoor there are people with years and years of experience ready to offer it. Always keep an ear out for handy ideas so you can develop your own tips & tricks for the British winter, this is an ongoing one, you can always learn from others and you should always keep an open mind when it comes to keeping safe - what might sound silly in theory may save your life one day. All the things on this list have been picked up off people who were on the hills before I had my first pair of boots.

2. Pack spares. Spares of everything: socks, batteries, hats, gloves, maps, torches, fleeces. It may add to your pack weight but what's more important - staying alive or going UL? You never know when a torch will decide to stop working, when a stray puddle will get your socks wet or when a sudden bit of rain will get your only hat wet. These things sound minor but major problems happen when loads of little things go wrong. Pack spares!

3. Survival bags. Clue's in the name, they help you survive! These are normally bright orange or silver, orange bags are a thick plastic material which will keep rain and wind off, silver bags are more for thermal insulation and are very lightweight. I always carry an orange bag with me even in summer conditions - you never know when something could go wrong!

4. A flask of something hot & tasty. I go for coffee but put in whatever you like, make sure it's something you like when out in the hills - part of hypothermia is an unwillingness to admit something's wrong so you need a good excuse to fill up with hot fluids. Even if you've got a fire going you still need to heat up your core, notice how as soon as you leave the fire you cool down? That's because your skin has been cooked but your core has been cooling.

5. Good waterproofs. Getting wet will dramatically cool you down, there's one way of stopping the rain and that's a solid set of waterproofs (jacket with hood, trousers, gaiters and waterproof boots). Find a set which works for you, there's more choice than ever before with different fabrics and cuts in all prices and styles. No excuse for leaving the house without them.

6. Know how to read a map. This one gets me every time I'm out and about, people who wander around Dartmoor with a GPS... 90% of the time it'll work but what do you when it fails? Always carry a map and compass in your pack, and know how to use it. Spend a few quid on a day out with an MIA so you have the skills to get off the hill and to safety. 

These are just a few ideas, remember rule no. 1 - keep your ear out! I'll be doing the same and adding to this list over the winter and years to come.

Review: Mountain Equipment Fitzroy Jacket

- Product provided for the purpose of review -

Manufacturer's description: "Light, durable and almost unaffected by wind, rain and snow, this is the perfect piece of modern all weather insulation."

First impressions:

Plenty of synthetic insulation, a great build quality and a brand with a superb reputation; I couldn't wait to get this jacket out in the rain and cold to see what it had to offer.

A good fit, plenty of fabric over the bum so the water can fall to the ground. Unfortunately the arms are a little short, my hardshell is Rab and I'm used to having plenty of sleeve so reaching above and around doesn't cause the cuff to move up my forearm - with the Fitzroy, Mountain Equipment haven't added enough sleeve which is a big shame. Even when wearing gloves the sleeve rides up enough to expose my arm and this allows the rain in, not good! 

 Large cuff tabs allow you to get a tight fit around your wrist even when wearing gloves, a feature which is easy to not think about but something which can really let a jacket down. If anything, there's too much velcro on the wrist, it goes right round the cuff, a little unnecessary but not a major issue.

The Fitzroy has got some great zip action. The main zip is a simple 2 way YKK zip but features an insulated baffle to stop heat loss through the zip, the benefits of having a 2 way zip on the front are great - a quick way of losing some heat if it's getting a bit sweaty on the trail or if you're wearing the Fitzroy over a harness. 

Two handwarmer pockets provide some serious comfort for hands, both lined with a microfleece material they are designed to be accessible with or without a harness on but I wasn't convinced, as a harness rides slightly above the hips and belly button it comes straight across these pockets. I really like the depth these pockets provide, they allow a whole hand to burrow into them and get some warmth out of the insulation within the jacket. 

A napoleon pocket provides some good storage, it lacks the microfleece material the handwarmer pockets are lined with but features a very smooth, soft fabric which is still comfortable to touch. I really like how big the pocket is, I can fit my OS Extreme map, and compass in with ease, a very well designed feature of the jacket. The picture is the pocket with compass and map within, not much strain on the outer fabric but you can feel it in the left handwarmer pocket.

A helmet compatible hood must have some good mechanisms in place for when you're not wearing a helmet, unfortunately I found the hood on the Fitzroy a bit frustrating. Because the hood is insulated it tends to ride up and come off your head, when walking into the wind this becomes a real annoyance. A big shame as insulation around one's head is rather lovely but not worth the loss of wind and rain protection a well fitting hood provides. I tried tightening the hood to a level where it wouldn't come off but found it painfully tight. The wire peak of the hood performed well and wasn't too stiff, I liked having a large overhang of hood when the rain was coming straight down. A photo of complete wind and rain protection, unfortunately I couldn't see a thing!

Overall the jacket features plenty of soft and gentle materials to keep you comfortable and warm. A super soft nose protector looks after the snout in cold winds, the handwarmer pockets are brilliant, the napoleon offers storage space and the zips feel secure and are all the right size for where they're positioned. The outer fabric looks good and the construction is great. Plenty of M.E logos and the bright fabric let everyone know you're wearing a great jacket. A friend of mine said it was the sort of jacket he could see Ironman wearing!

Getting out and about with the Fitzroy:

Some really heavy wind and rain has hit Devon and the UK over the past few weeks and it's provided the perfect conditions for getting Fitzroy into some yucky weather.

Drilite Loft II is the outer fabric for this jacket and it's seriously windproof with M.E claiming it's highly water resistant. I found both of these to be true to word and I wandered around in the stormy weather with a smug grin on my face, no water got through to me and the wind was definitely kept at bay. This fabric is also in the hood and around the bottom hem of the jacket, giving an extra bit of defense against the wet. One of the problems I faced was entering people's homes and shops after rainfall, the water beaded very well but didn't seem to go anywhere resulting in a small downpour whenever the jacket was taken off or shaken about.

To round it up, all the features came together really well when jacket was put to the test. Warm hand pockets provided sanctuary from the wind, the hood worked well when the wind wasn't head on and the jacket kept me warm and toasty. I felt like I was in my own little world with the Fitzroy on which is exactly what this sort of jacket should do, very impressive, just a shame about the length of the arms!

Thanks for checking out my review of the M.E Fitzroy Jacket, I hope you enjoyed it, any question then please ask away.

- Thanks to outdoorkit.co.uk for providing the jacket for the purpose of review! :) -