The weather!

Waxed cotton used to be very effective against rain on my motorbikes. I would still much rather bike or walk on a dry and sunny day.

Other coverings are available. I agree though that walking in rain shouldn’t be an issue as long as you have good winter and summer waterproof covering, top and bottom. Still don’t like walking in rain though. I do love walking in snow, the more the better. Good gaiters are essential for deep snow.

It’s currently snowing here in the Medoc… Although nowhere near as much as in the photo above thankfully!

Looks like the West Riding - Saddleworth?

Marie-Neige, yes, that really is her name :joy:, has just arrived to tend to Fran. ‘Not brought the snow with you yet then’ I said, in French obviously, to which she replied ‘No, probably today’. We both laughed because she and her colleagues have been saying that for a week now. One day, 2, yes just 2, tiny tiny snowflakes flitted to the ground as Annabel was leaving. Again much laughter, and we really had to squint very hard to see them. :rofl:

I won’t be surprised if it never comes here, down in the valley, yes, and in the next village, but here in our little micro climate, very rare. :joy:

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You’re lucky to find more than 2 outdoor clothing shops in Keswick, or anywhere else in the UK, now. Neither shop is has a good range, you have to go online to get choice :angry:

I vaguely remember (probably at keast 30 years ago🤔) the Woolworths in Ambleside having a climbing/outdoor equipment department.

Rain or snow isn’t nice if you wear glasses, whatever clothing you have on.

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Yes but nothing to get steamed up about! :blush:

W didn’t get a lot of rain on the farm I grew up on, but when it rained it rained. I remember one early morning mustering the sheep in for shearing, on my poney in a Dry as a bone coat and my Akubra feeling both miserable and elated :rofl:

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For the uninitiated an Akubra is a wide brimmed hat, normally with the front brim turned down and thus nicknamed a ‘sundowner’.

Still got mine here, little use for it nowadays though. :grinning:

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That’s a such a shame, it used to be fantastic for getting exactly what one wanted. Hope the excellent Dog and Gun is still going strong and is still very dog friendly

Unfortunately, that’s a similar situation in the Aveyron, one big Decathalon, so I buy mainly Cimalp stuff online. Am currently looking for a hi-vis rucksack to replace one bought in Keswick in 2005 (not-hi vis), but have only found two, both online and I’d really prefer to try it before deciding.

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The old adage about clothing isn’t really true, and heavy rain in moderate temperatures is miserable what ever kit you have on, although poor gear will make it a LOT more miserable.

One could argue that with modern technical fabrics it’s more true now than before

Or perhaps less untrue. :wink:

The bit that often adds to the misery is that what keeps water out also keeps it in, and although breathable fabrics are better, they only reduce the damp.

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We rarely visit Keswick now, it’s crammed with tourists most of the year and nasty ‘tat’ shops. Pretty much the same all over the Lakes, many places look run down and dismal. A far cry from my youth when it a far less visited place, we used to visit Autumn /Winter, up all the mountains/ high fells hardly ever seeing anyone else. Now you have to queue to get to the trig points!,

This where we used to go to escape the tourists - no shops and once you left the lakeshore and went up the valley, no people. Imagine nothing’s changed apart from the rewilding project now being much more advanced .

http://tinyurl.com/yvt8m8ck

Germany is still quite good for outdoor stuff either physically or online, happy to send to France generally at very little extra cost.

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Well the snow did arrive, quite fast for a time but only little flakes, not settling despite the almost zero temperature, and has stopped now. :smiley:

Ours settled abit this morning but later rain cleared it off :sob: it is lightly coming down in miniscule flakes now!