Last Updated on 20 May 2024 by Colette
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When it comes to getting out and about in the colder, wetter weather, having the right gear can make such a difference to your enjoyment! And, in fact it’s equally as important when it’s hot and dry – wearing the right clothes and carrying the right kit on adventures will make your life infinitely easier!
I wanted to share some of our favourite bits of kit – things we always take with us on days out and long walks!
Flasks
Before we invested in our Montii bottles, I used to spend a fortune on buying drinks while we were out and about. Now we use our flasks for carrying a cold drink of water with us on a warm day (I recommend making sure your flask has a wide enough neck to be able to drop some ice cubes in it) or hot drinks through the colder months (tea for Amy, coffee for Dave and hot cordial for the rest of us). Dave and I actually have two flasks – one for hot drinks and one for cold, as we both found that using a flask or coffee or strongly flavoured cordial seemed to taint it (despite them being stainless steel and this supposedly not being possible) so we have one just for water.
As well as flasks for carrying drinks, we each have a flask for hot food – hot picnics have been a game changer for us through the colder months. (You can check out this post for some suggestions of what food to put in a flask)
We recommend the 470ml Thermos King flasks for meals.
Sit Mats
Having somewhere dry to sit is an absolute winner when you’re hiking on colder, wetter days. Our sit mats have been one of our best investments of recent years – from covering up a cold, damp bench on a long winter walk to providing a nice clean spot to sit down on when all the picnic tables are taken or just making sure we’ve got somewhere to sit at a festival. I carry them everywhere and despite them being regularly used and washed, they still look as a good as new.
Decent boots
It always amazes me how many people you see out and about for a walk wearing completely inappropriate footwear – your white Converse or Ugg boots are never going to see you right on a cold, wet hike! I’ve been wearing Keen boots for a couple of years now and they have been an absolute game changer for me. You want something sturdy and supportive and preferably waterproof!
You can read more about the best walking boots for kids here.
Waterproofs
Nothing will spoil your adventures faster than being cold and wet – a decent warm, waterproof coat makes a big difference to being able to get out and about when the weather is being less than kind! My kids like a waterproof that will fold up small and they can shove in their bag as they tend to get hot quickly and generally prefer to not wear a coat at all if they can get away with it.
I personally have a range of waterproof coats from a long Sweaty Betty Parka that keeps me dry to the bottom of my legs to a bright neon orange poncho which folds up really small and is perfect for festivals!
I’m going to hold my hands up and say I’m not a fan of waterproof trousers – in my experience they are sweaty and rustly – however I do know that brands are starting to incorporate waterproofing into leggings now and I’m definitely interested in trying a pair of those! Ben refused to let me buy him waterproof trousers for his D of E – he said he’d rather be wet!
You can read more about our favourite outdoor clothing brands here.
Power bank
If you’re relying on your phone for anything (for maps, for tracking your walk, for taking photos or even just for paying for parking!) while you’re out and about then it’s worth carrying a power bank. I find using an app like Strava to track my walks does tend to drain my battery quite quickly – and of course I’ve always got my phone in my hand to take pictures too! You’ll also find your phone battery runs down faster if it’s fighting for reception all the time – which is often the case when you’re out in the countryside and network coverage is more patchy.
As an aside – if you are relying on your phone for directions, then you need to make sure you’ve got a paper copy of map too. If your battery dies or your network coverage is poor, you could easily find yourself in a pickle.
Backpacks
We’ve always got at least one backpack out with us – somewhere to carry drinks and snacks and to put jumpers, hats and gloves. Don’t buy a bit that’s too big as you’ll be tempted to fill it but do make sure it’s got enough room in for a jumper etc. From the kids being pretty young, we’ve had them carry their own, smaller bag – it makes life easier for you and also teaches them to be responsible for their own kit. (Check out our list of recommended backpacks for kids here)
Is there anything else you think should be on the list?
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