[Monolith]

I've noticed a couple of innovative/cheap winter bouldering accessories on a few recent trips out and always keen to hear of a bargain. I think it was a UKB regular some months ago that drew my attention to these bad boys from Decathlon:

Boots

After a friend's recent road test and rave review of the previous year's model at a bone chllingly cold Illkley, I have a pair on order for Christmas. Anything with a fleece-like lining gets my vote for between attempts.

Another has invested in a Zippo handwarmer which looks to be a great item for circa £15 off ebay.

Zippo


Any bargain winter beta welcome!

[Fiend]

FLASK with strong herbal tea and whisky in it.

LADDER for cleaning snowy top-outs.

LARGE BRISTLE BRUSH for brushing off snow without grinding it into holds.

[tomtom]

Handwarmers - I got a couple of Karrimor gel ones (you boil them to recharge) for £2 a pair from JJB last week - only tested em once and they're OK. One pair will be an xmas pressy for Mum (not her only present I add...)

Mits. Gloves are a pain, Mits are great. I've a pair of winter climbing ones (Helly Hansen I think) that great. You can bunch/stretch fingers better in mits than in gloves (for me anyway - no tape getting caught on fingers of gloves etc..)

Keep your rock boots inside your down jacket in the bottle pocket it it has one - or wedged under your armpits. This works really well and keeps em soft to get them on our feet..

Rest of my advice is usual shizzle - thermals, hat, flask etc..

[Richie Crouch]

Hot lemon & ginger juice in a flask is immense!

[Jim]

got the decathlon boots, they are pretty good, not amazing but pretty good. They are only 12 fuck all's after all.
I couldn't be bothered with hand warmers, a good set of gloves does me.

[turnipturned]

TKMAXX sell Karrimor leather Duck Boots for £35- They are waterproof and warm

60l Raincover to stop you getting your pad wet if you get caught on a long walk in, ace for covering a medium sized pad i.e. snap bun

[Monolith]

12 rips Jim? Am I missing a deal? Only seen em at 29.99.

The 60l raincover is a simple idea that I hadn't thought of, props for that. Not seen those Karrimor boots but I did pick up some decent Extremities mitts from Sports Direct last year pretty cheaply.

Richie, what brand is that cordial you have? Need something other than coffee/tea in the flask.

[Jim]

1 fuck all = £2.50

[a dense loner]

Heated car seats are a boon

[rich d]

Don't take the kids or wife - they moan it's too cold, start shaking, get blue lips and stop you taking advantage of perfect grit conditions (plus they drink all your flask).

[Jim]

heated butt plug is nice on a cold day (horses tail optional extra)

[tomtom]

Heated car seats are a boon

You can replicate the same warming feeling at the crag Dense - just sit on a plastic bag and piss yourself.

[nai]

Re handwarmers, gloves work well enough for my hands but I use reusable handwarmers inside my shoes while they're inside my jacket. It makes them fractionally more pleasant to put back on, really pliant and super sticky ever so briefly.
I also drive & walk to the crag with my shoes inside my jacket which saves them getting cold in the sac.

[Pebblespanker]

One of those cheap blue 6' x 4' tarps you can get from various places like Wilko - keeps the mat out of the snow/mud/ice and sacs and other gear off the snow/ice/mud

[tommytwotone]

A few carpet samples from the floor coverings shop of your choice are a good shout as well.

You can pick them up for free / v cheap and they're dead handy for keeping feet out of mud / show if you're spotting inbetween goes on stuff, and I reckon they get feet dry / cleaner than the thin wiry carpet mats that get included with pads.

I can't believe it took me so long to realise that thermals were a must - spent years shivering in the cold with multiple layers on when a decent pair of long johns and a thermal top would have been far better!

[tomtom]

Just been to Decathlog.. Plenty of choice in winter footwear. Knowing my Almscliff predilections I picked up a pair of heir cheap plastic low cut wellies with furry inside for 6 fuck alls (£15) #bling

[Monolith]

heated butt plug is nice on a cold day (horses tail optional extra)

The horses tail has NEVER been optional! Love the Denton style conversion rate too Jim.

I saw a pair of heated Black Diamond gloves the other day. £300. Make a cracking yuppie purchase!

[Wipey Why]

I can't believe it took me so long to realise that thermals were a must - spent years shivering in the cold with multiple layers on when a decent pair of long johns and a thermal top would have been far better!

Thermals AND layers 

[rodma]

Just been to Decathlog.. Plenty of choice in winter footwear. Knowing my Almscliff predilections I picked up a pair of heir cheap plastic low cut wellies with furry inside for 6 fuck alls (£15) #bling

I have them too, they are a bit of a revelation really. who knew that you could have warm dry feet and look good at the same time 

[tommytwotone]

I can't believe it took me so long to realise that thermals were a must - spent years shivering in the cold with multiple layers on when a decent pair of long johns and a thermal top would have been far better!

Thermals AND layers 

Of course I mean thermals, a nice check shirt and a lemon yellow v-neck Lacoste sweater!

[Eddies]

I love the feeling thermals give me when climbing (apart from the increased warmth) makes me feel safer, like ive don my own iron man suit or something!!
Hand warmers in chalk buckets and spit on fingertips when they get too cold and turn soapy.

[hobblingfool]

Couldn’t help myself, just bought a zippo handwarmer on ebay. The thought of being able to warm hands and shoes the next time I’m out was too tempting.

[Wipey Why]

I can't believe it took me so long to realise that thermals were a must - spent years shivering in the cold with multiple layers on when a decent pair of long johns and a thermal top would have been far better!

Thermals AND layers 

Of course I mean thermals, a nice check shirt and a lemon yellow v-neck Lacoste sweater!

My friend, the Broccoli Man, has a lovely neon green thermal (from Decathlon) he wears with a neon orange t-shirt when we go to the crag. He looks interesting...

[moose]

I had one of those Zippo devices but could rarely get it to stay lit.  No matter how much I long I spent trying to light it with a cigarette lighter, the smouldering invariably went out when I placed the outer cap back on (the lighter fluid didn't seem to wick up and sustain the burning).  Other people have said they're great though, so perhaps mine has defective packing inside; whatever, I just found all that messing about with lighter fluid and flames too much of a faff (also I'm a fire investigator so a bit paranoid - it would be a bit embarrassing if I burned my house down trying to light a hand warmer).

The handwarmers that are recharged by boiling get nice and hot but only last around twenty minutes.  These days, I just settle for those disposable charcoal shakebags .  They don't get enormously hot, but they do last a good few hours and can make the difference.  Having one in my chalk bag has got me through a few cold days at Malham.

Baselayers with thumb-loops are my weapon of choice for cold days though.  Never tried long johns - do they really make much of a difference?  My legs never feel cold, though perhaps the effort of keeping them warm is what leaves the rest of me frozen?!

[Wipey Why]

...Never tried long johns - do they really make much of a difference?..

Yes. I won't go outdoors in the winter without them