Our favourite gear for miserable bloody weather

By LFTO Gear Team

Gear news

15 January 2008 11:36

You might have noticed that it's raining out there today, unless you're in the lucky 3% of the United Kingdom that isn't sitting under a bad-tempered cumulo-nimbus right now (we think it's somewhere in Ceredigion).

So we got to thinking, what's our essential gear for days like these? Here's what we came up with - why not tell us yours?

Claire Maxted, Trail



My fave bit of gear for a wet day is defo my new Pro Shell Nanga Parbat waterproof jacket from Mountain Equipment. The change from Gore-Tex XCR to Pro Shell means it is even more breathable for scrambling and steep uphill sections in the rain. The hood is designed to fit and move with my head even with my pony tail poking out, and the wide, broad peak makes the best protection from water around without actually being a scuba diving mask.
Click here for the website.

Jenny Walters, Country Walking



My Peter Storm waterproof trousers - so you can slide over in the mud as many times as you like, then whip them off when you reach the pub to reveal
sparkly clean trews underneath. Helps prevent those awkward 'You
ain't sitting here in them there filthy britches' moments. They've lasted me five years so far with no sign of them wearing out.
Click here for the website.

Michelle Daniel, Country Walking

Mine would be a Lowe Alpine Mountain Cap - you may look a bit daft in it, but batten down those flaps and you'll be smiling no matter how bad the weather gets.
Click here for the website.

Nicki Giles, Trail


I love my Extremities Sticky Windy gloves. They're advertised as
windproof rather than waterproof, but they did me proud when I went
out walking for three hours in the Lakes in pouring rain last month.
My hands were the only part of me that stayed cozy! And they're real
multi-purpose gloves too.
As well as hiking, I've regularly used them for mountain biking, helping to preserve my circulation when carrying heavy shopping bags, and even for trimming thorn bushes in the garden. The sticky print palm and elasticated wrists allow you to get
a grip on anything, while the Gore Windstopper fabric outer layer is surprisingly durable. A top buy at £27!
Click here for the website.

Nick Hallissey, Country Walking

My North Face High Point Hat. Comes with Windstopper design and Polartec fabric - my ears barely noticed when they were on the top of Ingleborough in -5 windchill. Not bad for £25. If you can get over looking like a cross between a medieval cardinal and an X-Wing fighter pilot, this one's for you.
Click here for the website.

So what's yours? Let us know with a comment below...and cheer up. It can't rain forever, as I think they said in some film or other.