We’re having an unseasonably balmy day here in mid France, so much so that I’ve shed two layers of quilted jackets ; cheap tat from the factory surplus shop, which probably wouldn’t last long as outer garments, but paired with different quilt patterns (to eliminated any cold spots) with the added bonus of trapping another layer of air, the real secret of keeping warm, they make tremendous underwear. Not elegant, maybe, but so light and comfortable I forget they are there, even when sleeping ! This has been an unusually cold winter by recent standards (frost has been rare and short lived in recent years) but once more I’ve managed to get by without any heating, which is a huge budget saving !
The other hot tip is ladies thermal leggings, which I picked up at a 1€ each, having been misslabelled as XXL. Most men would be surprised at how stretchy and long lasting these are, when the elastic in budget y-fronts usually give up the ghost after one machine wash.
Why am I telling you this now, with winter on the way out ? Because this is the time you are most likely to pick them up at a discount. Same with ski costumes, which are unbeatable as outer wear. In their original packing, they can be put under your car seat and forgotten, until you breakdown on a frosty night in the middle of nowhere, when they could be life savers ! If you have the budget, get one your size, and another a size bigger, so you can be fairly sure at least one will fit. In Idaho, you may need both...
22 Jan 2025, 11:12 am
