So Christmas is over, Lymington did itself proud with a very pretty light display and Santa was back in his boat moored in the Lymington River. And during all this, since yomping buddy stayed for Christmas, we had a walk. To be entirely accurate it was a post-Christmas walk in temperatures best described as only slighty sub-artic. What’s the number one rule walking in cold weather? Always assume you need at least one more layer than you think. Everywhere.
We were only taking a relatively even walk around one of the local Inclosures, but boots and thick socks were vital. Probably a smidge less vital than if the mud hadn’t been frozen hard, but none the less a very good call. Deck shoes would definitely not have done.
It’s kinda funny though, you put on your wind-proof, water-proof coat with integral fleece and Thinsulate hat and step out of the car at the same time as a couple of guys with thin leather coats or light windcheaters and no headgear. You start to think that you may have overdone it a tad but the fact they are scurrying back to their car after only ten minutes is strangely reassuring.
Thing is that although the New Forest is the smallest National Park and all that, and has roads criss-crossing it regularly, it is still necessary to be prepared.There have been times recently when we needed a compass to find our way when going off-piste. There’s a lot of boggy terrain often hidden in stands of trees and continually turning to get round it means you quickly lose direction. I know it’s hardly the Artic and three inches of snow would be a cause for great surprise, so describing it as extreme weather conditions is probably slightly erring on the side of exaggeration. But if you get caught out at dusk on the heathland near East Boldre at this time of the year, the mist rolls in very quickly and can reduce visibility to a few metres. Tricky enough if you’re driving through, but even worse if you are on foot in the middle of one of the bogs up there.
So when I suggest that the right equipment is required to enjoy a winter walk, it’s not so you can look good in your coordinated cold weather gear, it’s so you want to repeat what has been a pleasant experience again in the future.