We’re delighted with Snowvember – yes it takes an age to get anywhere and we’re having a little trouble adapting to our new Michelin-man-inspired look. However, the impromptu snow fights and constant opportunity to use the weather as an excuse for hot whiskeys or being late for work more than make up for it.
Everyone needs a little help on the insulation front, and as the Russians say, there is no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing. One of the best ranges of kit we’ve come across is from high-end brand Columbia. It has a new range of jackets, trousers and other snuggly items using Omni Heat technology, which it reckons has 20 per cent more heat retention than any other material on the market.
Impressive as that is, what has really got us excited are the Bugathermo boots. There are all sorts of materials and sole-technology fandangos in there, but the best bit is the built-in rechargeable battery pack that heats the boot. On a low setting, pads under the ball of the foot give around six hours of warmth, and on high, you get about two hours of toasty foot-focused goodness. They can be recharged via a USB cable.
They’re not cheap – a pair clocks in at €399, but these are top-of-the-line hiking boots (the jackets start at €119). This, as our colleague Deirdre McQuillan might say, is something of an investment piece. But what price warm toes, eh? The Bugathermo and the Columbia range are available in 53 Degrees North in Blanchardstown and Carrickmines in Dublin, Great Outdoors, Chatham Street, Dublin and Snow and Rock in Dundrum. Otherwise contact TJ Bradley on 087-2653753.
