Tag Archives: winter

A Brief Journey in to Sami Band Weaving

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We have recently been sent the following, lovely post, from long-term Woodlorean Bosco Li. Bosco has successfully tried his hand at making a pair of beautiful Sami shoe bands, after seeing them on his Arctic Experience Expedition with Woodlore:

I remember hazy childhood days when we had the luxury of daydreaming about the world and pondering fanciful thoughts. I recall one such recurring whimsy being whether I’d prefer living in the freezing cold or the sweltering heat if I were forced to choose. I’d mull over the pros and cons endlessly, until I concluded the answer would simply be whichever one I was more adept at thriving in! To that end, many years later I booked and was fortunate enough to learn about arctic survival with the Woodlore School of Wilderness Bushcraft.

Sami shoe bands

Sami shoe bands

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Winter Camping

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It’s all too easy to slip into hibernation mode at this time of year, especially if you’re fortunate enough to have a decent log fire roaring away at home. But we shouldn’t forget the unique experiences that winter camping has to offer us all, as fellow Woodlorean Garry Dutfield shows us here. Grisedale-Tarn-Akto-Camping-Winter-1

Garry recently spent three days hiking and lightweight camping in the snow-covered hills of the Lake District, pitching his Hilleberg Akto Tent in a superbly picturesque spot beside Grisedale Tarn. Continue reading →

Three of the Best: Thermal Mid Layers

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When it comes to cold weather clothing, we’ve always been firm believers in the layering system; opting for a separate base layer, mid layer and outer jacket offers far more flexibility than your all-in-one padded coat and, of course, means that you can use the garments individually at different times of the year. There are plenty of options when it comes to mid layers, but these are the three you’ll find on the Woodlore Team the most:

1. Swanndri Ranger Bushshirt

The Swanndri Ranger Shirt belongs to a very special group of garments which Ray Mears and the Woodlore Team rarely leave home without. Despite retaining the same, simple design as the 1913 original, the Ranger Shirt is as relevant to today’s outdoorsmen as it was a century ago. Made from 100% New Zealand wool, it provides excellent warmth as well as protection from wind and rain. And, while perfect as a mid layer, its rugged build means that you will use it just as much as your top layer when the winter chill begins to relent. Look no further than the front cover of the Ray Mears Outdoor Survival Handbook to see that Ray has been putting Swanndri shirts to the test for over 20 years.

The Swanndri Ranger Shirt

The Swanndri Ranger Shirt

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Three of the Best: Winter Hats

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As we all know, one of the most important factors when venturing out in cold conditions is to take care of your extremities – that is, your head, hands and feet. Body heat is lost at a much faster rate from these areas than elsewhere on the body, so it is essential to protect them with some decent headwear, gloves and socks. Today we’ll be looking at some of our favourite winter hats.

1. Possum Fur and Merino Wool Beanie Hat

First up is the modern classic that is the Possum & Merino Beanie Hat. Made in New Zealand as a by-product of their Possum Control Programme, this beanie makes an environmentally sound choice while providing you with a luxuriously soft and warm bit of headwear. The fur of the possum features a hollow core, and it is this detail (shared only with the polar bear) that helps make this hat even more insulating than traditional 100% woollen versions.

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