Putting Heat Holders To The Test On A Frosty Morning Walk

I simply adore the time between Christmas and New Year. I’m lucky enough to have the entire week off, which means free time and the opportunity to go for plenty of walks in the hope of burning off some excess Christmas calories. Today that meant I also got the chance to put some new Heat Holders thermals to the test.

What we tested

• Mens Heat Holders thermal microfleece longjohns 0.61 Tog rating
• Mens Heat Holders thermal socks 2.3 Tog rating
• Ladies Heat Holders thermal leggings 0.39 Tog rating
• Ladies Heat Holders thermal socks 2.3 Tog rating

Buy them here.

Ever since I first started snowboarding and taking holidays in very cold places, I’ve been a big fan of thermals. I almost always take thermals camping with me, and when out walking in winter, I always wear thermal leggings under my walking trousers. This morning as I was awake bright and early, I decided to take advantage of the beautiful day by heading out for a walk.

We are lucky to live next to woodland, and the little town we live in is incredibly pretty with a great park and a long canal paths so there are plenty of places to walk right on our doorstep, so I put my thermals on, wrapped up and headed out.

I wouldn’t usually go for white thermals, simply because I prefer black and will often wear them as leggings on their own when knocking around the house, in the tent or at the ski chalet. These are different to the other Heat Holders leggings I have which are much thicker and more like the socks. The white ones are a very thin knit which makes them much less bulky. They fitted well under my skinny jeans and would be great to wear under my usual walking trousers or on the slopes under my snowboarding trousers.

Me wearing my Heat Holders leggings under my skinny jeans

Unlike some leggings, they sit on the waist, not below the waist, which helped to keep my lower back nice and warm. I am slightly above average height at 5.6″ and a size 14, but I have quite long legs and a big bum, so with tights and leggings I usually go larger, so I went for the L/XL and they were plenty long enough for me and fitted well.

I left at 8.30am and got home just after 10am. I wandered around the outskirts of town and round the town park, taking photos, visiting Pokestops and talking to small dogs (much to the bemusement of their owners).

The sky was bright and clear, but the sun was not yet high enough to melt the frost so I was able to capture some lovely shots despite only having my phone will me.

The early morning winter sunlight made for some lovely photographs

I was toasty and warm the whole time, and the leggings are so thin, I’d totally forgotten I had them on. The socks are so snuggly I’ve kept them on all day and already have some pink ones which I often wear around the house instead of slippers, and I’ve described them in the past as being like tiny little duvets for your feet. Do be aware though, that they are big and bulky, and whilst they fit inside my generously sized Karrimor snow boots and my Salomon walking boots, they don’t fit inside any of my Fly London or Rocket Dog fashion boots.

Sandbach town park earlier this morning

Verdict

Heat Holders provide a great value thermal range which has expanded greatly over the last couple of years, and no longer just consists of warm socks. New technical fabrics that reduce bulk make the ladies leggings great for everyday use in the winter, whilst the mens thermal bottoms (similar to my existing ladies Heat Holder leggings, not pictured) are super warm, and whilst they are thicker, they still fit under loser fitting jeans and my walking trousers.

The socks are so warm and snuggly my feet are never cold when I wear them, and they work particularly well when worn with snow boots and wellies. I should point out that as well as having purchased Heat Holders leggings, tights and socks, freezing at work one day, I recently bought a cheaper version of thermal leggings from a well-known bargain shop…and I hate them! They were only a pound or so cheaper but really don’t compare to Heat Holders, especially in terms of fit and comfort.

Thank you to Heat Holders who supplied the featured products for us to review.

The post Putting Heat Holders To The Test On A Frosty Morning Walk appeared first on Camping with Style Camping Blog | Activities • Glamping • Travel • Adventure.

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Camping with Style 2017 Press Kit Now Available

With the new year in sight, I thought I’d be all organised, and have quite frankly surprised myself with my efficiency. In between shovelling anything edible within arms-length into my mouth, watching terrible films I’d managed to avoid until now, punctuated by the odd stroll down the road (that I generously referred to as ‘going for a walk’), I’ve also been pretty darned productive, and have got our 2017 press kit completed.

Download Press Kit

Alternatively, view a low rez web version of our 2017 Press Kit here.

So if you are a business or brand wanting to work with the Camping with Style blog, take a look at our press pack. Inside you’ll find out more about us and will see some of the opportunities that we now offer.

Paid Advertising Being Trialed Starting January 2017

As a result of demand, we’ve decided to start accepting paid advertising for a trial period, starting from January 1st 2017.

During this time we have strict guidelines in place and will be highly selective about who we work with, especially when it comes to sponsored content. Our aim is that no more than 20% of content on Camping with Style will ever be directly sponsored; in reality, we expect less than 10% of posts on the blog to be sponsored moving forwards.

We don’t just accept content from anyone that offers us money though. We want the integrity of the blog to remain high, and will continue to turn away sponsored content if we don’t feel it is strictly relevant or of interest or benefit to our readers.

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Winter Is Trying To Kill You – Fight Back In These Funky Snow Boots

It’s that time of year again, when the sky tries to blind you by firing deadly ice-bullets into your face. Big clumps of wet white stuff accumulate on the ground trapping you indoors. Miniature invisible ice rinks appear without warning, intent on breaking your neck…

With strong evidence like this, the only conclusion I can draw is that winter is trying very hard to kill us all and wants to wipe out the human race; or at the very least, is hell-bent on being as bothersome as possible and making us a bit cold and wet.

Fight back, by donning a pair of these funky winter snow boots and laugh in the evil face of winter as you take it on, and like, totally own it.

Funky Winter Snow Boots For the Whole Family

The snow won’t even see you coming you’ll blend in so well in these ⤵ Karrimor Alaska Ladies Weathertite Snow Boots £44.95

Kick snowmen in the face (that’ll learn ’em) with these ⤵ Teva Durban Tall Men’s Boots £100

Sass the hell out of winter in these gorgeous new ⤵ SOREL Women’s Meadow Snow Boots £100

Let your mini-me build as many snowman as they jolly well want to in these ⤵ Regatta Elvina Jnr Jem White £17.95

Stay so warm and snug you’ll never want to take off these ⤵ Salomon Hime High Women’s Winter Boots £100

Splash smugly through puddles safe in the knowledge you’ll stay dry ⤵ Sorel Winter Carnival Boots £67

Stamp  your way through snow and be all manly and stuff in ⤵ The North Face Men’s Chilkat II Boots £79.99

Snow will quiver and simply melt as you approach in these ⤵ SOREL Men’s Caribou Waterproof Snow Boot £130

Stomp through snowdrifts as tall as a block of flats in these ⤵ The North Face Women’s Shellista Lace Luxe Snow Boots £95.00

Stay sure footed and firmly upright in these ⤵ Columbia Women’s Minx™ Mid II Omni-Heat™ Print Boots £72

There will be no moaning about cold or wet feet in these ⤵ Kids Sorel Yoot Pac Tp Snow Boots £50

Crafted from real Yetis, take on whatever winter throws at you in the ⤵ Merrell Women’s Sylva Tall Waterproof Boot £165

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Teva Arrowood Lux Mid Walking Boot Review

What I tested

• Teva Arrowood Lux Mid WP
• Available in 3 colours: Grape Wine, Cognac and Black
• £120 Buy them here

Product features

• Full-Grain Waterproof Leather Upper
• Waterproof Construction
• Float-Lite™ Midsole and Outsole
• Rubber Outsole Inserts
• PU Removable Sockliner

The verdict

Although they aren’t really meant to be a rugged all-season walking boot, we thought we’d put the Teva Arrowood Boots well and truly through their paces to see exactly how well they would perform. Described intriguingly on the Teva website as an “adventure sneaker” I was looking forward to seeing exactly how far I could push them.

So last weekend, the week before Christmas, we headed out to the Peak District and set out on a 10k walk. Although it was a dry day, the ground was very muddy and boggy in places and which lead to lots of climbing over slippery rocks in Dovedale Wood, walking down wet grass on Bunster Hill and even splashing through streams close to the popular stepping stones in Dovedale.

The colour of the boots matched perfectly with my Karrimor walking jacket – yay!

I went for the grape wine colour, as most of my walking gear is a similar colour, and chose the mid top, ladies size UK6. They provided a good true to size fit, with enough room for me to wear my thick Merino walking socks, but not enough room to use my usual custom orthotics, though the inner liner is removable, I decided to keep them in for the walk instead.

Splashing through streams at the start of the walk

Despite ditching my usual orthotics, I am happy to report that the boots were comfortable and kept my feet warm and dry throughout our 4 hour walk. On the flat, they felt stable and thanks to their cushioned sole which benefits from FloatLite™ technology, they were a pleasure to walk in. On slight gradients, paths and flat wet grass they performed well, but on downhill sections in mud and on slippery rocks, they didn’t perform quite so well. In fact, I slipped several times, and even slipped so badly on a small rock traverse that I fell flat on my bum, ending up with a bruised behind, and a slightly bruised ego.

The boots performed well on the flat and when walking through woodland

To be fair, the kind of conditions we were walking in, it was obvious from the oustet that a sturdier walking boot with better grips would be needed, so as always, it’s all about choosing the right kit for the conditions. I’m glad I tested them hard though, as understanding the conditions the boots did not work well in made it easier to determine the necessary conditions needed to get the most out of them.

Close up detailing of the Arrowood boots

Pros

• Extremely lightweight and comfortable to wear thanks to their FloatLite™ technology
• Good waterproofing which kept me dry and snug on a winters walk
• Funky/urban good looks; more trainer than walking boot
• Sturdy lacing system
• Their light weight makes them ideal for taking on holiday without maxing out your baggage allowance

Cons

• Not well suited to walking in the winter on steep slippery terrain
• Minimal ankle support

Boots after our walk with most of the mud wiped off

Summary

If you consider these more as a summer hiking boot you won’t go far wrong, so think of them as a hybrid trainer/walking boot. Indeed when worn, they feel more like wearing high-top trainers than a pair of walking boots, though they do provide more support than your average pair of trainers. Due to their light weight and comfortable cushioning, they are perfect for walking in the summer or when tackling easy to moderate, predominantly flat walks in dry weather whatever the season.

Thank you to Teva who supplied the boots for me to review.

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http://www.campingwithstyle.co.uk/teva-arrowood-lux-mid-walking-boot-review/

A Cosy Weekend Glampnig Break With Hoe Grange Holidays in The Peak District

We arrive at Hoe Grange on a beautiful bright and clear winters morning

Our visit

• Saturday 17th December – Sunday 18th December
• From £100 per night
• 2 night minimum stay
• Find out more about Hoe Grange Holidays

Camping Pod Amenities

• Full bathroom including a double-sized shower and heated towel rail
• Double sofa bed
• Contemporary kitchenette with hob, microwave, sink, fridge and dining area
• Lighting, heating and electric plug sockets
• Decking area with seating
• Free WiFi
• Swedish hot tub and sauna also available to rent

As 2016 hurtles towards a close, Dovedale to Ilam is the final walk we want to cross off our list for the year. All our Christmas shopping is done, the presents are wrapped and cards have been posted, so we decide to use the weekend before Christmas to avoid the frantic hoards, and instead make plans to head up to the Peak District.

Luck is on our side as we locate an impressive-looking glamping pod with last-minute availability and make the necessary arrangements. We set off bright and early on Saturday morning, wanting to settle into the pods before setting off on our walk.

We leave Cheshire in dense fog to the soundtrack of cheesy Christmas songs. Half an hour into the journey as we reach the outskirts of the Peak District, the fog finally clears, giving me a glimpse of a herd of Belted Galloways in a nearby field. As the rugged landscape of the Peak District reveals itself to us, I can feel the sense of calm that always seems to settle when I spend time in the countryside.

Some of our lovely welcome treats

We continue onward into the hills heading towards the southern edge of the Peak District National Park where Hoe Grange Holidays are located; close to Dovedale National Nature Reserve which is the starting point of our planned circular walking route.

We see a sign telling us we’ve arrived and as we park up, we’re greeted by smiling owner David, who explains wife Felicity will be over to say hello as soon as she’s finished her morning hack. We’re shown to our accommodation and immediately notice how peaceful the location is, the winter sun blazing in a glorious bright blue sky.

The spacious yet cosy pod

Hoe Grange was previously a dairy farm, but as is so often sadly the case, the couple needed to diversify, opening their first holiday cabins some ten years ago. Making the most of their stunning location, over the next few years they turned more of their land over to holiday accommodation. The entire site is built with sustainability in mind, and it’s a pleasure to see the farm has two large solar arrays and even its own wind turbine; initiatives that have helped them to win numerous green tourism awards.

Hoe Grange currently operate four luxury cabins, three of which have wet rooms and are wheelchair accessible. In fact their facilities for disabled guests are so extensive, that they have twice won Visit England awards for excellence for “Access for All”, further demonstrating their sustainability and accessibility credentials.

Inside the cosy timber pod

In April 2016 Hoe Grange Farm opened two new timber pods, and it’s in one of these funky two-person pods that we are staying. Positioned together, but with plenty of space between them, the attractive pods are energy efficient and fully insulated and heated, making them ideal for stays all year round. We unpack our walking gear, store a bottle of wine in the fridge for later, and munch on the freshly made oaty welcome biscuits we’ve been given as we familiarise ourselves with the beautiful interior.

The view from our pod

A second horse appears in the field in front of us, heralding the return of friendly Felicity, who pops round to say hello and provide us with some more insight into Hoe Grange Holidays.

We’ve stayed in many different kinds of glamping accommodation – from simple unfurnished pods to caravans and big log cabins, and this is by far, is the best of them all.

Honestly, to refer to the pods here even as glamping, is to do them a great injustice – they are essentially luxury mini self-catering log cabins and It’s easy to see why Hoe Grange Holidays received two VisitEngland Awards for Excellence this year. Over the past few years we’ve stayed in many different kinds of glamping accommodation – from simple unfurnished pods to caravans and big log cabins, and this is by far, is the best of them all.

The exceptionally well equipped kitchen with everything we needed during our stay

As well as ample storage and a beautiful interior, there are impressive little design and technology touches everywhere, from a low-energy radiator disguised as a mirror to remote controlled multi-coloured spotlights around the door. The attention to detail is stunning, and sets the pods at Hoe Grange Farm aside from anything similar we’ve stayed in before.

The complimentary toiletries are handmade locally and smelled divine

We finally tear ourselves away and leave for our walk. Afer taking in the sights, including the popular stepping stones in Dovedale, a steep climb up towards Ilam (during which I slip and land unceremoniously on my bottom…but we won’t talk about that) and finally up and around Bunster Hill circling back to our starting point in Dovedale. As the daylight fades, we head back to Hoe Grange Farm. 15 minutes later the sky is full black, and a dense fog settles. Famished after a meagre breakfast/lunch consisting of just a biscuit and a flapjack, we turn into a randomly selected pub called the Coach and Horses and offset the calories burned during our 4 hour walk with an enormous deli sharing platter.

It’s not much past 6pm when we arrive back at our pod. Parking up and getting out of the car, we are again struck my the silence of the location. Above us the sky is as clear as we’ve ever seen it, unsurprising really as there is no light pollution at all and I curse myself for failing to pack my telescope. Motion activated lights flick on, lighting our way back to the pod which looks warm and welcoming, festooned with fairy lights.

Outside the pods the next morning

Muddy boots removed, we take it in turns to shower before wasting no time in cracking open the wine and getting down to the serious business of relaxing. We chat, I make notes and we go through the photographs captured during our walk before settling into bed and watching a film on our tablet. Bliss.

Mr CWS cooking breakfast

The next morning my alarm clock is a cockerel, and still muzzy-headed from the wine, I’m feeling relaxed. I allow myself the rare luxury of drifting in and out for a while before getting up to make a coffee, everything I need, easily to hand. Coffee drunk, I’m finally awake and we fling open the pod doors to let the day in as we set about making breakfast and packing away.

What We Loved Most

• Welcome pack that included freshly baked granary bread, biscuits and fresh free range eggs
• The locally produced bathroom toiletries (which smell divine)
• Absolutely gorgeous interior – even in the middle of December it was warm and cosy
• Excellent facilities inside the pod with the eco ethos echoed in everything, from the washing up liquid to the low energy heating system
• Accommodation is set within the grounds of a peaceful working farm and we loved looking out onto open countryside
• Though we didn’t have time to use them on this occasion, the Swedish hot tub and log fired sauna looked inviting
• Great location for walking and exploring the Peak District from

As well as being dog friendly, they also offer holidays that allow you to bring your horse with you, providing stables and a secure turn-out field for your equine friend. How cool is that? We really can’t recommend a stay at Hoe Grange enough, but If a glamping pod isn’t your thing, they also provide larger log cabins that sleep 4; ideal for families, and popular with disabled holiday makers.

Glamping pods cost from £100 per night, whilst log cabins start at £457 for short break.

Find out more about Hoe Grange Holidays.

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We’re In The Final 5 of The Trespass 2016 Blog Awards But Need Votes!

The nominations for the Trespass 2016 blog awards opened earlier this month, and we are delighted to confirm that we got enough nominations to make the final shortlist!

We’re In The Final 5 so a huge thanks to everyone who nominated us, but we need to ask for your help one more time – this time we need your votes to be in with a chance of winning in the Camping category.

We Need Your Vote!

If you like the blog, we’d really appreciate you taking a moment to vote us. It literally takes 10 seconds and would mean the world to us.

Cast Your Vote Now!

Voting is quick and easy, and we’d love you to consider voting for Camping with Style in the camping category, you can vote for Camping with Style here.

The voting goes live on Monday the 19th of December and closes the start of January 2017.

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RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch 28th – 30th January 2017

Are you taking part in the Big Garden Birdwatch?

The RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch is coming soon, from 28-30 January 2017, and you can be part of the world’s largest wildlife survey! The Big Garden Birdwatch helps the RSPB to build a picture of garden wildlife across the UK.

Take part by registering for your FREE pack, full of fascinating facts, tips and advice.

Find out more at the Big Garden Birdwatch.

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