So it is getting colder....

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MarcLister

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...and colder. 😛 Whilst I seem to feel better in cooler weather than hot summers, I utterly hated my first winter as a diabetic last year. I didn't really have a proper warm winter jacket and this time around I'm determined to have something snug to wear so that whatever my blood sugars are the weather wouldn't affect me as much as it did last winter.

So does anyone have a special "diabetic" winter coat from winters past or looking for one now? Not sure which brand to go with and where to buy from. 🙄

Happy to spend ?150-180 on a warm coat. Any ideas as to good jackets to get and where to buy from real world shop or online I don't mind?
 
I'd suggest a couple of jackets, to allow for layering to fine tune protection against wind, cold and rain, plus be visible, with reflective flashes, particularly if you cycle in the dark. Eg a waterproof jacket with a fleece jacket. And also have separate hat and gloves of varying thicknesses. I have 3 sets of gloves for cycling - fingerless for summer, long fingered thin gloves for intermediate ie now, and thick ski gloves for winter, with liners if very very cold. I can only make suggestions if you are interested in outdoor activity type coats / jackets, not more formal / smart / dress type coats, as even my male partner doesn't wear them, and I haven't had a smart coat since school uniform!
 
Layering is an excellent idea. It's better than one big thick item because air gets trapped between the layers, keeping you warmer than one thick garment would. Also, you can always peel yourself like an onion if you start to get too warm.
 
Got some gloves. 🙂

Don't cycle so don't care about visibility. 😛

Got a Berghaus fleece jacket that could be useful.

Have found this, which looks nice. Dual layer fingy too. 😎
 
make sure your shoes are well insulated aswell... good thick soles as i learnt from a winter in Caithness🙂
 
am64 said:
make sure your shoes are well insulated aswell... good thick soles as i learnt from a winter in Caithness🙂
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Good thinking. Might be worth getting some walking boots and wearing them for the walk into town to the bus and putting normal shoes on at work. 🙂
 
Copepod said:
I'd suggest a couple of jackets, to allow for layering to fine tune protection against wind, cold and rain, plus be visible, with reflective flashes, particularly if you cycle in the dark. Eg a waterproof jacket with a fleece jacket. And also have separate hat and gloves of varying thicknesses. I have 3 sets of gloves for cycling - fingerless for summer, long fingered thin gloves for intermediate ie now, and thick ski gloves for winter, with liners if very very cold.
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Blimey, you're organised!! I'm a hopeless case, organisational skills is not one of my strong points.

xx
 
I've got a couple of smart wool coats which are cosy and smart (double breasted to keep the wind/snow out), but I've got a fleece and waterproof combo thing as well which is really practical and cosy. It was only about ?40 too, bargain. I like layers cos I walk a lot and once I get going I get too hot. This is my first real diabetic winter though, so I might be adding layers underneath!
 
coldclarity said:
I've got a couple of smart wool coats which are cosy and smart (double breasted to keep the wind/snow out), but I've got a fleece and waterproof combo thing as well which is really practical and cosy. It was only about ?40 too, bargain. I like layers cos I walk a lot and once I get going I get too hot. This is my first real diabetic winter though, so I might be adding layers underneath!
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Sounds cool. (Geddit!) Where did you get them from?
 
The waterproof and fleece was a big specialist camping shop... and I can't remember the name. It was one of the big one's you get out in the countryside rather than a Millets or whatever though. The other two were Debehams and Topshop 😉
 
coldclarity said:
The waterproof and fleece was a big specialist camping shop... and I can't remember the name. It was one of the big one's you get out in the countryside rather than a Millets or whatever though. The other two were Debehams and Topshop 😉
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Ah. I'll check Next and Topman out then. 😉
 
cotten traders do pretty good layered coats...see them on line aswell🙂
 
That TNF triclimate jacket looks the bomb Marc, I love to have a snug jacket too, but get annoyed that I may sweat for a bit if I'm racing around, so am often taking of and putting back on my winter jacket, get strange looks when standing in street in a teeshirt when it's effing cold! but my body runs at right weird temps and takes a long time to get cold. Currently I have mountain hardware down jacket, but could do with a replacement too. However it's no use when there's proper rain so big jumper, fleece, and low alpine gortex jacket comes out then.
 
am64 said:
cotten traders do pretty good layered coats...see them on line aswell🙂
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Ah yes. Will look at them. 🙂

rossi_mac said:
That TNF triclimate jacket looks the bomb Marc, I love to have a snug jacket too, but get annoyed that I may sweat for a bit if I'm racing around, so am often taking of and putting back on my winter jacket, get strange looks when standing in street in a teeshirt when it's effing cold! but my body runs at right weird temps and takes a long time to get cold. Currently I have mountain hardware down jacket, but could do with a replacement too. However it's no use when there's proper rain so big jumper, fleece, and low alpine gortex jacket comes out then.
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Doesn't it just? I often find I sweat in winter in a warm jacket. :confused:
 
my other half has a Berghaus one from millets , that can be worn a few different ways, its a coat and fleece, the fleece can be zipped out and worn bu its self turn it inside out and its waterproof too, has a god hood and everything, lots of pockets and such 🙂
 
PhoebeC said:
my other half has a Berghaus one from millets , that can be worn a few different ways, its a coat and fleece, the fleece can be zipped out and worn bu its self turn it inside out and its waterproof too, has a god hood and everything, lots of pockets and such 🙂
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Got a Berghaus fleece but its only a large and I could do with extra large.

I don't mind if a jacket has a normal hood or a god hood. I think I can keep my ego in check. :D
 
HelenP said:
Blimey, you're organised!! I'm a hopeless case, organisational skills is not one of my strong points.

xx
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"Any fool can be uncomfortable"... but it doesn't take much effort to be comfortable! I must admit, things are a bit more comfortable now as an adult with some fat insulation than as a skinny teenager. I used to get blue lips if I capsized a kayak (on purpose), for example, but it's better now I have a wetsuit. Summers spent camping in Greenland (1982 & 1992) / Svalbard (1987) / Canada (1993) / Chile & Falklands & South Georgia (2003 / 04 - southern hemisphere) gradually became more comfortable as kit improved eg Goretex (R) waterproofs replacing PU waterproofs, fleece trousers replacing tweed breeches, Thermarest (R) replaced Karrimats (R) as well as me gaining a bit of fat for padding and insulation. Of course, I also used the kit in the UK and for shorted trips eg nordic ski touring in Norway.
 
But I never used my army kit (size M) when not on duty, with the exception of keeping 2 pairs of olive woollen socks when I left. Honest! Camouflage kit really isn't a good idea in some parts of the world - and not very visible for cycling. But can be useful for weeing behind a tree without drawing attention, for example - removing a bright outer jacket (and switiching off head torch if it's dark), usually work well in that situation, I find!
 
Yep, it is definately time for the winter clothes to come out - it seems colder than normal outside!!!
 
My current coat is a couple of sizes larger than I really need it. It was bought by someone else whou geustimated the wrong size. The size suits me as I can put lots of thinner layers under it and add a couple of pairs of gloves a hat and a head scarf, on the coldest days I am toastie warm.
 
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