Laura Kennington is a British adventure athlete with a passion for the endurance capability of the human body. Previous adventures include solo kayaking in Russia, solo cycling the world’s longest coastal route in Ireland and circumnavigating three of the Channel Islands using three different sporting disciplines as part of a rather extreme triathlon. A strong believer in the positive impact that adventure and sport can have on children and adults alike, Laura uses her human powered journeys as a platform to inspire and encourage others to get outside. Laura will be speaking at our first pop up 'Drinks, Debate, Debunk: Debating the 21st Century Woman' on January 18th and here she tells us her tips on getting outside in Winter...
As winter creeps in, the urge to hibernate away in the warm can often sneak in with it. It’s easy to be adventurous in summer, in winter you have to brace the elements!
Camping can be a pretty character building (read: totally miserable) way to spend a winter evening if you’re not adequately prepared. There are some people that seem to have developed an innate, grizzly resistance to the cold and they relish in frost whilst wearing a t-shirt – I’m definitely not one of them. Nonetheless, I do love cold adventures – there is something really special about a crisp, fresh winter morning and it’s definitely worth the effort. The hot chocolate feels more deserved, the porridge tastes better and the sleeping bag feels that much cosier.
Below are my very simple recommendations for making your winter night out more comfortable.
Silk Liner
This goes in the sleeping bag and if there was ever a perfect example of something tiny making a very big difference, it’s the silk liner. These pack down incredibly small, weigh next to nothing and, as well as adding an extra layer of warmth, they keep your sleeping bag clean.
Clothing
A good woolly hat, a Buff, thick socks, a down jacket and fleece trousers are my top suggestions in this department – it seems to be a winning combination. If it’s really cold then I add base layers underneath and these certainly make a huge difference. I’m a huge fan of BAM clothing – I find they keep me very warm and I can also wear them for days without them smelling. Magic!
Camping Mat
I learnt about this one the hard way. I distinctly remember the first time I went camping in winter – I was clueless and had a really thin mat – the sort that you’d find in a yoga class. It was a long, horrible night and wearing every bit of clothing I had with me did absolutely nothing to keep out the ground chill. Next up, I tried a basic inflating mat – that was pretty good and totally fit for purpose for most of the year. The real game changer though was when I invested in my Women’s Therm-a-rest NeoAir XLite after hearing some multiple rave reviews– money very, very well spent.
Hot Chocolate/ Tea/ Coffee
If you’re one of those grizzly tough sorts that I mentioned above then you won’t need a hot drink because you laugh in the face of cold! I, however, would swear by the morale boost of a cup of hot chocolate before bedtime and a hot coffee in the morning.
Laura will be speaking at our 1st pop up 'Drinks, Debate, Debunk: Debating the 21st Century Woman' on January 18th supporting the Young Womens Trust and tickets are available here. To find out more about Laura's adventures go to https://lauraexplorer.com/
