Who's Keeping Me Warm

M. Ismail is one of NewsFlashMedia’s team members. Since late October 2011 she has been living in London and will soon be continuing her vacation to France. In this post she hopes to help first timers abroad find the correct clothing to keep them warm as their body slowly climatised. This post is a day or two late because the Internet was down due to bad weather.

AS promised, here is my Merrell Women’s Aberdeen Winter Jacket that I bought at a steal from GO Outdoors. The price before discount was GBP145 (RM725) but I got it for only GBP50 (RM250).

Testing the Aberdeen by just sitting out in the cold at Hyde Park.

You know after buying it, I stepped out the store and put it on. I felt warm but in it but I wasn’t sure it would work because compared to most winter jackets or coats it is very light and almost the usual padding seem to be non-existent. However, I took it home. There’s nothing to lose because over here when you purchase goods, you are given about 30 days to return for either a refund or an exchange. 

The week that I bought the jacket England was heading towards a really cold winter with predicted heavy storms, strong gales and snow. The very next day I put the jacket to the test. I went out in the storm – the morning was grey, it was raining and the wind was strong. Just as I got to the town centre I was almost caught in a massive downpour. I did get wet though not drenched and hey presto, I was warm! The jacket works. On the weekend, I tested the jacket again. I took the tube to central London and again the weather was colder than usual. I stopped by the park to shoot a bit and again, hey presto, I was warm. So thumbs up for the jacket.

Xtremely light for a winter jacket - Merrell Women’s Aberdeen Winter Jacket.

When buying a winter jacket or coat bear in mind that thick need not necessarily equals warmth. It is the types of material used in making a garment that give our body the warmth. The Aberdeen Winter Jacket is made of Opti-Shell waterproof and breathable fabric. To keep the wearer warm, it uses Opti-Warm lightweight, low-bulk synthetic insulation with 100% polyester construction. The jacket is fully seam-sealed with a quilted hourglass liner in the back for extra cold comfort. It is designed to be waterproof and repels snow (yes, it dries up very fast despite being caught in the rain), and it is windproof and wind resistant (I feel warmer than in most winter coats that I have tried).

This casual yet fashionable enough jacket has been designed with maximum venting features through the use of full zip at front so the wearer can zip-up or zip-down depending on the degree of cold she is experiencing. If it gets too warm inside she can always unzip the zips placed at the underarms to allow some ventilation. Isn’t that smart?

When we are on the go, traveling light is a must. That means no bulky jackets and coats that would be cumbersome to store or lug along. The synthetic insulator used in the Aberdeen ensures the wearer stays warm even when it’s wet outside and you don’t overheat. The padded insulation is placed in the jacket’s key spots – the sleeves and the hood.   

The zipped pocket on the sleeve.

The Aberdeen is designed for style as well as for everyday use. So when Autumn and Spring come, you can still use the jacket. In fact, it can take the weather conditions in the Peaks as well as the Lakes. And back home in Malaysia, if you’re an outdoor person who is thinking of going trekking and camping in the mountains, the jacket will serve the purpose well.

Ok, so I’ve made a good choice and I’m out of the winter cold for as long as I’m in my Aberdeen. So it looks like I need not worry should the snow coming. In fact, I will be looking forward to it. Now all I need is my leather glove.

Getting the Right Winter Coat

M. Ismail is one of NewsFlashMedia’s team members. Since late October 2011 she has been living in London and will soon be continuing her vacation to France. In this post she hopes to help first timers abroad find the correct clothing to keep them warm as their body slowly climatised. 

NEVER been to a cold country before? Not sure what kind of clothes to look for to protect you from the cold, the harsh winter, the strong gale? I will tell you where to go to get the right types of clothes to keep you warm without you thinking of dragging a hot water bottle strapped to your chest (that’s a joke, yes but it’s a common thought).

GO Outdoors, UK’s biggest outdoor store. They are all over UK so you can easily find one that’s closest to where you are. And why am I recommending this store? No, this is not a paid advertisement and neither was I given a free product so I can say great things about them. This is an honest opinion from someone who has benefitted from the store through a purchase made when winter sets in.

A GO Outdoors outlet store in UK.

I have to be here (London) for a few months and when I left home (Malaysia) everything was a mad rush. I forgot the most important thing to me when I’m traveling to a cold country – bring enough warm clothes because my body has almost zero tolerance to cold. If you can imagine me ‘suffering’ in an air-conditioned office you can imagine what the cold winter can do to me.

I had with me my leather jacket, my favorite woolen sweater and my classic trench coat, which someone said is ugly (thank-you) and several pairs of thermal underwear. I left behind my long wool blend top coat (which I think is ugly because of the colour) and wool scarves and leather gloves and a host of crucial things that would keep me warm. Ok, call me stupid if you like.

So when I got here I went shopping for a coat and I took a long time to find the right one because I didn’t think they were good enough to keep me warm. However, I finally found one that I like, paid half price (GBP75=RM378) for it during the crazy winter sale and wore it a few times. But I had to return it for a refund because although the coat is made of wool and is water repellant it didn’t do the job for me. It is heavily padded that I look like I was wobbling when I braved the wind and the cold. And the hood wasn’t comfortable as it restricted my neck movement and view.

GO Outdoors stocks many big brands.

To cut the long story short I landed in GO Outdoors. There were a lot of things going at discounted prices and there were a lot of good winter coats. I didn’t know what to get so I seek assistance and got some good advice on what to look out for in a winter coat. I found a lot of good ones but most did not fit my needs – I needed something that allows me to fight the cold, the rain, the wind and at the same time breathe underneath the layers of tops I’d be wearing. I needed something fashionable yet practical because I go around with my cameras all the time and a fancy coat would look silly on someone who is supposed to look rough and ready.

After searching for some time I finally found something off the discounted rack. It was a short brown coat with front zipper, and buttons, and a belt and two side pockets, one arm pocket, one inside pocket and zips placed at certain parts of the coat that I can unzip when it gets a bit stuffy inside WITHOUT peeling the layers off. Now isn’t that brilliant?

I paid for it and went home. Tomorrow I will write some more on how I tested the coat and how I rated it. While waiting for that, visit the store online. You will find a lot of stuffs you’d love to own.