Many a sip...
This will make you instantly popular on any winter hike. When you need a warming drink, zip open the insulated coffee and tea pouch and produce a flask plus cups, a milk container, spoons and napkins. The pouch has a strap so it is easy to carry around, and the flask and cups are made from steel. The insu lation is superbly efficient so that hot drinks stay warm all day in the flask, which has the bonus of seemingly to be unbreakable. From Picnic at Ascot (01844 338822) for £49.
Bands on the run
You might get a few strange looks when you wear these - but if you suffer from cold hands in the winter and it's not practical to wear gloves, they really do work. The sheepskin wristbands stop vital heat from being lost from blood vessels near the surface of the skin, which is good news for anyone suffering from poor circulation or chilblains. My only problem was that with very small wrists, even the small size was too big. Cosy Cuffs come in different sizes and colours and cost £14 from Presents for Men (08701 203097), which is this year introducing Cosy Toes for the ankles for £24.
Where on earth am I?
It might look like the latest mobile phone - the Geko 201 is a new GPS (global positioning system) unit, which is bright, small, light and a relative bargain at £147. It doesn't work like an in-car GPS, where you have maps on the unit for easy driving. This hand-held device operates by giving you your coordinates- so you still need a map to find out where you are. If you don't have one, it will tell you how to get back to your starting point. It tracks your speed and lets you enter waypoints. From Paramountzone (0870 011 3206).
Bootilicious
Can walking shoes really feel this good? Put on these light leather boots from Brasher and you'll want to walk on and on. They have a Gore-Tex breathable waterproof membrane so that wet weather isn't a problem and an antibacterial lining so your feet don't pong. You can also hold your head up high when you come out of the cold since these boots would look great anywhere. The Brasher Supalite GTX boots cost £120 (0191 516780).
Warm, but oh so very cool
If you're one of those people who are never sure if they need to pack a coat, it's worth investing in this fantastic jacket from Rohan. It packs up into its own neat pocket, which doubles up as a pillow on a plane or in a car. But this jacket is neither cagoule nor nerdy anorak. It looks hip and cool when on and keeps you snug; it is filled with microfibre Primaloft which, like natural down, is soft and warm. Unlike down, it still insulates when it's wet and it dries within hours. From Rohan (0870 601 2244) it costs £89 and is available in black and limestone.
