to ask you how to do the school run in wet weather!

[200thousand]

Posting for traffic.

No car. School run takes 30mins with my 5yo walking v slowly. For me, it's 15 mins on my own. That's twice a day 5 times a week back and forwards.

Buses are getting expensive. I hate the cold, I hate the wet, I think I would be better off living in a desert!

I get cold really easily and the wind stresses me out.

I've just bought some walking shoes but what do you wear when it's cold / wet? For me two pairs of trousers isn't enough!!

Ideally we'd do the school run come rain or shine but I can't face it at the moment...

and for all the people saying "why do I need to start a thread"... well... I'm not an outdoorsy person and just wanted the best ideas possible rather than investing a load of cash in something that's not ideal...! this kind of stuff can be expensive too.

there've been some good responses beyond the usual "wrap up warm" (!) with ideas I wouldn't have known about e.g. windproof clothing I didn't know about etc.

I'm the kind of person that feels cold right through my bones...!! hence any advice on how I can make this easier are very welcome :)

thanks everyone.

Sea salt coat has revolutionized wet school run for me. I know they are expensive but they will last years. Either sea salt or something similar - long/knee length, lined and cosy but not heavy, drawstring hood so it stays Up. Mine is the Planter coat and it's fab. Waterproof boots or wellies, gloves etc and you're off.

For DC i put them in thick socks and wellies for the walk (make sure you put waterproof trousers over the wellies not in otherwise they get wet feet) and take school shoes in a bag. Dry feet at school!

You really need to just speed this up so you don't have time to get cold to the bones. (I'm another who gets cold like that!) Scooter will be the best option and if you are prepared to pull DC along when it's uphill, you'll soon warm up! (you can use a scarf tied round the handles to make pulling the child on scooter easier on your back)

For your DC, try picking up some skiing gloves and hats, sport shops should have some cheapish this time of year. wellies will be fine, add thick socks inside as a second layer to school socks.

If you get the speed back up to 15 minutes each way, you'll not have the same time to get cold!

Wellies can be quite cold. I find leather knee boots (like Dubarry style - but mine were much cheaper Clarks gortex in the sale and have lasted years) plus thick tights/leggings (with skirt/tunic and warm waterproof coat) is warmer than trousers or jeans and the tights dry much quicker if wet. Or if in trousers, walking boots are warm and (shock!) good for walking - you can get these relatively cheaply in eg Mountain Warehouse.

For kids, see if you can get gortex waterproof shoes or boots from shoesforkids.com - they do end of line Clarks etc - that really makes a difference to keeping warm.

Where do you live OP - it sounds like very extreme conditions.

Somewhere like Mountain Warehouse always seems to have sales on and will have everything you need.

Are you in Scotland?

Merino (underlayers, I live in them from December to March), wool (socks, hats, I couldn't believe when I moved to Yorkshire that the cotton / polyester things that I put on my feet served any purpose), leather (gloves).

Waterproofs, wellies, thermal underwear, thick socks. Decent gloves. Ski trousers will not necessarily be waterproof!

Waterproof/ ski jacket types are fairly common on our playground as a lot walk as the catchment is fairly small.

I don't often need heavily waterproofed clothing, but when the rain is bouncing up to your knees so you're soaked within 5 minutes, it is worthwhile. There's been a few times I've put them the DCs on under the canopy in the playground to spare them from a drenching.

There's a couple of parents who I haven't yet seen in a coat all winter. They drive each day, but the 5-10 minutes they spend out of the car (school maximises learning time at the end of the day ) must get pretty uncomfortable on cold, wet, windy days that cut through cardigans. There's been plenty of days this winter that have barely scraped above freezing.

I generally find that as long as my head, hands and feet are warm and dry, the rest doesn’t bother me too much. Waterproof gloves can make a big difference.

Get a car!!

LOL welldone. I remember a similar conversation about the best coat to keep you dry and the punchline being... it'sounds called a car!!

I've got a big umbrella and a Phil and teds pram so I stick my 4 year old in that if it's raining and then run home, as it fits up to she 5 and she's tiny, so should work for another couple of years here. What about a bike trailer? 5 is probably too old for a bike seat but a trailer should be ok. Or a tag a long. Would get you there in half the time.

Bloody auto correct. It's called a car!

Cars aren't always feasible. The drop off is 15 mins walk for me, 30 mins if DS is walking, 10 mins if he's on a bike. By car the same journey would take 45 mins. Rush hour in a city with notorious traffic problems is basically gridlock.

(It's about a mile cutting across a big park - driving is longer and past the big train station which doesn't help with gridlock)

I spent years hating going outside because I feel the cold, but it was a total revelation to discover how much difference it makes if you wear a scarf properly and gloves and a hat and wool socks and boots. My coat was only doing half a job until I learnt to stop the cold air getting in by wearing a thick scarf round my neck.

A hat - you loose a lot of heat from the top of your head. A waterproof hat is not expensive from eg Decathlon/GoOutdoors/ebay and a knitted bobble hat and you're sorted whatever the weather.
A scarf - fills the gab between your clothing and your chin, useful if windy. You can also pull it up over you lower face for warmth.

Not sure if anyone has mentioned thermal underwear. Its not just for old grannies, it too can save you! If you cant afford good thermals then layer up thin layers rather than one thick layer. Traps warm air (same principal/principle as thermals).
Wellies for kids walking to school is fine. Get them a size bigger and wear two pairs of socks (again with trapping warm air thing).

I got a Book Bag Buddies shoulder strap that clips on to any book bag. Now at least my hands are free to carry a brolly!

An umbrella just doesn't do it for me ,i destroyed two of them with wind, nowadays i wear waterproof trousers and jacket i literally live in them love my waterproofs.

Going against the grain, I hate waterproofs, I just steam up inside them no matter how fancy.

I wear good solid shoes, a windproof jacket and an expensive umbrella. I swap out of leggings when I reach my destination.

I have a similar school run, it was hard at first. I don't like hoods and can't use an umbrella with the pram. In wet summer weather I just wear a thin sprayway jacket over my clothes and leather ankle boots (waterproof ones).

In winter I wear a hat, in very cold weather a scarf too. A jumper under my rain jacket, or a water resistant down-filled coat if very cold. Gloves all winter and most of spring/autumn. I switch from cotton leggings to thermal lined ones when cold.

I've never bothered with waterproof hiking trousers though we all have some. Ski trousers are bulky and cumbersome and very flared (to accomodate ski boots)!

Buy decent socks, always walking socks if you're wearing footwear for walking, or 2 pairs in winter (thin liner plus wool outer).

In very cold icy or snowy weather I wear snow boots for grip.

Toddler wears an all in one puddlesuit for wet weather. 8 year old now refuses waterproof trousers and wellies (change at school gate) so has a waterproof coat and boots.