i need some packable down or insulated clothing, well a jacket and trousers, for a event i am doing.

is there anywhere anyone can think of ? or is there a place where you can maybe hire stuff for a trip ??

Decathlon are often worth a look Tony. Quality tends to be reasonable and the price fair.

Would second what Stu says. I've a MT500 insulated jacket (about 35 notes) and matching gilet both sufficiently warm for my needs and excellent value. At the other end of the scale I did try on their Simond Makalu jacket last winter, but I think that would be more suited to an arctic winter than mooching about in the lowlands!

What’s the event? Might help with some recommendations of kit

What’s the event? Might help with some recommendations of kit

Fat Viking. Norway in January.

I bought a half decent set of down trousers from Amazon. They aren't light, but they seemed pretty decent.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0728P95FB

I've since replaced them with a spendy set from Cumulus, but I'd still recommend the original.

ton wrote: ↑Tue Sep 26, 2023 1:42 pm Fat Viking. Norway in January.

I really fancy doing that at some point. Probably not before 2025 now though.

Vinted is good if you're not bothered about brand new kit

Oh nice, know a few people who have done that . Think Bob from here has and a couple of my Dutch mates too. I’ve heard that studded tyres are worthy investment for the trip, a couple of years they had a freeze thaw and studs were required for large sections.

As ever with winter fat bike races, get used to pushing (and falling over in deep snow!)

Pogies will be a good investment and I found several pairs of those insulated builders gloves to be perfect (several pairs as they do get sweaty!).

Clothing wise, vinted as suggested above is excellent - think eBay for clothes but with set prices, so it makes it easier to shop.

I was in Jack wolkskin on Cheshire oaks last week and they had down jackets in there for £60, might be worth a call. Jack wolfskin is also very generous on sizing too

Weird son on a bike or weirdos in a bike (can never remember which is correct ) had some down pants on their website when I last looked, seemed reasonably priced too. Saying that, I only put on primaloft 3/4 pants whilst doing the Rovaniemi races once and that was in the start line of one race and one early morning on another race when it went to approx -20C/25C on was descending.

Definitely grow a beard, it’s in the polar rules of expeditions…!

Don’t forget over Manchester/Derbyshire way Mountain Equipment and Rab have their own outlet stores, can’t remember their names but sure google will tell you.

I known someone to have waiters until they got to the resort for the race (this was Rovaniemi and not fat Viking) and bought a load of XC skiing clothing and they swore by it but a bit of a risk if you don’t find anything.

Finally, check sportspursuit and sports shoes as they’ll have plenty of discount clothing too

I went to do it but broke my collarbone a couple of days after getting there Cath ended up doing the 100km version. That was the icy year- Nina, the organiser, ordered a few hundred ice studs for those who didn’t have any. You almost needed crampons to walk around town!

Geilo is a ski resort so is expensive and in Norway so doubly so.

I did a trip report, it was 2020 just before the first lockdown. Can’t remember the kit requirements but I don’t think they were as onerous as Rovaniemi.

I bought Cath some 3/4 length primaloft trousers that are fully zipped so easy to put on. Can’t remember the brand but they pack pretty small

No idea if they do trousers, but I've an Uniqlo ultralight down jacket and it's a very good compromise between price, warmth and volume - particularly when in a sale. They go up to XXXL and are pretty generous sized, so no issue there either.
https://www.uniqlo.com/uk/en/men/outerw ... kets-vests