Me in the forest copyright Susan Morrison Jones
What 'do' you wear when tramping around the country ?
Good boots for a start !
I am fortunate to own good boots, mine are great for walking in, if a little heavy because they are 'proof' against falling stones, sharp objects like knives or pointed stones (and chainsaws for that matter) and have soles that will take my entire life time to wear down , even if I walk miles every day.
My full length wax proof coat, made by Dryazabone is 22 years old now and still going strong. windproof, waterproof and warm it has a sheepskin lining for really cold weather and covers me literally from head to toe. I still need my sheep herders hat, commonly called a Stetson which it isn't but people don't always know what the history of even a hat is .
The rest of it isn't a matter of survival so much as personal taste and of convenience.
I am currently designing a coat and trousers which will accommodate my personal needs. I always need pockets and I always need warmth otherwise my arthritis will halt me in my tracks. Even in summer I have to keep my joints warmer than usual, so shorts and short skirts are not happening in my wardrobe.
I have to discover the right underwear, stuff that will wash and dry in a heart beat and I need to find the right T shirts that won't require ironing. Cloth that will shake dry and stay fairly representable is a pain to research but I am getting there.
Finally I have to decide what to have as a style...which isn't really much of a decision, I'm a hippy, have been since the age of fifteen so that isn't going to change much.
So the wardrobe must be small, economical, easy to care for, easy to wash and dry and have some style to it.
One sewing machine and a load of fabric later...and I am sewing away quite happily .
Stage three...........the routes to take and places to visit.
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