Over Christmas I enjoyed exploring the countryside around my parents house, and heading out on plenty of walks. Its a tradition that every time my sister and I get together we will just go for a stroll to catch up on what’s been happening. Somehow walking and talking is an easier way to chat, rather than sitting across the table from someone, plus you have the added bonus of being active too!

My parents live in a village which doesn’t really have any amenities but it does have some rather lovely views, and fields of horses and cows to visit. With the wet and windy weather over the festive period they were pretty muddy, as I found out when I ran the Wimpole parkrun on Boxing Day!

Our wintery wanderings were a perfect opportunity for me to test out my new coat from Trespass, the Daydream Women’s Waterproof Jacket. I love the large buttons and ties – it almost looks like a waterproof duffle coat!

The jacket is lightweight, but is designed with something called “coldheat insulation” which locks in your body heat to keep you as warm as possible. If I’m honest, for the mild temperatures we had at the end of December it was a little too cosy, but I’m sure I will be glad of it when winter eventually arrives.

With it’s quilted interior it was certainly comfortable and is great at keeping out blustery winds, which there definitely were, as you can see from me trying to hold my hair out of face in the photo!

The jacket is supposed to provide waterproof protection up to 5,000m using taped seams to give you complete coverage. I’ve worn it in the rain once or twice, on short trips to the shops, including in last Sunday’s rather horrible stormy weather! Aside from a wet face from the horizontal rain, I was kept warm and dry although I feel the sleeves could do with elasticated cuffs to stop the water droplets running up inside. I’m not sure how it would hold up under intense and prolonged rainfall if you wanted to go hiking in the mountains, as the water does start to soak in rather than rolling off after a while, but it’s definitely good for a shower.

One of the major plus points for me is a huge hood! I dislike small hoods that slide off your head because you have a ponytail or too much hair! There are also four pockets, which are pretty big, although you have to be careful not to put too much stuff in them and weigh yourself down. I’m wearing a size Medium, which is a little big but allows for a thicker jumper underneath if it ever does turn freezing. My Mum suggested that for those of us on the shorter size, a double zip would be useful so you can unzip the jacket at the bottom and be more comfortable when you sit down.

As well as walking the roads around my parents house, we also visited Milton Country Park over Christmas which has several lakes created from the old gravel pits. While the paths are supposed to be wheelchair and pushchair suitable, I think the weather had taken their toll, and it was another rather muddy excursion!

It was a beautiful day however, and we enjoyed wandering along the two miles of paths around the park. There are viewing platforms at various points along the waters edge, and it’s very popular for fishing apparently!

The park also has a playground, and a cafe although we opted to head home for a cup of tea and some homemade Christmas cake instead 🙂

Do you love walking with friends and family as a way of catching up? 

Beki x

NB: I was sent the coat by Trespass to review, but as always all opinions and muddy feet are my own.