It's been 2 years since I have been dog walking in the cold and wet. I want to know what clothing, footwear you couldn't do without for yourself.

I also could do with tips on walking a dog who doesn't seem to mind the weather but who's coat is like a sponge. I got a fantastic coat for her which is like a wet suit and keeps her bone dry but doesn't help with the legs. At the moment I rinse or bath her depending on how muddy she is but would be interested to hear what works for you?

During the last very wet winter I kept getting wet feet as my walking boots kept letting the water in, so I bought wellies, but they were so big and clumsy that they exhausted me after about a mile or so. After a lot of experiments I ended up finding a good pair of waterproof walking boots which were lightweight and comfortable and teemed them up with a pair of gaiters. The gaiters are brilliant and are close fitting ones called Black Crystel hiking gaiters" they look far smarter then the baggy pull on ones and kept my trouser legs mud and at free and protected the tops of my hiking boots from the rain. Wouldn't be without them.
As for the dog. She doesn't mind about the weather whatever it throws at her. She gets muddy and has to be hosed down before coming into the house and rubbed dry with a towel or two. If she gets really wet I have a 'dog dry bag' which is made of microfibre and you zip the dog into it with the head poking out. This only works well if your dog is prepared to go and lie down in it as walking isn't possible (well actually it's hilarious for an onlooker). Luckily my dog likes snuggling up into it and she dries quickly in it.

> As for the dog. She doesn't mind about the weather whatever it throws at her. She gets muddy and has to be hosed down before coming >into the house and rubbed dry with a towel or two

Same here :) Mine wouldn't be seen dead in a coat - she's 12 1/2 and loves the mud, wet and snow :) Once she's been towelled off she's kept in the kitchen/garden room until she's not quite so wet/muddy. I'd have to shower her after every walk as our roads are so muddy here - I'm not going to do that as she can take all day to dry after a shower. We just accept that our kitchen gets muddy in the winter :) :)

I always have a pink fluorescent walking coat (Mountain Warehouse etc) so I can be seen easily by cars in bad weather and always wear wellies so I can wade through the floods :)

I'm glad I'm not the only one who hates wellies they are exhausting and cold! I have a pair of leather biker boots which are also very heavy but the gater/ boot cmbo sounds just the ticket I also want a decent knee length warm waterproof. 

puffas are just too absorbant I saw a parka type waterproof in Blacks that may work . Look forward to what others find works for them.

cheers chaps

> I'm not the only one who hates wellies they are exhausting and cold

Depends on the wellies :) I have the old style Derwent Muck Boots which are very comfortable and warm :) If it's not too wet I have these, but I haven't walked more than a few miles in them Tuffa Boots so not sure how they would feel after a long walk :)

The dog bag sounds hilarious !

Muck boots are really warm to wear no need for thick socks. They are heavier than an ankle type boot but its good exercise for your legs.

My hands soon get cold but I find wearing full gloves clumsy for taking lead on and off, sorting poo bags, fishing out a treats and they end up wet on rainy day. I got some lightweight neoprene gloves they use for fishing. They have the tip of the thumb and first 2 finger tips missing, bit like half finger, so I don't need to take them off to do anything. The rest of your hand is so warm that your finger tips don't feel cold and the water runs off if its raining.

My dog also doesn't wear a coat I've got a hoselock 4in1 porta shower, see amazon. Its great for rinsing muddy legs before getting back in the car or when we get home using it outside. Of course he does like it filled with warm water lol

Footwear, Muckboots for sure, and waterproofs, I use Dickies coat and waterproof trousers, tried and tested through many winters on Dartmoor, wouldn't be without any of it! I added sealskinz waterproof gloves to the ensemble last Christmas and they're good too :) can't comment on the dog though, I've soggy mudseekers and the way I deal with it is my house gets dirty :) I have equafleece type coats for after mucky cold walks so that does the majority.

Previously had Muck Boots much prefer Bogs Wellingtons now.

Celtic Lad are Bogs true to size ie does your normal shoe size fit ? I read some reviews that said sizing was a problem and since I'd have to order online, no suppliers local. I didn't want to have to send back if wrong size so got the muck boots

Brother uses Dickies so I will check the coats out. I want something light but warm as well as waterproof - may be a bit of an ask.

Regarding the dog and mud we aren't bothered about the mess - the van is a working van for a gardener so you wipe your feet getting out of it.

Indoors we have wooden flooring so it's not a problem, the rugs we have are light so can go in the machine.

It is more to do with her coat but I will just rinse maybe with a bit of conditioner to stop knotting. Initially she hated the rain but since her summer adventures in the sea she doesn't seem to be fussed now.

Hi Schnauday I take a 9 and the 9's fitted me.Easy Wellies recommended them to me as the quality of the Muck Boots had lessened.

I switched from Bogs wellies to Gicas, which are just fantastic, so comfy and brilliant grip, and I'm normally a leather boot fan, never really liked wellies before.
The problem with Bogs for ladies, is that for some reason, they don't think ladies need very good soles on wellies, and they are really only fit for street and park walking, not ankle deep mud and slippy terrain.
Annoyingly, the men's version has a really good sole, but that's not much. use when you take a size 4

Tish the Dickies coats aren't really lined so very lightweight, they're sort of a rubbery feel. I used to use them working in kennels and they are very durable. The newer ones are better quality v comfortable. My Muckboots are only from last year and still watertight, comfy and excellent tread after hours almost every day on the Moor :) love em, quality is super!

There's a good thread on wellies here with some useful advice.

As I commented in that thread, and others, I was a committed walking boot gal but now wear my Aigle Parcours Vario nearly all the time.  I often walk 5 miles plus in them and they are very comfortable and supportive for long distances and for long periods of time.

Regarding the wet dog.  I wash and dry mine after every walk.  I use these microfibre towels.   Have a look at this thread for more discussion about soggy dogs

> Have a look at this thread for more discussion

I have just reread it ! I tried one of the Aquasorb towels and found that they were useless - at least for my dogs. It was so small that I got wet trying to dry a wet hairy dog with it ! I also didn't like the  idea of having to keep it permanently wet. I got a couple of very large microfiber towels in our local Mountain Warehouse when their sale was on - they work really well :)

Really helpful info. I am same as Aileen and don't mind if the house gets a bit mucky. I'm glad that she doesn't mind the rain.

I only have one small dog and live in a city. Whilst I am very envious of the rural/multi dog owners on here at least there are some plus sides.

Looked at the wellies - so glad I didn't relent and replace my old Hunters. I should have known once they got trendy the quality would have nose dived. 

I am drawn to the walking boot / gaiter combo for comfort and warmth. God I am such a wuss!

I am struggling with knots in her paws where they get very sodden but just make it part of our chill out time before bed to work them out. Her hair seems very thick on her paws but she is very tolerant of grooming so I can't complain.