Winter wear from Farm and Fleet.

I have been meaning to write about these pieces of winter gear because they have held up well and were very reasonably priced, and warm, down maybe to 5 below zero. I used them for outdoor work such as snow blowing and shoveling, as well as daily dog walks.

Boots.



I don't know what brand they are. Maybe a F&F house brand. The only label I can find on them says Ranger. I got these last November maybe. IIRC, they were about $40. I mostly wore them walking the dog when it was cold last winter. They probably have 200+ miles on them. Mostly pavement.

The soles are pretty soft rubber and I might have expected more wear, but they did OK. There is some wear but not a whole lot.

The soles have pretty good traction in snow and on rough ice. Not so much on ice with a thin layer of snow on it.

No real ankle support, and now and then a zipper would open up while walking a little. It never was a big issue though.

Very warm and waterproof. Usually I wore with a pair of poly under socks and wool socks over the under socks. Never had a cold foot.

I have to say that I got my money's worth out of them. I expect to wear them a couple more seasons as well.

They are not hiking boots, but they are comfy enough that some light hiking would be OK in them. No last in them to speak of though so I can feel big pebbles that I step on. Not too awful though they are not really suitable as serious hiking boots. There is a full gusset behind the zipper so it should keep snow and water out, but I can't say I ever put that idea to the test.

I never had any trouble with my feet sweating in them even though they look like that might have been an issue.

Elmer Fudd hat



I think this was $12.95. Very warm and comfy. The fabric part can be unfolded to cover my neck and ears when it is colder, and folded up for use when it is not so cold. I much prefer it to a watch cap style hat.

I almost wish I had bought the next size up. When it was down below 10 or 15 degrees, I would wear a balaclava as well to keep my face warm, and it was a bit snug under the hat.

It's brand labeled Broner. Good hat.

The clip on light shown came from Meritline.com. I think it was $1.29 shipped from Singapore. I used it many times in the early morning when it was dark last winter and I needed to pick up dog crap that the beagle had left along the sidewalk. I got one for my wife as well. It's not waterproof but it is pretty sturdy. My biggest gripe is the cheap junk batteries it came with. I had to replace them and they cost 3times what the light did.

But what can one expect for $1.29 shipped from Singapore. I have since seen similar lights at Wal-Mart and Batteries Plus.

Gloves


Last but not least is this pair of leather gloves. I wore these most of last winter when it was cold (like below 35). I got these a little later in the season when another pair of gloves I had failed. F&F only had these in tan. I really prefer black, but the color did not affect the utility any. They are labeled Ruff and Tuff. maybe a F&F house brand.

A little thick for more delicate work, but very warm. I found them too warm to wear above about 35 degrees as my hands would start to sweat.

They were $15, IIRC.

[update 9-5-10]
I did some poking around the Internet. It appears the boots are made by Ranger Boots. Go figure, since that's what is embossed on them in several places.

rangerboots

They refer to the boot thusly.

FlintLock – Men’s Lightweight Side-Zip Leather Top Pac
[A589]
Lightweight, Side-Zip Brown Leather Top Pac
Cresta™ shell and two-color Utila-Trac™ molded outsole
3/4” stitched in polymeric foam lining with Thermolite® insole
Large-tooth, easy-sliding zipper
Comfort zone to 10F
Men’s Whole Sizes 7-14

I wore them in temperatures lower than the ten degrees they spec out and was always comfortable, but I wore a good pair of wool socks and an underliner sock with them. Plus I was always moving around, and not typically for a real long time. It might have been different if I was sitting still at those temperatures for extended periods of time.

[update 1-1-11]