Can you feel it, friend? The enveloping darkness that swallows your soul. The widespread desolation on the streets, past 4pm. The Big Freeze. Yep, winter’s great, icy winds are a-howling.
In need of something more than a mere puffer jacket, scarf and beanie? Then tech up and thaw out with these winter warming devices.
Molten ‘za
BioLite’s BaseCamp and PizzaDome bundle; £359.90
Barbecue season may have withered and died in the fading September sun, but outdoor cooking can be winter-proof. Take BioLite’s BaseCamp and PizzaDome bundle. It burns sticks and fallen branches, and converts them into electricity via an in-built generator. It’s probably intended for an eco-friendly, wood-fired slice of the good stuff on a noble, solo expedition to the West Siberian Plain, but it still works deliciously well on a mid-November evening in your back garden. And if you really can’t stand the cold, you could always just use it to rustle up a margherita – with extra cheese – from the comfort of your kitchen. £359.90; uk.bioliteenergy.com
Warm-up drill
Garmin Vivofit 4; £69.99
Kill the chill with an intense, chest-pounding workout, logged on this Garmin Vivofit 4 fitness tracker. Savour the beetroot-face and soaked-through tee: it’s the warmest you’re going to be all day, buddy. £69.99; garmin.com
Frost fighter
Zippo hand warmer; £23.95
Cherish the Zippo hand-warmer. Hold it close. Bathe in its warm glow as you wait for the replacement bus service on a wet, windy Tuesday night. Also works well for drinking al fresco. £23.95; zippo.co.uk
Hot coff
Cafflano Klassic Coffee Maker; £80
Lips cracked into fissures, fingers frozen to the bone. Time, then, for a throat-scorching gulp of joe, prepared from burr grinder to drip kettle, in this all-in-one Cafflano Klassic Coffee Maker. £80; whittard.co.uk
Broth bot
Table Top Chinese Hot Pot; £59.50
Up your dinner game from an out-of-date tin of tomato soup to a true belly-warming, tastebud-tingling, flavoursome meal – forged from the fires of this Table Top Chinese Hot Pot. £59.50; souschef.co.uk
Best apps
Jack’s Flight Club; free
Meet Jack. He scours hidden holiday offers and error air fares to provide you with bargain sunshine, via this member’s club. Jack is what we call a “good guy”. Free; jacksflightclub.co.uk
AllTrails
You could always just embrace the wintry darkness: wrap up, venture out into the icy wilderness, then scatter some digital breadcrumbs with this tracker, so you’re home in time for MasterChef. Free; alltrails.com
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