WHEN THE WHOLE WORLD CHANGES

SHE WAS STANDING on a path, with snow under her feet and snowflakes falling through the air. She began to walk forward, crunch-crunch, over the snow. That’s CS Lewis, describing Lucy’s arrival in Narnia in The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. But it could be just as accurate for my colleague Jenny in this photo – and for you, on any crisp winter’s day when Jack Frost has been busy. You might not encounter fauns, lions and talking beavers, but a winter walk can be magic all by itself.

In Narnia, the characters all end up wearing fur coats, nabbed from the eponymous wardrobe. Thankfully we’re beyond that, and we can wrap ourselves in hydrophobic down or a layer of Gore-Tex to keep out the cold and keep walking, cheerful and unbothered, when rain hits.

This guide will help you choose the perfect ‘wardrobe’ for your adventures. From super-snug jackets to toasty socks; from waterproof trousers to poles that can keep you stable over tricky, slippy ground: in here you’ll find winter kit options to suit your needs – and, of course, your budget. Narnia, said Lewis, was a place for everyone’s imagination to soar. We feel the same about the countryside. Especially in winter.