Well shiver me timbers... not

Northern Europe may enjoy extra hours of sunshine near the summer solstice but when we visited mornings and evenings were frigid.

Apart from two days in the month of June I had to wear long sleeves. London and Scotland were no different.

The first winter after shedding 70kg of excess blubber was unbearably cold. All that eventually helped were high doses of Vitamin B12, which causes flushing, and a jacket I bought from Columbia - a brand I didn't know at the time.

My collection of Columbia gear grew based on how happy I was with the first item I bought in their Titanium range that features disco-ball reflective insides that mirror the body's warmth, which they call Omni-Heat.

As a devoted Columbia follower and regular Tweeter about their gear, I was sent a stash to wear on this trip to Europe. The Winter's Match Ear Flaps hat makes me look like Elmer Fudd but I wear it anyway because it is wonderfully warm and cradles your head and ears in a duvet of faux-fur. It also acts as an excellent and comfortable cushion while snoozing on planes and trains. Highly recommended.

The Shimmer Me Timbers Vest is a winner as it has stay-dry outer which promises to keep your core warm even when wet and it also works over a t-shirt for that nautical, just stepped off my yacht - look. I wear it everywhere. (Here I'm pictured in Stockholm, Sweden with their famous waterside amusement park in the background).

I've written before about Columbia's light-weight pants that zip off at the knee to give you two-for-one items to wear - especially useful when you have to limit the number of items you can pack. The quick-drying fabric is great for travelling with as you can wash it in the basin and leave to drip-dry on a hanger.

Although I didn't need to wear their base layer mid-weight long sleeve top while in Europe, I wear it here almost every day here. I have a stash of long underwear from Woolies' Stay Warm range but the Columbia items are worth the extra price - they provide a lot of warmth without the bulk of regular under rods.

For more information go to http://www.columbiasportswear.co.za/.