The WOX Guide to Winter Kit Bag Essentials

After the success of the Spring/Summer kit bag essentials article earlier this year and with the head season underway, the WOX team has composed a list of Winter kit bag essentials.

WOX has their merchandise available via the Five57 Sportsgear website, where you can find exciting new winter items!

Essentials for on the water:

Dry bag – Ideal for taking your essentials in the boat in all weathers. This also allows you to take your phone in the boat (for health and safety reasons and to get your recordings) without worry of it getting waterlogged! A 1L and a 5L WOX drybag are available to buy via Five57!

Tools – 10mm/13mm rigger jigger, a few spare nuts/bolts/washers, electrical tape

Lights – BR rules require boats to have lights on them when it is dark out. The days are shorter, and afternoon / early morning training requires lights. Bringing your own means you aren’t relying on club resources (talk to your club in case they have preferences on what they like to use; bike lights are a common choice).

Warm Clothing – This is the UK, after all. On cold days, LAYERS are key. Multiple thinner layers do a great job of trapping your body heat and allow you to de-layer if the weather changes during a long session. Don’t underestimate the power of a good pair of cosy socks to keep your toes warm.

Waterproofs – Good quality waterproof trousers & coats are ESSENTIAL for any cox – MUSTO and Helly Hansen are some of our favs but come with a larger price tag. Decathlon is a great budget-friendly option.

Waterproof socks – Many coaches don’t like you to wear shoes in the boat (taking stones in your soles and puncturing the base of the boat is never ideal), in which case wear a cosy pair of good quality warm socks with a pair of waterproof socks over the top (SealSkins are always a top choice and well worth the investment, just make sure you look after them properly to keep them waterproof)

A good bobble hat – Keeps your noggin warm on a cold day, which can greatly affect your overall body temperature. The merch store has a WOX-branded version (with Sherpa fleece lining!).

Neckwarmer – Having an exposed neck/chest is a no-go in winter. A simple snood/neckwarmer is not too bulky and can be easily tucked into your top layers to keep wind and cold air off of your neck & chest. Our faves are the fleece ones, but lighter cotton options also work!

Gloves – Quality is crucial with gloves. Decathlon has some great options for a reasonable price. Look for ski-style gloves with a warm inner and waterproof outer that still allow for the dexterity you need to steer the boat.

Sunglasses – Don’t underestimate the glare off the water. Have them with you – in one direction, you have your back to the sun, but you could be blinded by the light when you turn. Oakleys are a popular WOX choice – but you can get these from Decathlon and other shops (a priority should be to have Polarized lenses to protect your eyes properly from the constant exposure to UV rays.)

Sunscreen – Apply sunscreen to your face all year round. Even when the rest of your body is covered, you are still exposed to the sun. 

And last but by no means least – WATER BOTTLE. Hydration is key – no matter the weather! To perform, concentrate and be healthy, you need to be hydrated. A bottle with a covered lid is ideal, this is a product you can expect to see in upcoming merch drops so stay tuned…

For off the water:

Tool Kit – Some of our favourite tools are 8mm spinner, 10mm spinner, tape measure, Concept 2 blade tool, 6mm ratchet socket (Morgan’s fav for blade adjustments), scissors, more spare nuts/bolts/washers/, alan keys, cross / Philips / flat head screwdriver, more electrical tape…

Comfy Clothes – Warm clothes for rigging and relaxing after sessions are crucial. It is important to change after a session on the water for hygiene and warmth reasons. The WOX gang is falling in love with LOONES! These and a warm hoodie are perfect. 

Notepad – for taking notes straight after a session. Write down what did and didn’t work for your crew, key coaching points and any calls you want to remember.

Snacks – you must fuel yourself to be on form as a cox. Make sure you have a good selection of snacks in your bag to keep you going throughout the seasons

So to sum up here is a quick checklist for your kit bag:

• Drybag
• Toolkit
• Lights
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Winter hat
• LAYERS
• Waterproofs
• Waterproof socks
• Gloves
• Neckwarmer
• Change of clothes
• Water bottle
• Snacks…

Items to add that aren’t necessarily essential but could gain you a few extra brownie points:

Hand warmers – Ideally, re-usable (for environmental reasons). Small hand warmers that slip into your gloves/socks are a game changer on those extra cold days.

Foil blankets – Lightweight and easy to pack in your dry bag. These are fantastic for helping you retain your body heat when you are sat in the marshalling area during head season. Also great to have spares for your rowers if you are anticipating a long wait and want them to keep warm too! Just remember to collect them back before you race so they don’t fly out of footwells / get stuck in slides.

Speed chart – Laminate the various speeds that correlate to your crew’s goals. For those at the elite level, this will be percentage gold medal times, but talk to your coach about which split your crew should aim for at each rate and have this on hand.

Sweets – When you’re on the water for a long time, sweets can be a great pick-me-up for you and your crew; keep them in a sealed bag (and in your dry bag) to prevent them from being a hygiene risk.

Plasters – If you have a rower prone to slide bites, having a few plasters on board can make you a bit of a hero – Erin doesn’t boat without one!

If you have any items in your kit bag that you can’t live without, we’d love to know! Send us a DM on Instagram or an email at thewinningcox@gmail.com!

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