‘The best way to beat face freeze’: 15 wild swimming essentials

Dip your toe into cold-water swimming with our expert-recommended picks, from gloves and towels to tow floats

Winter swimming isn’t for everyone: you often spend more time preparing, packing and changing than you do in the water. But if you do take the plunge, the piercing cold gives way to a joy that inspires you to return to the water time and time again.

In my book, How to Wild Swim: What to Know Before Taking the Plunge, I explain that the best thing about open-water swimming is not needing much kit. But winter swimming does require a little bit more than a swimsuit and towel to make the experience more bearable. Here is my go-to winter kit list for outdoor dips, swims and adventures: I’ve either tested or already own everything here.