Hi Sue,
We're Australians and leaving London soon after living here, wish I could sell you my lovely warm coat! I figure if I take it back home I'd never wear it, it's so heavy. It's been fabulous over the snowy winters here though.

There are very few op shops/charity shops in central London but if you go to the outer areas - say 30-40 mins away from Oxford Circus by tube - you should find more. If you do a day trip to anywhere from London there will be op shops - for example there are lots in Cambridge and I saw decent fur coats in secondhand shops there for £30 or £40.

There is one Salvation Army store in the street behind Oxford St, if you can't find the address online, I can try and find it for you on Google maps.

You can do a search for charity shops in the UK or London but whenever I've done that and gone looking for specific shops, they often don't exist any more. They also tend to be grouped around one area in a town, if you find one, you'll often find 3 or 4.

Good luck,
Kay

I agree with the Target suggestion. I got a very nice wool coat there last year, for under $50usd. I also don't think you need to spring for the cost of real Sorel boots just something lined and waterproof would be OK (I had Sorels when I lived in VT and they are great, but I think overkill for your needs).

I`ve got myself some Sorels,so all thats left is the coat.
I work outdoors all year so will wear the Sorels occasionally.
I am going to Tromso in the hope of seeing the Northern Lights (which necessarily means I`ll be outside at night)so i am more than happy to overestimate how warm a coat I`ll need.
Kay,thanks,I`ll try the op shops , behind which side of Oxford st? Marks & Sparks or the other side?
Suze ,I`ll also try Target,do you think I could get a down/feather coat?
Julies, yep I remember in most countries that experience cold winters,that they usually have the heat indoors to cater for tee shirts only. I will definitely layer my clothes.
Any one with any thoughts on forwarding on all my heavy/bulky gear?
Thank you all.
Sue

If what you really need is a coat and you want to buy it in NYC, try the Burlington Coat Factory. They have stores in central NYC (Manhattan) and you can find the addresses on the web.

Hi SusieLou, the Salvo shop is in Princes St, just near the Oxford Circus tube station. I knew where it was but had trouble finding the address - 9 Princes Street, W1B 2LQ.

By the way, there are two Marks and Spencers on Oxford St, one on each side of the street, one towards Marble Arch and the other towards Tottenham Court Rd.

Good luck with the trip.
Kay

Thanks Kay,I was thinking of the Marble Arch end.
And good luck to you with your move home.
Zeppole ,I`ll check out that site,ta.

Yaay! I`ve got the coat ,down & feather AT a very reasonable price.
All I need do is get both boots & coat from the States,The Americans certainly can teach the world a lot about customer service,I love them!
Thanks everybody.

For those that buying from a thrift store "creeps them out". I have 7 designer suits (3 Armanis) that I purchased in a Salvation Army store in Florida. I paid $7.50 each. They all fit perfectly and look essentially brand new. It looked like they had all been dry cleaned before being put on the rack. Creepy or not, a deal is a deal.

dave

Try places like TJ Maxx (US) / TK Maxx (UK) / Primark (UK) for servicable but cheap cold weather gear (including ski jackets) from about October onwards until about March

Hi Susielou - pleased to hear you have got the coat and boots!

Did you buy these online from the states for delivery to Australia - as I would love to know how to do this?
I plan taking couple of winter trips over the next few years and would be interested to hear how it went.

Happy travels and stay warm.

Are you guys serious about making this so complicated?

If you go to New York, you can ask for outlets or other reasonable priced shops in the neighborhood from basically anyone. If you ask 5 different people, you probably know the best shots without sending things or trying to find a shop on the other side of the city.

Have you ever checked the temperatures in Tromso in November? Norway is right next to the Gulf Stream and it is less cold than what you would think.

You say, you are visiting Russia. That's a pretty large country so the temperatures depend on the place which you visit.

And I don't know what you mean by bulk in the luggage. If you buy a down jacket or any other jacket, you can fold it up and squeeze the air out so it can be packed in a very small space.

About getting rid of the stuff: just ask in the hotel you are staying, if they knew anyone to whom you could give your winterwear or ask for a salvation army or a flea market. Simple. Or just leave them in your last hotel room.

love-travel-aus,I could only order on line if I had an American postal address for one site & could pay with Aust credit card,the other site I had to get my friend to order & pay from the States.then she will ship both items to me.Thanks for your good wishes.
roadmovie,_25oC is cold in anybodies language,believe me,I`ll need the boots & coat.
I simply do not want to spend time shopping for such mundane things while I`m away,so I`ve organized it now.
I don`t believe this has been complicated,it`s just taken a little time!
And it`s lovely that people can be engaged enough to be so helpful,as I said earlier I usually travel VERY lightly,so boots & coat(even down)will add considerably to my luggage. If I don`t have to carry it around for several weeks before I need them,that would be good .
I`m with you Daveesl,there is nothing wrong with 2nd hand stuff,I`ve bought stuff ,worn it & then donated back.It works for me.
Thank you all again.

Go to Kathmandu online - they have fabulous, very good quality duckdown jackets that pack into a small sleepingbag cover, taking up very little room in your bag. We've just spent Winter in Europe (many palces with heavy snow!) and layered one of these jackets with a polar fleece jumper underneath, a wool high neck polo under that and then a thermal singlet under that. We each had a polar fleece neck wrap which could double as a headscarf and earwarmer!Waterproof gloves are essential. As are Goretex lined boots and thick socks. Individually, each item is perfect for winter in Australia. Layering is what it's all about. These jackets are a little pricey, but worth the money & are very saleable if you don't want it once home. You may even find a second hand one on ebay if you don't want to spend the money.

Thanks for explaining that Susielou - I have often fancied one of those lovely longer down filled coats that are referred to by other posters!
Yep Ronael - I know Kathmandu - and have a down filled vest (not from there) and positively live in Icebreaker tops when I am away in cool weather.
I also notice that rather stylish Goretex boots are now selling here - even in Adelaide - and some are fur lined - so that makes a nice change from the hiking boot style.
Hope you stay warm in -25 and safe travels Susielou.

love-to-travel,there is a site called thefind,com,which represents lots of stores in the States some of which do ship to Aus. They just did not have my size in what I wanted, give it a go! good luck.
Sue.

Oops www.thefind.com

Gee Outter4web, you should be in advertising.

Not only does emporium fashion do all of the above listed things, it also slices, dices and julienne fries. Why you'd think this would be worth hundreds of dollars, but for this special TV offer it is only $19.95. And if you call today, we'll DOUBLE your order (only pay a special shipping and processing fee). Plus, you'll get a free SHAM-WOW, but you have to call in the next 20 minutes, because we can't do this all day.

:-)

dave