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Why comfort decides how long you actually observe

Some of the finest nights in the UK are also the coldest. A sharp frost usually arrives with the clear, transparent air that lets you split the Trapezium in Orion and pick out cloud bands on Jupiter with a modest telescope. The catch is that the same settled conditions that give you steady seeing will have you back indoors within twenty minutes if your set-up is wrong. On most winter evenings the limiting factor is not the optics, the light pollution or the seeing — it is you. Sort out warmth, shelter and posture first, and you will still be at the eyepiece at midnight rather than thawing your fingers around a radiator.

Dress in layers you can add and shed

Standing still in near-freezing air is nothing like walking to the shops in it. You generate almost no heat while waiting for a wobbling view to settle, so dress as though you were sitting in an unheated room. Layers beat one thick coat every time, because you can open a zip while you are carrying gear out and close it the moment you sit down.

• Base layer: a thermal or merino long-sleeved top. Cotton is the enemy here — it holds moisture and chills you once you stop moving.
• Mid layer: a fleece or lightweight down jacket.
• Outer layer: a windproof shell, even if it is not raining. Wind strips warmth faster than low temperature alone.
• Trousers: thermal leggings or fleece-lined walking trousers under the outer pair. Jeans under jeans still feel cold after an hour.
• Over-trousers: a cheap pair of waterproof salopettes is transformative if you plan long sessions.

Feet, hands and head: where sessions end early

Cold extremities are what send most beginners inside. Deal with these three areas and the rest of you will cope.

• Feet: two pairs of socks — a thin liner and a thick merino or wool pair — inside boots with a bit of room to spare. Tight boots cut circulation and guarantee cold toes. Insulated wellington boots work well, but add a felt insole.
• Hands: fingerless gloves or mittens with a fold-back flap. You need bare fingertips for tiny focus knobs and filter threads, but not for the ten minutes in between. Slip chemical or rechargeable hand warmers into your pockets.
• Head and neck: a hat that covers your ears and a buff or scarf you can pull over your nose. A huge share of body heat leaves through an uncovered head.

Use a windbreak and mind the cold ground

A surprising amount of discomfort comes from below and from the side. Concrete patios and paving radiate cold straight into your feet; grass is better, and a thick mat or an offcut of camping foam under your chair is better still. If you use a wooden deck, stand on a rubber mat rather than the boards.

For shelter, position yourself so that something solid is between you and the prevailing wind. In most of the UK that means a westerly or south-westerly, but check your own garden — a fence panel, a shed wall, a thick hedge or a raised bed all work. A pop-up beach windbreak angled a couple of metres upwind of your chair is remarkably effective and takes seconds to move. Place it far enough away that it does not block your view of low targets near the horizon.

Set your chair so the eyepiece stays within easy reach

This is the single most underrated piece of observing kit: an adjustable stool or chair. Standing hunched over a telescope is exhausting, and it also makes the view wobble. Sit down, get both feet flat on the ground, and adjust your seat height until the eyepiece meets your eye without you leaning forward or craning up.

Remember that the eyepiece moves as you change targets. Point the telescope at something overhead and the eyepiece drops; swing it towards the horizon and it rises. An adjustable chair solves this in a moment. A fixed deck chair does not. If you are working with a fixed-height seat, position the tripod so that the most awkward targets still leave the eyepiece at a comfortable height, and keep a cushion handy to raise yourself a little.

Keep everything you need within arm's reach of that seated position — eyepieces, red torch, star chart, gloves. If you have to stand up and walk to a table every time you swap a eyepiece, you will lose the flow of the session and your dark adaptation along with it. Wrap cold metal tripod legs in foam pipe lagging so your hands are not burned by the cold when you nudge the mount.

The flask, the snacks and the small kit worth having

A flask is not a luxury; it is what turns a forty-minute session into a two-hour one. Fill it with tea, coffee, hot chocolate or soup, and pre-heat the flask with boiling water first so the drink is still hot at eleven o'clock. Wrap it in a towel or drop it into an insulated bag. A hot water bottle tucked into the small of your back is a wonderful addition on a clear, still night.

Take food that can be eaten with gloves on — flapjack, nuts, dates, a piece of fruit cake. Keep spare eyepieces in an inside pocket so they stay warm and dew-free, and keep your phone in a chest pocket too, since cold drains batteries quickly. Finally, tell someone you are going out and roughly when you will be back. Then pour the tea, sit down, and let your eyes adapt for twenty minutes. The comfort is what buys you the darkness.