Glassading - the most fun you can have with several layers of clothing on.
A lot of hikers pack away their gear for the winter, but that's just when some of us get most excited about hiking. There are substantial rewards for winter hikers - stunning
vistas, glassading, the amazing stillness of a snow covered forest, and
I even like the crisp cold.
Of course winter presents unique challenges too, and meeting those
challenges is part of the fun for experienced hikers and one of the
barriers for novices. I know I won't convince everyone to keep hiking all winter long, but I
wanted to put together some advice and resources for those willing to
try.
The Layer System:
"There's no such thing as bad weather...only bad clothing." With proper clothing
and a couple of test runs, you can put together an clothing system that
will keep you nice and cozy in even the worst weather. In fact, one of
the biggest challenges with winter hiking is managing sweat and keeping yourself from overheating.
You'll need a clothing system that keeps you comfortable
across a wide range of activity levels (from standing still to
strenuous exertion) and in various circumstances (still and sunny to
windy and snowing).
"Comfortable" means you are neither cold when standing still nor sweating when active.
Sweat evaporates very slowly in the winter (look up "absolute
humidity"), and even a little sweat can leave you cold and clammy once
you stop exerting yourself. Keep yourself cool by pacing yourself and removing layers.
Also remember that some standing around is inevitable, be it waiting for slower members, stopping for lunch, or waiting for the train or car shuttle. And of course if you or someone else is injured, it can be a long wait in the cold. The proper clothing (and gear) needs to keep you comfortable across all those circumstances.
The Basic Layering System:
-
Base layer - moves sweat away from your skin to keep you dry; usually wool or another wicking fabric
- Insulating layers - provides most of the warmth; its often multiple layers of fleece or wool
- Shell - protects you from wind, rain, and snow. Generally Gore-tex or another fully waterproof/breathable material.
Some people carry additional layers, such as soft shells or
"puffies". Soft shells are used instead of a traditional shell while
active. They provide some protection from wind and water ("resistant"
but not "proof"), but are more
breathable then traditional shells and generally stretch and flex
better. The "puffy" layer is a warm, highly compressible, down jacket
that you can put on over your shell during a break. But down dries slowly and loses its warmth if it gets wet, so your down layer needs to be carefully protected.
Cotton has no place in your cold weather wardrobe, even in underwear or bras. It will absorb sweat, trap it next to your skin, and keep you
cold and damp all day, leading to hypothermia once you stop moving.
Learn more on Layering Systems:
Winter Hiking 101 - a short guide for winter hiking in the New York City area
How to Dress in Layers from REI (with links to products)
Layering: How to not freeze to death in the mountains at Backcountry.com (with links to products)
Layered Clothing from Wikipedia
Click through all of Bob
Manley's layers for winter camping in the White Mountains
About Specific Items:
About Wool Clothing from REI
Hardshell vs Softshells from Backcountry.com
Winter Hiking Skills, Habits, and Knowledge:
-
Minimize sweat as much as possible:
- Start out cold - Remove a layer or two before you start moving
- Keep adjusting layers as conditions change - its easy to get lazy and start sweating or get chilled
- Pace yourself properly
- Communicate with your group - waiting
for slower hikers is especially unpleasant in the winter time, but
making the slower hikes push themselves to keep up can lead to
over-exertion. The best solution is to have the slowest hiker near the
front setting the pace for the group.
- Snack regularly - It is important to make yourself snack
regularly in the winter time since your body burns up to twice as many
calories in the cold and exercise suppresses the appetite, and taking a
long lunch break is unpleasant.
- Drink regularly - your body looses a lot of moisture when breathing heavily in the dry winter air.
- Learn to do everything with your gloves on, even eating. Make sure
all your zippers have pull cords. Learn to operate your camera, put on and take off traction devices,
snowshoes, and skis with your gloves on.
- Keep snow off your gear and out of your bag
- Pack your bag so you can access everything without needing to set anything down on the snow
- Remember to carry water bottles upside down so they don't freeze closed
- When frostbite is an issue, make sure you don't have any exposed skin. Check yourself and other members of your group for exposed skin regularly, especially on the back of the neck, around the eyes, and at other gaps between layers
- Understand hypothermia:
Further Read on Winter Hiking:
NOLS Winter Camping
- The National Outdoor Leadership School published this great intro guide to winter camping. Hiker will plenty of great advice as well.
AMC Guide to Winter Hiking and Camping: Everything You Need to Plan Your Next Cold-Weather Adventure
- The AMC guide is a little more basic then the NOLS guide (less on ration planning for multi-day trips, more on advice for traveling with kids) but still covers everything a beginner winter hiker needs to know.
Sample Gear Lists:
All winter weather isn't created equal
I put together two gear lists because "winter" is a very
different thing in the White Mountains than it is in Harriman State
Park, and your winter gear needs to be very different as well.
You can hike
around
Harriman and the New York City area almost all year long without facing much
below 20f. That's cold, but its not very cold, and most of your
fall hiking gear and city winter clothes (fleece, hat, jacket, etc)
will serve you pretty well if you add a good pair of long underwear, a
sweater, and maybe a heavier fleece. You can also easily test this gear
with a long walk in the park (which I recommend).
This group also does
some advanced winter hiking in the Adirondacks and Whites where the
day's high is often in the single digits and any exposed ridge or
summit is likely to have wind chills down to -20f. That's very cold, so
you'll need specialized winter gear for those conditions and you'll
need to test that gear in less extreme conditions before counting on
it.
Sample Gear List for Cold Weather (about 40f to 20f):
Everyone is different. The only way to know what
clothing combination will work for you is to hike, hike, and hike some more and
always carry an emergency layer or two.
- Standard "Essential Hiking Gear" - Map, compass, whistle, etc - Only winter specific gear is covered in this list
- Clothing: No cotton!
- On top:
- Base-layer: lightwieght long underwear or long-sleeve wicking shirt (Examples: Techwick 1 or Capilene 1)
- Insulating-layer: mid-weight Fleece, wool sweater or other similar
- Windproof/waterproof shell
- Always carry one extra warm layer beyond what you expect to need
- [Suggested] Extra base layer for when the first one gets sweaty
- On
the bottom:
- Base-layer:Maybe some light-weight long underwear if needed
- Insulating-layer: Non-cotton hiking pants. Wool pants are good too; Soft-shell pants are great
- Shell: windproof/waterproof shell (rain pants
generally work well)
- For your Feet:
- Wool socks; liners
- Waterproof high-top boots
- Traction Devices
if there is snow on the ground. STABILicers
are ok, Microspikes are better. YakTraxs, STABILicer Lite and STABILicer Sport just don't work for hiking.
- [Suggested] An extra pair of a socks
- [Suggested] Gaiters
whenever there is deep snow and in the spring when trails are slushy
- Head and Hands:
- Windproof hat - Knit wool hats are
generally NOT warm enough
- Water resistant gloves - Fleece gloves generally aren't water/snow/wind resistant enough.
- Sunglasses - critical because of snow glare - ski goggles are necessary if its windy or snowy
- Headlamp and backup batteries
- [Suggested] Backup light source and batteries
- [Suggested] Ear muffs (I find a hat traps too much sweat while I'm active, and my ears get cold with nothing)
- [Suggested] Neoprene face mask or balaclave
- Water: 2 liters minimum, 3 for long hikes
- Hydration tubes freeze up easily. Insulated tubes are better,
but don't rely on them when its well below freezing. Always blow into
the tube to force all the water back into the reservoir after drinking.
- Store
all water bottles upside down in your pack. Fill at least one with very
hot or boiling water so it doesn't freeze, insulate all bottles with
old socks (or a fancy neoprene bottle holders)
- Assume all streams will be frozen so bring enough water for the day.
- [Suggested] Thermos with a hot drink
- Lunch, Snacks and extra food.
- Pre-heat or cut up your lunch so it doesn't freeze.
- Expect to burn twice as many calories in the winter as in the summer
- Large day-pack - remember that anything tied to the outside will get snowy
- Hiking Poles with snow baskets
- Rain Gear - Pack cover and make sure your shells are waterproof
- [Suggested] Space blanket for emergencies
- [Suggested] Chemical hand and foot warmers just in case (but don't rely on them -
they can be slow to warm up and they need to react with oxygen, so they
won't work at all inside some articles of clothing)
- [Suggested] Small insulating pad to sit on
- [Suggested] Handkerchief and decongestant - the cold weather makes most people's nose run
Sample Gear List for Very Cold Weather (20f and down):
Everyone is different, and I tend to have
an easier time staying warm than most. The only way to know what
clothing combination will work is to hike, hike, and hike some more and
always carry an emergency layer or two.
- Standard "Essential Hiking Gear" - Map, compass, whistle, etc - Only winter specific gear is covered in this list
- Clothing: warm and windproof! layers! No cotton!
- On top:
- Base-layer: midweight or heavyweight long underwear, or Powerstretch
- Insulating-layer: Powerstrech, 200 or 300 weight fleece, wool sweater or other similar
- Windproof/waterproof Jacket, with a hood
- Always carry one extra warm layer beyond what you expect to need
- Extra base layer to change into when the first one gets sweaty
- Down jacket for extra (emergency) insulation
- On
the bottom:
- Base-layer: mid or heavy long underwear, or powerstretch
- Insulating Layer: Non-cotton hiking pants; Fleece or Wool pants are good too;
- Soft-shell pants
- Windproof/waterproof shell
- For your Feet:
- Insulated mountaineering boots are standard gear for any
mountains; They can be rented. (Waterproof high-top boots are ok for
short day hikes)
- Wool socks; liners
- An extra pair of a socks
- Gaiters whenever there is deep snow or whenever crampons are being used
- Traction Devices: STABILicers are ok, Microspikes are better. YakTraxs, STABILicer Lite and STABILicer Sport just don't work for hiking.
- Snowshoes and crampons are generally not necessary in the NYC area, but are required in the mountains. (They can be rented)
- Head and Hands:
- Windproof hat - Knit wool hats are
generally NOT warm enough
- Heavy winter gloves or mittens, or mid-weight gloves with over mittens
- Ski goggles are necessary if its windy or snowy
- Headlamp and backup batteries
- Neoprene face protector
- [Suggested] A
second pair of goggles and anti-fogging treatment are necessary if spending a long time above the
treeline
- Water: 2 liters minimum, 3 for long hikes
- Use
a small (1/2 liter or so) water bottle that fits into the inside pocket
of your shell, or use a clip-on insulating bottle holder
- Store your main water bottles upside down in your pack and insulate
them. Assume all streams will be frozen so bring enough water for the
day.
- [Suggested] Thermos with a hot drink
- [Don't Bring] Hydration tubes - even insulated tubes are not reliable in the teens.
- Lunch, Snacks and extra food. Pre-heat your lunch so it doesn't freeze.
- Most
candy bars and other foods are rock hard in the single digits, so pre-cut them into bite size portions. Store them
in inside jacket pockets for easy access and to keep them warm while you hike. Energy gel never seems to freeze.
- Expect to burn twice as many calories in the winter as in the summer. Always bring extra food.
- Large day-pack - remember that anything tied to the outside will get snowy
- Hiking Poles with snow baskets
- Chemical hand and foot warmers (but don't rely on them - they can be slow to warm up and they need to react with oxygen, so they won't work at all inside some articles of clothing)
- [Suggested] Space blanket
- [Suggested] Small insulating pad to sit on
- [Suggested] Handkerchief - the cold weather makes most people's nose run
- [Suggested] Backup light source
