Beginner's Guide to Winter Hiking: Clothing and Gear
The ultimate guide to winter hiking clothing and gear list – you've come to the right place!
Living and hiking the trails of Upstate New York has taught me the importance of having the right winter clothes and gear for an enjoyable hiking experience in the winter. Following the Scandinavian’s expression, “There’s no such as bad weather, only bad clothing.”
In this blog post, I'll share valuable tips on how to hike in the winter, the winter gear I trust, and my favorite winter hiking clothes.
Table of Contents
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Beginner’s Tips for Winter Hiking
Hiking in the winter offers a serene and peaceful experience on the trail, providing a unique opportunity for solitude. Personally, although I love hiking in the summer and fall, winter holds a special place in my heart, especially with the presence of snow. Trust me, hiking through snow is notably more challenging than hiking in the summer. However, don’t let this deter you from embracing winter hiking. I’ll be sharing 7 essential tips to make your snow hiking enjoyable and safe.
Start with a Small and Familiar Trail
For the best experience, I highly recommend starting your winter hiking on a small, familiar trail. Choose a local trail, preferably under 2 miles, to boost your confidence and personally explore your preferred gear. For an even better experience, opt for a trail you’ve hiked in the summer. Being familiar with the route in advance helps you predict the suitable clothing and understand your personal limits.
Bring Lots of Snacks
According to a study from the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), winter hikes can make you burn around 35% more calories than in the summer. Bringing extra snacks is crucial as these calories are essential for keeping you warm and energized, ensuring a stable feeling during the hike. Personally, my go-to snacks include a variety of nuts, cheese, dehydrated fruits, and crackers. It’s important to avoid snacks that may freeze in the cold weather.
Keep Your Water Bottle Warm
Opt for a water bottle thermos instead of a water bladder during winter hikes to prevent the hose from freezing. I personally find that having warm drinks in a thermos encourages me to stay hydrated throughout the hike. Another useful tip is to carry the bottle cap down to prevent the opening from freezing at the top. Make sure the bottle seals properly to avoid leaks. You also can put lukewarm to warm water instead of tap water can help slow down the freezing process.
Drink Water, Even if You Think You Aren’t Thirsty
Cold days have a way of deceiving us into thinking we aren't thirsty, but staying hydrated is crucial for warmth and energy on the trail. Drinking ice-cold water in subfreezing temperatures can be almost painful; yet, like food, water is vital for maintaining our core temperature. The surprisingly dry winter air can lead to dehydration, increasing the risk of colder body temperatures and potential hypothermia. Personally, to ensure I stay hydrated even in the cold, I always carry a thermos with hot water alongside my regular bottles. Sipping on a hot thermos in between drinking from my ice-cold water bottles encourages me to drink more frequently. You can even bring broth in your thermos!
Avoid Cotton At All Costs
Cotton's high absorbency rate, swiftly soaking up moisture, becomes a notable concern during winter. This is crucial because damp clothing can result in the loss of body heat. Once cotton is wet, it takes a considerable amount of time to dry. Having moisture against your skin can bring discomfort, chilling, and even pose a risk of hypothermia in cold conditions. Personally, avoiding cotton is a key practice in my winter hiking gear to ensure warmth and safety on the trail.
Bring Traction
Having traction devices like crampons or microspikes is crucial for winter hiking, given the trail's varying conditions from powdery snow to icy patches. Personally, I find these traction devices to be essential and highly effective in a range of winter scenarios, making them a valuable and necessary tool for a safe and enjoyable winter hike. Plus, crampons are small and light, making them easy to carry and stow in your backpack!
Be Prepared for Shorter Days
In my experience, choosing sunny days enhances the winter hiking experience. The shorter daylight hours pose a challenge, providing less natural light for navigating the trails and increasing the risk of getting lost or injured. Moreover, the temperature drops quickly after sunset during winter, adding another consideration to keep in mind.
Winter Hiking Gear Essentials
10 Essentials
As with any trip into the great outdoors, always bring the Ten Essentials no matter what time of year it is. Bringing the Ten Essentials for hiking is a fundamental practice that ensures your safety, preparedness, and ability to handle unforeseen situations while exploring the outdoors.
1. Navigation
- Map
- Compass
- GPS (Garmin InReach)- optional
2. Sun Protection
- Sunscreen: Kinfield Daily Dew SPF 35 is my go-to sunscreen product!
- Lip balm: Kinfield Liplock SPF 15 is my favorite!
- Sunglasses
3. Insulation
- Shell, warm jacket, pants, gloves, hat
4. Illumination
- Headlamp (plus spare)
- Extra batteries
5. First Aid Supplies
- First-aid kit
6. Fire
- Matches and lighter
- Waterproof container
- Fire starter (for emergency survival fire)
7. Tools
- Knife or multi-tool
- Rope
- Duct tape strips
8. Nutrition
- Extra day’s supply of food
9. Hydration
- Water bottles or hydration bladder
- Water filter or other treatment system
10. Emergency Shelter
- Emergency blanket or reflective blanket
Having a backpack for winter hikes is essential for carrying all of the necessities. Personally, I bring a bigger backpack than I would in the summer to store extra gear and layers.
Use snowshoes when the snow is freshly powdered, especially if it's more than 6 inches deep or when you find yourself sinking in the snow. This helps prevent the creation of post holes.
Use microspikes in winter hiking when encountering icy or packed snow conditions. Microspikes provide additional traction on slippery surfaces, offering stability and preventing slips and falls.
Use gaiters with snowshoes when hiking in deep snow to prevent snow from entering your boots and keep your lower legs dry.
Hiking Poles with Snow Baskets
Use hiking poles with baskets for winter hiking when navigating snowy or icy terrain. The baskets help prevent the poles from sinking into the snow, providing stability and assistance in maintaining balance on slippery surfaces.
Beginner’s Guide Layering for Winter Hiking
As someone who grew up in Southern California, I knew nothing about the art of layering for winter hikes. I cannot emphasize this enough to avoid cotton, especially when it comes to outdoor layering, which is far more crucial than in city walks.
When you’re searching for winter hiking clothes, prioritize the selection of base layers, mid-layer, and waterproof and windproof external shell to guarantee warmth and protection.
Meanwhile, here are some of my favorite clothes for winter hiking. I personally own and love each item featured in this guide.
Base Layers
The goal of base layers is to wick sweat off the skin and keep you dry. These should be the first clothing items you put on, right after your underwear and bra. Look for materials such as synthetic fabric, merino wool, or a polyester and nylon blend. Avoid cotton—no cotton t-shirt, sweatshirt, sweatpants, socks, or underwear!
Base layer tops:
Base layer bottoms:
Midlayer
The midlayer serves as the insulating layer, the goal is to preserve body heat and shield you from the cold. Look for materials such as fleece, wool, down, or synthetic materials. When selecting layers (listed below), personal preferences and a touch of style will guide your choices.
Personally, I have a strong preference for my Patagonia fleece and consistently carry a synthetic jacket in my backpack. I always aim for as many layers as possible!
Fleece Sweater:
Down/ Synthetic Jacket:
Fleece/ Thermal Tights:
Outer Layers (Shell layer)
The outer layer provides protection against wind, rain, and snow, with a shell crafted from waterproof and breathable fabric. I typically opt for a thicker outer layer that offers more ventilation.
Jacket:
Pants:
Insulated Hiking Boots
When you’re only walking around in light snow such as a few inches, then hiking boots should be able to insulate and provide enough traction to handle the snow. However, hiking in packed snow or heavier snow conditions, winter hiking boots are far better choices.
When looking for winter hiking boots, I highly recommend prioritizing insulation and waterproofing!
Accessories
I cannot stress this enough, even if you don’t think you’d want or need them – always pack gloves, balaclava, beanie, and sunglasses!
Gloves:
Neck Gaiters/ Balaclava:
Socks:
Tip: I always bring two pairs of socks, one to wear and another in my backpack. You do not want to end up with wet, cold feet!
Sunglasses:
Beanie:
What I Pack for a Winter Day Hike
In my REI Trail 40 Pack day backpack, I pack:
- Water bottle & thermo for warm drinks, extra if I’m bringing my dog
- Lots of snacks
- Ten Essentials
- Trash bags - unfortunately, people continue to litter on the trail
- Microspikes, I always bring them to every winter hike just in case
- Extra socks
- Buff neckwear
- Beanie and gloves
- Extra layers
- Headlamp & extra batteries
- Tissue
- Hand sanitizer
- Paper & pen (Because I’m Deaf, I don’t always want to rely on my phone as a means to communicate and to save the battery for emergencies)
- Chapstick
- Kula cloth
- Snowshoe, when the snow is thick
- She’s birdie alarm
- Garmin InReach GPS (optional) - depending on the location/ trail
If I'm bringing my dog
- Dog poop bags
- Extra collar & leash
- Snacks/ treats
- Water bowl
I've shared a reel of what I packed in my day backpack for winter hiking; click here to watch.
Final Thoughts on Winter Hiking Clothing and Gear:
With the right gear and proper winter hiking clothing layers, hiking during the winter can be a whole lot of fun and a magical experience. Check out my other winter hiking post: Winter Hidden Gems
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