Cold weather/Winter hiking...

[X-Linked]

Who here continues their hiking, backpacking, or rock climbing trips in the winter? What do you ALWAYS bring with you and what do you always forget that you wish you brought with you in your past experiences? I always dress warm enough, especially since the invention of Under Armor cold gear. I am more interested in what tools, bottles, and packs people bring with them. I do not own crampons as of yet, but I know that will be one of my next purchases. Any help would be great.

[cbcbd]

hiking/backpacking/climbing... Very different activities and pretty broad... Where are you planning on going/doing?

Hiking: Traction device if needed (crampons), flotation if needed (snowshoes, skis), headlamps - 2 of them, My Petzl e-lite is smaller and lighter than extra batteries for my main lamp, BD Spot, so I carry it as the emergency instead of extra batteries, 2 nalgenes and one nalgene cozy to hold one for easy access, 1 thermos with guaranteed hot drink, packs - depends, maps+compass, extra gloves, extra hat, goggles, balaclava.

Climbing: I don't really rock climb in the winter but for ice climbing I carry everything mentioned above plus all my climbing stuff. I have the EMS Arete pack, which is no longer made.

Backpacking: Everything in the hiking section plus bag, pad (sometimes extra pad), stove, cooking stuff, down camp booties, tent, fuel. I have gotten away with 4500cu in packs for overnighters in winter - ymmv

[uphillklimber]

We have a couple trips into Baxter this winter. We use a sled to pull the gear. Can take about twice as much weight as it slides easily. You need about twice as much anyways..... Extra clothing, extra food, skiis and snowshoes, both. Hearier food is a must.

[cbcbd]

Originally Posted by uphillklimber

We have a couple trips into Baxter this winter.

Nice! I have a trip coming up in March, spending almost a week at Chimney Pond bunkhouse... gotta start building my sled soon!!

[X-Linked]

How many people do you usually go with? I do most of my climbing and trekking with one friend. Sometimes Day hikes with a couple of friends, but that always limits the possibilities.

Any good websites for better prices on the internet? I usually just browse around, but haven't really found a staple site that i buy from yet.

[uphillklimber]

A typical winter trip has a minimum of 3 people (BSP requirement. One person to saty with the injured, one to get help. )

Pretty much, I shop Campmor, Beans, EMS, Walmart, Dicks, where ever. Some gems at each store.

[MichaelJ]

We don't stop for winter! Here's kind of a disorganized brain dump:

For day hikes, there are only a few specific trails I'll do solo, because I know them very well and they're very heavily traveled. Otherwise, minimum of two people. For backpacks, minimum of two to four depending on where we're going. If Una_dogger and I are just going to plop a tent down in the Pemi, that's very different from 3 days in Baxter, for example.

Gear for a day hike? My gold standard is being able to survive the night if injured. Between the members of the group I try to have a stove and pot, extra food, a gore-tex bivy sack to keep dry a sleeping bag, a down jacket, hand and toe warmers, and a headlamp with extra batteries (carried in an inside pocket to keep them warm).

Besides that emergency gear, I tend to bring more fat-laden foods (which keep you warm), more layers (to change into dry ones from wet sweaty ones), and I like to carry a 12oz thermos of hot tomato soup.

Almost always in midwinter, snowshoes are required and are generally on my feet. I take crampons for any trip that will have some exposure, though if the entire journey is expected to be sheltered by trees or not have any steep icy portions, I can leave them behind, since MSR Denali Evo Ascents have a pretty aggressive tread as it is. If I might be crossing an open snowfield, or dealing with very steep conditions (backside of Cannon, or the Hancocks, come to mind), I'll take my ice axe, too.

I like plastic boots. They're tougher to hike in, but they are 100% waterproof, which is a big help when using snowshoes since snow likes to accumulate on the top of the boot and slowly sink in with leathers. Plus, if overnighting, put the liners in the sleeping bag with you to keep them warm while leaving the shells outside.

And to answer your specific questions on tools, bottles, packs:

Any pack will do, but I try to bring one that has the ability to hold either snowshoes or crampons on the outside, plus ice axe. It also has to have plenty of interior space for all the extra warm layers, and finally I make sure it has an accessible location on the outside to strap a water bottle cozy. I currently alternate, depending on conditions, between a Gregory Chaos and a Dana Designs Bomb Pack.

For tools, I guess you could include the stove as one. Crampons, snowshoes, ice axe, all depending on conditions as I said earlier. And by ice axe I really mean mountaineering axe, not an ice climbing tool. Oh, and trekking poles *with snow baskets* are very helpful in soft conditions. Always a headlamp, too, given the short days.

And finally for bottles, I simply use the same hard-shell 1L Nalgene bottles as I do in the summer, but I tuck them into cozies like this. One (or two) gets boiling hot water in the morning and is stowed deep in the pack. The other gets warm water and gets hitched on the side of the pack. Don't forget that winter air is more dessicated and you'll need more water than the summer. I like to add a little bit of Emergen'C (or the Trader Joe's version of it), too.

[andyzee]

Good thread, great info!

[X-Linked]

Lot's of awesome info. I will be going to Rickett's Glen I believe tomorrow. I think I am going to start inventory list of everything I take, and then update it when I get back to see what I might need the next time or not need. I very rarely go with more than one other person, requirement or not. The more people, the more likely you are to have an injury.

[Mike P.]

What season?

I've started to dress less warmly except for my mittens in the never ending battle of moisture management. Now carrying extra gear is a big plus. Layers rule over a big coat. For campers a big coat is nice once you stop moving.

Food. Needs to be temp tested. Sliced pepperoni is good at cold temps. Cliff bars are more chewable at cold temps while power bars freeze up. The old style were brick like.

Gloves: Object is to limit (or never) your bare hand exposure to the elements. Glove liners are great for this, thin gloves that allow you to still tie boots, operate zippers, etc. Fleece gloves (I prefer wind-bloc) over the liners help & still aloow enough dexterity for zippers. (If your gear does not all have zipper pulls on the zippers, you can make some with a little bit of cord.) Then you want some water-proof shells. Having extra liners & fleece gloves should be encouraged

Sunglasses (reflected light off the snow adds addditional exposure, if you have a drive home afterwords, your eyes will thank you

Facemask, balaclava, googles. bare skin can freeze in just a couple of minutes in conditions not uncommon in the mountains.

Light & extra batteries, it gets dark sooner & batteries don't last as long in cold temps.

NO COTTON Clothing

Bring your boots when trying on crampons.

Shopping? I have most of what I want so I don't think about it much. Things like boots, crampons & snowshoes I want to see in person to make sure they fit right & I know how they work together.

Boots, you'll get a lot of feedback from people. I prefer bigger boots, for winter in Norther New England I prefer plastic boots. Sometimes you'll come to a short pitch that requires either kicking in steps or putting traction on. You can't take a really good kick in a soft insulated boot the way you can in a hard plastic shell. It's just liek wearing steel toe boots without the steel getting cold next to your foot.

Water, Nalgene bottles are fool proof, Hydration backs require addition parts & remembering to blow back & still they freeze sometimes. You can get insulated holders for bottles. I use my spare pair of thick fleece mittens for the two liters in my pack & an old sock for teh bottle on my waist. No issues on the mitten clad bottles to date, at times as I get near trhe end of the waist bottle (3-4 hours from the car usually) it begins to get chunky. I'll also use a big mouthed soda liter soda bottle with two nalgene back-ups (space issue in my pack). Cheap, the neck freezes up you can still put your axe or hiking pole through the ice blockage. if that fails, you can cut the bottle & get a drink, you're only out a nickel.

Hiking poles: much more useful in winter when footing may be slick. If you don't use in summer okay but in winter they are a necessity.