Well, winter is
approaching and so comes the time to start winterizing our gear and preparing
for the cold. Yesterday, I began my conditioning for the cold as well as
swapping out gear in my pack for the winter. For those who are not used to
winter camping and hiking, there’s a lot of learning to do to avoid being
miserable on the trip.
First of all,
let’s talk about conditioning. To condition for the cold, the best thing to do
is start hiking in the cold in growing intervals. Go out and maybe hike for 20
minutes. Then next time, hike for 40 minutes. This is the best way to condition
if you aren’t used to being in the cold. However, you might find it a shock
that, even in 10 degree weather, you will warm up quite fast when hiking.
If you are going
to start going on your “conditioning hikes”, I suggest taking your pack with an
extra jacket liner or sweatshirt, extra hat, extra gloves, hand warmers, and
water and snack. You could also bring a thermos of coffee. As you hike, you may
find that you need to shed layers. If you are cold blooded, you may find that
you need to add that extra layer to start out. My hike yesterday was about 12
miles in about 21 degrees. I ended up shedding all of my layers except my base
layer, shell, and one insulation layer.
When I mention
to people that I hike and camp in winter they respond with an “are you crazy?” But
in all reality, most of those people haven’t hiked long distances before. I’m always
asked if I get cold. Well, when you are hiking, you are generating heat and
will be surprisingly warm. This depends some, too, on how you layer, what
materials you wear, and how often you taken breaks. Since you are generating
heat when hiking, you will stay relatively warm. To be honest, if you have your
camp set up right and a good sleeping bag, you will even stay warm during the
night. The only part you have to worry about is when you are setting up camp
and fixing dinner. This is when you begin to cool down and are out in the
elements. If you have sweated at all, you may cool down pretty rapidly, but that
comes back to how you layer.
While we are on
the topic, let’s discuss layering. Layering is the best way to regulate your
body temperature and avoid getting too hot or too cold. I know people who ask
if I have a thick, warm coat and my answer is “no I don’t”. A single, thick,
heavy coat will cause you to heat up and you if you take it off, you will cool
down in a hurry. Instead, having a lighter coat and multiple insulation layers,
you can shed layers to cool down, but not worry about being too cold. If you
want to be most effective in your layering, follow these guidelines. You can
alter this after you figure out what works, but this is a good start.
You want to,
first, have a base layer. This is also called the wicking layer. The base layer
will not only keep you warm, but will wick the sweat away from you. When we
sweat, evaporation takes place and cools us down. This layer will pull the
sweat away from you before it starts to cool you down. A synthetic material is
your best option for this. I would go even further to say the some type of
thick spandex would be best. I wear spandex for my shirt and leggings. I would
also recommend a synthetic sports sock. Your feet will be the first to start
sweating, so you want a good wicking material for your base layer socks. And not
only does your base layer provide that protection, it also makes great
sleepwear which prevents you from having to change before bed.
Next is the
insulation layer. This is really what keeps you warm. This layer can be
anywhere from a sweatshirt, to a jacket liner. This layer can also be anywhere
from one item, to several, depending on the climate. For my insulation layer, I
wear a polyester shirt with a half-zip. Then for additional layers, I have a
fleece sweatshirt and wool vest. For legs, I just wear jeans. Your legs don’t
need quite so many layers because they are almost always moving and staying
warm. Something else to consider is thermal underwear. I will generally have a
full layer of this over my base layer. If you use thermals, don’t make it your
base layer. This material will soak up sweat and just sit there, becoming a wet
and soppy mess. These also make great sleepwear. When you are selecting your
insulation layer, find some with full zippers. When you hike and heat up, you
may want to unzip your jacket and insulation layers to cool down a bit.
The last layer
is the shell. This is what really protects you. You will want a waterproof,
windproof jacket. I have a Columbia winter jacket that I took the liner out of.
It has enough warmth to just wear that for your cool down, but also keeps the
wind and snow off of you. I also have some winter pants. They are a waterproof
shell with a fleece liner. They also have cargo pockets on them to store items.
I recommend
wearing wool socks when hiking. Even if it gets wets, wool will still keep you
warm. I wouldn’t use more than 2 layers for the socks though, just your base layer
and your wool. When you get more layers or tighter socks, they squeeze the feet
which slows circulation and cools your feet.
Because you are
only using 2 layers on the feet, you want a good snow boot or shoe. I use a
Garmont GTX boot which is well insulated. If you are skiing, you should already
have a good boot. Just make sure it’s warm or else, your feet will not like
you. Something to also consider when looking for a winter hiking boot is for a
little ring on the front. Some people are baffled by what the purpose of this
ring is, but it is so you can hook the front of your gators to your shoe. And I
highly recommend gators if you are in a snowy area.
You should
always have a glove liner for any type of glove you wear. Just a thin, wool
liner will work. You want something warm, but will be easy to manipulate small
objects such as knots. This will keep your hands from freezing when setting up
camp. You should also have your shell. The shell depends on how cold it is
outside. In early winter, you may just need a thin winter glove. In colder
areas, you will want ski gloves or mittens. Mittens are good because they keep
the fingers together which keep your hands warmer.
I will usually
wear a beanie for a hat. Where I live, it doesn’t usually reach arctic
temperatures so this works fine. I pair this with a neck gator (a balaclava
works even better). If you suspect a lot of wind and cold, a hood is also good
to have. I have a warmer hat with rabbit fur on the inside, but your head is
where all the heat escapes your body and if you wear a too warm of hat, you
will begin to sweat very quickly.
To lastly sum up
this post, I want to stress the importance of waterproofing your gear. Most new
boots don’t come waterproofed so you will need to do it yourself. You can buy a
cheaper waterproofing spray from a shoe store and use it on your shoes when
they are clean and dry, and about 2 times a year. You can also use this spray
on your jacket, pants, or anything else that may get wet.
That is a good
basis for layering. Again, alter this list to match your needs. I hope this was
a help to you and stay tuned for part 2.
