Alright, you soon-to-be winter trailblazer, listen up! Before we dive into the list for what to wear hiking in winter, we want to give you a few upfront details so you’re fully prepared for winter hiking.
What to Wear Hiking in Winter
Guest Post by Lauren and Jesse Stuart, The Wandering Stus
Things to Know Before going Winter Hiking
First things first, winter hikes can be a wonderful, a doozy and sometimes both. Before heading out, understanding what to wear winter hiking will help you (and your gear) be ready for it all. What do we mean by “it all?” The “it all” is the precipitation, temperature, wind and surface conditions. You know, all the stuff that’s totally out of your control.
Precipitation
Think snow. When you sit in it, you get wet. From walking in it, your shoes get wet. If it falls on you, your hair and clothes…yup you guessed it….get wet. Get our drift? (snow drift pun 100% intended). Outside of snow, you could potentially be dealing with falling rain, sleet and even fog on your hike.
Temperature
This is more than just the temperature of the air. While the temperature of the air is important other things to consider are, Is the sun out? Is it overcast? All of this plays a crucial part into what the “outside” feels like.
Wind
How windy will it be? Are you hiking below the tree line? Above the tree line? Location can play a big part into how windy or non-windy it can be. When the wind blows, it’s freaking cold. Especially in winter temps.
Surface Conditions
This can be anything from light snow to deep snow, ice, wet patches or puddles, bare ground or rocks. Depending on the surface conditions, your hike can be a walk in the park (so to speak) or an uphill battle (literally).
What to wear for a winter day hike can make or break your whole hike. If you’re not prepared..errr…let us rephrase that. If your winter hiking gear isn’t prepared for the elements listed up above, let’s just say you’re going to wish you would have read the below gear list first before heading out.
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Gear List: What to Wear Hiking in Winter
I encourage you read the entire post, but if you’re short on time feel free to check out my blog post with a full list of winter hiking gear.