Whether you’ve decided to take your first winter trip, or you’re just trying to extend your summer camping in the shoulder months, staying warm during the winter months requires some additional thought when compared to 3-season conditions. Winter and shoulder season adventures are great because areas that are normally very busy in the summer will be empty, and you can experience a new season of adventure. The following is the way I keep warm on my winter adventures in the mountain west, as well as thoughts on winter backpacking gear.

Before looking at what to wear, remember that cotton clothing and sweat (no matter the type of clothing) are best avoided in winter. Cotton is a negative insulator and should not be used, but sweat in winter is even worse. I always remove clothing if I'm overheating before I start to sweat, and then add some insulation when I start to get chilled. For active sports in the winter like hiking and climbing, layering is vital to achieving this.

Winter clothing requires some additions and additional considerations when compared to more typical 3-season layering systems.

Winter Hiking Clothing

Winter Base Layers

A base layer is first, and will stay on all day and sometimes all night. I use a 250 g/m2 merino wool tights for a base-layer bottom, and a 195 g/m2 merino wool semi-fit hoody for my top. Synthetic base-layers will also work, but I have always preferred wool for the next to skin feel and the lack of smell after a long day or multiple days of use.

Mid Layer

The next layer is a thin mid-layer. Unless conditions are especially cold, I won’t wear a mid-layer on my legs, but if I do I wear a 100 weight fleece to add to the base layer’s warmth. For the top I will wear a quality 100 weight fleece pullover as I find fleece to be great as it stretches with you and is easy to layer. If you tend to run cold, a heavier weight fleece might be a better option.

Outer Shell

My last main layer is a shell. A shell is an important layer in regards to helping with windchill and potential precipitation. I always wear a softshell pant since they have enough stretch to accommodate a full range of motion and still keep my legs dry and warm. My legs are also doing most of the work on my hikes, and thus run hotter than the rest of my body, so the extra breathability of the softshell will help with venting. Softshells also insulate, so a softshell under a hardshell is not unheard of, and in very wet conditions a hardshell pant will be necessary. For my top I tend to use a waterproof-breathable hooded hardshell jacket. My upper body is much more exposed to the elements, so I would rather use a fully waterproof, and subsequently windproof shell, and a well-made hardshell should allow for a full range of motion.

The 4th Layer

For especially cold days, a 4th layer will be needed. I use a synthetic fill puffy jacket for this 4th layer, and for active sports I prefer synthetic over down for since they won’t lose their warmth if they get wet, but down is great too (see down vs. synthetic insulation). A high end synthetic will almost be as warm for the weight as a down jacket, and will pack down almost as well. I will layer the puffy over the fleece and underneath the shell since puffy jackets are not as wind, water, and abrasion resistant as the shell jacket. Insulated pants are also available too, and consider side zip pants to make switching layers easier.

A lightweight beanie, combined with a hardshell hood when needed can form a versatile layering system.

Head Gear

For my head, a simple visor and a lightweight fleece beanie hat is my go to for head warmth. While hiking on a nice day, I will just wear the visor since I will want to dump heat and keep myself from sweating, and then when my head gets cold, I will add the beanie with the visor so I still get the sun protection while keeping my head warm. Wind chill on the face may be a factor, and a simple large neck gaiter that can be worn over the face will work to keep my face warm in most conditions. If it is very cold, the hood from my jacket will provide a wind blocker, and a heavier fleece balaclava will keep the rest of my face and head warm. While hiking in the snow, snow blindness may become an issue as the snow reflects a massive amount of light that can burn the corneas of the eyes. Darker sunglasses or glacier glasses will work, but so will snow goggles. Goggles will also keep your face warmer, so I will bring goggles on colder, windy trips.

Hands

Hands will really depend on how well you do with the cold and how cold it actually will be. I never use disposable heater packs since they are not reliable. For my hands I will bring a pair of gloves that will keep my hands warm while not so warm that they will sweat, and I always bring a second pair in case to the first pair gets soaked. Also, if you ever take off your gloves and they are in any way wet, stick them inside of your jacket instead of in your pack. If you stick them in your pack, they will freeze solid, and will take a while to thaw out, where keeping them in your jacket will keep them warm. Mittens will work better if it’s very cold out and you don’t mind the loss of dexterity, but for what I do I prefer gloves. Hands (and feet) can offer the first indication of getting a chill – when this happens in addition to adding layers, staying active (hiking faster, jumping jacks, squats, etc.) can help add some quick heat.

Feet

Lastly, feet are fairly easy to keep warm with a good system. If it’s very cold and snowy, a waterproof insulated boot is needed, and a double boot with a removable inner section is great on multi day trips since you can wear the inner bootie in your sleeping bag at night. In milder conditions, an uninsulated boot may work. Socks should be worn to make the boot fit, not to add to the insulation of the boot. A common mistake is to wear too thick of a sock thinking it will be warmer, which then compresses your foot inside of your boot, reducing circulation and making your feet cold. For my boots, I size them to work with two layers of thin wool socks and a vapor barrier sock in-between those two layers. The vapor barrier keeps my feet even warmer by eliminating evaporative heat loss from my foot, and keeps the inside of my boot dry.

A gaiter is always used (see our guide to hiking & backpacking gaiters), and I prefer a gaiter that fits tightly around the boot and pant to keep snow out and heat in. Some pants have a gaiter built in, but I find they don’t work as well. A good gaiter also protects your pants from getting caught and ripped by crampons or MICROSpikes if you are using them. If your boots get wet, use your sleeping bag stuff sack as a dry bag, and sleep with your boots. This will keep them from freezing up overnight, and help the next day.

While some 3-season clothing can be utilized, additional cold weather items are needed to form a workable winter clothing system.

Winter Backpacking Gear

Sleeping Bags, Pads, Shelter, & Packs

After you have figured out your layering system to keep you warm, picking out your equipment is the next step to successful winter camping. Parts of my summer setup stay the same in winter, like my toiletries kits. A warmer sleeping bag will be used that will match the expected lows, and if I don’t have a bag warm enough to work in the temperatures I will expect, I will double up on sleeping bags to make a bag that is warm enough. I typically take a sleeping pad system with an r-value of 4-6, and using a closed cell foam pad under my summer air pad is an easy and cheap way to do so since r-values are additive when you layer pads. For more on sleeping bags and pads you can refer to this guide to sleeping bags as well as this article on backpacking sleeping pads.

I use a single wall 4-season tent (how to choose a backpacking tent) that I can seal completely to keep the wind and snow out. Snow shelters, like igloos and quinzhees, are a fun way to camp in the winter, and a well built one will be warmer than any tent. A larger volume backpack may be needed in winter because the gear will be bulkier, but not necessarily if you’re careful about how you pack. My go to weekend winter pack is a 38L frameless pack, but that is on the smaller side of the scale and many prefer packs of 60L+ for winter.

Stoves

A stove will depend on the length of trip and the temperatures that I expect. If I can have easy access to running water during the trip, then a canister stove will work. The canister can be placed into a small bowl of water while running, which will keep the canister above 32 degrees and allow it to burn all of the isobutane. If it will be much colder than 32 degrees with no running water, I will bring a liquid gas stove that runs off unleaded regular gas for cooking. Higher octane premium gas should not be used due to its hotter flash point and if you have some white gas, it will run cleaner with less soot than regular unleaded gas. Some stoves will even run off of diesel, kerosene, and jet fuel, but unless you drive a diesel, using those kinds of fuels are not common in the United States. Wood stoves will work in the winter if you search for dry deadwood in sheltered spots. If going this route, I always bring fire starter for the wood stove. For convenience, some even bring no-cook foods for winter trips, but a hot meal can be valuable on a cold evening and a stove is always valuable for melting snow and more. An inverted canister stove, such as the MSR WindPro II is another option in winter. You can read this guide to backpacking stoves for more on stoves across the seasons.

Water in Winter

For water, hydration packs will work, but even insulated hoses can freeze up, and bite valves will freeze easily. While I am hiking I always stick my bite valve in my jacket, and I have gotten in the habit of clearing my hose by blowing the water back into the reservoir since it is unlikely my reservoir will freeze in my pack. In especially cold conditions, a hard sided Nalgene bottle in an insulated holder is the only way to keep water from freezing, and sleeping with your water is necessary at night (full article: how to keep water from freezing in winter).

Melting snow may be necessary on some trips, but on shorter trips I just carry my water in or find flowing water. However, chemicals do not work as well in cold water, filters can freeze if not carefully dried and stored, and UV lights can take additional time to get up to operational output.

Winter offers a unique perspective on the outdoors and offers an experience completely unlike the other 3 seasons.

In Conclusion

Winter can be a challenge, but with a few tweaks to your clothing, gear, and overall mindset hiking and backpacking in the cold can be an approachable and enjoyable experience. And while the coming arrival of spring will surely be appreciated in hiking circles all around, there’s no reason to wait when you can fight the winter blues and hit the trail now.

In the end, there is no replacement for getting out there and figuring out what works for you. Everyone will have different opinions and systems that work. Even though the winter may be a bit more challenging, many memorable trips have happened during the snowy season, and the experience can be rewarding and enjoyable.

Editor's Note: This trail tip by Ted "tmountainnut" Ehrlich originally appeared in Issues 11 & 12 of TrailGroove Magazine. You can read part 1 here and find the second installment here. For additional reading you can also see our winter backpacking guide in Issue 26.