When I started winter hiking I had problems with cold feet. As a newbie, I’d bought Merrell winter boots with 200 grams of insulation.  I tried some tricks like putting aluminum foil and mylar under my insoles in the hope of reflecting more …

The Arcteryx Fortrez Hoody (available for men and women) is a Polartec Power Stretch Hardface fleece jacket that has an integrated balaclava to protect your head and face from the cold.  It excels as a mid or outer layer for colder weather …

REI’s Merino Midweight Half-Zip Base Layer Top is a 200-gram wool base layer available in men’s and women’s sizes.  It falls between Minus 33’s mid-weight Sierra 1/4 Zip (230 gram) and the Minus 33 lightweight (170 gram) 1/4 zip tops, at a …

The Gregory Amber 44 is an adjustable-length women’s backpack that’s large enough for overnight backpacking trips but also suitable for more technical hikes when you need to carry extra gear or layers, such as winter hiking. Weighing just 2 lbs 11 oz, …

The Sierra Designs Nitro Quilt 800 (35 degree) is a down quilt with a unique hideaway hood system that you can use to insulate your head in cooler weather if you’re sleeping on the ground on a sleeping pad or in a …

The Double Black Diamond Down Throw is a 60″ x 70″ down comforter with a nylon cover that weighs 15 oz. It’s insulated with 700 fill power down and you can usually buy them on Amazon for under $40. I bought two …

The Ambient Weather WM-2 is a handheld wind and weather meter that measures wind speed, temperature, wind chill, wind gust, and something called the Beaufort Scale, which is a way to estimate wind speed based on observable phenomena. A wind meter can be …