Winter Hiking

Have you ever wondered why you don’t get thirsty on winter hikes even though your pee turns yellow and it’s clear that you need to drink more? Blame your brain. It’s not wired to recognize the increased amount of water vapor you expel in your breath when the air is …

Winter backpacking and mountaineering are great sports. But the cost of winter gear is very expensive, upward of $2000 or more. In my experience, it’s best to acquire winter backpacking gear over a period of 2-3 years, so you can spread out the capital expenditure required while using some of …

When gearing up for winter day hiking you want footwear, clothing and traction aids that can be used across a fairly wide range of temperatures, wind speeds, sun, precipitation types, and surface conditions. For example, typical winter weather includes: Temperatures: from 40 degrees down to 20 below zero (Fahrenheit) Wind …

Backpacker Magazine got it right when they named Mt Washington (6288′) one of the 10 most dangerous hikes in America. Several weather patterns collide on Mt Washington and produce its notoriously foul weather, which can move in quickly.  The winds on Mt Washington exceed tropical storm force (40 mph) 110 days …

Winter River Crossings can be quite high consequence if you slip off a rock and get your boots and clothing wet or you plunge through an ice shelf along the bank and get swept underneath it. You can usually avoid these dangers with extra planning, bushwhacking along the river bank …

Winter backpacking requires the development of many new skills, particularly in the area of hydration and stove use. Chief amongst these is melting snow for drinking water since most of the streams you encounter will be frozen over and you can’t ingest enough liquid by eating snow. The most reliable …

One of the biggest challenges faced by winter hikers is figuring out a clothing layering system that keeps them warm and dry across a wide variety of temperatures, wind chills, and exertion levels. It takes a lot of experimentation to dial in a system that works for you and it’s …

Most winter hikers carry several pairs of gloves on winter hiking and backpacking trips and switch between as their need for breathability, dexterity, wind resistance, waterproofing, or warmth changes during the day. No one pair of gloves can satisfy all of these needs, so it’s best to carry of collection …

My husband David and I climbed the 46 Adirondack High Peaks in winter from 1994 to 1997 and the 48 high peaks of the White Mountains in winter from 2000-2005. Adirondack challenges are different and more rigorous than those we experienced in the Whites, first, because twenty of the Adirondack …

Arm warmers are usually sold as cycling gear, but many winter hikers also use them for insulation because they’re easy to take off when you warm up or put back on when you get cold. Frequent stopping, unpacking, and repacking isn’t good form when you’re hiking with others because no …

If you’re standing on a mountain in a whiteout, in winter, in blowing wind, with a cliff behind you, the last thing you want are fogged up goggles. Here are a few tricks I’ve picked up over the years to keep seeing straight and clear, and away from the edge. …

Winter hiking, backpacking, and camping in snow and mountainous terrain requires additional skills and experience that are hard to come by unless you do it and make a few mistakes along the way. I was fortunate to have some excellent mentors who taught me the basics and I picked up …

Winter hikers and snowshoers often have difficulty staying properly hydrated in cold weather because winter hiking is physically more challenging. The physical act of drinking is also more involved than simply sipping from a hydration hose, what with heavy winter gloves and insulated containers. Even then forcing yourself to drink …

There is really no substitute for experience when it comes to winter hiking, backpacking, and camping. You can read about it in books and watch videos, but the best way to learn is to go out with an experienced friend who can teach you the ropes. Here are a few …