There are times when you need to wear ski goggles and a balaclava that provides full-face protection on winter hikes, especially above treeline when there’s wind and blowing snow. While it sounds simple, it takes some practice to make sure that your …
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Kahtoola Microspikes Review
Kahtoohla Microspikes are ideal for mixed rock, ice, and snow outings for a number of reasons. Unlike crampons, anyone can use them without any special training. Put them on and go. You don’t need to learn how to drive if you put …
Read More »Winter Hiking, Hydration, and Insulated Water Bottle Jackets
Whenever you go hiking, it’s important to stay properly hydrated. This is especially important for winter hiking when even mild dehydration can cloud your judgment and reduce your energy level. In winter, water loss occurs through perspiration and respiration. While you can …
Read More »The Problem with Pac Boots for Winter Hiking
Pac boots, like the kind you get from Sorel, Kamik, Cabelas, or LL Bean, are not a good option for serious hiking in winter terrain. While Pac boots were the only inexpensive alternative to buying expensive mountaineering boots about FIVE or TEN …
Read More »Winter Traction and When to Wear It
Winter hikers use three different kinds of traction devices in winter: microspikes, mountaineering crampons, and snowshoes. Microspikes and mountaineering crampons are used to provide traction on ice and packed snow while snowshoes are mainly used to provide flotation on top of unconsolidated snow. …
Read More »How to Size Snowshoes
The size of snowshoe you need depends on your body weight, the weight of your gear, snow type, and whether you snowshoe on broken-out trails or travel cross-country, on fresh powder. But if you are about to buy a new pair of …
Read More »Pre-Hike Hydration: The Key to Staying Hydrated for Winter Hiking
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 …
Read More »How to Prevent Camping Tent Condensation in Winter
Tent condensation manifests itself either as frost on the inside surface of your tent or moisture droplets that are transferred from the inner tent to your clothing and gear. It is undesirable, particularly in winter, because it can make your gear wet …
Read More »How to Stay Hydrated on Winter Hikes
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 …
Read More »9 Winter Navigation Hazards
Winter hiking navigation is different than three-season navigation because easy trails can become unsafe from avalanche danger, deep snow, or dangerous weather conditions. When planning winter hiking routes, it’s important to factor these hazards into your route plans and preparation, even if …
Read More »12 Essential Winter Camping and Backpacking Hacks
Winter camping and backpacking have a much steeper learning curve than three season hiking and camping because you have to carry a lot more gear and learn so many new skills. Here are some tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years that have improved …
Read More »How to Select a Winter Tent Site
If you go backpacking in winter, you need to know how to select a good tent or camping spot. Three season rules do not apply! Picking the right site will definitely increase your level of comfort, but can also protect you from …
Read More »How to Keep your Water Bottles from Freezing in Winter
One of my readers aked me how to prevent her water bottles from freezing while she was camping above treeline on Mt. Rainier. If you’re in a harsh environment like this, there are a few ways you can prevent your water from …
Read More »How Long Should You Boil Snow in Winter?
If you melt snow in winter for drinking water, you still need to purify it before you can drink it. The easiest to do this is to let it boil for 1 minute if you’re below 6,562 feet (2,000 meters) of elevation …
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