Winter Hiking Gear

There are three kinds of winter hiking boots: insulated winter hiking boots, mountaineering boots, and pac boots. Which kind of winter hiking boot is right for you? Here’s a detailed guide that explains the differences between these so you can pick the …

KEEN’s Revel IV High Polar Boots are insulated waterproof/breathable winter hiking boots rated to -40F/-40C. Available for both men and women, these boots come up to mid-calf for maximum heat retention and feature metal lacing hardware for maximum durability, a gaiter ring …

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 …

The MSR Advance Pro 2 Tent is a two-person, wedge-style tent designed for professional mountaineers who are willing to sacrifice on tent comfort in exchange for light weight and a small footprint. Weighing 2 lbs 14 oz ounces, the single wall Advance …

Sea-to-Summit’s Alpine eVent Gaiters are high gaiters designed for winter hiking and snowshoeing. Hikers wear high gaiters in winter to keep snow from coming in over the top of their boots and soaking their socks. They also function as a wind layer …

The Atlas Helium Trail ($140) is a lightweight and surprisingly inexpensive snowshoe designed for use on rolling hills and easy terrain. It has great traction and an easy-to-adjust webbing-based binding system that is compatible with most winter hiking boots. The Helium Trail …

The Oboz Bridger 10″ BDry is an insulated winter hiking and snowshoeing boot with a BDry waterproof/breathable membrane and 400 grams of Thinsulate insulation, making them suitable for cold weather use. Oboz doesn’t publish a temperature rating for them but they’re comparable …

The Kovea Spider Remote Canister Stove is a four-season backpacking and camping stove that has many advantages over fully integrated and component canister stove systems. First and foremost, the Kovea Spider can be used with different pots of all shapes and sizes, …

The CAMP-USA Corsa Ice Axe is quite possibly the lightest weight ice ax in the world, weighing just 8.8 oz (250 grams) in a size 60 cm length. Despite its lightweight, it is a fully functional UIAA-certified B ice ax capable of …

The North Face Chilkat 400 II is an insulated waterproof/breathable winter hiking boot rated to -40F/-40C. Available for both men and women, these boots come up to mid-calf for maximum heat retention and feature metal lacing hardware for durability, a gaiter ring …

I started using a different pair of snowshoes a few years ago, switching from a pair of MSR Lightning Ascents to a pair of Evo Ascent Snowshoes, also from MSR. While the Lightning Ascents are great snowshoes for mountainous winter hiking and …

REI’s Activator 3.0 Soft-Shell Pants, available for both men and women, are softshell pants for winter hiking, snowshoeing, and skiing. They’re water-resistant and highly breathable to prevent sweat build-up, with articulated knees and a gusseted crotch for freedom of movement. They’re rated …

MSR’s Lightning Ascent Snowshoes are lightweight, durable snowshoes that are ideal for winter hiking and backpacking in mountainous terrain. They’re designed with a unique 360-degree traction system that allows you to walk up slopes or laterally across them without losing your grip. …

TSL’s Symbioz Elite Snowshoes are designed for use in mountainous terrain with aggressive crampons and a heel lift for climbing steep and icy slopes. They have a large horizontal front crampon, good for digging into slopes, with 8 stainless-steel cleats (rotated 90 …