Winter Hiking Gear

No doubt many hikers and backpackers who take up backcountry skiing or snowboarding initially make do with packs already on hand. In my case, those were a 30-liter Gregory daypack and a 65-liter Osprey backpack. But size matters, and the Gregory was too small and the Osprey too big. Plus, …

Crescent Moon’s EVA All Foam Snowshoes are high flotation snowshoes that are made of foam without any metal crampons or heel lifts. Highly rockered, (curved like a banana), they’re good for walking and running on well packed trails and groomed cross-country tracks. They have a very simple velcro binding that’s …

The CAMP-USA Corsa Ice Axe is quite possibly the lightest weight ice axe in the world, weighing just 8.8 oz (250 grams) in a size 60 cm length. Despite its light weight, it is a fully functional UIAA-certified B ice axe capable of being used for self rescue, glissading, and …

The MSR Revo Ascent (MSRP $239) is a mountaineering-style snowshoe that has lightweight plastic decking, a saw-toothed crampon-style frame, televators, and MSR’s ski-strap style lay-flat binding. It shares many of the same features as the pricier MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoe (MSRP $299), but has one less rear crampon, making it somewhat …

The Yaktrax Summit is a burly winter traction system that’s in the same league as Kahtoola’s Microspikes and Hillsound’s Trail Crampons. Compatible with soft-soled winter boots and hiking shoes, the Summits have 12 triangular spikes that attach to the underside of your footwear using a rubber harness, coupled with a Boa …

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 degrees) down the sides to prevent side slipping. But …

Merrell’s Moab Polar Winter Hiking Boots have 400 grams of insulation and a wide front toe box that has plenty of room for your toes to splay out. They’re sized more like a regular three-season hiking boot and just come up over the ankles, unlike many insulated winter hiking boots …

The Salomon X Ultra Winter CS Boot (available for men and women) is a lightweight insulated winter hiking boot that’s great for winter day hiking and snowshoeing. Insulated with 200 grams of Thinsulate, the X Ultra Winter Boot is rated for temperatures down to 10-20 degrees Fahrenheit with a Climashield waterproof membrane …