Winter Hiking Gear

I’m always on the lookout for new gear to prevent my goggles or glasses from fogging up when I’m hiking above treeline in winter.  I believe that poor venting of moist exhalations is the main culprit behind lens fogging, and if your …

If you want to go winter hiking but don’t own a pair of specialized mountaineering boots and you want more traction than  microspikes, you should consider getting a pair of strap-on crampons. I own Black Diamond Contact Strap Crampons that fit onto …

I mostly wear my MontBell UL Thermawrap Pants in camp during the winter when I’m melting water or cooking, but I put them on today when we got to treeline on Mt Chocorua (3,500 ft). With a gusty wind and temperatures in …

I went to REI this week looking for glacier glasses, or at least some way that I could augment my own prescription glasses for above treeline use in winter. I have a pair of OTG ski goggles that I use when it …

Yaktrax are a traction device that you can attach to your shoes to prevent slipping on ice and snow. They are made using an elastic mesh that wraps around the sole of hiking boots, trail runners, or even dress shoes. Wire is …

I purchased a pair of ultralight snowshoes this winter designed for mountaineering and winter backpacking that are manufactured by a company called Northern Lites. Weighing just 43 oz per pair, these 30″ snowshoes are 57 oz lighter than 30″ MSR Lightning Ascents …

A balaclava is an incredibly useful piece of gear to bring hiking or camping. It can be worn during the day in cool weather as a hat, face mask, or neck gaiter or at night as head covering to keep you extra …

Step-in Crampons After much consideration, I decided to buy a pair of Black Diamond Sabertooth Pro step-in crampons last week that require front and toe boot welts, rather than strap-on ones that can be used with a wider variety of boots. The …