rain jacket <\/a>(see my recommended gear page to learn more about it) along with my fleece I showed earlier in this post as well as my trusty blue hat worked extremely well to stay warm that morning. <\/p>\n\n\n\nThe Top Half – A Hat (or Two)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Maybe the most important piece of equipment is a warm hat. Body heat escapes upward in a way, and a hatless head gets very cold very fast. Another layer under your main hat, such as a balaclava <\/strong>is helpful to have because you can use it to cover your face. A scarf is a good idea but optional for hiking because it adds a lot of bulk and can get in the way. <\/p>\n\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t
This photo is of my friend, Steve, who helped write this article. It’s about 0 degrees Fahrenheit in this picture!<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/div>\n\t\t\n\n\nI’ve found that in these conditions that face warmth can’t be understated. Recently I tried to sleep in 18-degree Fahrenheit weather in my tent and I found that the most miserable part of my body was my face because I didn’t have a face cover. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Anyway, while hiking, a face cover is a great idea. Even a pair of sunglasses can make a big difference in blocking airflow to prevent those cold watery eyes. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Top Half – Mittens (yes mittens)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n You might think that because you spent over $100 on your gloves that they’ll be good enough for the serious cold. They’re not. If you’re going to be outside for more than an hour, and the temperature is 10-degrees or lower, mittens are the only way to go. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Mittens keep your fingers together which adds heat. The downside is you have no dexterity, and you can’t do anything with them on, but that’s a small price to pay for warm hands. Chemical warmer packets are an option for your hands as well.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
More Tips for Hiking in the Cold<\/h2>\n\n\n\n So you’re all suited up and ready to head out the door into the cold – here are some things to keep in mind, and keep you hiking no matter the weather.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Stay Hydrated<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Everyone knows to drink plenty of water in hot weather, but it’s no different for cold weather. You may not be sweating as much, but your body still needs to replenish fluids. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Some tips:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Avoid summer hiking hydration gear like Camelbacks. The tube will just freeze up. <\/li> Use a water bottle instead, and maybe even an insulated thermos to keep your water from freezing. It might make it more pleasant to drink as well if the water is not super cold.<\/li> If you are on a long hike then you need to keep your water on your body to keep it warm.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\nKeep Snow Away<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Try not to let snow get next to your body, especially inside your boots. Your body heat will melt the snow, and then you’ll have wet socks and feet. If you fall, brush off as much snow as you can. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
For this reason, the outer shell should be waterproof, and should not be fabrics like wool for the outermost layer. Snow just sticks to wool like velcro. With other outer shells, snow just glides off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Watch the Daylight<\/h3>\n\n\n\n The daylight hours get short in the winter, so remember to plan accordingly. Start earlier in the day, and have a plan for when you’re going to finish and go home to sit by the fire. Always pack a headlamp or flashlight just in case things don’t go as planned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Trail Conditions<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Cold weather can make for great trail conditions or miserable trail conditions. Test out the snow you’re walking on. Is it firm? Will it hold your weight? Is it packed down? If the answer is yes to these questions, then it’s a good day to hike. <\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\nIf the answer is no, and you find yourself post-holing (every step you sink into the snow several inches or even more) and fighting for each step, you may want to try another day, or maybe keep your hike very short. Hiking in deep snow can be a terrific workout, but it’s only something you should do when you can get back to non-deep snow without much effort.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What about Snowshoes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Snowshoes are great to have, but they’re really only useful for fresh, deep snow<\/strong>. If you’re on a packed trail, you won’t need them, and you might find that they just slow you down. If you want to explore off-trail, then a pair of snowshoes (or skis) is the only way to go.<\/p>\n\n\n\nHave Fun!<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Snow and cold get a bad rap, but the truth is, if you’re prepared, it can be a lot of fun to be out there in a winter wonderland. It can be stunningly beautiful, and there are so many things to see and discover that only reveal themselves in the colder months – ice crystals, animal tracks, frozen waterfalls, and frozen fog that delicately flocks the trees. The winter can be quiet and peaceful – a nice contrast to summer’s hectic pace and noise. Enjoy it!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Communication – Tell Someone Where You’re Going<\/h3>\n\n\n\n Worst-case scenario – you’re by yourself, it’s cold, it’s really cold, it’s getting dark, and you’ve managed to badly injure yourself in a fall. You check your cell phone. Either you forgot to charge it enough, or the cold has simply killed the battery, and now it’s coming for you! Not good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
It’s cold. It’s winter. Don’t mess around. Make sure someone knows where you are, and when you plan to be back. It’s old school. It’s low-tech. It’s simple. It works. And you get to hike again another day!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Hiking in cold weather, even as cold as 10 degrees, can be, with the right clothing and preparation, not only doable but even enjoyable. To hike in 10-degrees, you’ll need<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5391,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_kad_blocks_custom_css":"","_kad_blocks_head_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_body_custom_js":"","_kad_blocks_footer_custom_js":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"taxonomy_info":{"category":[{"value":3,"label":"Hiking"}]},"featured_image_src_large":["https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/03\/me-wearing-jacket-in-snow-1024x768.jpg",640,480,true],"author_info":{"display_name":"Peter","author_link":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/author\/outsidedecider\/"},"comment_info":0,"category_info":[{"term_id":3,"name":"Hiking","slug":"hiking","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":3,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":55,"filter":"raw","term_order":"0","cat_ID":3,"category_count":55,"category_description":"","cat_name":"Hiking","category_nicename":"hiking","category_parent":0}],"tag_info":false,"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5373"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5373"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5373\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5395,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5373\/revisions\/5395"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5391"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5373"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5373"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/decideoutside.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5373"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}