We love winter hiking. Why? We’ll refer you to this post from two years ago to explain why. Today, as we do every year at this time, we trot out our tips for how you can take the perceived discomfort out of winter hiking, making it possible to better appreciate what to many hikers is the sport’s lost season.

These tips from our GetBackpacking! Winter Camp tips sheet, which also covers cold-weather camping. (See below for how you can get a copy of the full 8-page guide.)

Gearing up

Preparation is huge for any hike. It’s huger still when it’s cold.

• Layering up top Quickly, here’s how to dress for a cold-weather hike:

• • Base layer The base layer is the layer of clothing next to your skin. Your base layer should be thin and made of a synthetic or high-tech wool that wicks the moisture from your body. Dry skin = warmer skin. It should not, under any circumstances, be cotton. Sweat sticks to cotton, the sweaty cotton sticks to your skin, your body expends lots of energy trying to warm your cold, sweaty skin, and you run the risk of hypothermia.
  • Insulating layer Generally a slightly heavier layer that helps create a pocket of air warmed by your body between it and the base layer. Synthetic is preferable, wool is again preferred.
  • Outer shell This is especially important when the weather gets cold (30s and lower) and there’s wind. An outer shell is a slick fabric that will shed rain and wind. A good outer shell will have some sort of vent system to keep condensation from building inside. Zippers in the armpits is one popular option as is mesh under the arms and along the side of the torso.
• Pants. Nylon pants that break the wind and retain your body heat are good. Our legs typically don’t sweat as much, so having pants that don’t “breath” isn’t as crucial as it is with your outer shell. Convertible pants — with zip-off legs — are great for those days when the mid-day sun heats things up.
• Gloves. On the trail, thin polyester gloves, even glove liners, are good at keeping heat from leaking out our fingertips while you hike along. If you’re expecting wet weather, invest in a pair of waterproof, or at least water-resistant, gloves.

• 

  Hat. Heat can escape through your noggin (especially if you don’t have a thick natural covering), so cover up. In less cold weather, and if you’re the type who hikes at a good clip, ear warmers may be all you need. But for colder weather, a slower pace and standing around at camp, you can’t beat a close-fitting wool beanie.

• Socks. Wool hiking socks come in three weights: light for summer hiking, mid for the shoulder seasons, heavy for winter camping. Some folks like to improve their insulation potential (and reduce their blister potential) with liner socks. Note that wearing two or more pairs of socks can   result in a tight boot, reducing circulation: among other things, that will make your feet even colder. Pack an extra pair of socks: even a little sweat can cool you rapidly in winter. Switch when you break for lunch.
• Sunglasses: Earth is closer to the sun in our winter than in our summer. Thus, don’t underestimate the force of its glare. Even if there’s no snow, a bright winter sun can still damage your eyes.
• When in doubt … If you’re undecided between a lighter fleece and heavier fleece, pack both. And pack more snacks (see “Food & Drink,” below) than you might in warmer weather; you burn more calories in the cold.

Food & drink

• Food. In addition to the calories you burn hiking, your body will burn extra calories trying to keep you warm in the cold. It’s recommended that you derive 60-65 percent of your calories from carbohydrates, 20-25 percent from proteins, 10-15 percent from fats. The nutrition facts on the packaging should help you see how well a meal meets those requirements. Above all, though, pack something you’ll look forward to eating; if it’s something blech that simply meets nutritional requirements, there’s a good chance you won’t eat it.
• Snacks. Snacking on the trail is important in cold weather because your stores run down more quickly. Keep whatever you choose — GORP, nuts, a trail bar — handy, in your pack’s hip belt, for instance. And remember the carb/protein/fats mix.

On the trail

• Regulate your thermostat with hat & gloves. An easy and efficient way to regulate body heat is with hat and gloves. You can quickly lose heat through your head and hands. Start your hike with a wool cap and gloves to keep heat from escaping. Once you warm up, try shedding one or the other. Give it a few minutes to see what effect the change is having
• Layer up at breaks. When you stop for a snack, add a layer before you grab your gorp. You’ll want to retain the heat you built up hiking, and this will do it.

• 

  Hike in the sun. On an especially cold day you can up your odds of staying warm by choosing a trail that lets in a bit more light. That can mean picking a trail that you know has more hardwoods, which have shed their umbrella of leaves for winter, rather than hiking under evergreen pines. That can mean looking for trails that are double-track, which are wider and thus have a wider opening in the canopy, rather than narrower single-track. A couple ways to distinguish between the two on a map: a wider double-track may be marked with parallel dashed lines, and trails marked as “multiuse,” especially if they allow horses, are more likely double-track.

• Hike in the sun II. Pick a trail with a southern exposure. You’ll need to know how to read a topo map to pick a south-facing trail. Or have the number for the local ranger station handy.
• Hike early. You’ll want to take advantage of the sun as much as possible. So start early, when the trail is still be in shadows, and finish while the sun is at its brightest and warmest, rather than finishing as the sun is setting and the air is cooling.
• Hike early II. Remember that the sun sets early this time of year and that the temperature can drop like a rock once the sun sets.
• Start cool. Too many folks start a hike all bundled up: five minutes down the trail they’re sweating. Instead, right before heading out, strip off that outer layer. You’ll be cool for a minute or two, but should warm up quickly.
• Drink! In cold weather, you may not feel thirsty. But you need to drink for these reasons: breathing cold, dry air drains the body of liquid; we do sweat, although the cold quickly turns it to vapor, so we don’t realize it; you may feel less thirsty but your active body needs fluids to operate.

When you finish

Don’t linger at the trailhead when you finish. The heat your body has built up hiking will dissipate quickly, causing a chill to set in. And the last memory you want from a wonderful winter day on the trail is being cold at the end.

Besides, isn’t there a beer with your name on it waiting at home?

* * *

Guide to banishing the brrr

Our 8-page GetBackpacking! Winter Camp tips guide includes additional insights into staying warm on the trail as well thoughts on staying warm on a winter camping trip. Find it here.

The post Warm up to Winter Hiking appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

What is a mystery is why so many hikers let a little thing like freezing temperatures keep them off the trail. As we may have mentioned (just last week, in fact), we love a winter hike: among other things, there are fewer people, fewer bugs, and it’s blissfully quiet. Yet too many people miss out because they don’t know how to dress. Let’s solve that problem here and now.

The top

Base layer (top) Your first line of defense, and probably the most important article of clothing in your arsenal, is the base layer. It should be long sleeve and lightweight, typically either wool or a synthetic, but definitely not cotton. The key role of the base layer is to wick sweat from your skin, then quickly evaporate that sweat so it doesn’t have a chance to cool and chill your body. A nice synthetic or wool will, at the same time, keep the heat your body generates from escaping.

Insulating layer Generally, a slightly heavier layer that helps create a pocket of air warmed by your body between it and the base layer. Again, wool or synthetic material is preferable. How heavy this layer should be depends upon how cold it’s going to be. Unless it’s going to be especially cold (in the 20s or lower) and windy, this will also be the layer you wear on the outside; thus, we prefer this layer have a pocket to store a phone or camera. One other feature to look for: a zipper, preferably a quarter pull, which comes in handy in helping to regulate your body heat (e.g., keep the zipper down to vent heat when you’re chugging uphill, zip up when you’ve stopped or are on a more leisurely downhill. 

Outer shell Especially important when the weather gets cold (20s) and there’s wind. An outer shell is generally a slick fabric that will shed rain and wind. A good outer shell will also have a vent system to keep condensation from building inside. Zippers in the armpits is one popular option as is mesh under the arms and along the side of the torso.

The bottom

Base layer (bottom) Legs tend not to be as susceptible to cold as the torso, but if your legs are cold-sensitive, follow the advice for the upper base layer and get synthetic or wool long johns. Whether you need a base layer on the bottom also depends on the type of hiking pants you have … .

Pants We tend not to give as much attention to pants in winter as we might. To be honest, I can’t remember the last time my legs were cold, and it’s not something I give as much thought to for a winter hike. Eighty percent of the time in winter I wear Kuhl Renegade pants, which are relatively lightweight and made of a softshell fabric that does a good job of blocking the wind. However, if the temperature will be in the 20s or lower I go for my Stio Pinedales, which look like hiking pants but actually are more like ski pants. They’re a tad heavier than my Kuhls, they have a tighter weave and they’ve got spandex (in combination with nylon and polyester). Pricey, but great for cold weather hiking. 

Socks You have no excuse for cold feet these days, not with the profusion of technical socks available. Without drilling too deep, you’ll find lightweight socks for summer, medium for spring and fall, and heavier socks for winter. Heavy, but not heavy like the wooly monsters that were de rigueur for winter hiking a couple decades ago. They’re a tight weave but aren’t bulky, and you needn’t wear sock liners. Quality hiking socks can be expensive, but the snug, warm fit is worth it. Plus, some brands now offer lifetime guarantees.

Shoes/boots Lots of folks hike in trail runners, but in really cold weather — especially really cold weather where there’s the possibility of stream crossings and otherwise getting your feet wet — hiking shoes and boots are recommended. And not those summer hikers sporting lots of mesh: warm socks can only do so much.

The extremities

Hats and gloves Hats and gloves are your most efficient way to manage heat. Start heating up on a climb? Pluck your hat and tuck it in a pocket. Getting a chill? Grab those gloves out of your pack’s side pocket and warm up. Wool hats are best; you can get away with lightweight knit gloves on cool hikes, a glove employing a wind breaking shell and a liner is required for really cold weather. 

Don’t miss out on winter’s many wonders. Layer up and join us on the trail.

Happy Trails,

Joe

More info

• Why hike? What’s so great about hiking in winter? In case you were absent last week, here’s our case.
• Winter hiking tips. For tips on hiking strategy in the cold, check out this previous post, “Don’t Let the Cold Clip Your Hiking Wings”
• What to buy? Looking for specific examples of the above-mentioned layers? Check this blog we wrote for our friends at Great Outdoor Provision Co.
• What to buy on the cheap? Don’t want to spend a fortune on layers? You don’t have to. The prices in this post “Cold? Layer Up, Take a Walk” may be slightly dated, but the concept remains the same.
• Learn more about Stio Pinedale pants here.
• Learn more about hat and glove options here.

The post Layer up and Get OuT appeared first on GetGoing NC!.

Teased into resuming your outdoor workouts by our recent three-day run of temperatures in the 70s? Even though the temperature isn’t supposed to get much above 45 today, that doesn’t mean you have to revert to your troglodyte was of suffering through another session on your basement trainer, or sweating to the oldies with little Richard. You may have to keep your shorts and T-shirts in the closet, but observe a few easy rules of cold weather outdoor engagement and the outdoors can be your playground on all but the coldest of days. Which is a good place to start.

How cold is too cold? We put that question to Hope Choplin, a fitness specialist with WakeMed’s Healthworks program and her answer was encouraging, at least for folks living in balmy Zone 8 of the USDA’s gardening hardiness estimations.

“It is safe for most people to exercise outside if the air temperature, including the wind chill, is greater than -25 degrees,” says Choplin. Older folks and those with respiratory and heart issues should be more observant of cold temperatures, but even then, she says, they should be good down to -5 F.

Runners and other heavy breathers (when it comes to exercise) should be more cautious in the cold. But generally because of their increased lung capacity and better overall condition, they should be good.

Warm up to warming up. Warming up is even more important in the cold, says Choplin. “The warm-up is always a crucial part of the workout, but this is especially true in cold weather.”

“Your blood goes from your extremities to your heart and core, to keep your vital organs warm,” she explains. “Using your large muscle groups — your arms, your legs legs — gets your heart rate up and your blood out to muscles.”

Also, it’s best to warm up inside, in the warmth, before heading out.

What to wear, what to wear? “Avoid overdressing,” advises Choplin. “Our bodies produce heat during exercise and can overheat if too much is worn.” Which raises the question of which is better: Dress your core lightly but wear gloves and a hat, or wear tights and a long-sleeve fleece? Either works, she says: “We lose heat evenly throughout our body.” And, as expected, Choplin is an advocate of layering. “Wear two to three layers, including a thin inner layer that will wick the sweat away from your body, a lightweight second layer and, if you need it, a heavier outer layer. If it’s wet out, make sure that outer layer is waterproof or water repellant to keep you dry.”

There is no one-size-fits-all advise when it comes to layering, she says. “You just have to experiment and see what works for you.”

Shorten your workout (at least initially). Your body needs to adjust to the cold, so ease into your cold weather workouts. “Go our for a little less time than normal and plan to stay closer to home.”
Feel the caloric burrrrrrn. One advantage to a cold weather workout: Not only is your body burning calories to keep you moving, it’s burning calories to keep you warm. Thus, you might want to fuel up a little more than usual before a cold weather workout. “Eat a snack before heading out,” Choplin advises. “Maybe something with a little peanut butter.”

Slow down. A cold weather workout can be more stressful on your body. “Slow your pace,” advises, Choplin. “Exercise less intensely.”

Look at your cold weather workout as a bonus, she suggests. If you have to cut it short, if you have to scale it back it’s not a big deal. Injuring yourself as a result of the cold, on the other hand, can be.

“Listen to your body,” she adds. “If something doesn’t feel right, pay attention.”

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