winter kit advice

[antonr]

I've been upgrading my kit so I can do some winter walking this year

I'm not a big hat wearer but I have got one and a head torch too. I have plenty of layers, a rab vapour rise which seems like it will be perfect as a mid-layer under a light waterproof for winter.

things I'm wondering if I actually need.

*ski goggles - a lot of people seem to recommend these, I have a normal decent pair of sunglasses that I usually use, would getting ski goggles or some sort of more specialized glasses be necessary
* water proof trousers - my reluctance to get water-proof trousers comes from my general dislike of them any other time. I have been out in fairly cold conditions in spring and water and frankly, my soft shell trousers dry as soon as the rain stops and I have some merino wool long johns to keep my legs warm and dry anyway, as long as my waterproof jacket covers my bum when I'm sitting down I can't really see the need for anything more.
*bigger rucksack - have always found my 26 litre deuter more than enough. I'm fairly thin and slight so don't really like the idea of lugging an extra 10-15 liters up behind me. plus I usually take too much clothing with me and it still fits fine and I'd be wearing more of my layering on a winter walk.
*wondering what I should do about gloves too, I have some mid thick level gloves but they are probably not quite warm enough for winter conditions and I could do with spares. I have been wondering though whether buying thermal linings might be a better option or if I should go for water proof insulated mitts.

[Dan Scheer]

Hi,

a lot of it depends on what kind of winter walks you are planning to do, low level walks or heading up into the hills, easy stuff or more serious walks, generally aiming to be out if the forecast is good but being semi-prepared in case the weather turns on you or looking for a bit of adventuer and heading out in more 'fun' conditions?

I can only speak for myself here but things I always take with me on winter trips:

-goggles! never used them until I tried it once on an MCofS winter course, part of my standard kit now. used to take sunglasses but they steam up too quickly and usually end up not seeing through them anymore if it is drizzly and miserable. wearing goggles and being able to look straight ahead into a blizzard is fantastic and makes coming down dodgy slopes a lot safer if you can see where you place your feet
- I use the Rab vapour rise guide trousers in winter and they work perfectly, don't need a baselayer with them as they are warm enough but can easily be vented if you get too warm. also water repellent so that works fine. I still take the berghaus paclite overtrousers with me, if you spend hours wading through waist-deep snow, you will get soaked through and through otherwise.
- gaiters - not much point having nice warm trousers and boots if you fill them up with snow!
- for upper body I use a long-sleeve baselayer and a microfleece, while going uphill that is usually enough to keep me warm. if it gets colder / windy / wet, I pop on my berghaus paclite overlayer, weighs nothing, takes hardly any space but because it windproof does a good job of keeping the heat in. for breaks or when it gets properly cold, I have the Rab inifinity endurance with me, also packs down really small, weighs relatively little and is really cosy and warm
- ice axe and crampons. I never go anywhere near hills in winter without them. crampons are often not necessary but I have a dodgy knee and it just takes a small unexpected slip to ruin my day, the extra grip provided by crampons helps me a lot there, but probably not required for less broken people
would definitely take an ice axe though
- bivvy bag (alternatively orange emergency bag) - things can and willl go wrong in winter, this can be a life saver, for you or someone you may encounter in the hills. we all like to think it won't happen to us, but it does....
- if the terrain is a bit more serious I add a thermarest and thin sleeping bag to that, even on daytrips... saved a guys butt already with that!
- spare high energy food, you burn through more calories when out in cold conditions, and starting to feel flaky just when you are about to cross a snow and ice covered ridge is no fun!
- spare batteries (lithium! had a whole pack of normal batteries and as such all electronic gadgets like torch, gps etc die on me when windchill dropped temperatures to below -20)
- thermosflask with hot tea and a good measure of rum or whisky added to, there is nothing better when you are freezing your butt off!
- at least 2 pairs of gloves. I usually have a relatively thin polartec set and something a bit more serious are waterproof if things get really cold / wet
- gps - I am happy navigating with map and compass, but when getting caught in a complete whiteout, I prefer the comfort of a gps, especially when close to cliff edges etc. Daylight is also short, so I do a lot of walking in darkness in winter, easier again with a gps compared to maps.
- maps and compass for backup
- emergency whistle (a lot of backpacks have those included in the chest strap)


A lot of people would probably consider this a bit overkill, but I prefer being safe and preparing for worst case scenarios when it comes to winter hiking. A very different game to summer hikes!
In short, I always make sure I have everything I need to survive a night out there if need be!

[Caberfeidh]

Very sensible questions; it is easy to end up humphing tons of extra gear which just slows you down. Fleece gloves are cheap and plentiful, get a few extra pairs and a pair of breathable pertex mitts to go over the top of the fleece gloves. Goggles are better than sunglasses in that they fit onto the face better and stop the swirling snow getting in your eyes. Obviously you don't want to even be there during wild conditions, but if the weather turns suddenly you want to be prepared. Lidls had cheap goggles and helmets recently, less than ten quid for goggles, about £20 for the helmet. It is not only climbers who can benefit from a helmet.

Lidls snow sports helmet

Lidls goggles

[kaiserstein]

I'd recommend goggles. Have taken them ever since my first time caught in spindrift. I use a 38l in winter, my kit list is similar to dans. I also like my balaclava and buff. You carry a lot more in winter but I always look at this as an enjoyable challenge which will improve my strength and hill fitness and when the better weather comes around you might find you're getting round a lot quicker and energy lasting longer on the hills.

[gman]

Ski goggles are worth having, sunglasses don't give enough protection against snow/spindrift in the face. I bought waterproof overtrousers a couple of years ago in a sale but I've never worn them, I don't go out if it's going to be bucketing all day and I've been fine with Keela Scuffers & gaiters. Your rucksack size is OK, walking in winter takes more effort and there's less daylight so you don't want to be carrying too much. Gloves are important, don't weigh much and everybody loses them so take a few pairs - currently I've got powerstretch for lower down, ME Guide gloves when it starts to get chilly and Montane extreme mitts as a backup.

[CharlesT]

As said get some ski goggles and pay enough to get ones that don't fog, you don't want to be taking them off to demist them every few steps. I'd recommend Julbo, but they are a bit expensive. Carry two pairs of spare gloves if you can. I have Extremities sticky windy gloves for general use. They fit well, use the windstopper fabric (which works even when wet) and allow using gps etc without need for removal. Bulky gloves are a pain. Finally carry TWO headtorches and spare batteries - it's no fun trying to replace batteries in a dead headtorch in the dark. Silva do one for about £10 which works well enough as a back up. Your rucksack is plenty big enough.

[antonr]

I'm going with the ski goggles, there seems an abundance of second hand ones on ebay too so that's a plus. I am probably going to skimp on the back up head torch though, I will just have to change the batteries for now. I'm fairly flexible about when I can walk and I think if it looks horrendous I will just reschedule rather than buying a load of back up kit for the sake of going out in a blizzard. think I will invest in good gloves and the thermal linings, it just provides more options and I hate having cold hands. the montane extreme mitts look like a good option on that front.

thanks for the advice.

[Andy74G]

Hi,
This will be my first proper winter walking season. I spent a lot of time over the summer looking at Ski goggles for winter walking and my advice is buy the best you are willing to pay & that all these goggles have different tints which means some will be good for certain weather days but not others,( dark tints on bright days light tints for dull days) and you might not be able to read a map through some of them. Skier's sometimes have 2 pairs with them. I'd read a review on these and bought these....cat2-cat4 the tint varies depending on the weather

Julbo Zebra Revolution with photochromic lenses

got these in a summer sale...

I don't like waterproof trousers either,I also have the RAB vapour rise trousers but have you thought about Salopettes?
I decided to buy the Kella Munro Salopettes to go with my Munro jacket , theses can be wore next to the skin or with a base layer if its going to be really cold. I went a recent Mcofs "Winter Safety Talk" and I was told that he Orange safety bag is a must in winter as could save your life, I've always carried one, handy seat too. Buy good gloves and a headlamp.
WINTER SKILLs (Mountain leader Training Handbooks -vol3) I've been reading this too, plenty of useful information for new hill walkers taking to the hills in winter....

[whiteburn]

.......... I am probably going to skimp on the back up head torch though, I will just have to change the batteries for now..................

Not having a spare headlamp or a flashlight in winter is a recipe for heartache, try finding spare batteries in your pack & then replacing them in a headlamp IN THE PITCH BLACK, not fun even without rain, wind & snow.

You can get a spare on ebay for less than £2.