How-To

Part 2: What to Wear

Layering for the cold

(Flip through please!)

Base Layers

Base Layer Top

It feels like I’ve owned my Smartwool base layer shirt since I was born. $100 may seem like a lot to spend on a long-sleeve shirt, but I’ve never had to buy another one, so that’s a win for me. I like that it keeps its shape and doesn’t really smell bad after all these years. Dylan went super cheap on his base layers and bought the first shirt he found on Amazon.

Base Layer Bottom

I wear the REI brand base layer bottoms for backpacking and skiing. Honestly, they could use a bit more stretch, but they’re warm and inexpensive. They’re also pretty durable – I’ve had mine for almost 4 years. Again, Dylan went very economical on his base layer bottom.

Socks

I have a great relationship with my hiking socks. I wear the Darn Tough Hiker Micro Crew socks year-round. They’re durable and have kept their softness and shape over the years. For colder temperatures I wear the taller Darn Tough Mountaineering socks. Dylan likes to wear two pairs of socks in the winter. The first pair is any old socks he finds on the ground and the second pair are the magical waterproof socks linked down below.

Outerwear

Jacket/Outer Shell

Before we ever went backpacking in the snow, my family decided to attempt skiing on a family trip. I needed a cheap winter coat so we headed to the local REI. Then, I quickly realized that winter coats cost a pretty penny, so we went to the North Face outlet nearby. That’s where this amazing coat presented itself to me. I love 3-in-1 coats because they make me feel like I’ve scored a really good deal. Mine is over 4 years old and it’s the only thing I wear in the snow.

If you don’t want to buy a full-fledged winter jacket, you could just bring along any waterproof rain jacket. Just make sure it fits over all the other layers of clothing you’ll be bringing.

Fleece // Sweater

Literally any fleece will do. I’ve had my purple Patagonia puffy since college and it’s still going strong. Dylan tends to bring whatever is closest to him, which means that sometimes he ends up backpacking in his wool sweater.

Quick-Drying Pants

We tend to just wear our usual hiking pants over our base layers. I suppose you can buy special waterproof pants, but you probably already have hiking pants. Look for pants that are made of quick drying materials like the ones I picked below. The bottom of your pant legs will definitely get wet, so my goal is to at least have the pants dry before they freeze overnight. Avoid cotton at all cost.

Dylan goes for the zip-off type of pants, while I go for the ones that roll up and snap into position. The only drawback to the roll-up type pants: those internal straps with the snaps tend to wedge between my shoes and socks which is kind of annoying.

Accessories

Boots

It feels like every single guy in my life owns these shoes. No joke, I once saw a group of my co-workers standing around laughing about how they were all wearing these boots. I’ve essentially got the women’s version of the same shoe too. Although they’re pretty watertight, we like to add additional waterproofing with this spray. Only complaint about these shoes: the laces do not stay tied. We fixed that problem by buying these bungee cord laces.

Gloves

I bought Dylan a pair of Give’r gloves for Christmas last year. He snowboards in them, backpacks, and joyfully cleans the snow off of our car at 5AM. They’re very warm, but the lining tend to follow your hand out of the glove if your hands get sweaty or wet. I just have a pair of generic black Gordini gloves, and I like them alright.

Necessary Extras

Snowshoes

It’s no secret that I have a long-running feud with our snowshoes. We bought the cheapest pair on Amazon, they have absolutely no sideways stability, and they’re fairly heavy. We also tend to leave them in the car on trips when we need them most, but that’s not their fault. If we had a little more money to throw at our winter kit, I’d buy the MSR Evo Snowshoes.

Sunscreen

I LOVE sunscreen. I’ve tried an alarming number of sunscreens (according to Dylan) and have intense opinions about a lot of the options on the market. My favorite face sunscreen is the Supergoop! Skin Soothing Mineral Sunscreen, but I dabble with a couple other brands that use nice, “clean-ish” ingredients. Also, if you’ve never been sun-burned from the snow, you might be in for a horrible treat if you happen to forget sunscreen. One time, I forgot it and the sun’s intense reflection off the snow burned my face to a crisp.

Have any more tips on how to dress for a great winter trip? Leave a comment down below! Also, make sure to check out Part 1 and Part 3 of the winter backpacking series for more tips. 

More Happy Packers