My Winter Hiking Gear Must-Haves
Here are my gear must-haves if you’re wanting to avoid some of the harsh icy parts that winter comes with…
Since then, I knew I wanted to live in a place with season. It took me a few years (alright it took six), but I made it to New England. Ironically, I’ve lived here for six years now and can’t see myself anywhere else.
As much as I love hiking in the fall and taking in the views, winter truly warms my heart. The solitude of the trails. The easily accessible parking. The lack of sweating trekking up. Snow-capped mountain peaks for miles. Honestly, even a stroll on a local trail with no views offers the same solace I yearn for because of the trees wearing white sweaters along every step I take.
Over the years, I’ve gotten bolder and more confident in my winter hiking abilities. It started with short hikes and grew into longer, 4000-footers ones. I’ve made my fair share of mistakes (hiking with a friend who wears glasses and having her glasses break halfway up a trail – sorry Victoria!), and definitely froze my butt off one too many times.
Nonetheless, winter is a beauty if you give her a chance. Here are my gear must haves if you’re wanting to avoid some of the harsh icy parts that winter comes with:
1. Layer on the layers.
It is always easier to take layers off, than add them on. I avoid cotton because once you sweat or take a dive or slip into the snow, you’ll be wet. A feeling you’ll grow to despise on longer hikes.
I strongly recommend the following:
Fleece-lined leggings (or pants!)
Tank/short sleeve shirt
Long-sleeve shirt on top (ideally thermal)
Warm jacket with a hood
Thick socks
Another pair of socks when the first gets soaked (trust me)
Winter gloves
Ear warmer headband (or a hat!)
Neck warmer you’d wear skiing (works well for hiking and runny noses too!)
I usually warm up pretty well on a hike once the elevation gain kicks in. I also carry a backpack large enough to fit in the long-sleeve or jacket I have on when I’m overheated and take it off.
2. Get a good grip with microspikes.
Think of these like gnarly spikes for your hiking boots to dig deep into ice and snow to give you a better grip. I bought mine at a small outdoorsy store in Burlington, Vermont over four years ago, but they’re at any outdoors store, and of course, Amazon for convenience.
3. Get the gaiters.
I remember one of my first hikes in the Whites. A male hiker passed me by with his poles and with it being summer, he was wearing shorts. As I stared at the ground to watch my own steps, I noticed he had these odd-looking socks covering his ankles.
I asked him what was on his ankles. He informed me they were gaiters and help keep dirt and small rocks from getting into his boots. I was stunned – this man was a genius! That night after my hike, I googled “gators,” as a true Southerner would.
Naturally, all my results came up showing the alligators in the wild and in the suburbs of Florida. Something was off. I retyped, “winter gators for hiking” and Google lovingly corrected this English teacher with “gaiters.” These are intended for winter use and I was so pumped to no longer have ice ball clumps on my socks. It’s tiring (and super cold) when you have to constantly bend down and remove these rock hard clusters of ice off your socks. Only to have them rejoin your socks for the ride up the mountain minutes later.
Then, I looked at the price of gaiters. As much as I love hiking, it’s not a cheap hobby if you’re embracing it in all four seasons. Winter hiking isn’t a joke. It took me a few years after learning about gaiters to finally invest in them. These are the ones I purchased from EMS.
4. Heat the hands (and toes!)
Hot Hands are a brilliant invention. I mentioned gloves and warm socks earlier, but that doesn’t always cut it. I buy my Hot Hands in bulk at Costco so I’m never without a pack on those chilly days. You open the pack, shake them up, and that’s it!
Tip: When you place them in your boot to warm your toes, make sure you place it between your sock and shoe. They are very warm and shouldn’t touch your actual skin!
If you’re environmentally conscious (which I’m starting to look at more after staying in a sustainable tiny home last weekend in Vermont), REI came out with a biodegradable version of Hot Hands. Check them out here. Once you’re done embracing their warmth, you can cut the warmers open and compost the minerals on the inside. The packs themselves will still need to be thrown away.
Do you feel ready to walk into the wintery woods? What other gear items do you think are a must? Let me know!
Newcomers to Solo Hiking: 6 Perfect New Hampshire Hikes to Take on Alone
One of the perks of teaching is having the month of July off to travel. I spent one July a few summers ago living in southern New Hampshire with a friend. I was so pumped to live near the Whites, even though I had only hiked the Franconia Ridge a year earlier.
With my new proximity to the Whites, I set my sights on hiking. The only problem? My friend spent the summer working, so I was on my own. I had no problem traveling alone or exploring new places by myself, but hiking in unknown terrain with limited cell signal was not a habit of mine. How things would change in the coming years…
I didn’t hike a 4,000 footer once that summer. I was too afraid of the what if’s.
I look back now and regret how close I was to the mountains and how I didn’t take advantage of them. I did spend that July starting out what would later be a weekend regular: hiking alone in the Whites.
I researched short hikes that were clearly marked. I wanted to leave no room for error. Here are the hikes I did that summer (along with a few extras I did later on) that are ideal for first-time adventurers, low-on timers, beginner hikers, or short-on-hiking-pals trekkers:
Have you made it to any of these summits? Which ones do you plan to add to your list? Let me know if you’re going to tackle these summits soon.
Twins Zealand Bonds Traverse
You know those mornings you’re so eager to wake up to? The ones where you wake up moments before your alarm in utter anticipation? One Sunday, this past October, was exactly that kind of morning for me. We cooked a hearty breakfast before dawn and loaded our packs for our adventure to snag my final 8 peaks of the 48.
North and South Twin
We parked at the North Twin trailhead at sunrise and began the two mile walk before the big climb. About a mile in, I turned on the trail and found myself encountering a moose face-to-face. A full-fledged, antlers as wide as the trail, moose. I felt pure awe. And shock. We slowly stepped backwards, off the trail, and watched him continue his Sunday morning stroll under he was out of our eye view.
I’ve patiently waited for a moose sighting for five years. To the point where I hoped one would cross the road when I drive past moose crossing signs on highways. In hindsight, it’s probably for the best I didn’t have my first encounter in that situation. Multiple trips to Maine, countless to the Whites, and even a two-week cross-country road trip out to Big Sky country didn’t help me cross off this bucket list item. This hike was off to an incredible start and it was only the first two miles of the day.
North Twin’s summit was well worth the arduous climb. I finally understood why hikers say the Pemigewasset wilderness is a Whites’ gem. The solitude alone was dreamy. We had each summit from North Twin to the Bonds to ourselves (aside from the finale at Bondcliff).
Zealand to the Bonds
From North Twin, we faced a muddy mile to South Twin, followed by a detour to Zealand where we were met with three relentless greyjays. Zealand was a tough addition to this traverse because we did it out and back before we headed to the Bonds. All the better for our return to avoid detours.
West Bond was incredible, but I started to hesitate at finishing this traverse due to daylight escaping us swiftly with Bond and Bondcliff still left on the itinerary. B carried me through the finish line with the descent down to Bondcliff. Honestly the views were jaw-dropping (fitting as we dropped hundreds of feet in elevation that we’d have to climb back up to get home). The bittersweet joy I felt heading into my final peak was met with glances over my shoulder to see that massive drop we made.
Bondcliff lived up to its hype and I couldn’t have picked a better day, partner, or peak to finish with. I set out to hike to 48 in August 2018 when I hiked up Lincoln and Lafayette with my roommates. On that hike, one of them said she’d love to hike the 48 before moving. I had never heard of the 48 before then, but I’m so glad that seed was planted that day because a little over two years later, I became an NH 48 finisher.
A 22ish-mile, ~7,000 ft gain, 15-hour day ended in the darkness of the Pemi wilderness. I don’t love night hiking, but it did present the opportunity of witnessing a mountaintop sunset on South Twin that did not disappoint. There may be more night hikes in my future to see sights like that again.
Until next time in the Whites.