Winter Adventure Tips – 6 Things to Know about Winter Hiking

In this post, I’m sharing my top 6 winter adventure tips to help you keep warm and safe this season. Whether you prefer hiking, skiing, or snowshoeing, these tips are sure to help you conquer those mountains with confidence.

No matter whether you are a well-rounded adventurer or just starting to dabble in outdoor winter exploration, we can all agree that heading out in the winter requires quite a bit more preparation and determination.

Although it does take a little bit more knowledge and preparation, heading out in the snow can be even more rewarding than summer months. There’s nothing to be scared of.

So let’s jump right in with my top 6 tips for a successful winter adventure!

Bags Always Packed is a reader-supported site which means some of the links on this page may be affiliates. I spend a lot of time researching these hotels, tours and products and only recommend those which I would use myself. Booking your trip through my links is a great way for you to support my work for free, as I will earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. ♡

1. Be Prepared

If you’ve ever seen my backpack, you’ll know that I am an avid believer in always being prepared. In winter, it’s even more vital that you are prepared for changing weather conditions.

Check the forecast and take extra layers as well as waterproofs. You never know what the mountains will through at you and nothing puts a damper on your day like being soaking wet.

Another aspect of being prepared is having the right gear. Knowing where to fork out the big bucks and where it is okay to skimp is key in creating the perfect, budget-friendly, outdoor wardrobe. Check out this post to find out what gear I use for hiking.

2. Avoid Sweating

I mentioned this to a new friend recently and was met with a confused look and “How do you not sweat”.

This sounds like an impossible thing to do and sure, you will always sweat a little, but the trick is to manage it as much as possible.

If your hike, ski tour, snowshoe, or general adventure will start out with a lot of exertion (such as climbing a hill), start cold.

Start your day with one or two fewer layers than is comfortable. As long as you start moving straight away, you will quickly be thankful you don’t have to stop 5 mins in, to de-layer.

As you continue climbing or as the temperature goes up, continue to remove layers BEFORE you are too hot. If you find you are needing to remove layers every couple of steps, take a minute to stop, breathe, and cool down slightly before continuing at a slower pace.

3. Keep Exposed Skin To A Minimum

Even if you are exerting a lot of energy in climbing the goddamn mountain and have taken off most of your layers, in negative temperatures it is still possible to develop frost nip without realizing it.

You will really start to feel this in temperatures below -15 ° C (5 °F). When your skin is exposed to the cold, it will start to go red and may get painful.

Make sure to have a long sleeve top and bottoms as well as gloves and buff at the minimum. If you feel any of your exposed skin starting to burn, cover it up.

Read More!

Learn How to Layer Clothing for Your Next Winter Adventure!

4. Pay Attention to Your Body

As I have already mentioned about sweating, in extremely cold weather the key is to get ahead of the problem. In the same way, you should remove layers or slow down BEFORE you sweat, you should add layers and/or get moving at the very first signs of getting cold.

If you’re like me, in cold temperatures you might lose circulation to your fingers and toes. If you’ve ever had this happen to you, you’ll know that there’s no going back quickly. When you do eventually get inside it is a very slow and painful experience to warm up your extremities.

Learn which parts of your body get coldest quickest and make sure to adjust your clothing or activity as soon as the signs start showing.

5. Act Quickly

You may be sensing a bit of a theme here with the whole, be prepared, and pre-empt changes in your body temperature. Keeping in line with all of this is to act fast.

This is applicable to your reaction when you notice yourself starting to sweat or cool down, but also when you take a longer break or reach the top and are preparing for the descent.

As soon as you stop for a break or when you reach the summit before you do anything else, start to put on some more layers. There’s nothing worse than being freezing cold and having to unzip your shell to add mid-layers underneath.

If it is really cold, limit your stationary time at the top, pack away your skins or do whatever you have to do to get ready for the descent, as quickly and efficiently as possible.

Of course, you probably want to spend a little time up there to appreciate the surroundings as a reward for your efforts, but as soon as you start to feel your body temperature drop, be ready to get moving again!

6. Remember To Drink Water

Even though we are trying to avoid sweating and you are in a cold environment, your body needs just as much water to function.

In winter, many of us often forget to drink water, I’m certainly guilty of this.

The trick is to make your water as accessible as possible and take a sip every time you stop or pause.

I’ve found using a water bladder is the best way to ensure that I continue to drink water, even in winter.

Just remember to get an insulated tube cover or to drain the water from the hose after you have finished drinking to prevent it from freezing.

You can easily do this by holding the hose above your head and squeezing the nozzle until the water runs back into the bladder. It’s also a good idea to tuck the nozzle into a pocket if you can, to prevent it from also freezing.

Frequently Asked Questions about Hiking in Winter

There you have it, my top 6 winter adventure tips for hiking, skiing or snowshoeing!

Drop a comment below if you found this post helpful or if you have any questions for me. If you’re keen to learn how to properly use layered clothing to stay warm, check out all my secrets to the art of layering here. Hit subscribe if you don’t want to miss it and have it sent straight to your inbox. 🙂

Save this Post for later or share it with your friends!

Tweet

Share

Share

Pin

Helpful Resources