Dressing for Winter - Technical Backpacks

Dressing Smart For Winter
Hiking in winter has its hazards. Layering is important but the clothing and equipment choices you make are critical

I remember when I was first getting serious about spending time in the outdoors. I was in high school, and my outdoor interests were expanding into the colder months of the year. What to wear, what to wear? As I poured over a small collection of outdoor catalogs, I made a command decision. I was going to buy the warmest down parka I could find, and I'd use that on the trail. So I sent my $50 hard-earned dollars off to Frostline Kits, and after some cooperative sewing from my mother, was ready to go.

Or so I thought.

My first hike was in Shenandoah National Park the following Autumn. As is true of any route in the mountains, sometimes you go up, and sometimes you go down. I guess it was okay going down, but on those uphill stretches, I was getting a bit warm. Heck, I was actually getting a bit hot - in fact so hot, that I started to sweat. After a few miles, I started thinking it would be nice to take the down parka off, but that wasn't possible since it was the only insulation I was wearing. As the hike progressed, I started to notice the jacket getting less "puffy". Heck, it wasn't getting less puffy, it was getting wet, and the down insulation was starting to go flat. On top of that, despite the fact I was wearing a lot of parka, I was starting to get chilled. By the end of the hike, I was reconsidering my clothing choices.

Layering? Yeah, I had heard that falderall. I wasn't going to be one of those multi-colored monstrosities that looked like they were headed up the north face of Everest. No, I think I was more into the Field and Stream line of thinking - more insulation is better, and throw in a large campfire while you're at it. Hmmm, how times change.

As we head into the colder months of the year, here are some thoughts for you beginners out there. I'll distill the 24 years that transpired since that first hike into this one short article. Maybe it will save you some time and discomfort as you head into the woods this winter.

Layering? Yeah, do it. What is layering? Basically, it's wearing a number of light- or medium-weight articles of clothing when you hike, preferably topped by a breathable windproof or waterproof shell. For those times when you stop long enough for the body to cool, you can pull a heavier layer out of your pack to stay warm. If you get warm while hiking, just peel off a layer - hey, you're still comfortable. What a revelation! In time, you'll discover how much insulation you need to stay warm when hiking, and when resting. That's how to do it. Layers.

If you want to give yourself the largest margin of safety, I recommend that you stick with synthetics. That's what I wear in the backcountry, except for an expedition down parka that I sometimes take on backpacking trips in the dead of winter. Fortunately, in recent years, an extraordinary range of excellent synthetic equipment has appeared on the market. It either wicks perspiration from your body to outer layers, or keeps you reasonably warm when wet. To help you along, I'll go over the layers I wear in the backcountry during the colder months of the year.

My first layer is not always long johns, as you might suspect. There are a number of excellent high-wicking briefs for men and women that work well during the not so cold months. Patagonia makes an excellent polyester Capaline brief that they claim wicks better than wool. Duofold makes a brief from polyester called "Thermax", but I haven't found them to be as comfortable as the Patagonia models. By far, the best performing and most comfortable brief I've found is the "Microclimate" manufactured by Early Winters (1-800-458-4438). "MicroClimate" briefs are made from 92% polyester and 8% Lycra and perform as advertised. They wick well, they are warm, and exceptionally comfortable.

As temperatures get colder, many will want to consider long johns and a matching top. As the temperatures drop into the mid-40's, I generally add the long johns under a layer of shorts. (Those who hike regularly in the colder seasons will recognize this is not entirely unreasonable. Your legs seem to tolerate the cold better than other parts of your body.) Once again, there are an incredible variety of fabrics to choose from. One to stay away from is COTTON. When cotton gets wet, it chills the body and drys slowly. It's not a fabric you want to wear in the colder months where the potential exists to wet the fabric. The cotton, waffle-weave long johns you see in your local K-Mart are therefore out as a candidate. Concentrate on long johns made from polyester, which are sold under a variety of trade names such as Capaline, Thermax, MicroClimate, CoolMax, ThermaStat, and others. Frankly, any "fuzzy" polyester long john will probably do the trick. The large variety of trade names represent variations and refinements on the polyester thread extrusion to increase the ability of the fabric to transfer moisture. If you feel better owning a trade name, then go for it. There's plenty around and lots of choices.

The next layer is your main layer in cold weather - probably the layer that will see the most use when you're hiking or backpacking. When the temperature dips into the thirties, I generally add light polyester fleece pants and a fleece top. The fabric most commonly found on the shelves these days is "Polartec" manufactured by Maulden Mills in New England. They make three fabric weights, from light "100", to medium weight "200", to dead of winter "300". Once again, you don't necessarily need to buy the trade name. Wool has been worn for centuries as a cold weather insulating fabric. It keeps you warm when it's wet, and it drys out reasonably well on your back (but not as quickly as polyester fleece). While wool has a tendency to be heavy and doesn't wick moisture as well as the newer synthetics, it's still an excellent insulating fabric and worthy of consideration as dependable outerwear.

For supplementary layers, consider more polyester fleece. There are some interesting variations available these days. "Shearling", "Berber" and "Plush" pile seem to be growing in popularity, sometimes constructed of polyester or polyester/acrylic fabric that gives the appearance of shearling wool. "Butterfleece" is the exact opposite - a polyester fabric with an extremely fine knap. My personal experience is the looser the weave of the fabric, the faster it will dry in the backcountry or on your back. I would also recommend loose layers opposed to skin-tight layers. I've find the looser fabric creates a warm air space between your body and the fabric, which at least for me, seems to be more comfortable and promotes drying.

For a top layer, consider something that is windproof and waterproof. A windproof layer can noticeably increase your warmth on the trail. And you need to keep out the elements - namely, rain, snow and sleet, so you want your outer layer to be impervious to wet conditions. If you're willing to put up with moist insulation, you can always consider inexpensive waterproof, non-breathable nylon rainwear - or even waterproof, non-breathable vinyl rainwear. It will work, but your insulation will start to get wet from perspiration - something to avoid, since perspiration cools the body.

The best alternative seems to be the more expensive breathable waterproof rainwear. Gore-tex is still considered by many to be the best, but there are other variations available that perform adequately. If conditions on the trail are breezy, or if I want to add some warmth to my clothing complement, I throw on my Gore-tex parka and pants - my "most used" clothing equipment..

For hats and gloves, I also stick with polyester fleece (though wool and the other high-wicking fabrics described in the long john section are also available). And the final touch are the Gore-tex Marmot "Mountain Mitts" I wear on my hands when the weather gets wet. The nice thing about the Mountain Mitts are that they have removable liners, so I can wear just the shell when it's raining or add the liners when it starts to get cold. However, there are a large variety of breathable, waterproof gloves and mittens available from your local ski shop, and these will probably work well too, and they're more likely to be on sale.

Boots? A number of new boot styles specifically designed for winter use are starting to show on the market. Trukke makes one of the newer models, but there are many hunting boot styles available, as well as the Canadian Sorrel boots which are rated to extremely low temperatures.

Submitted by Steve Ambercrombie