Want to try winter hiking this year but have no idea what to wear or what gear you’d need to bring? I’m going to share with you all of my favorite winter hiking gear along with everything I wear, how I pack for a winter hike and share with you some of my favorite winter hiking tips.

If you’re looking for some motivation on how to get started with winter hiking this year, then this post is for you.

Okay, you might be sitting there wondering, “Winter hiking? What’s so great about hiking out in cold weather?”

What’s So Great About Winter Hiking?

There are so many great reasons to hike in the winter. For starters, there’s less people out on trail during this time of year, making a normally popular trail, way less crowded.

Winter hiking means you can extend your hiking season to all year-round.

Hiking in winter conditions can not only help you stay in shape for the warmer hiking and backpacking months, but can also help make you a stronger hiker, both physically and mentally.

Winter hiking is also a great way to practice using your gear to see what works and doesn’t work for you. You’ll find out pretty quickly if your rain gear and insulating layers really do help you stay warm and dry.

Winter hiking can also be a big confidence booster. Not only will you start getting comfortable with using your gear in less than perfect weather conditions, but you’ll also get plenty of practice with being out on trail by yourself because your friends and family probably won’t want to go hiking with you during the winter.

I’ve had several students in my online backpacking program for women, The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System tell me that before joining the program, they’d never even considered hiking in the winter before. Then after going through the program, getting the gear they needed and building up their confidence to go, a lot of these women now hike all winter long – something they’d never dreamed about doing before joining my program.

CLICK HERE to learn more about The Confident Solo Female Backpacker System

Winter hiking can be fun and safe, especially if you’re prepared and pack the right gear for the right conditions.

Everything I Pack for a Winter Hike

My Pack

The pack I’ve been using for all of my winter hikes so far this year is the Gossamer Gear Loris 25 daypack. I love having easy access to all of my gear inside the main compartment of this pack thanks to its vertical zipper that opens up wide.

Let’s talk about the pockets. This pack has 8 pockets!

  • A large external mesh pocket where I like to keep things outside of my pack for easy access while I’m out on the trail.
  • 2 side mesh water bottle pockets, one located on each side of the pack
  • 2 zipper pockets – one on the inside of the pack, in front of the hydration sleeve (which is another pocket) and another zipper pocket on the outside of the pack, located on the over-the-top closure system.
  • Two small mesh pockets, one located on each side of the pack, along the shoulder straps. These mesh pockets make carrying bear spray easy and accessible for all of my hikes.

Something else I love about this pack, and all of my other Gossamer Gear packs is that there’s space along the back of the pack to store a removable sitpad.

The Loris 25 is frameless so the sitpad along the backside of the pack helps give this pack some structure, making it even more comfortable to wear whenever it’s weighted down with all of my hiking gear.

Having a removable sitpad also means always having something insulating to sit on the cold, hard ground with whenever I stop for a break.

Since the Loris 25 doesn’t come with hip belt pockets, I also wear my Thru-Pack Summit Bum Fanny pack. Inside, I like to carry a few things I want to have easy access to throughout my hike without needing to take my pack off like my phone, a pair of hand warmers, my sunglasses if I’m not wearing them, a few hiking snacks, a pair of liner gloves and my car keys.

The total capacity for this pack is 25 liters and it carries all of my winter hiking gear comfortably.  Total weight of this pack along with the SitLight pad is 19.5 ounces.

The 10 Essentials

The 10 Essentials are must-have pieces of gear I always pack with me for every hike I go on, no matter what time of year it is.

The 10 Essentials are: Navigation, Illumination, Emergency Shelter, Extra Clothing, Extra Food, Extra Water, First Aid, Sun Protection, Gear Repair & Knife and Fire.

For my winter hikes, the 10 Essentials I carry in my pack are:

  • A digital map on my phone using a navigation app like Gaia GPS or onX Backcountry. Since I use my phone to access my digital map, I always make sure I start my hike with a fully charged phone and place it in Airplane mode as soon as I leave the trailhead to start my hike.
  • A headlamp. Days are shorter during the winter, which means less daylight. To prevent from ever having to hike back to the trailhead in the dark, it’s always a good idea to carry some sort io illumination like a headlamp.
  • An emergency blanket to use as an emergency shelter
  • A puffy jacket, a fleece neck gaiter and a beanie for extra insulation along with a lightweight rain jacket for a protective outer layer on top.
  • A first aid kit. Click here to see everything I carry with me in my first aid kit and learn how to build your own.
  • A 32-ounce Nalgene water bottle wrapped in a Neoprene sleeve to help keep the water inside from freezing when it’s really cold out.
  • I also like to always pack a few water purification tabs in my First Aid Kit, just in case I need to treat water while I’m out on trail.
  • Plenty of hiking snacks along with some electrolytes
  • Yes, you can still get sunburned in the dead of winter
  • A Gear Repair Kit and a knife in case I need to make any repairs to my gear while I’m out on trail
  • For fire, waterproof/stormproof matches

Poop Kit

A fully stocked Poop Kit is something I always have with me in my pack for every trip I go on. Inside my Poop Kit during the winter, I have:

A Wag Bag. If I plan on hiking in an area that’s covered in snow and/or hiking in a fragile area that requires poop to be packed out instead of being buried, I’ll use a WAG Bag. WAG being an acronym for Waste Alleviating Gel is a plastic bag that is used to carry poop out of an area that doesn’t have a toilet. Inside a WAG Bag is a special powder that gels and solidifies poop and neutralizes the smell when its mixed together.

To use a WAG Bag, all you do is open the bag, remove the small package inside containing toilet paper and a hand wipe, squat over the bag and do your business.

Once you’re done, place any used toilet paper and hand wipes inside the bag with the poop, close up the bag and then pack out the wag bag with you and dispose it in the trash with regular garbage.

I also have in my Poop Kit:

Electronics

As a solo hiker, one piece of gear I always bring with me on every hike I go on, no matter what time of the year it is, is a satellite messenger.

The Garmin inReach Mini 2 is a small, compact, lightweight satellite messenger that sits right on my pack’s shoulder strap. It not only helps give me peace of mind whenever I’m out hiking alone but it also gives my friends and family at home peace of mind as well.

With a satellite messenger, I have two-way communication whenever I’m out of cell and WiFi service with anyone in my contact list on my phone and in the event of an emergency, also have two-way messaging with first responders.

In addition to carrying a satellite messenger, I also bring with me a fully charged cellphone and a fully charged power bank with charging cords. This way I always have a way to charge any of my electronics if they ever run low on battery power while I’m out on trail by myself.

Accessories

A couple different accessories I always like to keep in my pack for my winter hikes are a fleece neck gaiter, a pair of warm, thick mittens, a pair of liner gloves, a pack of hand warmers and a beanie, just in case I need a little extra protection and insulation from the cold weather.

Traction Devices & Seasonal Gear

When hiking during the winter, I always like to pack some sort of traction device for my feet. Traction devices help me feel more stable and secure when hiking over snow or compact ice. Depending on the current trail conditions and the amount of snow on trail, I’ll use either a pair of microspikes or a pair of snowshoes.

Year-round, I always like to use a pair of trekking poles. These give me an extra point of contact with the ground, helping me to feel more comfortable and confident while hiking over challenging terrain like snowfields, rocky surfaces and water crossings.

Living and hiking in Montana means most of my day hikes are now in grizzly bear country, which is why I now always hike with a can of bear spray.

When hiking in the winter, I always pack an 11th Essentials, which is usually a warm drink like hot tea, hot soup or hot cocoa. If anything, my 11th Essential always help increase morale on any of my challenging, colder hikes.

For more details on all of my winter hiking gear, CLICK HERE to see my complete Winter Hiking Gear list along with links on where you can find everything online.

How I Pack My Pack for a Winter Hike

Now, moving on to how I pack my pack for a winter hike.

First, I start by lining the inside of my pack with a trash compactor bag. This way if it’s wet out, everything inside my pack will stay dry. Inside the trash compactor bag, I pack my rain jacket, puffy jacket, neck gaiter, mittens and my hiking snacks bag.

Inside my Gear Repair Kit, I’ll also store in here an emergency blanket and sunscreen, so they all stay together and then put this inside my pack.

Then I’ll add my First Aid Kit and electronics bag and then close up the trash compactor bag so that everything stays dry inside the main compartment of my pack.

In the outside mesh pocket, I’ll keep things I want easy access to during my hike like my poop kit with a wag bag and a pair of microspikes.

On one outside sleeve pocket, I’ll keep a can of bear spray and on the other side, I’ll clip on my Garmin inReach.

In one of the side mesh pockets of my pack, I’ll keep a Nalgene water bottle. On the other side mesh pocket of my pack, I’ll store my 11th Essential.

Inside my fanny pack, I’ll stash items I want easy access to without having to take my pack off for like a pair of hand warmers, a pair of liner gloves, a few hiking snacks, my phone and my car keys,

What I Wear For A Winter Hike

Moving on to what I wear for a winter hike.

Starting with my base layer on top, a Branwyn Racerback Tank along with a pair of trekking pants, which are the Athleta Headlands Hybrid Cargo Tights.

These pants are super comfortable, stretchy and have functional, large pockets, that can fit things like a phone or even a couple small hiking snacks.

For a mid-layer, I love wearing a fleece hoodie dress like a Youer Treasure Dress. This fleece dress is one of my new favorite hiking mid-layers because it fully covers my backside, is warm, comfortable, cute AND it’s made by a local, women-owned outdoor clothing company here in Missoula, Montana.

For extra insulation, I like to wear an insulated vest. For me, a vest is best in the winter because it helps keep my core warm without the rest of my body overheating while I’m hiking because my arms aren’t covered.

On my feet, I’ll wear a pair of merino wool socks like these Darn Tough Micro Crew Cushion Socks. I’m a huge fan of Darn Tough socks.

One piece of winter hiking gear I can’t live without are the Hot Sockee neoprene toe covers I got off of Amazon for $15. As someone who has always complained about my toes getting cold on any of my winter hikes, I started wearing these a couple years ago and haven’t had any issues with cold toes on any of my winter hikes ever since. I wear these over my socks and inside my hiking boots and they do a fabulous job of keeping my toes warm whenever I’m hiking in cold weather. I love them and won’t go on a winter hike without them on.

For shoes, I like having more ankle support when hiking in the winter. For the past two winters, I’ve been wearing the Altra Lone Peak All WTHR Mid 2 Hiking Boots and I love them. They’re comfortable, have a wide toe box just like the Lone Peak trail runners and are made of GoreTex, which helps keep my feet dry while hiking in the rain, in snow and on ice.

As an Outer Layer over my trekking pants, I always wear, a pair of Outdoor Research Crocodile GoreTex Gaiters because they help keep my legs warm and dry and the snow out of my shoes and socks.

To help protect my face and skin from the sun and cold weather, I’ll like to wear a Buff, a pair of sunglasses and a trucker hat.

If my hands get cold, which they often do while I’m out hiking in the winter, I’ll either put on a pair of liner gloves or a pair of warm, thick mittens.

Winter Hiking Tips

And finally, here are some of my favorite winter hiking tips.

Tip #1: Be Bold, Start Cold

What this basically means is start hiking wearing fewer layers when you’re coming out of the parking lot. You’ll be cold at first, but once you start moving, especially if it’s uphill, you’ll warm up pretty quickly.

One of the keys to staying warm and dry when hiking in cold, wet weather is to avoid sweating.

To avoid sweating, be prepared to stop and give yourself a layer change as soon as you feel your body warm up.

Whenever you stop for a break, don’t give your body a chance to cool down either and quickly put on an insulating layer. If you feel yourself start to cool down while you’re hiking, especially if you’re going downhill, stop to add insulating layers to help you stay warm.

Tip #2: Fuel the Furnace & Stay Hydrated

When hiking during the winter, it’s really important to keep eating and drinking, even if you aren’t thirsty or hungry. It can be challenging to force yourself to drink water when it’s cold out and you might not want to stop when it’s raining or snowing to eat a snack, but your body NEEDS the fuel and water to stay warm and hydrated.

I recommend keeping snacks and water easily accessible whenever you’re out on trail. This way you’re more likely to consume them instead of carrying them.

During the winter, I store my Nalgene bottle in one of the side pockets on the outside of my pack upside-down so if the water inside does freeze, it freezes from the bottom. This way I can still access my drinking water without it freezing near the mouthpiece.

For snacks, I like to stash a couple snacks inside my fanny pack. This way I always have easy access to them and can eat my snacks while I’m hiking if I want to.

Tip #3: Always Check the Weather

As part of the trip planning process, ALWAYS check the weather forecast for the area you plan on hiking in before getting to the trailhead. Knowing what the weather is forecasted to be ahead of time for your planned hike will help you decide what kind of gear and clothing layers you’ll need to pack and wear.

I have a habit of checking the weather a couple days before, the night before and even the morning of my planned hike.

So, there you have it – all of my favorite winter hiking gear along with everything I wear and pack for a winter hike.

What’s one piece of winter hiking gear you can’t live without? Let me know down in the comments below.

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