One of many greatest challenges confronted by winter hikers is determining a clothes layering system that retains them heat and dry throughout all kinds of temperatures, wind chills, and exertion ranges. It takes lots of experimentation to dial in a system that works for you and it’s one thing I’ve been tweaking for years. On this put up, I clarify what I take advantage of for winter pants layering and the method that led me to the clothes I take advantage of at present.
This put up can also be a response to a reader who’s battling the problem of sweating in winter, and who appreciates the truth that I speak about sweat in my critiques. Yeah, I sweat. Particularly in winter, once I want to hold not less than twice as a lot security and survival gear for mountaineering within the mountains. Winter mountaineering, snowshoeing, mountain climbing, and mountaineering are so totally different from the three-season mountaineering I do, that I’ve to nearly consider them as a separate sport.
Pant Layering Elements
Listed below are the elements of the winter pant layering system I take advantage of at present:
I do most of my winter mountaineering within the White Mountains in New Hampshire the place the temperatures vary from 30 levels right down to -15 levels Fahrenheit with wind chills right down to 30 under zero. My winter hikes sometimes final 6-10 hours and I often alter, add, or take away clothes to forestall perspiring relying on my exertion degree. Layering is the one technique to alter your clothes to such a variety of temperature circumstances.
Utilization
I generate lots of warmth once I climb elevation in winter and I want to have the ability to vent it in a short time or I sweat. Sweating is regular, but when it soaks your base layer, you’ll chill extra quickly while you cease transferring. The important thing to stopping perspiration is to vent the warmth and/or transfer it away out of your base layers up into your mid-layers the place it will probably evaporate with out chilling you.
For temperatures right down to about 10 levels, I put on the Beneath Armor Boxers, REI Activator Gentle Shell Pants, and the OR Crocodile Gaiters. This successfully offers me two layers of protection because the boxers finish simply above my knee and the gaiters begin just under it. I nonetheless generate lots of warmth, however most of it’s vented by my pants. That is all I want for many of my winter hikes.
It’s slightly totally different under the knee and beneath the gaiter, the place I are likely to sweat lots. That was an issue for me as a result of the sweat would soak my socks and decrease legs. Nevertheless, I’ve began carrying oven-roasting baggage over a sock liner and beneath a heavy sock in my winter boots. I’ll speak about that have extra in a subsequent put up, however the net-net is that I don’t get moist socks anymore as a result of the perspiration can’t go by the non-breathable oven-roasting bag. I primarily do that on in a single day winter journeys however not day hikes, so my boots don’t take in moisture and freeze in a single day. If you would like one thing slightly bit extra upscale than oven-roasting baggage, attempt Rab Vapor Barrier Socks. They’re designed for a similar factor however are simpler to scrub and reuse.
If it’s colder than 0 levels and if there’s a wind chill advisory, I put on a KUIU Extremely-Merino Zip-Off Lengthy Underwear beneath the REI softshell pants, for extra heat. It needs to be actually chilly for me to do that. This KUIU underwear is admittedly distinctive as a result of it has facet zips alongside every leg, that allow you to take the lengthy underwear off with out eradicating your footwear or pants, or placing it again on. This makes it actually versatile for layering. Initially developed for hunters, I believe they’re a greatest purchase for winter mountaineering.
If I’m feeling chilly through the hike, I put Outside Analysis Helium Rain Pants on over the REI Activator Gentle Shell Pants. The Helium Pants are very light-weight waterproof/breathable shell pants (6.7 oz) with ankle-high boot zips so I can put them on or take them off with out eradicating my boots. That’s a giant benefit. I primarily use the Helium Pants as a wind barrier, though they’re completely waterproof as effectively. In case you have bigger boots, attempt the Precip Full Zip Rain Pant. These rain pants have full-length zippers down every leg so you possibly can put them on or take them off with out eradicating giant boots. They’re additionally simple to vent as a result of they’ve full-length zippers alongside the surface: I used them for a few years myself.
I solely put on my Mountain Hardwear Compressor Alpine Pants within the night whereas cooking and melting snow on winter backpacking journeys or if I want to face round for an prolonged time frame outside. I additionally pack them on day hikes as a type of insurance coverage in case I damage myself or want to assist an injured hiker. They’re nice in case you’re not transferring a lot, however I instantly sweat in them if I begin to hike with a pack on.
Softshell Pants – My Massive Breakthrough
My greatest breakthrough by way of winter pants was once I began carrying softshell pants. These are hotter than regular three-season mountaineering pants, they’re rather more windproof, waterproof, and extremely breathable. I began off with REI Mistral Pants (now not made), REI Activator 1.0 Pants (now not made), REI Activator 2.0 Pants (now not made), REI Activator 3.0 Pants (now not made), and now put on REI Activator Pants. I put on them every time temperatures drop under freezing. They’re simply unbelievable and I can’t advocate them extremely sufficient.
Earlier than this, I used to put on lengthy underwear and the Marmot Precip full-zip pants on most hikes. The good factor about that system is which you could vent the shell pants throughout a variety of temperatures and exertion ranges by opening or closing the zips. Nevertheless, I used to be at all times too sizzling and tended to sweat. On high of that, I discovered it awkward to hike in shells that have been unzipped on a regular basis.
Classes Realized
If I have been to summarize the teachings I’ve realized about pants layering, it’d be the next:
- Don’t spend some huge cash on one garment and anticipate that it’s going to carry out in quite a lot of circumstances. You’re higher off spending your cash on a mix of skinny layers that every do the factor they’re designed for very effectively.
- Don’t fear about being too chilly. If you’re transferring, you’ll generate lots of warmth. As an alternative, purpose to be barely cool.
- Do not forget that your underwear (boxer shorts) and gaiters depend as a layer. Including one other base layer on high of them could make you sweat excessively.
- Wind-proof or wind-resistant layers entice warmth as a lot as they preserve out wind and may have a very huge impression in your heat degree even when it’s not windy.
- Attempt to use clothes which might be excellent at transferring sweat away out of your pores and skin to the following highest layer in your layering system. This may be executed by utilizing a wicking baselayer, a porous grid-like fleece sweater like Patagonia R1, or full zip shell pants which might be unzipped to shed lots of additional warmth and quickly evaporate sweat.
Final Up to date December 2024
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