Welcome to ThinkVail – shop our essential winter hiking checklist featuring boots, socks, gaiters, shades, shells, pants, long underwear, headlamps, backpacks and more.
Winter hiking is an awesome adventure, but you must be prepared as conditions can change on a dime. Here is a list of 20 essential items for a successful winter hike that will help keep you safe, warm, dry and having fun!
Winter hiking is synonymous with Colorado. Whether hiking to ski untracked powder, trekking in a National Park for stunning snow-capped views, an overnight trip to a remote yurt or cabin with family and friends or a demanding multi-day hike on the 10th Mountain Division Vail to Aspen, hut-to-hut trail system, there are a lot of winter hiking options here but what do you need for an adventure like this?
See also: 10th Mountain Division Huts in Colorado
I love winter hiking boots from Sorel, they are always warm, comfortable, waterproof and are a great boot for walking around in the snow. These men’s boots will not disappoint and are up for any challenge that winter throws at them. Sorels are known worldwide for their functionality and expert craftsmanship. You won’t be sorry buying these boots.
.
.
.
.
Life is better with Merino Wool socks. People love merino wool it actually insulates better as it gets wet. This is great for socks since feet tend to get sweaty and that gets absorbed into the wool fibers to help them insulate. Merino wool is warm, comfortable and less prone to causing blisters.
.
.
.
Gaiters close the gap between your snow pants and your boots and are a great way to keep out snow, pebbles, sand and anything else that can make its way inside your boot and make your feet sore or uncomfortable. For winter hiking choose a knee-high gator to make sure it keeps out deep snow.
.
.
.
You will need a good fleece or wool hat, you just do. Something that is warm and feels good, Turtle Fur beanies are a great choice.
.
.
.
.
You will need either waterproof mittens or gloves with a removable liner so you can take them out of the mittens and dry them out at the end of your hike. It is always easy for snow and moisture to get into your gloves so they need to be easy to dry out. My hands are ALWAYS cold so I always opt for mittens but if you run hotter, gloves will work great too.
.
.
.
.
You will definitely love this warm, waterproof, windproof ski jacket with a hood from OutdoorMaster. Take off the removable fleece liner if it needs to be dries or to cool down on a sunny spring ski day. This jacket offers a lot of versatility no matter the conditions.
.
.
.
.
Waterproof, windproof snow pants on a winter hike are a must. I prefer lightly insulated pants but if you usually run warm, than just a shell, like this one, is fine. For me, I always need extra warmth. Snow pants should have an elastic bottom or Velcro or both to cinch the pant leg around your boot to keep snow out.
.
.
.
.
Winter hiking is all about layering. The ability to bundle up when conditions begin to turn colder is just as important as being able to easily take layers off when you become too warm so you don’t get hot and sweat. Once your clothing is wet due to melting snow or sweat it becomes much harder to stay comfortable.
Layering starts with a great, high quality moisture wicking, breathable pair of long underwear, tops and bottoms. You should be able to wear them on their own or comfortably under 2, 3 or 4 other layers. Choose lightweight if you internal temp runs warm, choose mid weight if you are prone to being colder.
.
.
You will want a nice, cozy warm fleece pullover whether its for an under layer as you hike, or to keep you warm as you sleep, or something easy and comfortable to wear in a hut or yurt. It also works great as a pillow in a pinch.
.
.
.
.
Insulated water bottles work best in winter hiking as there is no tube that can be blocked by ice. Insulated water bottles will keep your water from icing up the way a normal, un-insulated bottle will. It can also keep your hot coffee, hotter on cold snowy mornings.
.
.
.
.
This is a good size for a day pack or when you will be hiking to a hut, cabin or yurt. Usually, these types of structures have a lot of equipment already stocked inside so you don’t need to pack it in with you. Look for a pack with side compression straps so you can tighten all your gear down and keep your pack at the right cent of gravity. The pack should have a shovel pocket or bungee for attaching avalanche shovel, snowshoes and micro spikes
.
.
.
Winter hiking and hut-to-hut trips are the perfect times to hone your Mcguyver skills. You never known what will go wrong or what you will need so its best to be prepared with a multi tool.
This one is perfect because it is very small so it doesn’t take up much space and is very lightweight so it won’t drag you down with extra weight.
.
.
.
You will need a headlamp for day hikes that go longer then expected or anticipated (which seems to happen a lot) or for nights at a 10th Mountain Division Hut or yurt. They are great when you need to go outside at night to get more wood, or snow to melt for drinking water or of course to use the outhouse. Don’t forget to bring extra batteries just in case.
.
.
Sunglasses are necessary to protect your eyes. Without some kind of protection, snow blindness is a real concern during a winter hike. Bright sunshine reflecting off a huge white snowfield is ridiculous bright, like I can’t open my eyes and look so I am going to walk into a tree bright.
Invest in a good pair of glasses that are polarized and block UV rays. A pair of Croakies or a strap that will keep your glasses from becoming lost is also advisable.
.
.
.
.
Goggles are a great item on a winter hike. If hiking to fresh powder to do turns you will need goggles to keep the big snow out of your face as you hit your lines.
If you are trekking and the conditions turn windy and snowy, goggles give you visibility you wouldn’t normally have to see the trail. If the temperature drops its also a good way to keep your face warm, especially with goggles that offer good face coverage.
These goggles are really unique, they offer transition lenses so the tint of the goggle’s lens will change depending on the amount of light that is available so no needing to change out lenses on the fly. With these goggles you won’t need to carry additional lenses and you will ALWAYS have the right lens for the light conditions
.
.
.
.
You are absolutely going to need sunscreen especially if you are in the mountains of Colorado. The sun is sooooo intense up here at elevation and then when it is combined with the reflective quality of bright, white snow it only takes a very short time to get a sunburn.
And not just a little, light burn but a sunburn that will turn your skin a bright, fiery red and peel for days and make your friends cringe when they see you.
Be safe, wear a high SPF protection lie 30 or 50, and reapply it ALOT and enjoy winter hiking in the sunny, snowy mountains.
.
.
.
You must, must, must have a First Aid Kit with you when you hike, accidents happen in a second. It doesn’t need to be fancy but it must have the basics. Prepackaged kits are great because everything you need will be in there and all you need to do is replenish it as items are used.
.
.
.
.
When the temperatures dive and the snow is coming in sideways and you are only halfway through a demanding winter hike, it is time to break out the balaclava, and when you do, you are going to be SO happy you brought it. Plus it can do double duty as a neck gator, beanie or face mask.
.
.
.
.
Nothing is worse then being on a hike with blisters so be preventative and also carry something that can help you along the way if you start getting blisters, moleskin, Endo blister pads and even band aids can all help.
If you do get a blister keep it clean and covered and use an anti-infection ointment.
I have not tried this Foot Glide yet but it looks awesome and is getting lots of good reviews so it could be a game changer, but make sure you have an alternative method until you known it works for you.
.
.
.
.
If you know how to use a compass properly, then this is a very essential item for outdoor adventuring, especially on long overnight Hut-to-Hut trips where you will be covering lots of miles and long distances. Also good in mountainous terrain where it is easy to get turned around.
A map of the area and a description of your route is also valuable. In addition, leave your itinerary with someone back at home so they know when to expect you and where to start looking for you if you don’t come back.
.
.
.
.
See Also: Best Cross Country Ski Skins
What did you think of the Winter Hiking Checklist? What is your favorite essential for winter hiking? Is there anything that you feel is essential for winter hiking that was not on this list? Please tell us your winter hiking experiences, the good and the bad we would love to hear all about them.
.
Related Articles: 10 Great Gifts for Outdoorsmen
As an Amazon Associate, ThinkVail.com earns from qualifying purchases.
This website uses cookies.
View Comments
Hi, I really enjoyed reading this article as you've provided tons of valuable information. I absolutely love the Waterproof and Windproof Ski Jacket with Hood and I'm planning to get one but before I do, I would like to ask you a question. Can it be washed normally in a washing machine with other clothes or how does it work?
You will love the OutdoorMaster Women's 3-in-1 Ski Jacket, it's a great choice. To maintain and wash your jacket just separate the fleece liner from the outer shell. You can throw the fleece liner into the washing machine on cool on a delicate setting with like colors. Do not put the shell in the washing machine as that can degrade the waterproof coating. To clean the outer shell just use a damp rag with water, for more stubborn spots use a mild detergent with water to spot clean..
Thanks for this amazing checklist for winter hiking! It's been a long while since I have been on a long winter snowshoe hike and I am planning to go with friends in mid March for a big hike. The last time I was out on in the snow like this I was not as prepared as I should have been. So this list has come in handy to help me plan.
The gaiters are a necessity as last hike I only had snow pants and snow was always getting into my boots and it made the whole hike frustrating and harder then it should have been. I am also interested in the Balaclava, for when the conditions really get rough and March in Colorado can be really unpredictable. I will also look into the Leatherman multi-tool and headlamp.
Hi Daniel, so glad you found the Winter Hiking Checklist useful! Yes, its amazing how just a few items can change the whole tone of a winter hike. Gaiters are a godsend if you have loose snow pants that don't have a snow skirt or don't cinch around your boots. You have to keep that snow out!
You need to prepare for the worst on a winter hike. A balaclava is so wonderful to have if a freezing cold, snow-blowing-sideways blizzard blows in on your hike. And you will be so happy you have the multi-tool if some part of your equipment breaks and needs to be repaired on the fly.