Hiking in winter – hints and tips
Hiking in winter – hints and tips
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First tip… don’t go to Tasmania in winter. Only kidding, Tasmania is beautiful at any time… but it can get seriously cold in those mountains. Hiking in winter can be glorious on a calm sunny day. We often say, the best hiking weather means that you will be cold when you stop and comfortable when walking. There are some really easy things you can do to prepare for your next winter walk.
If you enjoy this post or have any of your own tips, please leave your comment below.
Hiking in Winter – Tips and hints from Inspiration Outdoors
Tip number bleeding obvious: Keep an eye on the weather
Every year in Australia we see stories in the news of people getting lost while walking in mountains or out in bush land near our capital cities. Soon enough, (and a $350,000 helicopter and man hunt later), commercial television gives us an interview with a tired looking bushwalker who exclaims “we set off in blue skies and then the weather just came in around us!”
Of course this won’t happen to you because of the magic of weather forecasts! You can open up your favourite search engine and type “my local weather” or “weather near me” … you can even type “today’s whether forecast” and you will be returned approximately 426,000,000 results in 0.74 seconds! From there you can make an informed decision whether it’s a day out on the trail, or a day with Dan Brown on the couch.
This internet thing is great. Do you think it will catch on?
Tip number poncho: Be prepared for a change in the weather
Sometime you can set out in blue skies and the weather can come in around you really fast!
Sorry, I couldn’t resist.
But seriously, it pays to be prepared. Cold and wet is not fun.
Tip number mittens: Look after your extremities
When hiking in winter, I often find that it is my hands and feet that can get really uncomfortable.
If you are a user of hiking poles, then this goes doubly. Gloves are essential as your hands are likely to be exposed the whole time and they can get freezing with a bit of water on them.
A spare pair of socks (and a plastic bag for the wet ones) can also be heaven sent if those old boots of yours spring a leak.
Tip number not so obvious: Wear layers and nothing too hard to take off
If you set out early in the morning, it may be 10 degrees cooler than it is going to be at lunchtime. It pays to remember that you are going to heat up when you are hiking in winter, and that your merino, thermo nuclear undergarment may become really hot.
Everyone has there own individual thermostats but I find that on a moderately strenuous walk it has to be less than 10 degrees in the middle of the day for me to need thermals as well as the other layers. That’s in dry conditions mind you.
Do you have a different opinion? We would love to hear your thoughts below…
Tip number curry pumpkin: Liquids are still important
Just because you are cold doesn’t mean that you don’t need remain hydrated. I know you probably won’t feel like drinking as much when hiking in winter (and lord knows that de-layering for un-drinking can be a real pain) but you will feel much better if you remain well watered.
The first organ effected by dehydration is your brain! The consequences of mild dehydration in cold conditions are not nearly as severe as somewhere warm like the Kimberleys, but a headache and that “out of it” feeling are unpleasant even if they are not necessarily dangerous.
Consider a flask of hot water as well – it can be a spiritual experience atop a chilly mountain in winter… And a thermos of curry pumpkin soup may be as close as I will ever get to Nirvana.
Tip number singing in the rain: You don’t need fancy rain gear, just the basics
I should say, there is rain, and there is “cats and dogs, where is the ark” type rain. If you are planning on going out in a downpour, then you might just want some fancy gear. For the more mild mannered but still adventurous souls, we can afford to keep it simple.
- A peak cap. The advantage of a peak cap is that you can wear a rain hood over it.
- Rain jacket or poncho. Ponchos are generally pretty terrible when it is windy, but if they are big enough to go over your pack as well, they can be great.
- Rain pants… but only if it is cold. There is no quicker way to overheat than cheap rain pants in mild conditions going up a slope. Whew!
- Gloves. Aforementioned.
That’s enough from me. Do you have any cool (sorry, bad pun) tips for hiking in winter? Please add your comments below.
