Winter Day Hiking Items: Scenario

I would add a GPS in case of whiteout, and I’d carry a heavier insulating jacket (in my case a Wild Things Belay jacket).

15 degrees and getting colder, hmm, the weather might turn bad.
Marmot Dri Climb Windshirt
Smart Wool Long underware
MEC Microfiber BiB with full leg Zips
Fleece Hat TNF with windstopper ear s
TNF powershield gloves
Smartwool Medium Socks
OR Gaiters
I don’t have any good cold weather boots that are hiking only, so I would probably take my Scarpa Alphas
Trecking Polls with snow basket
MSR Denali on my feet, although i would actually have skis
Golite Jam pack I would have a small silnylon flat tarp
alpine primus stove
.8 oz pot I only have aluminum
BRand new Princeton Tec head lamp, best ever
half length z rest
Golite Six Month Night
Patagonia R1 shirt that can go over or under the windshirt, or be changed out if I get too wet for some reason
I’ll leave the insulated pants at home on this trip as I really really hope to keep moving
Snow shovel
and ten essentials
I would have my north face Propel sleeping bag in the car and would sehow couragous I was at 5 am. I would like to leave it but it the weather was crap I might grap it for an extra pound it could help, basically I see it as a replacement for the insulated pants but I think with more survival function
I don’t know exactly how much tht all weigns but I think it’s light enough given my comfort level is not extreme.

The list looks good.
I have two questions:
1. Why do people bring a sit pad?
I sit on my pack and use my skis (you can use your snowshoes) as a back rest.

2. I can’t decide whether a UL sleeping bag (1lb) 40 deg or so or insulated pants make more sense–the former gives you more warmth in case of forced bivy but the latter helps for a rest stop……the sleeping bag is lighter than my pants–patagucci polarguard ones…….

Would anyone have started with a shelter in their packs, i.e., a light tarp, bivy, etc.?

I ask this as a sideways means of seeing what shelter you would bring if you thought there was a good chance of being caught for the night in these conditions.

Thanks, steve

I’ll bring some extra caution.

I’m normally a meathead and I’ll get focused on the objective and keep going for it no matter what. Wanna see some blister photos to prove it? :)

Winter conditions make me a lot more cautious. Maybe turning 40 has helped me accept that sometimes turning back is the smarter choice. This was a dayhike/snowshoe trip where returning after dark was the plan. If the weather goes down the tubes I’m bagging the original plan.

That being said a 40 degree synthetic sleeping bag and a silnylon tarp/ bivy should go a long way in helping you survive if another scenario happens…INJURY.

Bob,
Thanks for posting this list. Helpful as I get more into winter hiking and backpacking. I couldn’t find the Baffin Tundra. Do you have a link to the model? I’m looking for a winter boot with insulation to about -20-25F and a nylon shank for support. I find many winter boots don’t have a supportive shank.

yes this is an old thread :), but the scenario I think is fairly typical for a lot of our snowshoe outings and winter is right around the corner

the trail is unmarked so a good map/compass are a given, I'd also throw in my small Foretrex and a UTM grid (map pre-gridded)

chance of arriving after dark means a good headlamp (and extra batteries)

several (redundant) fire starting bits, including a couple of wetfire tinders- (my personal favorite for wet/challenging conditions)
knife (around neck w/ whistle)
small aluminum snow shovel
fak
repair kit (to include snowshoe repair)
sunglasses
sunscreen
small Esbit stove, couple of Esbit tabs, 450 mug/lid, short spork
toilet paper/alcohol gel (doubles as fire source)
GG 1/8" thinlight pad- to sit on, but also as ground insulation
AMK Thermolite bivy
AMK heatsheet
yank of Spectra
2 six hour beeswax candles
4 chemical handwarmers
pack liner

if forced to spend the night out (dread the thought!), I'm thinking small debris shelter covered w/ snow- I'd use the heatsheet over the ridgepole/side poles to keep moisture somewhat at bay and start layering on top of it- lots of debris, then lots of snow, fill the pack liner with snow for my "door", lay the thinlight down (on top of as much debris as possible) and get into the bivy w/ all the clothes I have- light the candle every once in awhile

clothing I might be a little under prepped

clothing worn
light merino beanie
light merino gloves
zipped Merino 2 top
R1 tights
wool socks
gaiters
Merrell Thermo 6 boots (they're lightly insulated)

clothing carried
Houdini windshirt
MB stretch windpants
Patagonia down sweater
MB UL down pants
wool mittens
over mitts
balaclava
extra wool socks

food

usually a pretty generous lunch (instant soup, mini pitas, salami, cheese, fruit)
6 Mojo bars (eat a couple, couple as extras)
freeze-dried supper for one (strictly a extra)
several Gatorade packets (couple as extras)

all in a Talon 22 w/ a 100 oz Platy Insulator (and a .5 liter platy for gatorade)

what say you?

Mike

I am sure I bring less then I should, but finding that edge is one of the main points of this site. Now that I may often have one of my kids with me, the issues get even more difficult.

Since this is likely an emergency when something has gone wrong, I am not sure how realistic a snow cave or debris shelter would be. We have lots of trees in Vt, but looking around on the mountains in the snow, there is a lot less obvious cover than one may think, particularly if you had a broken leg or other serious injury. Making a fire may also be challenging.

I pretty much never bring insulated pants or a sleeping bag. I just can't get my head around laying down in a trench in the snow for the night, it seems way too exposed. So for the past few years, I have been bringing my poncho tarp, figuring that would let me rig a shelter, plus maybe a mylar or thermolite bivy sack, plus an insulated jacket. I can never decide on the esbit stove, so that is in or out, and a candle often makes it in.

But all this leads me to say that the bothy bag concept seems like the best and most robust option, better than bivy sack, a tarp, a debris shelter or a snow tench. It can shelter someone injured, multiple people can share, it provides protection from the elements, and would allow a change to regroup and renavigate, and fix gear, like having to fix bindings, etc. So I don't have one, but really am talking myself into making that purchase and giving it a try. I had never seen the link to the ones at Brooks Range before today, so that now gives a real choice vs the terra nova options.

as I never wear (well maybe once) my down pants during day hikes- I've thought about ditching them in favor of a very light bag- something like the MB Thermal Sheet- but that comes at the expense of weight and volume over the pants- you'd still want a bivy and some insulation under; the thinlight at ~ 2 oz and rolled tight to the size of a Pringles can has proved very useful

where I hike your never too terribly far from treeline and usually plenty of materials for a debris shelter- a debris shelter is very efficient, but it does take a fair amount of time to construct vs a trench

my down sweater could definitely be "beefed up" (a hood would help)- it's plenty for resting/lunch, etc, but for a forced overnight could be better- this would also come at the expense of weight and volume though

firestarting- I probably could get by w/ less, but everything is small/light and this a place where I feel redundancy is not redundant :)

my down sweater could definitely be "beefed up" (a hood would help)- it's plenty for resting/lunch, etc, but for a forced overnight could be better- this would also come at the expense of weight and volume though

jackets with more down are so light these days anyways, and down does compress a lot more

id definitely want a hood … should yo go hypothermic the head is a major area of heat loss … unless you can insulate it effectively yr deader than a do do

my minimum for anything below freezing is the equivalent of a MB alpine light parka

a bit too much is better than a bit too little for winter

The Blizzard Bag is double walled with baffles, Mike. No idea what the AMK bag is. The UK Special Forces have used the Blizzard Bag.

looks like the blizzard bag might be a little warmer- the AMK is rated to 50 degrees (it's waterproof as well), but weighs in at half the weight ~ 185 grams