By Mariah Cannon

Let’s be honest here… Winter hiking is not made for everyone, and it certainly can be no fun if you don’t come prepared with the proper gear. In this guide, I’ll give you some tips on how to best prepare for Winter adventures along with things that help me stay motivated to embrace the snow! Ready? Buckle up for this one. 😉

If you’re looking for some epic Winter trails to snowshoe to, I curated a fun list for Central Oregon Warming Huts that you can trek to and enjoy a nice cozy fire and some snacks! Make sure your fire is fully out before you depart from the warming huts.

What do I Need for Winter Hiking?

As mentioned above, Winter hiking brings a way different aspect to the table than regular hiking does. There are many different things to account for, such as: snow level, temperature, condition of trails, accessibility, and more. Here are the main things you’ll need for your Winter adventures:

Your 10 Essentials

1. The first thing you should always carry with you is a Compass or some form of navigation. Whether it be a Garmin GPS, a paper map, or having the trail downloaded on your mobile device – it’s great to have multiple options to prevent getting off trail or lost.
2. Always have a Headlamp with you while hiking, even if you don’t plan to be out while it’s dark. Things happen, especially during Winter when daylight is much shorter. It’s bigger to be prepared!
3. Sun protection is crucial any time of year! I love Melaleuca sun screen for a natural, effective alternative. And in the warmer months or on sunny days, the Sahara Sun Hoodie is a game changer!
4. A First Aid Kit is so important! Even the simplest of scratches or aches can be a bigger problem while out on the trail. Having a first aid kit of some sort, gives some peace of mind.
5. I personally carry a Leatherman since it provides more than just one handy tool. Though just a knife of any kind is very handy!
6. Weather Proof Matches come in handy in case you ever have to spend the night out somewhere and need to make a small fire to stay warm.
7. Bringing an Emergency Bivy or small shelter of some sort can be super helpful there again, if you have to stay out into the night time. Bring a lightweight tarp that can be set up with your hiking poles to keep you out of the elements.
8. Extra food! Be sure to pack more than what you think you’ll eat, especially for snowshoeing and longer hikes, you use more energy than you typically would on snowshoes.
9. Extra water – bring plenty of water and electrolytes. If you’re going on a long day hike, it could be helpful to bring a Water Filter or LifeStraw in case you run out!
10. Extra clothing can make or break the day. If you end up wet and cold, it can make for a “Type 2 fun” day, always bring an extra fleece, outer layer, and some dry gloves to keep you warm and happy.

Now obviously, you don’t need to pack all of the above things on every hike. If it’s a shorter hike where you’ll have service and/or know the area – you might not need all of the extra things and weight in your pack. Trust your instincts, be prepared for anything, and pack what you feel is necessary pertaining to each trip.

Extra Layers

I always recommend bringing something to change into when you’re done with your adventure like a fresh fleece, different pants/leggings, and dry socks and shoes!

It’s also important to wear the right amount of layers!

Some of my favorite cold weather pieces are:

• Quite literally the warmest jacket, the Stio Hometown Down Jacket
• Stio Turpin Fleece Pants
• REI Fleece Gloves

Footwear & Snowshoes

• Yaktrax Traction Cleats are for terrain that will mostly be flat and lightly snowy, these are also really good for super rocky or muddy areas as they help with grip.
• A step up from Yaktrax, are Micro-spikes. These are great for trails that are hard packed snow and potentially icy, if I’m going to be on a steeper trail with ice and hard packed snow, these are what I’ll wear.
• MSR Lightning Explore Snowshoes are ideal for more snow situations, if the snow is soft and powdery, these keep you mostly on top of it. It’s generally hard to tell how deep the snow really can be, so wearing snowshoes on snowy trails is typically a good idea and keeps you from post-holing.

Plenty of Electrolytes

My favorite electrolytes are by SALTT because they have way less sugar in them than some others on the market & the flavor is great!

Hand Warmers

My favorite hand warmers are rechargeable ones and they work like a dream if your hands get cold easily!

You can also just use disposable ones, like These!

Just Get Out There!

It can be intimidating at first! You just have to bundle up and get out there, even if it’s just for 10-15 minutes and you will feel tons better! Winter can really be a magical time of year, with the right gear and peace of mind.

Being a friend or two if you’re unsure of the area or want to feel comfortable!

Enjoy this guide on embracing Winter? Save for future adventuring!

Let’s Get Adventuring!

Mariah