Winter weather is unpredictable and can be severe, but don't limit your clothing considerations to just Winter outings. Our Sierras are unpredictable enough that you need to always be prepared for cold weather hiking & camping. An important part of your preparation is clothing. Proper clothing is your first and last defense against the elements. It is critical that each Scout be properly clothed to prevent frost bite and hypothermia. This review is intended to reinforce information presented in HAT's Basic Backpacking & OKPIK Cold Weather Camping Awareness seminars. It is not intended as a stand alone reference.
A layered clothing system is most commonly recommended and consists of at least three parts. All things being equal, thickness equals warmth though many thin layers of clothing can be warmer that one equivalent thick layer due to the trapped air pockets between the layers. Multiple thin layers also allow you to regulate your body temperature and moisture production (sweat!) better as layers can be added or subtracted more easily.
Moisture Transfer - Your dryness in cold weather conditions is very important to your comfort and safety because water conducts heat 24 times faster than air. Keeping your skin dry is a key issue in selecting the individual pieces for your layering system.
Breathability - Air circulating around your skin moves excess heat and moisture, allowing thermal components to work and keeping you dry!
Thermal Management - Sometimes you need heat, sometimes you have too much. A layering system allows you to adjust the number and type of clothing layers to match you needs and the changing Winter conditions.
If there is any rule in cold weather camping, it is to NEVER WEAR COTTON. This applies to your clothing including socks, underwear, gloves, and hat! Cotton is great for desert hiking and around town, but since it stores water in its fibers, and water lowers the temperature as it evaporates, it cools the wearer. In the winter, your prime objective is to Conserve heat, not loose it. Cotton is so effective in cooling its wearer that it has caused severe hypothermia and even death when used in Winter conditions.
1. Wicking Layer -
This is the layer next to the skin to wick moisture away. It is the most important part of your layering system because it is closest to you. As a minimum it should include long johns, a long sleeve t-shirt, liner socks, and liner gloves. This can be a natural fiber like wool or silk, or a synthetic fiber like Polypropylene, Thermastat, Capeline, or BiPolar. The synthetics are preferred to natural fibers because they wick moisture better, dry faster, and last longer. Although silk is very comfortable, it does absorb water and dries slowly. Wool was the standard until synthetics were developed and although it still is an alternative for those that can't tolerate synthetics, all except Marino Wool are scratchy, all are slow to dry and smell when wet. A word of caution regarding Polypro. It is cheaper and does wick very well, but it retains odor and if accidentally thrown in the dryer, it will shrink to doll clothes size. The other synthetics are more expensive, but well worth their higher price tag in the long run.
2. Insulating Layer -
This layer traps warm air that your body has heated up. As a minimum this layer includes a knit cap, balaclava (face & neck protection), long sleeve shirt and jacket, insulated pants, winter gloves, and insulating socks. Modern winter travelers rely on polar fleece and Down or Synthetic lofting fibers like Quallofil, Polarguard or Primaloft as insulation. Commonly combined with the protective layer in ski parkas and jackets used in the city, in the backcountry it is better to keep this separate from the shell to allow for changeable conditions. When you start going up a hill, it is a good idea to remove a layer of insulation to prevent overheating, and then replacing them as you cool down. This isn't possible if your shell and insulation are combined in one piece. For moderate conditions, a Polartec Fleece jacket is the best choice, and in extreme cold a down sweater can be added. In camp you might find yourself wearing all your layers since you are not working as hard and generating as much heat. A low cost alternative to the high tec garments is an acrylic sweater. Much cheaper than a down or fleece jacket they will provide the necessary air space to insulate you provided you have a good quality shell over it.
3. Protective layer -
Next to the wicking layer, this is the most important part of your clothing system. The outer layer protects the two inner layers from wind, rain, and snow. As a minimum this layer includes waterproof gloves, boots, gaiters, pants, jacket, and hat/hood. The best type of fabric for this layer is Gore-Tex or other waterproof-breathable material. Since you will encounter a wide variety of conditions, you will need an outer shell that will keep you dry, protect you from wind, and still let the perspiration that you will be generating evaporate. That means it has to let moisture vapor pass through but keep water droplets out. A waterproof-breathable fabric allows moisture vapor to pass through but keeps water droplets out. The fabric has millions of microscopic holes in it which are large enough to allow water vapor through but are too small to let liquid water in. Perspiration evaporates through the shell but rain and snow stays out. If you are on a low budget, some less expensive alternatives are light weight nylon shell jacket and pants that cost under $40 each. This will work in a pinch. Some campers even use PVC coated rainsuits, but use caution with this type of gear and stay close to shelter, it may not protect you in really nasty conditions.
To Summarize...
- Wear only non-cotton clothing in loose fitting layers
- Peel layers off when too warm, add layers before getting chilled
- One complete clothing layer needs to be a moisture control wicking layer (sock liners, long johns, long sleeve t-shirt, glove liners, and balaclava)
- One complete clothing layer needs to be an insulating layer (socks, pants, sweater & jacket, gloves, knit cap, and balaclava)
- One complete clothing layer needs to be a wind and waterproof layer (boots, pants, jacket, gloves, and hat/hood)
- Cover exposed body surfaces when first chilled, including head, face and hands
- Replace wet articles of clothing before you get cold
- Carry a clothing change, esp extra socks, gloves nad underwear (no cotton!)
This page revised April 21, 2007