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When venturing out on a snowy hike, the importance of being adequately prepared cannot be overstated. The elements of winter, such as icy trails, blustery winds, and unpredictable weather, all demand a meticulous selection of gear and supplies. 

From essential clothing layers to navigation tools, emergency kits, and specific snow-related equipment, each item in your pack plays a vital role in maintaining warmth, safety, and overall success of your adventure. 

In this blog, we'll delve into the must-have items that should accompany you on every snowy hiking expedition, ensuring you stay prepared for whatever the winter wilderness throws at you.

Winter Hiking Gear

Base Layer

Base layer is the one closest to the skin. Its primary purpose is to wrest sweat from your skin and help you stay dry. Be sure to avoid cotton. Don't wear cotton sweatshirts, sweatpants, socks, or underwear because once it gets wet, it always keep wet and becomes heavy, leaving you cold for the rest of the hiking trip. You should look for materials such as synthetic fibers, merino wool, or polyester blends. Light-weight Willit Women's Outdoor UPF Sun Shirts  is 100% made of polyester, with excellent quick drying, not only breathable, absorb sweat, but also can quickly drain moisture, so that you are not easy to catch cold in weather.

Mid-Layer

The mid-layer can also be called the insulation layer. Its purpose is to maintain heat and protect you from the cold air. Wool or synthetic materials are the best options for keeping warm. Compared with them, down jacket is more likely to be soaked by rain and snow, thus losing its warm effect. Wool or synthetic materials are more durable.  Soft Willit Women's Fleece Full-Zip Jacket has great fleece warmth. It is not so tight that blood does not flow, nor so loose that affects the outermost layer of clothing and makes you look bloated and unable to move. 

Shell Layer

The most important function of the shell layer is waterproof. It doesn't even need to be extremely cold resistant, but quick drying, light weight, water resistance, and moisture resistance should be the top priority. You can put it in your bag when you are not in use, and put it on when you need it to protect against rain and snow, and keep yourself dry and warm. Willit Women's Waterproof Jacket is fully water-proof, wind resistant and breathable. It is also light and easy-to-pack.  It can be folded and stored in your bag when you are not using it.

Hiking Footwear

Some people choose snow boots because of their warmth. Relatively speaking, we recommend professional hiking shoes. Hiking shoes provide more support and protection for the ankle while being non-slip, breathable and flexible. Pair them with thicker merino wool socks with some extra cushioning on top, such as a pair of hiking socks, to keep your feet comfortable, warm, dry and blister-free.

Hiking Accessories

• For hand: lightweight fleece gloves under waterproof shell.
• For cheek and ear: try a neck gaiter for face mask. If the acceptance of cold air is not very good, you can try a face mask with internal cashmere. Some kind of neck gaiter or face mask may also provide coverage for your ears.
• For head: a winter hat or headband can do the trick.
• For eyes: It is recommended to wear UV protective sunglasses, which can effectively protect the eyes from the sun and snow reflected light damage, improve visual comfort.

Food and Water

• Water: Carry at least 2 liters. You can use a thermos or use an old wool sock to keep the water bottle warm to prevent the liquid from freezing. We do not recommend hiking with water bags for light and direct carrying, as they often freeze.
• Hot drinks: Hold hot chocolate, tea, or hot water in a thermos or other insulated container. If you start to feel cold, drinking a hot sugary drink can help you get energy and maintain your body temperature.
• Food: Bring high-calorie foods that won't freeze. For example, dried fruit, candy, bread or cheese, small sandwiches, nuts and biscuits. You need more food than you would for a summer hike, and you should refuel more often.

Additional Gear

• Hiking stick: A stick with a handle that helps you provide extra stability and reduce stress on your knees while hiking. If not, you can use knee pads instead to reduce knee damage.
• Headlamp: A light source used for hiking, map reading, or camping. Before using headlights on a hike, be sure to check the batteries and bring a spare set of batteries.
• Map/Compass: A navigational tool to track your location and the progress of your hike. While GPS can be useful, you should always carry a map of the area you will be hiking or entertaining and a compass with you.
• Lighter: A fire starter that provides warmth or a distress signal.
• Medication: gauze, cold medicine, pain reliever
• Hand warmers: small bags that generate heat and are placed in gloves to warm your hands.