The passage of fall in the mountains brings frigid temperatures and the possibility of snow—intimidating conditions even for many experienced outdoor enthusiasts. Warm-weather hikers need not fear the colder months, however, as backpacking can still be enjoyed safely and comfortably in all seasons with the use of specific techniques and practices.
The following tips represent some of the most important lessons I’ve learned during trips into the mountains in fall and winter. Don’t let the cold keep you from enjoying the beauty of the mountains on foot.
1. Make extra effort to stay dry.
Even if it’s not too cold during the daytime, don’t forget that temperatures often plummet after dark during the colder months. Wet clothing becomes much more problematic in cold conditions, and plentiful snow makes it even easier to get wet, so make sure you have a foolproof method to keep all critical insulation dry.
For example, I’ve found that waterproof over-mittens are greatly beneficial for keeping my hands warm, but they seem to be one of the most frequently neglected items on winter trips. Soaking through the only insulation you have for your hands on the first day of a trip can be dangerous, particularly if you are hiking over exposed terrain.
2. Be on top of your sun-protection.
It’s easy to remember to apply sunscreen when the weather is warm and you’re going for a swim. It is a less intuitive matter when it’s cold out, yet for hikers it is even more important to protect your skin during the chilly months.
Bare trees mean greatly increased exposure to the sun, and snow on the ground will reflect sunlight back up at you; the underside of your nose is particularly vulnerable. Backpackers whose skin holds up to the sun at other times of the year often find that they prefer to use sunscreen in snowy conditions.
3. Keep your electronics warm.
The battery life of phones, cameras, GPS devices, avalanche beacons, and the like can be quickly drained when the devices are not kept at reasonable temperatures, even if turned off. Get into the habit of keeping them in a pocket close to your core during the daytime and with you in your sleeping bag at night.
I begin to do this as soon as my electronics feel unnaturally cold to the touch. During the winter, I also won’t rely on a GPS or a phone for navigation or other critical tasks. With the risk of neglecting them and losing their function, an analog solution is strongly preferable.
4. Don’t let your water freeze.
The freezing of water bottles occurs much more easily and imparts greater consequence than one might imagine. A frozen-over bottle becomes ineffective until warmed, which is hard to do with body heat alone. At the very least, dealing with a frozen bottle is a pain in the butt; at worst, expanding frozen water can crack plastic and render one of your most important items useless for the remainder of a trip.
To keep bottles from freezing at night, sleep with them near you, or keep them inside your sleeping bag if you think the air surrounding you will drop below freezing. Using insulating cozies and storing the bottles cap-down can also help prevent them from freezing over.
Other items that contain liquid, even in very small amounts, may need to be treated similarly. These include some forms of water purification, the failure of which can be disastrous to a trip. The freezing of any residual moisture inside a water filter can damage the delicate inner components and make them ineffective without leaving any obvious indication.
Likewise, many liquid chemical treatments run a risk of freezing and cracking their containers. Even wet boots will freeze if left out on a cold night. Using them the next day will either put your toes at risk of cold-related injuries or require a fuel-costly and extremely time-consuming thawing process over a cook-stove.
5. Count on consuming more calories.
Keeping warm in chilly conditions costs you calories, as the only way your body generates its own heat is through exertion and metabolism. Accordingly, you should plan to consume more calories on a cold-weather trip.
A great way to bring more fuel for your body without increasing pack-weight is to select foods with particularly high calorie-to-weight ratios. Choose foods with a high fat content, such as peanut butter, Nutella, meals with added olive oil, chips, Oreos, or nuts.
One of my favorite aspects of cold weather camping is that you can even keep butter without any worry of it spoiling quickly or melting—and you don’t have to feel guilty about using a lot of it! These high-fat foods not only give you more calories for less weight but also provide exactly what your body needs to keep up its metabolism throughout long, cold nights.