Winter Backpacking Gear List
Spending time in the outdoors during the winter months can be enjoyable, but you should be prepared, and being prepared means having the right winter backpacking gear with you.
Backpacking typically means spending the night in the wilderness, and so you will need the proper winter backpacking gear to get through the night without shivering yourself awake.
Beyond camping gear, there are a few other winter backpacking items that should be on your winter backpacking gear list. There are also a few winter backpacking items that you could bring along to make your winter backpacking adventure more enjoyable.
Winter Backpacking Gear List Ideas
This is by no means a complete winter backpacking gear list, but it will at least get you the essentials.- Winter Sleeping Bag - A winter sleeping bag is an essential item for any winter backpacking gear list. You will need to stay warm at night, and a winter sleeping bag is essential for that. You can supplement your summer sleeping bag with a liner if the weather you're heading in to is relatively warm, but for most winter backpacking trips, you will need a stand alone winter sleeping bag.
- Winter Sleeping Pad - You should have a winter sleeping pad to go along with your winter sleeping bag. A winter sleeping pad will contain insulation that will trap and reflect the heat that you lose in to the ground from your body.
- Winter Tent - To complete your sleep system for winter backpacking you should have a winter tent. If you wont be encountering any bad weather then a summer tent will probably hold up, but winter weather can be ugly, and a winter tent will be an essential piece of winter backpacking gear in most situations.
- Winter Backpacking Boots - You tend to do a lot of walking when you are backpacking, and for all that walking you should have a proper pair of winter backpacking boots. If you plan to spend multiple days out on a winter backpacking trip, your feet will be one of the most vulnerable body areas, and you will need something waterproof and warm to protect against that.
- Hiking Snowshoes - If you plan to go winter backpacking where there is a fair amount of snow, and the possibility of fresh snow, then hiking snowshoes might be a good idea. Just be sure to get a pair with a proper load capacity that takes in to account the weight of your backpack, or they wont be much use to you.
- Insulating Layers - You cant predict the future, and though the weather may be great when you set out backpacking, winter weather can change quickly. Another essential piece of winter backpacking gear, then, is a few insulating layers to add to the warmth of your other layers. Mont Bell, a Japanese manufacturer, makes a few down products that weigh almost nothing, pack small and provide large amounts of warmth. You can find a jacket (women's) and a matching pair of pants (women's).
