Don鈥檛 rely on your fancy tent and minus-15-degree sleeping bag to keep you warm in the backcountry. Sure, those things help, but your comfort, possibly even your survival, comes down to the basics: the clothes on your body. Sounds simple, and it is, if you know the general principle behind layering. We spoke with professional ski mountaineer about her apparel system, gear hacks, and love affair with wool.
#1. Dress for Head-to-Toe Warmth
It鈥檚 better to have layers you can remove rather than thick single pieces you can鈥檛. Start with a solid base layer for your legs and upper body, then add different jackets, midlayers, pants, and cold-weather accessories from there. Remember your toes and head: These extremities can be responsible for lots of heat loss, which will make the rest of your body frigid, too.
#2. Warm Your Lower Body
O鈥橬eill suggests full-length tights for your legs. This base layer should be made of a wool-synthetic blend, which combines the warmth and anti-stink properties of wool with the durability and wicking of synthetic. On top of that, use a Gore-Tex or windproof touring pant, depending on the conditions. If it鈥檚 wet and cold, go with the Gore, which has top-notch waterproofing capabilities. Use a simple wind pant if conditions are warm and dry. If it鈥檚 really cold, sandwich a pair of puffy pants with wool or synthetic fill between the two.
#3. 鈥nd Your Upper Body
O鈥橬eill covers her torso and arms with two wool shirts鈥攁 crewneck under a quarter-zip top. Make sure whatever you pick feels good against your skin so it can double as pajamas. 鈥淭aking off your base layer is the quickest way to get cold,鈥 says O鈥橬eill.
She layers a lightweight, windproof zip-up hoodie over those base layers, followed by a mini puffy filled with either down or synthetic fill. Go for down if you鈥檙e in a cold, dry climate and synthetic, which dries much faster, if you鈥檙e camping in the wet.
On top of it all, O鈥橬eill wears a Gore-Tex shell. If it鈥檚 super frigid, she caps it all off with an oversized, hooded down jacket.
#4. Remember Your Hands and Feet
To keep hands warm, pack several types of gloves with varying thickness, including thin liners; thicker, dexterous ski gloves; and heavy down mittens.
Bring along plenty of wool socks, too. O鈥橬eill tucks a thick pair into her sleeping bag so she always has something dry for bed. Bring at least two more pairs than you think you鈥檒l need, and store them separately and in dry places, just in case.
Durable shoes are also a must. 鈥淚 carry down booties,鈥 says O鈥橬eill. Compressible down booties with a hard sole that cinch at the top keep snow out and feet warm.
#5. 鈥nd Your Head
Avoid the pom-pom, says O鈥橬eill鈥攊t can catch on tent zippers. Instead, bring a simple fleece-lined cap that covers your ears and fits under your jacket hood.
Other Tricks for Beating the Cold
- Fill half-liter water bottles with warm water. On every trip, O鈥橬eill brings at least one half-liter bottle to fill with hot water and put in the pockets of her down coat or the foot of her sleeping bag.
- Speaking of sleeping bags鈥 Buy the right one. If you鈥檙e camping in winter, you鈥檒l want one rated to below the temperatures you think you鈥檒l encounter. Here are some of our favorites, rated down to zero degrees.
- Bring hand and foot warmers. O鈥橬eill packs these into her first-aid kit, but for emergency purposes only. 鈥淒on鈥檛 count on them,鈥 says O鈥橬eill. Bring them just in case.
- Dry your socks in your sleeping bag. Wool dries fast when paired with body heat. If your socks get soaked during the day, tuck them into the foot of your sleeping bag at night. They鈥檒l be dry by morning.