Gear I use for winter hiking.

Today I wanted to talk about the gear I use while winter hiking. If you are new to the hiking world then you may not know having certain equipment can make your hiking experience much better. If you are not new and are just looking for some other equipment to try out, then you found the right blog!

I will add links to all items underneath each description/review.

I am rocking the Salomon X Ultra GTX hiking boots. These boots are awesome! They are waterproof and the Quicklace is amazing. Never have to worry about tying your boots, just loosen and tighten with ease. They are super lightweight! I don't feel like I'm wearing a hiking boot...more like a sneaker. The only con I have discovered this far is when the bottoms of the boot become wet, they slip on rocks very easily.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B071HY3349/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B071HY3349&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=ec6226a632fddc22f980acfe88f2dcca

Inside of my hiking boots I am rocking Smartwool socks. I have a range of short to long Smartwool socks. As well as summer and winter ones. No matter what style I have, they all rock! These help prevent blisters. Also keep my feet warm in the winter as well as dry from all the sweat in the summer. I am not sponsored by them, but by far the best hiking sock brand in my opinion.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0943KRQLM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B0943KRQLM&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=04cabfcf6b4a6e77a86a7701c69590e8

Next would be my hiking pants. I have a pair of Columbia pants which are nice. I also have a pair of Vuori hiking pants. But my all-time favorites are my Stio hiking pants. These things have all zippered pockets so I don’t have to worry about losing things. Zipper, button and built in belt. Now I don't have to pay the price for forgetting my belt. They are extremely flexible and comfortable. I have no issue stepping up over boulders or climbing with them on. I doubt I will ever need to hike up my pant leg to get more flex in the pants. They are ready to tackle any condition. And to top it off, I think they are fairly stylish for hiking pants.

https://www.stio.com/products/mens-pinedale-pant?variant=40612111057070

Working my way up I have a couple different layers I use. My marmot base layer is awesome and keeps me warm. It is water resistant and wind proof. But it doesn’t protect me fully from the water so I have the REI Co-op XeroDry GTX jacket for full waterproof and additional wind resistance. This jacket is very light weight and packs up nicely. You'll have no issue stuffing it into your backpack and then using it for protection when needed. When using this shell with layers you'll be warm and dry. I don't feel constricted nor do I feel like it's too baggy. Just the right fit for a outer layer/shell.

https://www.rei.com/product/137308/rei-co-op-xerodry-gtx-jacket-mens

I have REI fleece gloves. Inexpensive and keep my hands warm. A nice perk is they have the thumb and finger material to be able to use your phone while they’re on. Nothing to fancy here. Just gloves for warmth. They are fleece so I would go with another material if you are searching for snow/waterproof gloves.

https://www.rei.com/product/136764/rei-co-op-fleece-gloves-mens

For my head I always wear a beanie and sometimes a face shield. But these aren't any special brand. But I do recommend keeping the head and face warm.

Now for accessories;

I have the Osprey Skarab 22 backpack. This backpack is perfect for day hikes. It has pole holders, plenty of space inside, top small zipper for easy access, water bottle holders on each side, and plenty of spots to hook things on the back with carabiners. It is a hydration backpack, so it comes with a 2.5 L reservoir bladder. Which is a must to have water while hiking, even in the cold winter days. My favorite thing about the water hose for Osprey backpacks, is the chest strap on the backpack has a magnet. This allows your hose to always be right there and not hanging around somewhere. I am able to bring my first aid kit, other essentials, snacks for the day and extra layers with plenty of room inside. Most day hikes I pack my drone inside the backpack in addition to all of stuff I just listed. Spacious, but definitely not a multi day hike kind of backpack.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07JLLRB8W/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07JLLRB8W&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=2f6dd40f39927e1da2de6167cfa25bf1

For safety purposes I have the Garmin InReach Mini. This is my satelite communicator, just in case I were to get lost or something bad happens. If you don’t know much about these I recommended doing some research. I also recommend having one if you like to hike in remote places. Especially if you are a solo hiker! The only downfall is, you have to pay a monthly subscription for the services to work. This is in addition to the one time fee of purchasing the item. With the monthly service, you have access to message and text friends/family. You can choose how many messages you want to send per month by picking the right subscription. They all come with unlimited SOS calls. Which is great to have access to contact search and rescue IF you ever find yourself in a situation where you need them. For me, it’s a nice peace of mind knowing I have contact with them at any given time.(Pending you're not in such a deep valley or crevasse where you don't have a clear shot to satellites.)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07CR7PL54/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B07CR7PL54&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=38e8572e996c83880b3972eaa5563c0e

I use Cascade Mountain Tech trekking poles. These poles are lightweight in my opinion and are easy to compact down when not in use or to put on my backpack. They extend out for hiking pretty quickly with two adjustable latches per pole. Find the correct length and your'e good to go. I haven’t had any issues with these thus far. They are a great tool to lighten the load off the knees. They can assist with going uphill and up big steps, as well as taking a lot of pressure off your leg as you descend the mountains. These poles will assist most when you're on extremely steep grades AND when you're hiking in snow/icy conditions. A few times we have used the poles through snowy sections and they give you extra stability for those slippery conditions. Also allowing you to save yourself from falling if you roll an ankle or just slip in general.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01L2HYPNW/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B01L2HYPNW&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=707ac2d06b94cb3612a47d8705cd131f

During the winter time, for ice and snow hikes, I have the Kahtoola microspikes. Now these things are amazing! If you need some traction for your hikes. These are a MUST. I tested them out by walking on ice and I felt perfect traction, as if I were on regular ground. As soon as I took them off I was slipping around. I had no idea how great these things were until I did this test. I just took them for granted. But now I've officially tested them on the same conditions as just boots. I will not be attempting any winter snow hikes without them. Whether you plan to hike on ice or hard packed snow I highly recommend these things.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00RXXD41E/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B00RXXD41E&linkCode=as2&tag=likestohike10-20&linkId=e439ee270bb8844dfc7312d637d0a6e3

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