What to wear & bring winter camping.
- Feb 20
- 6 min read
Winter camping: what to wear and what to bring
Detailed explanations on the ‘why’ and ‘what exactly to include’ follow below the table.
Quantity | What items | Wear | Bring |
1 pair | Proper winter Footwear ideally with removable liners | 1 | |
3 pairs | Socks: wool / synthetic blend | 1 | 2 |
2 sets | Underwear wicking material (including bras) | 1 | 1 |
1 | Lite weight wicking long john bottoms | 1 | |
1 | Mid – heavy weight long john bottoms | 1 | |
1 | Lite shell pants | 1 | |
1 | Heavy insulated pants (snow pants / wool pants) | 1 | |
2 | Lite weight wicking long sleeve t-shirt | 1 | 1 |
1 | Midweight insulating top (fleece / wool) | 1 | |
1 | Heavyweight insulating top (fleece/ wool sweater) | 1 | |
1 | Lite shell top (windbreaker jacket or hardshell/ raincoat) | 1 | |
1 | Heavy insulated puffy winter jacket w/ hood | 1 | |
1 | Lite weight touque/ hat | 1 | |
1 | Heavy weight touque / hat | 1 | |
1 | Liteweight neck warmer (buff) | 1 | |
1 | Heavyweight neck warmer / wool scarf | 1 | |
2 | Thin gloves / mitts | 1 | 1 |
1 | Mid weight gloves or mitts | 1 | |
1 | Heavy weight mitts | 1 | |
1 | Sunglasses | 1 | |
1 | Hygiene kit: toothbrush + paste, personal meds, etc | 1 | |
2 litres | 2 litres of water bottles (ex: 2x 1Litre nalgenes) full to start | 1 | |
OPTIONAL | |||
1 | Personal electronics: phone, camera, back up batteries | 1 | |
1 | Small day hiking pack to keep things handy | 1 | |
1 | Winter face mask / Balaclava | 1 | |
1 pair | Hut booties/ puffy slippers as camp footwear | 1 pair | |
1 | Ski goggles | 1 | |
1 | Headlamp | 1 | |
1 | Sunhat (not cotton) | 1 |
This list applies to all persons on our experiences, even kids or adults in the care of others. Hauling our things by pulk-sled is much easier than carrying it in a large backpack, but the weight and bulk still ads up. So please do your best to keep your things limited to this list. If you have any questions about a particular piece of clothing or gear ask us by email (joinus@silvergulloutdoors.ca) with a photo attached please.
Winter clothing explained: the why + what’s
Dressing well for winter adventures outdoors requires accepting the following truths. The human body produces heat that is constantly being lost. The human body also produces moisture as sweat. Winter conditions (wind, snow, cold rain) drastically increase heat loss; and heat loss occurs even faster when we are wet or sweaty. Our winter clothing needs to keep us dry and warm in various wintery conditions. This means adjusting to clothing system often. To dress well for winter, think of dressing from skin to wind; from head to toe; and from go to slow.
From skin to wind: clothing layers
Base layer: Worn against your skin, must be wool, synthetic, or a blend. Look for clothes that are “wicking’ in nature that move moisture away. Sweaty cotton holds the cold against your skin and speeds up heat loss, avoid cotton or cotton blends. Use wicking athletic fabric. Economical options from Walmart/ Giant Tiger are adequate. Socks + underwear (boxers briefs, panties, bras) are in the base layer category, avoid cotton next to your skin.
Insulating layer: Wool, fleece or feather down / synthetic stuffing. The most economical is polyester fleece, the best is wool, the lightest is down. Bring several options in varying thicknesses. This layer captures and holds heat created by your body. Wearing too much at a time while active, like snowshoeing, will cause sweat which will lead to getting cold.
Shell Layer: Worn over your other clothes, this layer protects from the elements and the weather. Examples range from lite K-way style windbreakers to fully sealed + waterproof suits.
All in one / hybrid layers: Garments built to cover two or more layers listed above, these offer value and ease but lose versatility. For example a waterproof insulated jacket covers two layers BUT cannot be separated as conditions change. Please avoid if possible.
From head to toe
Head: winter toques / hats that cover your ears at minimum.
Face: Sunglasses / goggles / balaclava or facemask for extreme cold/ high winds.
Neck: warm scarf, warm neck tube (Buff)
Top (waist to neck + wrists): wicking T-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, sweaters, jackets, parkas. Can include hoods to help neck and head areas.
Hands: thin + medium thickness gloves or mitts, & big warm mitts. Thin gloves offer dexterity. Big warm gloves look cool but are silly by design; fingers are warmest together.
Bottoms (waist to ankles): underwear, long johns, pants, snow pants. Bonus: wool kilts/ mini-skirts over pants/tights make for happy warm bums!
Note: Onesies / union suits that cover both the bottom and top body areas (ankle to neck + wrists) are great but can make bathroom time a bit more challenging.
Feet: socks - wool, synthetic, or blends that fit comfortably in your winter boots. Wearing two pairs of socks can help avoid blisters if that fits in the winter footwear.
Footwear: Proper winter footwear is mandatory. Ideal winter footwear has removable insulating liners and is breathable while being water resistant or waterproof. Sorel style with rubber bottoms and leather/ fabric tops are ok. Traditional breathable Mukluks are better in deep cold conditions and more waterproof options are better for warmer conditions above -10 C. The most economical and versatile are insulated rubber boots. Note temperature ratings apply only when active, so -40 rated boots will feel cold in -20 when not moving. Winter hiking boots without removable liners are not ideal but can be used with extra management short term. Summer hiking boots or shoes are not permitted.
From go to slow:
When we are active and moving we create a lot of extra heat and sweat. When we are still, we do not create as much warmth from our bodies. The in-between activity levels and environmental conditions also need to be managed with the correct insulating and shell layers for your body.
No or slow activity requires the most/ thickest layers to catch the little heat we create. At the trailhead before starting, during breaks, at camp it’s important to add extra layers or change to thicker warmer layers to conserve what heat we have. This may mean wearing insulated snow pants and parkas over your mid-weight or light-weight insulating layers.
Moderate activity will require we change to medium weight insulation garments. If we keep our heavy layers on, we will sweat and cool down too fast the next time we stop, and our warm layers may become damp from sweat and lose effectiveness.
Fast/ hard activity requires us to dump a lot of excess heat that is created by our bodies during exercise to prevent getting wet from sweat. This may mean snowshoeing wearing only base layers with a lite windbreaker as a shell.
Take Away Lessons how to shop/ pack/ dress for winter adventures:
THINK FROM
· Skin to wind: Wicking layer against skin to move moisture Insulating layers to catch body warmth shell to protect from the environmental conditions.
Adjust to comfort + conditions.
· Head to toe: Be prepared to cover all parts of your body.
Adjust to comfort + conditions.
· Go to slow: have various thicknesses of garments ready to either dump excess heat created while active (thin garments) to prevent sweat or to hold limited heat created when not moving (thick garments) or any variation in between.
Adjust to comfort + conditions.
Silver Gull Outdoors provides the following for each person/ group:
Travel: Snowshoes / Skis + poles; pulksled + harness + lines / duffel bag
Shelter + Sleep: Hot tents + stove, 4 season cold tents, or tarps + groundsheet; closed cell foam pad + winter rated air pad + inflation bag; winter rated sleeping bag + liner + pillow
Camp Kitchen: All meal and snack foods + drinks provided; - Stoves + fuel, pots, pans, cooking utensils; plates / bowls/ mugs / eating utensils; dishwashing kit
Safety + Emergency: Location Specific EAP; comms device; Large 1st Aid kit; repair kit; Ice safety kit.
Bathroom: T.P. + Hand Sanitizer; privacy tarp; bucket toilet + bags where no facilities exist.
winter camping learning resources.
Winter camping tips, tricks, hacks and equipment are all inspired by and innovated upon traditional knowledge that was likely never fully credited. SGO also takes from various resources and experiences in order to create safe and fun outdoor experiences. Please accept that we did not create this knowledge (we’ll take credit for naming “skin to wind” and “go to slow”!). Here are some of our favorite resources to help start your winter camping knowledge.
Books: Mountaineering: Freedom of the hills: The complete guide to winter camping: Kevin Callan; How to build an Iglu and Qamutiik: Solomon Awa
Websites: https://lureofthenorth.com/info-hub/
Courses: OCC Field Leader Winter module: https://outdoorcouncil.ca/courses/find-a-course/#courses
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