Winter Gear Review

What worked and what didn’t on my recent section hike

This was a typical southeastern winter hike on the AT. Daytime temps reached the 40’s at times, lows were down as far as 15 degrees. Got a bit of snow, faced some wind and and some minimal cold drizzle.

Pack: Elemental Horizons Kalais- More than adequate for winter gear and a week’s worth of food. Actually, as I dial in my kit it’s almost a little bit too big. I’m going to be testing out a new SWD Long Haul 50 on my next hike, because GEAR MORE GEAR MUST HAVE MORE GEAR. Still, no complaints with the Kalais. Carries pretty well, can handle up to 35 lbs. if I’m doing a big water carry, hasn’t fallen apart in the slightest. Excellent pack.

Shelter: HMG Echo II Tarp- As is typical on my AT section hikes, we only used it one night and spent the remainder in shelters. It’s still unbeatable as the backup shelter for such hikes. At only 9 oz., it’s hard to complain about carrying it even if only used once or twice. This trip was the first time I ever used it as a two-man shelter, and it handled both of us easily.

Quilt: Katabatic Sawatch 15 Degree- I’ve been using this on my winter hikes for 5 years now, ever since Santa brought it to me. Outside of my weenie feet, I’ve never been cold in it, and I’ve had it down to 8 degrees. Just an awesome piece of gear.

I don’t use it personally, but the Katabatic cord/pad attachment system is simple and effective. The neck cinches up tight and has a snap closure and drawstring set-up that works great. This is one of the things that I’m most proud that I own.

Pad: Sea to Summit Ultralight Insulated- My size large is 20.9 oz., but I gladly pay the slight weight penalty for hip comfort. At an R-value of 3.3 it’s not going to keep everyone warm in these winter temps, but it works for me. If I were going any colder I would add a Gossamer Gear Thinlight.

Food storage: SWD Lunch Box- See my recent review. LOVED it.

Puffy: Patagonia Nanopuff- I went with a synthetic puffy because lots of cold rain is always a possibility in the winter on the AT. Kept me plenty warm in camp. Wore it twice early in the morning while hiking. Made a great pillow in my HMG Stuff Sack Pillow. And mine is orange, always nice during hunting season.

Sleep clothes: My new KUIU Mountain Fit Hoodie (6.6 oz. in XXL) is one of the lightest fleece tops you can find. Was perfect as my only sleep layer up top. My Patagonia MerinoAir long johns (7.3 0z.) worked great too, but they’ve been discontinued. My Voormi beanie rarely left my head, day or night. It pulled down over my ears, which not all beanies will do. My Feathered Friends Down Booties probably saved my feet. My feet are always cold, day or night, and unless or until I find better sleep socks, the down booties are critical. They weigh about 2.5 oz. Hard to justify leaving them home in winter.

Hiking clothes- My Voormi thermal baselayer top and bottom were amazing. Never got too hot, yet never felt cold. I only wore a RailRiders EcoMesh pant over the longjohns, and it’s very thin….stops the wind and protects the wool, and gives me pockets. I wore my old Patagonia Houdini Windshirt over the top baselayer, and that was usually enough as long as I was moving. My Voormi Neck Gaiter was crucial on this trip, and to think that I’d almost decided to leave it at home. It has a fleece lining, and pulls up over your head to make a poor man’s balaclava. I really love this piece.

Shoes: Altra Timps- a little bit “airy” for winter, but dried quickly when wet and had fairly good traction. Per usual, no blisters when combined with Darn Tough socks.

Pretty much everything worked great on this trip. The two things I decided I needed to work on were 1) better sleep socks, and 2) I think I want a Petzl Bindi. I always worry about my e+Lite running out of juice, and the Bindi can be easily recharged via a USB cable (I’m already carrying a Lumsing battery/charger). Also, once again the Guthook app kept me from taking a wrong turn LOL.