Oregon Winter Gearlist

I would say definitely yes to hardshell suit. I've tried a few different softshells and its just too wet for them. Nonstop rain and above freezing temps during the day is bad. Even if your body stays dry under the jacket it will be saturated, and either freeze at night or you bring all that water in your tent/ other insulation.

I stay chilly so I hike in:
Underarmour tights
nylon pants
OR Foray shells

Then at camp I have OR Neoplume puffy pants to keep me warm.

For tops I hike in usually :

two underarmor tees at the same time
OR Centrifuge hoody (awesome)
OR Revel shell

Variable accessories:
Smartwool sleeves
Marmot Wristgaiters (backwards to cover my hands but I can use my bare fingers)
Marmot beanie
OR Ninjaclava

Montbell UL down vest
Montbell Thermawrap Pro

EDIT: my wife has an R1 and a UL thermawrap and stays warm in it always. R1 is her FAVORITE

Looks good overall. I would consider a synthetic bag.

Yes you want hard shell rain gear. You will be wearing them for long hours (like all day) and the DriDucks won't hack it, especially if you have to bushwhack some headlands if the tide is wrong. I recommend wearing long sleeve polyester tops like Cap2, and you have fleece and synthetic insulation. Polyester long johns and rain pants are good for all-day wear. Consider a fleece vest which isn't too warm, but will get the cold rain shell off your shoulders. Find some shelled gloves for hiking in rain and wind.

Hiking on ocean beaches can take a toll on aluminum trekking poles and pit them heavily. Carbon shaft poles fair much better.

The challenge for PNW low elevation hiking is the teeter-totter between getting wet from rain, from sweat inside your rain gear– or both. There will be no option to hang stuff up to dry with heavy overcast and short hours of sunshine.

You may get a fluke cold spell now and then, but a typical winter day is 45F-50F, 90+% humidity, rain, and wind. If your tent has extra guy line options, be prepared to use them. If you are lucky the campsites may have some brush and vegetation to provide some protection, or the headland is in the right place– pray.

Soft shell pants are great if it isn't raining all day and would be good for the higher elevation treks. Read up on the mountain conditions. Winter storms can dump a lot of snow in a hurry. Plan on cold and snow for altitudes above 2500' and anywhere on the east side of the Cascades. Again, cold snaps can happen on the west side and make it chilly or/or dump snow lower. If it drops below freezing on the coast, it can clear up, but still be windy and you will want lots of warm stuff.

Dale – I didn't manage a trip to the beach at the Olympics last year – schedule and weather didn't coincide – you now have me looking forward to it eagerly – I better go look up tide tables and weather reports…

Go for it. It is a beautiful wild place, in your face with wind, the sound of crashing waves, salt on your lips, rock reefs to explore, sea mammals, eagles, ravens, and LOTS of raccoons.

I've gone out to Cape Alava in February, between storms. it was wet and windy, but the eagles flew right over our heads. The hike to the beach is just 3 miles and easy, but if the board trails are frosty, you can go down fast.

Bears are possible, but raccoons are guaranteed. The park requires a bear can and you will want one. They loan them out at the Port Angeles ranger station— I don't know about winter. At Cape Alava I had a raccoon try to steal my gorp in broad daylight while I was leaned up against a tree and reading. They woke us up screaming and fighting close by and night. The ravens can open a pack zipper, and will.

We did a hike to Rialto Beach at high tide and we had to walk on the disk-shaped cobbles just down from the driftwood line. They were like ball bearings, allowing you to take one step forward and sliding half a step back. It was the toughest flat hike ever. The odd movements used some unpracticed muscles and made me sore. Lower tide leaves hard packed sand better than a city sidewalk and with fewer obstacles.

We should be getting some weird stuff coming ashore from the Japan tsunami.

Like I said, watch your aluminum poles.

I've done Sand Point and Cape Alava, Rialto Beach, Toleak Point – in recent winters – that is one of the best areas I can think of – few other people backpacking. I've done it a couple times in the summer but way too many people.

Otters following along in the ocean as I walked, looking at me. Bald Eagles following me up above in the trees.

I wrote something up for portlandhikers.org if anyone's interested http://www.portlandhikersfieldguide.org/wiki/Washington_Coast_Hikes?portlap0_phwiki_wiki__session=7fd4e8e70e061f16657b71cb3675adfc

Just got couple of Cap 3 long sleeve base layer on Patagonia website. For insulation went with Patagonia R3 Fleece jacket, I don't want to carry Down based layers and wory about getting them wet from rain or from body evaporation. I also have a torrent shell for some reason I thought it didn't meet the hard shell criteria. So the list looks like this now…

1. Base Layer: Patagonia Cap 3
2. Light Insulation Layer1: Patagonia R1
3. Heavy insulation Layer 2: R3
4. Heavy Heavy Insulation Layer: R3+Serrano Primaloft jacket. (When visiting areas like crater lake or central Oregon where its cold and dry.)
5. Shell: Torrent shell

Bottoms

1. Baselayer: REI med weight long underwear
2. Pant: Not sure which one. Should I get breathable Rain pants or just a Torrent shell pant.
3. Insulation: When in camp, Primaloft pants?

Head Gear

1. For 40F and windy: Ear band + or Dicks Sporting goods some Acrylic beanie.
2. Anything lower than 40F: Patagonia wool beanie with fleece lining.
3. Dry cold with blowing wind: Some Balaclava everything above.

Gloves

1. Base: Mountain Hardwear Power stretch
2. Colder: OR gripper gloves
3. Shell when its rainy: REI taped mitts

Footwear

1. Layer1: REI coolmax liner
2. Socks: Med or light weight merino wool hiking socks.
3. Wet: Rock Goretex socks.
4. May be a pair gaiters? not sure.

Sleeping

1. Merino 150wt long sleeves and 200 wt long bottoms (just sleep wear)
2. Montbell Super Spiral #1 bag
3. Colder than 20* wrap my 50* Down quilt inside the MB bag.
4. Since I am a cold sleeper and find I am still cold after all these, wear insulation jacket.
5. Merino heavy woolen socks.

2. Pant: Not sure which one. Should I get breathable Rain pants or just a Torrent shell pant.

Torrentshell stuff is breathable.

From Patagonia:
"They're lightweight, waterproof and breathable: Torrentshells keep you singing in the rain when thunderstorms boom. These H2No® Performance Standard pants are made from 2.5-layer nylon with a waterproof/breathable barrier and a Deluge® DWR (durable water repellent) finish….."

I use Marmot Precip full zip pants. Easy on/off and you can vent them. Fabric-wise, about the same as the Torrentshell. Watch for spikes from broken branches on the driftwood– hard on rain gear and your backside :)

What I understand is that torrent shell pants are to be worn on top of Nylon pants, they aren't next to the skin/long base layer pants right? is there any rain pants which can be worn next to the skin or base layer.

You could wear Capilene or simliar under rain pants.

"What I understand is that torrent shell pants are to be worn on top of Nylon pants, they aren't next to the skin/long base layer pants right? is there any rain pants which can be worn next to the skin or base layer."

There is no hard and fast rule. I don't know of any rain pants that feel good on the skin with cold rain on the other side and some sort of wicking base layer is going to aid moisture transfer. I don't like having a bunch of bulky layers and nylon pants just make it hotter, which equals more sweat. With just a base layer under, the rain shell glides nicely over your legs and you don't feel like your Mom just dressed you to go out and play in the snow :) You might as well just get out of bed and put your rain pants on. Your nylon hiking pants would just be extra weight.

If I was going to take some other pants, light soft shell pants are great for low altitude winter hiking. They will shed light precip if is one of those days where it just spits are you for 15 minutes at a time. The soft shells will cut the wind yet breath, they feel good and are easy to move in. If it whips up, light soft shells would still pair up pretty good with your rain pants. You don't want the thick heavy stuff unless you are higher up and cccccold— back to Michelin Man mode.

You know, if you are living in the same climate, your can walk the dog and test a combo on a cold rainy night. Those rain pants don't know if you are in Portland or out on the coast :)

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Bump

This thread wasn't showing up in the forum listing like it should. It should show up now.

BPL forum software is seriously antiquated , why aren't they using something like vBulletin or phpbb.

Paramo (or Cioch Direct) pants would be the only ones that are pleasant to wear next to skin. More importantly, they are more reliable, warmer, much more comfortable (super supple) and WAY more breathable than anything else out there.

Their drawback is that the fixed liner adds warmth, so they are really only good in cool to cold weather.

Check the site for reviews and forum discussions.

I'm not sure what kind of winter you're talking about in Oregon. Are you talking about low elevation Columbia Gorge backpacking in the rain, or winter backpacking in eastern Oregon on 10' of snow? You really need to define if you're talking about hiking in the rain or on snow and build a list from there. My guess is most folks' recommendations would swing wildly based on this difference.

I'd say that regardless, your puffy is too little. 60g PL1 insulation is sweater weight. I typically don't go out in Oregon summers with that light a jacket. On-snow winter backpacking, I take an R1 (grid fleece), then a synthetic sweater weight jacket like the Serrano, and then a down jacket with ~5oz of fill for in camp.

Kyle, the OP talked about backpacking in the rain (presumably lower altitude in western Oregon and Washington) and also at Crater Lake (high Cascades).

To the OP: Even the high snowy Cascades can be wet; during warmer spells (such as our "pineapple express" storms) it can rain as high as 7,000-8,000 feet and the snow is usually soggy (our infamous Cascade Concrete). You have to be prepared for soggy conditions even well above the snowline.

East of the Cascades it's a lot dryer, with continental (much colder in winter) climate–more like the Rockies. Even the eastern slope of the Cascades is significantly dryer and colder. Be prepared for below zero temps.

"Wild as the wind in Oregon, blowing up a canyon" — Maverick

5 degrees Farenheit with a 30+ mph continuous wind. You can see that in winter commonly
east of the Cascades.

If you plan on winter trips from Burns east, think mountaineering gear for high winds.
A wind shirt won't cut it. It will beat you about the head and shoulders.

—

If you plan on winter trips in the Cascades, think back country ski/snowshoe gear including avalanche beacons etc.

Last weekend we car camped and did a 12 mile hike on the OR coast. It was a humid slightly rainy 50F temps. I tested my layers and felt it worked out okay but needs some changes.

Torso
1. Base: Patagonia Cap 1 silk weight
2. Ice Breaker: 200 Long Sleve shirt
3. Frog Toggs Rain Jacket
4. Serrano Primaloft Jacket when stopping for a break.

Lower

1. Ice Breaker 200wt long underwear
2. Columbia Nylon pants

Hands

1. OR gripper gloves which worked perfectly to cut the windchill, normally I would remove the gloves 15-20 min after getting started.

Footwear

1. CoolMax liner
2. Midweight wool socks
3. Salomon Quest 4D GTX shoes.

Head

Some cheap Acrylic cap from Walmart

Over I think the Icebreakers weren't required and I could have gotten away with Cap 3 shirt and lightweight long underwear. The shoes worked really well but started giving a hotspot at the back of the heal. I should probably take my Patagonia Torrent shell next time. Also it is a pain to take the rain jacket off and on to put on the insulation layer.

I think I need to get a decent Down Jacket for Mt.Hood trips in the snow or when I want to go east of the cascades.

BTW I returned my R3 Fleece Jacket and got a R1 hoodie.