Winter hiking and perspiration

If it's sweating, it's too warm. I often pull my hat off for a bit when hiking because my head, like yours it seems, seems to overheat more easily than the rest of my body. Let it get a bit cold before putting the hat back on as long as you're moving, it'll heat back up pretty quickly.

Have you tried an ear band?

My experience is that if I am hiking up a mountain, or worse yet show shoeing, it has to get pretty darned cold before I'm interested in any kind of a hat. Up until that point an ear band and the hood of my wind shell (as needed) are plenty.

"Up until that point an ear band and the hood of my wind shell (as needed) are plenty."

+1. A windstopper one is quite handy.

This may sound stupid but, I find my ears are like a dogs nose for temperature control.

Start hiking with my cap all the way down, warm up a bit and I pull the hat up so my ears are exposed, still to warm pull it off for a bit until im cooled down and then back on again with my ears out. ymmv

I use an OR wind pro (more breathable then wind stopper but some wind protection) head band and take hoods on and off as needed to regulate. Without the headband my ears get frosty. I also use sunglasses with a keeper over the head band so my ears don't get pinched against the sunglasses by my outer layer.

I usually have a hat in my pack or pocket plus a warm coat with a hood. If it is really cold I"ll wear the hat instead of or in addition to the headband.

+1 on headband!
I love mine paired with hood on my Houdini wind jacket.
Much better temp regulation.

You need to have layers for the head and manage them just like the rest of the body. You had two layers (hat and hood), but it sounds like you needed to mange them better. It's a continuous process, you have to pay attention at all times. If you got sewaty enough to get the hat wet you kept it on when it should have been off.

The earband, as others have suggested, is good – gives you something a little less than a full hat. I'm partial to a light balaclava – one that is made of light baselayer fabric. I wear it as a beanie a lot, or sometimes down over the face and neck, and if things get severe it can go under the warm hat or hood. And as soon as I start to heat up it comes off and stuffs in a pocket. And at night I pull it down over my eyes to sleep so that bright moonlight on the snow doesn't keep me awake.

you dont need both a hat and hoodie if you are sweating both out

keep the hat in the pack

;)

> I was wearing a power stretch hat and also had a power stretch hoodie over that.
> My head perspired

Very simple. You were wearing too much clothing on your head. When going uphill you will be giving off a lot of heat. Dress (or undress) accordingly.

Cheers

For winter cross country skiing, I take two hats. One is an ordinary baseball cap, so it is thin and light, and about all it does is to keep sun off my face. Then when it gets cold, I have an old Army-issue helmet liner. It is very warm, and its flaps can be folded down to make a warm balaclava, for just when it gets very cold.

–B.G.–

My hat/hood goes on and off all day while hiking, more so than any other layer. I find that putting it between my chest and pack strap is the easiest way to stash it when not needed.

Where did you go hiking?

If I just have hats I take several to change into if I do sweat one out. Put the other on, let the first one dry out.

Mostly I have a Polartec PowerDry balaclava though, and that works really well together with the hood of my wind shirt.
If I'm cold, I wear the balaclava on top plus hood, bit hot then balaclava stays on as neck gaiter with only wind shirt hood on top, etc.
Breathes to no end but warm when it needs to be.

There must be multiple manufacturers, but mine is from Mountain Equipment (from the UK, not MEC).

Yeah, you were wearing way too much. +1 on a headband if it's just your ears that are cold.

I have this pet theory that having cold extremities makes us perceive we are colder than we really are. For me that is the tips of my ears, chin and hands. No need to pile stuff on like your Mom is dressing you up to go play in the snow and looking like the Michelin Man. The trick is when you get out of a nice warm car at a trailhead and you overdress— you end up taking off layers when you're 1/2 mile up a few switchbacks with your pack on.

I stash a light beanie in my pocket for stops or when I'm really feeling it. I have a good head of hair and don't need much head insulation when I'm moving. I'll soak my head pretty quick if I wear a hat and I'm climbing hard.

My wife loves a buff and they are super adaptable, filling in for beanie, balaclava and neck scarf/gaiter. I get too warm if I have it around my neck, but it takes care of the cold chin and ears issues.

[Where did you go hiking?]

Buck Mtn on the east side of Lake George.

"Buck Mtn on the east side of Lake George."

My old stomping grounds. I grew up in Lake George!

"I grew up in Lake George!"

Wasn't it wet all the time?

Doug

As you already know, the Adirondacks are gorgeous and the hiking tough. The forests are thickly vegetated, the trails are always wet and littered with slippery rocks, and they go straight up the mountain. No such thing as a switchback.

I'm going restrict my winter hiking to the Black Mtn area and will mostly hike to the seven ponds there (Lapland, Millman, Fishbrook, Bumps, Greenland and the two ponds on the Black Mtn loop). The ponds-area trails are little traveled, beautiful and there are plenty of lean-tos. I need to get my winter hiking skills sharpened on the undulating trails in that area.

Do you ever get back this way to hike? Have you hiked in that area before?

Right in my back yard! I do most of my hiking in that area. Buck is a great mountain. It can get pretty crowded at times, though.

Last weekend a buddy and I hiked up Black Mountain via Shelving Rock and the lake trail. That was a great hike, and we didn't run into anyone all day. I was thinking of doing Sleeping Beauty today, but ended up snowblowing instead.

not my best look, but you get the idea. if i've got a solid head of steam-on, moving fast and going up hill, this combination will keep me in my comfort range. my head might be cool, but it won't be too cold and i don't have to worry about moisture from persperation. temp in this picture is around 10* f. i've seen the results of ears that havn't been protected properly when it's really cold and it isn't pretty.

"Do you ever get back this way to hike? Have you hiked in that area before?"

No, haven't really hiked in the area in decades. I used to hike all over the area with my Dad years ago, and even do a bit of camping, but that would have been the 70s.

X2 on the buff! Love the versatility

Wool buff and turtle fur with ear flaps. Perfect combo for dry cold weather. I wore both while hunting this last two weeks in -1 to 20 degrees, works great. I hike a few miles in on deep snow and carry a heavy pack and two rifles (mine and Dad's, he's 83 and is having a time of it after back surgery) and I can't have a sweaty head when we stop and still hunt for ten hours. The buff is wonderful for wicking moisture and the turtle fur is just warm enough for when the wind blows. If it's really bitter cold I will add my hunting coat hood, but usually that's only when sitting.

Yup, too much on the head. Once i'm moving for awhile, the head needs very little in the way of insulation especially when i have hair (just shaved my head, so need a little more than usual).

One thing i've been using lately (before i shaved the head, and had a few inches of hair), is just a long triangle of polartec power dry high efficiency base layer fabric (non fleecy) wrapped partly around head especially at ear areas and tied under the chin. Probably look like an old grandmother babushka (spelling?) but not trying to win any fashion awards on the trail, so… Even that is too hot sometimes, mostly put it on at the beginning and at the end of hiking.

If it's windy, then simply put up the hood of the windjacket in combo. Also made a balaclava out of that same fabric, but i find that's too warm yet.

"If I broke a leg, and had to stay on the mountain until rescued, that wetted cap would have frozen quickly."

Slap the hat against your leg a few times. It'll seem very dry and warm again.

If you're going to be stationary, the hat you're wearing while hiking isn't going to be nearly enough insulation to keep you warm. You'd need a warmer hat or a plan to setup your shelter and crawl into your sleeping bag.