Winter Gear List

Is that minus 20F the lowest daytime temp or lowest nighttime temp?  Is the guide service providing the tents?

Hi Bruce,

I believe that’s the lowest extreme nighttime temps at that elevation. The guides will be providing tents but I’ll be bringing an HMG Ultamid 2 with inners.

Stephen

I use a MLD Duomid for snow camping below tree line in the Sierra Nevada where the winter temperatures range from 5 degrees F at night to 30 degree F during the day.  I would not take my Duomid above tree line since when the wind really starts blowing it is very difficult to maintain a seal to prevent wind blown snow from accumulating inside the mid not to mention piled up and pressing against the walls from the outside. Some vendors add snow skirts to their mids to address the former issue.

I personally like putting on a synthetic puffy (the now discontinued Patagonia Das Parka) over my Goretex parka because I once almost got hypothermic on Mt Shasta. We were stopped and delayed during a very strong wind while the guides assessed the avalanche danger. I got cold, and  had to take off my waterproof breathable parka to add a layer of insulation from my pack, and the damned zipper froze on my Marmot parka. Took me 2 or 3 minutes to get the thing zipped up.  I went back to REI and exchanged the Marmot parka for a Arcteryx Beta AR (and paid some more cash. ).

Oooh yeah that’s a good idea. I think with the inner for the Ultamid will help with any drifts as well as building a barrier if it’s too windy.

As for layers, I have a fleece, a light down and a Goretex windproof jacket. I think I need to upgrade my down jacket to a parka that’s more insulated and warmer.

Stephen

Here is a whole thread about pitching mids when expecting spindrift and wind: https://backpackinglight.com/forums/topic/53849/

Yes to a big puffy with a good hood.  When it gets really cold around the snow kitchen, I like putting 16 oz Nalgenes filled with hot water into the inside pockets of my Das Parka,

Thanks for the link! That was informative. Good idea about the bottles in the pocket too!

First of all, don’t try to be ultralight in those conditions. The stakes are just too high. You may need a bigger pack. You’ll need a lot of down. That will take up a lot of space.

Also, you’l be spending a lot of money to get this gear. Sorry.

My kit can go down to around 0 F. I have a Rab neutrino endurance parka, and I like it a lot. I bought down pants from Goosefeet gear. I wouldn’t go without down pants; I started getting hypothermic without them when it was in the 20s with wind. I have a 5F rated Western Mountaineering bag. I wouldn’t take that down to -20F. I would never take a quilt into those conditions.

For one stop shopping, I would visit Feathered Friend’s website. They make gear for extreme conditions. It’s great quality, but you pay for it.