Winter Gear Question Smorgasbord

[David Thomas]

>”I ski down to minus 20 F”

During my first winter in Alaska, I found that the bottom of my fun meter was -15F.  Maybe that’s why Karen is in Fairbanks and I’m down here in the “Banana Belt” where we rarely get below -25F anymore.

[John B.]

Hey Bruce, for my base layer I’m usually wearing either 150 or 250wt merino wool, or a simple polyester shirt for wicking, or I guess you could call my 150 + my vest my base layer in some circumstances. I’m just seeing various winter lighterpacks & youtubes and it seems like it’s situationally dependent or personal preference whether people go with one or two midlayers even in that windy -10F to zero range. I think this might be a try it out sort of thing just because the areas I like & have the time to hike (since they’re somewhat nearby) are mountainous areas with very variable conditions. Thank you for your thoughts on that whole thing.

Thank you to Karen as well—sorry you just gotta try a new piece of gear :-) LOL but I swear these things are great. I like the idea on a bucket for when you’re in one place for a while.

Edward, I will 100% be trying that MYOG boot. My 48oz 40below bottle boot is 6 ounces, more than the bottle! Thank you.

On gloves—always appreciate new ideas because I have had my hands so numb from cold I couldn’t feel them before and got that paranoia like “oh my god was I so stupid I permanently injured myself?” and that’s inspired me to constantly try new glove systems. My current winner after trying quite a few combos was just emulating the layering you do for everything else: wool base layer, fleece insulating layer, puffy/water&windproof top layer all with a focus on dexterity. Thanks! And definitely going to look at insulated mitts +overgloves for camp.

 

 

[John B.]

During my first winter in Alaska, I found that the bottom of my fun meter was -15F.  Maybe that’s why Karen is in Fairbanks and I’m down here in the “Banana Belt” where we rarely get below -25F anymore.

Ha! Practically tropical. I have had fun biking & hiking down to about that temp, myself, plus wind whipping around. I am curious though what do you all plan for in the Northeast US for target temp for quilts and similar equipment? I saw the Hiking Viking guy who did the SOBO winter AT through hike had gone with a 20F + 30F quilt which according to this page lets you be ok-ish down to -20F. Assuming with all his gear on he coulda pushed limits further.

[dirtbag]

I winter hike/camp in Northeast every year.. mostly in Catskills. I have posted about steaks in winter.  My conclusion is to use MSR Groundhogs and DAC steaks, but I do also carry 2 titanium nails. Frozen solid ground along with roots and rocks.. covered in snow…

I have been thru all types of steaks and broken or bent MANY.. i have a gallon zip lock bag at home packed full of every steak imaginable..

[Bruce Tolley]

@ JohnB

“it seems like it’s situationally dependent or personal preference whether people go with one or two midlayers even in that windy -10F to zero range.”

Exactly. People have different metabolisms, are sometimes travelling through varying microclimates at different humidities, and perhaps most important, varying wind chill effects.

[Roger Caffin]

I have posted about steaks in winter. My conclusion is to use MSR Groundhogs and DAC steaks
Hilarious!
I suppose that if the ambient is sub-zero the steaks will remain frozen and not go bad?

Cheers
(Sorry: could not resist.)

[DAN-Y]

8. I got a whisperlite and I normally store the fuel canister outside my pack. I never know what to do with the pump. I just keep it in a snack sized ziploc in the same water bottle pocket, but I’ve read you can just leave it screwed in the canister. I just hate getting fuel on my stuff

I put together a winter cook kit that will easily perform well at -35 degrees. Uses a small canister stove with preheat coil, remote fed with small light weight propane canister. I’ll start a thread telling about it by Friday. Good things on the horizon.

[dirtbag]

Lmao.. As I see that now. Haaaaa.. Yeah, I must have been hungry.. I wanna eat some stakes!! Lmmo!!

[Eric Blumensaadt]

John, Once again here on BPL I highly recommend “Allen & Mike’s Really Cool Backcountry Ski Book”.

OK, this book is only about 1/3 on backcountry skiing. The rest is on winter camping and a bit on general winter travel advice. It is the winter camping “Bible” (IMHO) with great cartoon-like illustrations by Mike Clelland where fully 1/2 of the information lies.

 

 

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