Winter clothing.... Who makes good winter gear?

[Ragnor]

I'm looking at hiking for miles in steep country, probably in snow and then standing in a creek for 6-8 hours a day.
I want to stay warm and dry as possible.

Ive considered neoprene waders vs good boots and rain gear.
I see they have kevlar coated 5mm diving gloves for lobster diving, those look promising.
I also see some high end rain gear for sale on ebay and amazon for reasonable prices.
But I don't know what is hype and what can really stand up to Washington winter weather and rough work conditions.

You guys have any tried and true brands for serious winter gear?

and of course after winter comes spring, That looks like it will be plenty wet this year also.

 

[BigWaveDave]

The first company I would look at would be L.L. Bean... they got high quality gear.

... said the guy in Florida.

 

[Goldwasher]

Either good boots with gators over good pants...easier to walk in... or hip boods....harder to hike in....nothing worse than water into the top of waterproof boots

 

[Goldwasher]

And either car hart rain gear or good gortex surplus......Ll bean is over priced and foreign made.....I think they offer financing for regular people. ..but have yet to figure out if you are actually supposed to wear their stuff outside!!!!!

 

[Bill_saf]

IMHO

if hiking in mountains in snow! #1 snow shoes will keep on top not in the snow.
#2 good pack boots with spear dry liners
#3 depending on temps and wind chill! I like my carhartt Extreme coat and bibs (NOT CHEAP) mine cost about $300.00 but you will get over the price when you find out how long they last and how worm they are.

For in the Creek neoprene waders, long insulated garnet gloves.

rain gear gortex I like the duck hunting coat it has a different hood, and a can of water repeallent after you wash 3-4 times.

First aid kit

dried food

Water

 

[Jeff95531]

The most important thing I can tell you (if you don't already know it) that any lined winter boot (Sorel Caribou used to be my choice) should be one size bigger than shoe size. And don't fill in the "gap" with socks. Cumbersome? Yep. Have to slow down...and be more careful? Yep and you should be during winter conditions. BUT, warm feet guaranteed!

I once bought some heavy duty insulated coveralls at a garage sale from someone who worked the North Slope oil fields in AK. Wear it and you could lay in the snow for hours and be toasty. I called it my survival suit.

 

[fowledup]

More important than what brand is how you dress. For wintertime remember the saying "cotton kills" also when wet untreated down is the same. Dress in layers so you can adjust your heat, overheating can be just as dangerous to your body. Start with a base layer that wicks away from your body the moisture like sweat or water should you fall in. Wool is always a go to, but nowaday there are some incredible synthetic materials like polypropelene that work better and are lighter. Next layer should be a good insulator, I like the fleece stuff with a hoodie (nice to have if you lose your hat or need a little extra warmth). Then I like a vest, down works well for this. Then comes your outerwear. I think its a waste to buy "snow" gear specific. Your better off buying rain gear, such as the Carhartt or Cabelas stuff. Outerwear needs to be breathable, goretex is a great fabric thats been around a while. Don't skimp on the outer layer buy the best you can afford, you won't regret it. Gloves- have two pair, one for mining, one for traveling. Socks- merino wool. Hat - I bring two, a baseball or someother regular type for mining so I don't overheat and I also have my trusty beanie for when I get cold. Boots, I've fallen in love with those "Muckers" any boot that I can sit on a tractor all day, not moving while plowing snow, or sitting in a duck blind ankle deep in freezing water and have my feet remain toasty warm are awesome. I hate cold feet, I've spent a fortune on boots trying to find what works. Go with the Muckers, they are truly a year round boot.
As far as waders, I like to bring neoprene ones along. Then peel down to my base layer once I get to where I'm gonna work and put them on. I do it this way so I will always have a dry layer to change into should I fall in or go over the top of the waders. Good luck -layers, layers, layers!

 

[arizau]

THINK SAFETY!!! Hypothermia is a real concern for winter hiking and getting wet increases the risk. Sorry for the sermon.

 

[XtreasureX]

Fowledup got it right. Layers of non cotton will keep you warmer than anything. Growing a beard helps as well. Another trick is to use those chemical hand warmer packs. Change your socks often and don't sit down on wet things, get a cushion and keep it dry. When you get a chill you can't shake, chop firewood. Keep a kettle of water on the fire at all times for coffee and cup-o-noodles. Get training or read up on how to deal with hypothermia. Did I mention whisky? Whisky works too!

 

[63bkpkr]

Ragnor,
Bill and Jeff have given you some good advice. IF you are going to be "working" in your gear then it needs to be TOUGH! Then in the snow you MUST LAYER your clothing and as you warm up from exercise/work peel off the layers as it is a SIN TO SWEAT in winter conditions! Sweat pulls the heat away from your body as it evaporates and the moment you stop generating heat from hard exercise your clothing becomes cold and that can kill you!! Snow shoeing, hiking, working are all labor intensive and if you do not wear layers that are easy to remove and replace then you will not last long. This includes layers of gloves/mittens. Gortex is great, delicate, expensive though if you happen to be anywhere around a bunch of 'thrift stores' you might check them out for winter gear used on the Alaska pipeline. I happened on a Gortex jacket that way, the outer layer is a tough nylon/cotton blend so it will take some abuse and of course the Gortex is bonded to another layer of cloth then it has a 300 grade removable inner jacket I think I paid $20 for it. Best purchase I've ever made!

I've also purchased some North Face, Eddie Bauer, Sierra Design and Mountain Hardware jackets and layers. They all work but pure nylon melts when an ember from the fire pit pops onto the nylon! Goose down absorbs water and when wet it is not much use at all. Stick with the better man made insulating fiber fills as they will serve you well, they will be somewhat heavier, a bit stiffer to move in but even when wet they will keep you warm.

Winter is unforgiving, you make a mistake in winter and it will Get You right now! Staying warm and staying dry will keep you comfortable and alive. I've slept out in the open in winter: space blanket on the snow, foam bad, goose down sleeping bag and me inside it and I've been most comfortable. We would cross country ski with ~ 35 lb packs including a tent for a three day outing. The only time I had trouble was when I did not pay attention to the amount of body heat my clothing was absorbing so I perspired a fair amount - Sweating in the Winter is a Sin! As soon as we stopped to setup camp I became chilled, by the time we got the floor of the tent stabilized enough so we could carefully crawl into it, I got into both my sleeping bags with my clothes on. I was shaking badly!! After some time I fell asleep, later I woke up to the fact that I was inside an oven and was sweating again. The tent made a big difference as it kept the wind off of us. I pulled out the liner bag and got off most of my clothing and went back to sleep. Things were a little soggy in the morning but I was careful all day long.

Picture this, there are several feet of snow on the ground when you step on it you sink up to your knee. The same thing happens IF one does not support the floor of the tent. Yes we stomped the surface with our ski's (you would do this while wearing your snow shoes) however it is not nearly compacted enough to allow you to setup your tent and crawl into it. We were lucky that we did not tear the floor of the tent as we sank into the snow. The solution was to pull off a whole bunch of pine boughs, layer them on the surface of the snow and then put the tent on top of the pine boughs and then still be very careful about going in and out of the tent. Crisscross the layers of the pine boughs for better support!

NEVER start any type of stove in the tent! Tents are flammable, todays tents are made of plastic fabric and when that is burning it is very sticky. Picture sticky burning hot stuff all over your body and when you pull it off it removes your skin.

Snow caves work but if the snow is not deep enough it is tough to build one.

Read up on survival in snow conditions! Fire starters are a must! Get a bunch of the PAPER egg cartons, remove the lid, pour/fill dry Saw Dust into the egg holding cups, pour melted wax onto the saw dust till it wets the paper carton, do this for all twelve/eighteen egg cups and then let it cool for several hours before trying to separate each egg cup. This saturated paper (think waterproof) and saw dust makes for a tremendous fire starter even in rain. I carry several butane lighters in my kit bag just incase one should fail (which I've never had even one fail, run out of fuel but never fail) If it fails and you only have one then you are in a world of hurt. How to start a fire in a sopping wet forest? Pull off a significant quantity of pine limbs, shake the water from them, break off small sections of the THIN limbs with lots of green needles on them. Light the fire starter, place several pieces of the short sections of pine limb w/needles onto the burning fire starter, Snapple-crack-pop-Poof the limb burns ah yes pine tar is still there even in winter. Of course along with the pine limbs you will need other Firewood so get a good bunch of this setup before lighting the fire starter. I've used this method to light a fire from soaked wood and it works, lots of steam but it will burn and once burning keep feeding it as it is your friend. Oh, one item of importance, make certain that there is no snow in the tree above the fire as the heat from the fire will melt the snow causing it to "rain in camp right around the fire".

Keeping yourself alive in the winter is harder than in summer. There are many more obstacles that you cannot see because of the snow. Everything is slippery because of the snow or water so treat your snow shoes with care as they are your best friend and will keep you above the obstacles. Trudging through snow without the snow shoes is really a lot of work, however I suspect you already know this.

Winter adventures are unique and beautiful as long as you stay dry, warm, fed and can get out of the weather in a sturdy tent.

Best of success with your adventure......................63bkpkr

I've "heard" that alcohol thins the blood and reduces ones ability to stay warm

 

[Ragnor]

Thanks for all the replies and info. I had not considered snow shoes.
I also had not really thought about the sweat so much . Though as soon as you mention it I remember how when elk hunting in the snow even with a waterproof outer layer I get soaked inside. I am fine when I'm moving, but as you say. When I stop is when I get cold.
I got caught out in a blizzard a couple years ago while elk hunting. I made it out well after dark. It snowed so fast that my tracks filled in and I was afraid I'd lose the trail.
I made it out. The guy who made a set of tracks I followed. He kept going the wrong way. He did not make it out. By the time I made it to my truck I was exhausted, soaking wet from sweat and when I stopped moving I got real cold. It scared me a little. Of course I didn't know about the other guy till they found him frozen over by Mount St. Helens. When I heard about it I immediately thought about those tracks going the wrong way.

I know winter can get ugly real fast and I'm glad to get advice from people who have had some experience with the colder climates. Usually down lower here the problem is just rain, rain, rain.

I did survive a winter with no heat in Northern Idaho, but at least I had a good survival bag and I was in an RV that kept the wind off. It was below 0 for two weeks as I recall. Not a comfortable experience, but I survived it on potatoes and spam. The damn sleeping bag just became this frozen mass that would melt and get very uncomfortable once it thawed, but it did keep me from freezing to death. Fun stuff, lol
Ended up giving that sleeping bag to some hitchhiker that thought he could hike over white pass at night with a winter storm coming. He'd have died without it.
It's hard to find a french military sleeping bag btw. lol Got it for $15 at 'Grogans Surplus' in Naples, Id. Only one Ive found on the net they want $80 for, go figure.

So I guess I should look for Carhartt over the Eddie Bauer rain gear for durability?
and I'll take a look into those mucker boots. I like the Carhartt and the Cabellas insulated boots, but I do usually get water over the top and my feet do get cold if I stop moving even with 800 grams thinsulate. Ive never used gators, I'll have to look into that also.

I have read some on extreme winter survival, it was about those guys who patrol the ice pack up in Alaska they say hydration is the key to preventing hypothermia.

Hopefully not all the roads are washed out up top where I'm headed. It would be nice if I could at least get within a mile or two of the area I am planning on exploring.
I suppose if I was smart I would stick to the side of the mountain I know till spring comes along. Though if I can find one of these veins with large flakes and thick masses of gold on the margins that I recently read about, well, nothing short of an avalanche could cool off that kind of fire.

 

[fowledup]

Eat for heat. Remember luke warm water is better in the cold as it won't rob body warming calories from you. A good way to do this is a bladder or camel back close to your body, in between one of your layers. You also lose more water in the winter by way of respiration in addition to persperation. If you start to sweat, stop and take a break as you learned on your elk hunt, when people panic, many hurry hurry hurry, causing themselves to overheat, dehydrate, and succomb to hypothermia.
Tents and Snow Caves- if your gonna have a fire or some kind of heat soure- make dang sure you are not below the fire or heat source, thats a great way not to wake up in the morning. Make sure you have fresh air intake, vent the cave with a ski pole or open up the tent a tad. Best thing is to take a winter camping/survival class tons of info and fun to boot

More on water/hydration;
“Water Balance Equals Efficiency and Survival.”
Water is the Elixir of Life and the Most Common Element in Your Body. You can survive a maximum of 3 days without the intake of water, assuming you are at sea level, at room temperature, and a relative humidity of above 50%. These conditions are unfortunately very rare during wilderness survival situations and non-existent during most Canadian winters. Do not underestimate the bodies need for water in order to function properly. Many Survival Situations have been made much worse than they need to be or even fatal, simply by the lack of water consumed by the participants. After keeping warm the consumption of water is your next most important priority in most cold weather survival situations.

To survive your bodies Water Loss Must Equal Water Gain. You must make up for all water used to digest your food and that which is lost to perspiration, respiration, and urination. In normal conditions at sea level, room temperature, and a relative humidity your body loses water to various sources each day: ½L to Perspiration, ¼L to Respiration, 1/8L to Defecation, and 1 to 2L to Urination. Exercise, Respiration, Perspiration, and Altitude all add greatly to water loss each day depending on your activity level and the temperature. The minimum amount of water required to survive is 2L per day.
“The most important nutrient in your body is plain water.” —Dr. Michael Colgan
Outdoors in cold temperatures your water loss will greatly increase. The colder the temperatures and lower the humidity the higher the water loss will be. If you are thirsty, have a headache or do not urinate at least 1L of water each day you are dehydrated. Remember it is very easy to fool your thirst by drinking just a little bit. Your Body Requires 4L to 6L Water or other liquids each day in the Wilderness to Avoid Dehydration and to Keep your Body Functioning properly. Dehydration will greatly affect your endurance. Your endurance is the one factor most counted on to allow us to live through a survive situation in the wilderness.
Water Absorbsion
Drink at least ½L at each meal and 3L during the day when in the wilderness. Your goal in a wilderness trip or survival situation must be to stay hydrated at all times. Remember your body does not absorb all of the water you drink unless severely dehydrated. 300ml of water is sent to the urinary and digestive tract for each 1L consumed. 500ml is sent to the urinary and digestive tract when you consume caffeinated beverages, such as coffee. This is an important consideration especially in winter when we tend to consume more caffeinated beverages.
Don't take chances with hydration. Do not ration your water; it is better inside you than in your canteen or thermos. Push yourself to drink as much water as you can while on a wilderness trip or while stranded in the wilderness in a survival situation. Many survival situations can be made much less demanding on your body by simply keeping hydrated. Make keeping hydrated part of your daily routine. If possible drink 4L to 6L of Water or other liquids each day while on a wilderness trip or in a survival situation.

 

[Bill_saf]

when sizing snow shoes for you add your weight + the weight of your pack. better to drag the weight in a sled then carry. I did not go into cross country skies because alot of people dont do cc. more down hill

I only touched on the basics of winter survival or getting around in snow. I think the best way to put it is plan for the worst and hope for the best your Life and safty Depends on it.

PS: learn basic Knots for climbing, bowline, alpine butterfly, half hitch ect. and get 50' parachute cord.

Bill

 

[Capt Nemo]

Did I mention whisky? Whisky works too!

That's the worst thing in cold weather! It makes you stupid and increases heat loss. Whisky also doesn't freeze and can produce internal frostbite when drank.

 

[Jeff95531]

50' of parachute cord. How important can that be, right? Me and a buddy once got suddenly stranded from each other on opposite sides of a raging but narrow creek. He had to cross as he had no way to go up or down stream. We had no rope. I stuck out a fallen lodge pole to him...he lunged for it, he caught it, it broke, he sunk, I saved him. A rope would have been good then...yep.

 

[XtreasureX]

Nemo, pckr. The whisky advice was meant as sarcasm. Sorry it was so subtle. Ragnor was asking for help to do something that most sane, sober people would just do in May. If we truly want to give good advice to a fellow prospector it would be to get walking shoes and head south. I imagine with a plan to work in the water all day in wintery weather, the whisky is already gone. By the way, the last sentence was sarcasm.

 

[Jeff95531]

I often had a flask during outings. First aid ya know. And the whiskey came in handy (when it wasn't life and death) because even tho you were cold, you just didn't care anymore! (Actually it was 101 Wild Turkey back in the day and it was the only way I could handle ice fishing.)

 

[SLNugget]

Layers are the way and I prefer natural fiber clothes, wool and cotton, over synthetic fibers. But I am a traditionalist and don't like to change. I think there are probably some new fibers that deserve a trial now a days.

 

[trsynsh]

Just remember that you tend to pay more for durability/quality, which I don't think is a problem when investing in outerwear, especially if it's going to last a long time. Patagonia, Marmot, Arcteryx, Smartwool, Columbia, Prana, Mountain Hardware, and for your feet brands like Solomon, Asolo, Merrel, Keene, Lowa, La Sportiva, Scarpa, Vasque, these are all brands that I'm familiar with and I know that they consistently put out high quality products that will last.

 

[Jeff95531]

Under Armour is also worth a look but I haven't quite picked the seasons that are best for it/me yet. It definitely wicks tho.