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What clothing do you wear for light and fast winter mountaineering?

Well, this is a good question. What I wear depends on lots of different factors. I will try to list some and I am sure I will forget some. That is one of the advantages of writing for this website – I can go back and make changes and corrections ("updates").

The most important weather factor is - wet or dry? Your clothing must keep you dry. If you get wet to the skin you are set up for hypothermia.

The second factor is  - how warm or cold will it be? This is related to factor one. If it is too cold to rain, I can dress differently. If the weather is likely to remain above freezing, I will have to be very careful to stay dry, but I won’t need as much insulation.

The third factor is – how windy will it be? Wind chill is a well known phenomenon. We actually worked as chair lift operators at 10 degrees Fahrenheit, in base layers – until the wind came up.

The fourth factor is  – how active will I be? If I am climbing or hiking fast I will dress differently than if I am belaying and climbing carefully. Having heavy sweat soaked base layers is as bad as getting wet from outside, perhaps worse because your body may be loosing essential hydration by the quart.

The fifth factor might be – how far will I be from “base camp” or car. If I can return to the rig in an hour or so, I can reduce the safety margin a bit. If I am going to kick steps to the summit of the Mt. Bachelor Ski Area, I can go light and fast.

The last factor is – I must dress lightly for the aerobic ascent or snowshoe adventure but I must carry in a day pack, a clothing safety system to put on in case I get lost in a whiteout or a companion is injured and we have to stay in one place, over night or longer. I must carry this extra clothing in a Winter Day Pack or Summit Pack. Also, It is imperative to carry an insulating pad and a very light plastic bivy bag in your winter Ten Essential Systems as well as the extra layers of clothing as listed here.

Lets talk about my own specific clothing system for local winter adventures

Lets discuss clothing for two different adventures:
Lets start with a four-mile round-trip snowshoe trek to a Snow Shelter from Swampy Snowpark near the Three Sisters Wilderness:
      Or jump directly to the winter technical climbing clothing for wear and for your essential day pack :

WHAT BOOTS DO I CHOOSE FOR SNOWSHOES?
For snowshoe hikes I wear Montrail Gore-Tex model Torre GTX ankle high boots, $200, sold by The FootZone in Bend. They are waterproof and light weight. They have a stiff Vibram sole that is good for kicking steps in hard snow. (They are good for scree, lava fields, wet trail conditions and rough heavy hiking in the summer, too). These boots work well with the simple, firm bindings of my preferred MSR "technical" snowshoes.

This boot is light and breathable with a waterproof/breathable Gore-Tex liner. Periodic touchups with Nikwax "aqueous liquid" will restore water repellency. The Nikwax will take care of light scuffs that may appear to wet out a little and it is designed to not obstruct the breathability of the Gore-Tex membrane. I use the standard double sox combination. The boots are not so tight as to impede my circulation causing cold injuries.

WHAT DO I WEAR FOR SNOWSHOE ADVENTURES?
Socks - Thin, good fitting Patagonia Capalene under sox, $25 and Smartwool "Hiker" heavy sox, $25, worn in crampon compatible leather boots such as the La Sportiva Makalu $300 or light weight high top Gore-Tex lined Montrail hiking boots for Snowshoeing, $200.

Base Wicking Layers - 1. Wicking skin layer: Patagonia Capalene Silkweight or equal polly propylene underwear, briefs $38, or long bottoms, short sleeved $36, or long sleeved tops depending on the temperature. 2. Wicking insulation layer: Patagonia R-1 or equal, insulating long sleeved shirt with collar, 10oz., $115.

Pants - SportHill Koch XC 3SP pants, 13oz., $95, good for all weather. (I seldom wear long underwear above 10 degrees Fahrenheit). The XC 3SP material is wind resistant up to about 30 mph. SportHill has a new design for their 3SP pants. It is called (by the improbable name) ATVII. It is not so tight around the calves. They have a lighter version for warmer conditions. These pants do require breathable waterproof light hard shell coverage for rain or sleet.

Gaiters - Outdoor Research Rocky Mountain Gore-Tex Gaiters, long, 8oz., $59. Easy to put on, these gaiters Velcro up the front and help keep the snow out of my boots and help keep my crampons from snagging my Koch pants..

Insulating Layers - Layer 1. SportHill Koch XC 3SP vest, 11oz., $60, and or; Layer 2. generic micro-fill vest, 12oz., and or; Layer 3. Patagonia Micro Puff synthetic hooded jacket,  or Layer 4. a Patagonia DAS Parka, the gold standard synthetic hooded belay jacket, dependent on the temperature. Typically, I might wear one of the vests depending on the wet or dry weather and carry the Micro Puff synthetic hooded jacket in my day or summit pack for belaying or stranding (maybe overnight).

Wind Shell - 1. GoLite Wisp wind shirt with hood, 4oz. $50, is always carried. It will keep the wind away but it is not waterproof, I know from experience. I carry this Wisp and put it on for a cold windy day or a quick stop for lunch..

Hard Shells - 1. Patagonia Supercell Jacket, 13 oz, $149, and GoLite Shadow Gore-Tex pants, 9 oz., $100, waterproof and somewhat breathable for extreme wet weather. (Think hard before you leave this set out of your pack.) This simple Gore-Tex top and bottom would hold me over night (over my synthetic insulated jacket), if necessary, I think. I use my older TNF Packlite Gore-Tex jacket and pants, 33 oz., if I might be in rough vegetation approach conditions. (I use the Patagonia Supercell for stylin' 'round town.) Note: Patagonia suggests in 2007, their Rain Shadow Jacket, 13oz., $149, for full layering cut, pit zips, mesh pockets inside and out, pack ability, helmet compatible hood, waterproof zippers, etc.

Hats and Gloves - 1. Outdoor Research Sun Hat with SolarStop Neck Cover, $30; 2. TNF Gore-Tex Baseball Cap, $30; 3. Patagonia Nordic Ski poly pro cap $35; 4. Patagonia poly pro Glove Liners and OR Gortex Lobster Claw Rain Mitts; 5. TNF Gore Windstopper Hat and Gloves; 6. OR Gore Windstopper Balaclava; 7. generic polly or wool scarf. I carry them all in the winter.

Clothing for a winter technical climb:
Let's end this page with a light and fast winter day-pack for a climb of the south east ridge of Broken Top (9,175') in the Three Sisters Wilderness with access by snowmachine, snowshoes and crampons.
We plan to be away from the cars for about eight hours; we are starting at 7AM. It is mid winter and the forecast weather calls for a 10 to 20-degree day with possible wind and low visibility.

Remember – I must dress lightly for the aerobic ascent or snowshoe adventure but I must carry in a day pack, a clothing safety system to put on in case I get lost in a whiteout or a companion is injured and we have to stay in one place, over night or longer. I must carry this extra clothing in a Winter Day Pack or Summit Pack. Also, It is imperative to carry an insulating pad and a very light plastic bivy bag in your winter Ten Essential Systems as well as the extra layers of clothing as listed here.

©

Read more . . .
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What clothing do you wear for Light and Fast winter mountaineering?
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