This is list is especially applicable to :
New Zealand, Tasmania.... at any time of year. NZ has been rated "the hardest western country to hike" by many USA thru-hikers who have done the PCT etc.
In some countries/areas, you can be hit by snow or windchill at any time of year... especially alpine regions.
If you dont have enough insulating layers, life can get quite unpleasant and even dangerous, especially if your hands and feet get really cold while hiking. Which can affect your judgement, navigation and lead to dangerous choices.
Examples:
Kosciusko NP, (1900m) Australian Alps in January: 60km/h winds , windchill : zero degrees... I had to go down with the chairlift, buy a pair of gloves, back up, hike, setup camp.
New Zealand:
I've also been hit by wet snow (worse than dry snow as it gets you wetter) in NZ in January.... on the Rees pass at 1400m....
boots held out for a while, and then the freezing water got through... cold and wet feet, slogging towards the Dart hut, where I dried my clothes above the stove.
That is where I decided to buy the goretex overmitts (no insulation), as these dont wet out like normal gloves. Also they come off in a second, for eating or adjusting gear.
If hands are not wet/ exposed to wind, they stay warm in these wintry but not arctic conditions.
Tasmania examples:
Tasmania (1200m) , 2nd week of Nov 2019: Walls of Jerusalem NP, with unusually snowy conditions. Base camped a wild dog creek for 5 nights. Days of continuous snow/sleet (wet snow). Days of sun with snow flurries.
Mild Hypothermia at the end of a 20km circuit with 5 river crossings (impaired judgement, blood sugar raised with a muesli bar from 1st aid kit).
Typical Gear Used:
GOOGLES
For snowy and windy conditions (snow melts on large surface, snow doesn't come in sideways, fogging avoided to some degree.) can use the "low light lens" suited for fog etc in most hiking situations.
Goretex OVERMITTS
(not insulated, thin shell, eg 100$AU from ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk)
Very light, dry quickly, don't wet out, easy to put on and off when faffing with gear or food.
For base camp and lunch stops during hikes.
Or to wear in a dry snow blizzard.
Synthetic in my case - dries quickly when soaked (unlike down), affordable.
(Down also works, as long it doesn't get too wet. Is lighter weight.).
Preferably with a hood... avoids having to have a big bonnet, and cuts sidewinds when in blizzard, goes over helmet when climbing.
SYNTHETIC TROUSERS
for base camp. (not essential but nice).
These can also be used in the sleeping bag too beef up insulation , as can the Belay jacket in extreme cold.
I use the same trousers when ski touring/Mountaineering , at the end of the day. They have full side zips, and I just pull them over my goretex ski bib.
1 or 2 litre MSR WATER BLADDER
(Dromlite in my case): At the end of day, filled with almost boiling water and used as hot water bottle within the sleeping bag.
I used my one 4l bladder, but next time I will bring that for water storage, Plus a small 1 or 2 litre bladder dedicated to hot water bottle, to make life simpler, so I can have a water bladder while I warm up with a hot bladder.
(130g for 2L dromlite. )
BUFF for neck - regular nylon. keeps wind of neck. Can be used as hat in strong winds.
Thin Merino WOOL BONNET
For everyday hiking: Light, easy to put away, doesnt overheat your head.
LOL.... this what you look like when fighting cold on a hike...
Regular or legionnaire SUNHAT
- for those sunny days with lots of high altitude sun and reflection from the snow.
SOCKS:
Example: Wilderness Wear - Men's Merino Fleece socks.
83% Australian Merino
15% Nylon
2% Spandex
Do not use cotton socks... they will get soaked and take forever to dry and retain zero heat.
From summer to winter, you can use WOOL socks.
in Summer - can use a thinner one (eg the very high quality NZ "icebreaker" thin wool socks).
In Tasmania and many alpine areas, I would use THICK wool socks, eg "wilderness wear".
Number of socks: 2 for hiking . 1 for base camp only.
I try to wash 1 pair a day, and dry it on my pack or in the sleeping bag. Thus I interchange 2 pairs.
The third pair is my "virgin" pair, to avoid getting it wet, I put on under my sandals at the end of the day. This pair can be superthick.
Mats and clothes-drying system:
Z rest SOL foam mat for day hiking - lunch stops , or if I get injured and need to lie/sit.
Advantages: doesn't puncture so can use on ground.
100$ AU
R 2.6
400g / 14 ounces
For sleeping:
Zrest foam mat +
2nd mat on top: can be foam or self-inflating.
in my case: sea to summit "Ultralight Insulated".
170$ Australia:
R 3.3
weight 470 g small size. (168 cm x 55cm)
520g Regular 183cm
(includes stuff sac which doubles as an inflating bag).
(I use small at my height of 181cm, as I use with a long mat underneath. And my pillow rests outside the ultralight mat. )
advantages of this mat:
Easy to deflate due to special double valve. Doesn't crinkle when you sleep on it. Packs down small. fairly light.
Gives a total of:
R 2.6 + 3.3 = 5.9
As long the total R value is around 5, you can sleep on snow etc without getting that cold back/ thigh feeling.
Total weight is 400 + 480 = 880g.
For me, its worth having at least one foam mat, as it will NEVER get a puncture, and I can use it on day hikes.
2 mats also means you can place wet jackets/ trousers etc between the 2 mats and "Iron dry" them while sleeping.
If you have a synthetic sleeping bag, you can place these straight under the bag, as it will dry out quickly, unlike down.
Cosy in my bag after a long day's hike.
feet heating up with hot water bladder between them.
Gas cooker setup so I can cook in the tent (silicone pot rest, MSR green plate to put gas burner on while cooking, for a stable base. continous observation while flame on, with no sudden movements. Tipping a live flame in a tent is a recipe for disaster. I always have the fly a bit open to evacuate Carbon Monoxide.
Soup/ Hot chocolate to warm body up.
some small wet clothes in bag to dry (thermals, socks).
The rest between 2 mats
Wintry "Scottish conditions", with snow on track, snow flurries
Relaxing at base camp with Rab synthetic (Photon X) Belay Jacket (670g EU 54, UK Large),
and Rab synthetic insulated Trousers (Photon Pants). 530g in large.
Waking up and having to pack up the tent in the snow...
result: can't feel my hands and have to sit on mat, heat up water and pour warm water over them.
Hiking back down with a blanket of snow on the track and tree branches.
For full blog post:
click here
Addendums:
Big warm Jackets
Article on "Belay" jackets concept:
https://rab.equipment/uk/basecamp/behind-the-scenes/photon-x-review/
Photon X belay jacket:
(if you get a belay jacket, get it nice and oversize so you can layer it on top of a goretex jacket etc) .
Mine is "Large".
440 $ at bogong equipment in Melbourne.
http://www.bogong.com.au/rab-photon-x-primaloft-jacket-29602.html
Very similar product from Mont:
350$ AU
https://www.mont.com.au/collections/mens-insulation/products/guide-hoodie-primaloft-men
------------------------------------------------------------------
Overmitts (thin uninsulated goretex-like mitts)
Mine are silver 3 layer (more durable than 2 layer).
Made by XTM (Australian company).
one possibility:
https://www.ultralightoutdoorgear.co.uk/equipment-c3/socks-gloves-mitts-hats-c151/mitts-c153/tuff-bags-gore-tex-paclite-overmitts-p878
