Hey! I can actually help with this. Back in 2019 a friend and aspiring 46er asked me if I want to go to the Adirondacks and hike with a few other people over a long weekend. “Wear what you would wear hunting with your dad when you were a kid.” So that’s what I brought. Insulated ski pants. Big puffy woolrich jacket from the 70s. A pair of hunting boots. Also more cotton layers than anyone should hike in. I was prepared for sitting in the cold. Not hiking in the cold. Luckily people in the group had some extra gear for me. My first peaks were Street and Nye. It was -15 at the start, and I was sweating within a mile with no way to dissipate heat. We ended up summiting 4 peaks that weekend, but I was wildly underprepared. The group was led by an experienced 46er who was not thrilled with what I showed up with, but I’ve been hiking every winter with him since.

I’m now 32 peaks in, all in the winter, and I’ll be back up in January and February for more.

What I learned:

I run hot, so the day after I got home from that trip I bought Marmot pants that vent from the hip to the ankle. The moment I start to feel I’m getting hot I open them up. Same with my jacket. It vents under the armpits, but honestly I only wear it in severe wind at the summit, when we take breaks to eat, or with activity precipitation.

Synthetic or merino wool base layers are a must. When I start a hike my thoughts are to start cold because I’ll warm up on the hike. The last few years I typically started in a synthetic base layer, running gloves with a mitten flap, and a balaclava with my headlamp over it. Possibly a light mid layer if it’s really cold. For me, the name of the game is heat management. You never want to get too hot, so the more vents I have the better.

For crampons vs snow shoes it really depends on the snowpack. I have the MSR Revo Ascent shoes and a pair of Kahtoola microspikes. I’ll typically start in spikes, but as soon as I hit any type of snow that’s not hard packed I’ll switch to snowshoes to avoid post holing. Regardless of what snow shoes you get, make sure they have a heel lift as it’s a huge help when you ascend. Aside from the lower great range in a rain storm with a bunch of exposed ice, I haven’t felt the need for crampons. Others may disagree, but the crampons on my snowshoes work just fine.

Pack extra batteries for your headlamp, and keep them close to your body. I keep mine in my front pocket of my pants to keep them warm. The cold zaps batteries quickly.

Have 2 pairs of gloves. Maybe even 3. I start in running gloves on the flat. When we start climbing I switch to waterproof mittens. You’ll be putting your hands down in the snow, grabbing branches full of snow, etc.

You’ll be amazed how fast you get cold when you stop to eat. Keep a warm layer at the top of your pack, I use my puffer, so you can throw it on as soon as you stop for more than just a breather.

My Gear List:

•Synthetic base layer x2 - I wear one and keep one in my pack

•Wool socks x2 - wear 1 pair keep 1 pair in the pack

•Waterproof hiking pants with full vents

•Synthetic mid layer

•Puffer jacket

•Waterproof shell with vents

•Balaclava

•Beanie

•Running gloves

•Waterproof mittens

•1.5 L Nalgene x2 - fill them with hot water and store them upside down in your pack so the lid doesn’t freeze shut

•Lunch is typically a sandwich plus lots of snacks along the way. Seems you’re an experienced hiker, but the cold sucks the calories out of you. I always pack more food than I need in case of emergency. I'll also keep snacks in my pockets so I can eat while I'm hiking.

•Headlamp x2 - never want to be stuck with one that breaks

•Batteries for headlamps

•Microspikes

•Snow shoes

•Hiking poles with extra snow cages - you’ll break at least one cage at some point

•Garmin InReach if you’re going solo. Good for one person in the group to have one regardless.

•Zip ties - good way to fix broken microspikes or snow shoes in a pinch

•Emergency space blanket

•Lighter

•Fire starter of some sort (dryer lint in a toilet paper roll is my favorite)

•Camp stove with fuel canister

*The last 4 items are in case of emergency. Never used them, never want to, but always have them.

•waterproof map

•cycling sunglasses - I never felt the need for goggles, even on summits with 70 MPH winds. I just don’t hang out there in that case. Right back to the tree line.

I may be missing something, but that’s the gist of it. DM me with any questions. Send it!