What to Wear Winter Hiking in Maine
Over the years, I’ve learned that having the most enjoyable outdoor experience really comes down to two things: dressing for the weather and making minor adjustments based on what kind of activities you’ll be doing. For example, if you’re going to be doing a high-intensity activity like cross-country skiing, you’ll want light layers that you can take off and put on easily as needed. If you’re going to be enjoying a low-intensity activity like ice fishing, you’ll want to layer your heaviest, warmest layers.
Winter hiking is a moderate to high intensity activity, which means you’ll need to invest in some high quality pieces to properly regulate your body temperature. I’ve included a range of products in this guide to help meet various budgets.
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Base Layers
Merino wool is by far my favorite material for base layers. It’s a bit more expensive than the synthetic or fleece base layers, but once you use it you’ll feel the difference. It retains heat, wicks moisture, and stays dry all day long. A merino wool blend fabric top or bottom will also perform well.
In the Winter, I opt for a mid weight base layer because I’m often hiking and skiing in temps ranging from 0-30 degrees Fahrenheit. If your Winters are more mild, consider opting for lightweight base layers.
Some of my favorite base layers are:
Kari Traa: their “rose” base layer tops and bottoms are my favorite—they come in so many colors and styles.
L.L Bean: their cresta 250 midweight base layers are nice.
REI: check out their merino 185 base layer sets.
Stio: I love their midweight merino tops and bottoms.
If you’re new to the world of hiking or buying outdoor gear, these price may come as a surprise. But trust me when I say that investing in good gear makes a huge difference in your outdoor experience and will save you money in the long run, because it will far outlast the inexpensive gear that is likely to tear, rip, or break from heavy use. A lot of high-end gear companies (Patagonia, REI, L.L. Bean) have policies that will allow you to return gear that doesn’t perform as it is supposed to.
Top Mid Layer
After base layers comes another layer commonly referred to as the “mid layer”. On your top half, this is usually a fleece or some other heavy material to provide extra warmth on top of your base layers when temperatures are really cold (typically under 30 degrees).
If you’re doing a long or rigorous hike, you may want to stow this layer in your bag and take it out during the last leg of the hike before you reach the summit to provide extra warmth from the wind and cold. Otherwise, you may sweat a lot and overheat, which can cause hypothermia in cold temperatures. When doing a small or easy hike, I’ll wear the mid layer at the start and if I feel myself overheating, I’ll take it off and stow it in my bag until reaching the summit.
Some of my favorite top mid layers:
REI: I love this midweight trailmade fleece. It’s warm and has a classic, comfortable fit.
Patagonia: this R1 air fleece is lightweight, breathable, and was made to perform in cold conditions.
L.L. Bean: this windproof fleece is soft, breathable, and makes a great mid layer.
Bottom Mid Layer
On top of the bottom base layer, I typically wear some kind of hiking pant that is water-resistant and tear-resistant.
Some of my favorite bottom mid layers:
Stio: these pinedale pants are durable, stretchy, and weather-resistant.
REI: These activator pants come in a large range of sizes and are wind-resistant and water repellant.
Outer Layer
What I wear for an outer layer depends on what the weather forecast is. If rain or snow is in the forecast, a hardshell or rain jacket will be helpful. A rain jacket is also great for cutting through wind while you hike or at the summit. If I don’t wear my rain jacket, I’ll stow it in my pack just in case.
Here are a few rain jackets I like:
L.L Bean: the pathfinder jacket will protect you from rain, wind, and snow.
REI: the trailmade rain jacket will protect you in all conditions.
If it’s unusually cold, my go-to outer layer is a down jacket.
Here are a couple that I like:
REI: the 650 down jacket is lightweight and provides a lot of warmth.
Stio: the azura down jacket gives a lot of warmth without the puffiness of a traditional down jacket.
Head, Feet and Hands
On my head, if it’s really cold, I’ll wear a carhartt beanie or a skida alpine hat.
On my feet, I’ll always wear darn tough wool midweight socks, followed by a winter hiking boot. If there is a lot of ice, snow, and/or slush on the trail, I’ll wear these Kahtoola microspikes. If there is only packed snow and the trail is relatively flat, I’ll wear snowshoes.
On my hands, I’ll start the hike with thin gloves and pack a pair of warm mittens to put on when I get cold or when I reach the summit.
I’ll wrap things up with a few hiking tips:
Start hiking “cold” which essentially means wearing less clothing than you think you need and then using the movement of hiking to warm you up. This usually helps prevent overheating and will generally make your experience more comfortable
If you do wear too many clothes, start taking them off before you start sweating excessively to prevent hypothermia
Bring extra base layers to change into before summiting in case you end up sweating a lot
Put on extra layers (puffy jacket, mittens, a hat, etc.) before summiting to keep warm
Happy hiking!
MyMaine
