Winter hiking: How to stay warm, safe and active all season long
Carl Chinnery Nature Trail at Unity Village
With the exception of extreme conditions, your outdoor enjoyment needs no winter break.
By Roy Harryman
Publisher • Kansas City Hiker
When snow or cold hits, it’s time to hang up the hiking boots for the season, right?
I beg to differ!
Although everyone has different preferences, it’s easy to keep active outside with a few simple modifications.
And on the bright side, there are advantages to winter hiking.
No bugs
That’s right! How many times have you been annihilated by no-see-ums (AKA chiggers), ticks and mosquitos? Those last two can carry serious diseases in addition to being just plain ole’ annoying. In winter, there’s no need for DEET, no itching, no hassles.
No poison ivy, poison oak, etc.
Now, I have to qualify this statement. In my understanding, these plants actually are still alive but go dormant during the winter. However, if you were to lay down in poison oak or wrap a poison ivy vine around your face, you could still get a rash. So don’t do that (if you were thinking about it).
No crowds
That’s right. You’ll mostly have trails and parks to yourself on cold or snowy days. But sometimes you’ll be surprised how many people are still out – even in arctic weather.
Fresh perspectives
When leaves fall, you get a different perspective. This is particularly true if you want to experience scenic views from hilltops. When foliage is at its most dense, visibility is limited. With winter’s pause, you can see. In addition, there’s nothing like the wonder of fresh-fallen snow, whether you’re in the woods or stomping across the prairie.
Burr Oak Woods Conservation Area, Blue Springs, Mo.
Wilson Lake State Park in winter.
How to stay warm and safe
First we may have to unlearn the lessons our mom taught us. Remember when she used to make you wear your parka and rubber boots while waiting for the school bus? That’s not what you need. If you only have one layer, and it’s a 10-pound wool parka, then you’ll quickly overheat. Then you’ll sweat and get really cold.
Tip #1 Dress in layers.
Start with an “undercoating” of long underwear, yoga pants, bicycle pants or something like that. Then a t-shirt. From there you can add additional layers. Bring accessories (a scarf, hat or light jacket) in a backpack so you don’t have to carry them. Plan on switching layers on and off throughout the hike. You’ll be surprised how warm you can get when you’re moving, even when it’s frigid outside. The goal is to avoid sweating, because perspiration will immediately become ice cold on your body. In extreme cases, this could lead to hypothermia. Let’s avoid that.
Dressing in layers gives you flexibility as your body temperature, and the weather, fluctuates.
Keep a warm head
An item that may not be in your winter wardrobe is a balaclava. It’s made of thin material and is not as hot and bulky as a ski mask. I often wear it under a baseball cap because stocking caps tend to make me overheat. A balaclava is similar to a skull cap except it covers the back of your neck and surrounds your face.
A woman wears a balaclava to shield herself from the cold.
Tip #2 Protect your fingers and toes.
Your torso can be blazing hot while your hands and feet are getting frostbite. For some people, this isn’t an issue. For others, it’s an extreme danger. Fortunately, there are several solutions. The old-school answer for hands is to simply wear mittens. By keeping your fingers together (instead of separated by gloves), the blood flow keeps them toasty.
Mittens keep your fingers together so they warm each other. However, they limit your ability to use your fingers for other tasks.
However, if you need your fingers free for a camera or some other dexterous use, this will be annoying. I’ve found touch-screen friendly gloves to be highly practical, although they’re not as warm as mittens. Often I use them in combination with Hot Hands. In my experience, these can get so warm that you have to take the gloves off and merely hold the warming packets. Hot Hands generally last about 8 hours. There are several varieties, including foot warmers, gloves and different levels of heat. However, if you’ve left a box of them sitting in a closet for years, they may be out of “steam” because they have a finite shelf life.
If you want a more permanent solution, you can carry a heater (no extension cord required!). A wide variety of USB-charged, hand-held heaters are available. Of course they can only hold a charge for so long. That means you need to consider this when planning the duration of your winter hike. Finally, you can also use a flameless fuel heater, like those created by Zippo. Be sure to read the directions and don’t do anything crazy like using gasoline or you’ll blow yourself up.
If your extremities are prone to cold, there are plenty of options to keep them warm.
Legacy Park, Lee's Summit, Mo.
Tip #3 Bring water. This sounds counterintuitive, but if you’re exercising, you’re using water – even when it’s freezing outside. And if you don’t have it, you can get dehydrated. So drink up. Heck, why not bring some hot cocoa along too?
Tip #4 Watch your step.
Just because it’s cold doesn’t mean it’s icy. But sometimes a walking surface can surprise us. If your shoes have become “bald” like worn tires, you could become an unintentional gymnast or acrobat when the ground gives way beneath your feat. In addition, fallen leaves can be as slick as a banana peel, even if the ground is not frozen. To be safe, wear shoes with traction. Trekking poles are another option. Not only do they steady you on unstable surfaces, but they transfer some of the weight-bearing load from your knees to your torso. That can be advantageous if your knees need a little relief. Like all gear, you can spend a little or a lot. So read reviews and invest wisely.
Support your knees and avoid slipping by using trekking poles.
Tip #5 Don’t forget about that runny nose
For many of us, cold weather automatically activates the drip, drip, drip of our nose. It can get annoying and … gross. Whether you bring tissues or a handkerchief, you’ll be glad you did.
Tip #6 Know when to pack it in.
Although we don’t like to admit it, all of us have limitations. If it’s 10 degrees, the wind is howling at 25 miles per hour and ice is underfoot, it might be time to go to the gym instead. Your risk of frostbite is higher and if you twist an ankle, your journey to get help just became a lot longer and more inhospitable.
But let’s end on a positive note. There’s no reason for Jack Frost to spoil anything but the absolute coldest Kansas City days. We don’t live in Northern Michigan or Saskatchewan. Winter is open season for hiking here in Missouri and Kansas. So make adequate preparations and don’t miss a day.
Roy Harryman is the publisher of Kansas City Hiker and loves having the trails to himself.