how to hike in the snow

How To Hike In The Snow Like A Pro

Table Of Contents

One of the hardest things to do is walk in the snow in this article lets break down how to hike in the snow, so when that time comes you’ll have all the knowledge and gear to enjoy your snowy hike.

How To Hike In the Snow

Winter time is once again, no more tank tops, flip flops, and short wear. Time to break out the coats gloves, and winter boots again and start enjoying the snow sports.

Time for that holiday hike in the hills with the family, or maybe your going to see snow for the first time, it’s best to know how to hike in the snow?

Not knowing how to hike in the snow can be frustrating as it’s deep wet cold and can wear you out a lot quicker than hiking in the woods during the summer.

I remember when my dad took me hiking for the first time, it was in Washington state, it was around Christmas time. I was excited to go I had never seen snow before and was dying to get out there and walk around.

But I had no idea how to hike in the snow, I was a Florida kid grew up on sandy beaches all my life, so this snow hiking thing was new to me.

Some things I learned from hiking in the snow.

Make sure to always buy snow boots that are high up on your leg, because snow can and will fall down inside your boot soaking your socks and freezing your feet.

FREE SOLDIER Snow Boots Insulated Waterproof Winter Shoes Nonslip Outdoor Footwear with Removable Linin

These snow boots are great for hiking they are high up on your leg easy to walk in very comfortable for long hikes.

Another good thing to have is some walking poles and snow shoes to help you push through the thick snow and keep you moving so you don’t get stuck.

snowshoes will allow you to walk on top of the snow instead of your feet sinking deep into it. with a combo of snowshoes and hiking poles you can have a effortless hike.

Don’t kick the snow this will result in your legs getting very tired and you could hurt your knee as when snow is compacted it can be heavy.

Make sure to stomp your feet when walking in sow slow up and down motions so you don’t risk falling in the cold wet snow.

For the most part hiking in the snow is pretty easy, just takes longer than it would on a dry hike.

Check out this video I found below the 5 things you should bring with when hiking in the snow

What to wear hiking in cold weather?

This may seem like common sense right?

I mean Duh you where a warm coat, gloves a scarf and hat you should be good to go right?

Well not everyone likes to use common sense and some people think they can do whatever they want, so lets be on the safe side and break down a few clothing options you could wear during snowy hikes.

I would recommend wearing something warm on your head like a Beanie and ear muffs to help keep your ears warm to, the two biggest places heat escapes from is our heads and feet.

Just as the opposite if our heads and feet get cold its very hard to try and warm them back up.

Invest in a nice scarf as well to keep your neck warm, you don’t want the freezing cold start setting in on any exposed skin, remember during a hike it could be windy, it could snow also.

Snow is very bright, its like walking around with mirrors on the ground and someone trying to blind you the whole time, so to protect your eyes, invest in a good pair of Polarized sunglasses.

any part of your body when espoused to the cold for to long can experience frost bite, this hurts very bad, and can result in losing the infected area by surgically removing it.

So I would think buying a good pair of Gloves or mittens. might be a good plan before you hike in the cold.

Now were getting into the good stuff LOL

Lets talk about keeping those Buts warm by wearing Synthetic underwear/sports bra. when you hike in snow or really frozen areas, a sweat shirt and a jacket don’t just cut it.

The weather can get to temperature as low -0 depending on where you hike and if you plan on spending the night in these areas, so having some warm underwear becomes supper important.

What shoes to wear hiking in the snow?

Not having the right shoes to walk and hike in the snow, will make your trip miserable.

the Merrell Overlook 2 Tall WP Boots, is a great winter hiking boot as they say its rated for weather as low as -40F that should keep your feet nice and toasty.

I love this next brand as I own many jackets from them, so I can imagine there shoe brand would perform outstanding.

North face clothing best winter clothing

The North Face Chilkat 400 II,

The Chilkat 400 II is the North Face’s cold weather winter boot, rated to -40F and insulated with 400 gram Primaloft Silver Eco insulation.

Salomon Toundra Pro

Salomon’s Toundra Pro was the first winter hiking boot to incorporate ultralight Aerogel insulation developed by NASA for spaceflight. Rated to -40F,

Vasque Snowburban II UltraDry

Vasque’s Snowburban II UltraDry boots are beefy winter hiking boots insulated with 400 gram Thinsulate synthetic insulation.

Always make sure your hiking boots are the best thing you own, as they will keep your feet safe during the trip and safety while hiking is the most important part.

Now maybe your not planning to hike in snow and you would like to know what the most comfortable hiking boots are for year around type hiking.

most comfortable hiking boots

Best Hiking Boots

The Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX, these are a lightweight waterproof hiking boot, they look great and are extremely comfortable to wear.

priced at $165.00

Pros:
Minimal break-in time
Lightweight
Stable and supportive

Cons:
Not quite supportive enough for hiking with exceptionally heavy loads
Narrow toebox may restrict those with wider feet
Low-cut ankle height allows water in while hiking through puddles or shallow streams

Best Budget Hiking Boot: Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof — Men’s & Women’s

These hiking boots are made for folks with high arches, and they’re so comfy the first time you put them on,” said one day hiker who took the pair up gullies, through meadows, and across many streams to treeline.

There you have it a list of everything you need from how to hike in the snow to keeping warm and in between, hiking is such a fun thing to do, just like anything you gotta have the right tools to do it right.

Check out some of our videos below of the products we listed above to give you a better idea about them.

Winter time is once again, no more tank tops, flip flops, and short wear. Time to break out the coats gloves, and winter boots again and start enjoying the snow sports.

Time for that holiday hike in the hills with the family, or maybe your going to see snow for the first time, it’s best to know how to hike in the snow?

Not knowing how to hike in the snow can be frustrating as it’s deep wet cold and can wear you out a lot quicker than hiking in the woods during the summer.

I remember when my dad took me hiking for the first time, it was in washtegton state, it was around Christmas time. I was excited to go I had never seen snow before and was dying to get out there and walk around.

But I had no idea how to hike in the snow, I was a Florida kid grew up on sandy beaches all my life, so this snow hiking thing was new to me.

things I learned from hiking in the snow.

Make sure to always buy snow boots that are high up on your leg, because snow can and will fall down inside your boot soaking your socks and freezing your feet.

Another good thing to have is some walking poles to help you push through the thick snow and keep you moving so you don’t get stuck.

Don’t kick the snow this will result in your legs getting very tired and you could hurt your knee as when snow is compacted it can be heavy.

Make sure to stomp your feet when walking in sow slow up and down motions so you don’t risk falling in the cold wet snow.

For the most part hiking in the snow is pretty easy, just takes longer than it would on a dry hike.

Check out this video I found below the 5 things you should bring with when hiking in the snow

Snow Hiking Must Haves

This may seem like common sense right?

I mean Duh you where a warm coat, gloves a scarf and hat you should be good to go right?

Well not everyone likes to use common sense and some people think they can do whatever they want, so lets be on the safe side and break down a few clothing options you could wear during snowy hikes.

I would recommend wearing something warm on your head like a Beanie and ear muffs to help keep your ears warm to, the two biggest places heat escapes from is our heads and feet.

Just as the opposite if our heads and feet get cold its very hard to try and warm them back up.

Invest in a nice scarf as well to keep your neck warm, you don’t want the freezing cold start setting in on any exposed skin, remember during a hike it could be windy, it could snow also.

Snow is very bright, its like walking around with mirrors on the ground and someone trying to blind you the whole time, so to protect your eyes, invest in a good pair of Polarized sunglasses.

any part of your body when exposed to the cold for to long can experience frost bite, this hurts very bad, and can result in losing the infected area by surgically removing it.

So I would think buying a good pair of Gloves or mittens. might be a good plan before you hike in the cold.

Now were getting into the good stuff LOL

Lets talk about keeping those Buts warm by wearing Synthetic underwear/sports bra. when you hike in snow or really frozen areas, a sweat shirt and a jacket don’t just cut it.

The weather can get to temperature as low -0 depending on where you hike and if you plan on spending the night in these areas, so having some warm underwear becomes supper important.

How to layer your clothing?

Start with a base layer, this is trap in a thin layer of heat to help keep you from getting cold, Synthetics or Merino wool are ideal types for warmth.

Don’t use cotton as it retains moisture

Next is a mid-layer

This traps the bulk of your body insulation trapping your body heat and keeping you nice and warm.

Finally, you should have a waterproof and windproof external shell. This is wear you want to have water resistant jackets and pants on so the wetness from the snow doesn’t soak you cloths leaving your freezing to death.

What shoes to wear hiking in the snow?

Not having the right shoes to walk and hike in the snow, will make your trip miserable.

the Merrell Overlook 2 Tall WP Boots, is a great winter hiking boot as they say its rated for weather as low as -40F that should keep your feet nice and toasty.

I love this next brand as I own many jackets from them, so I can imagine there shoe brand would perform outstanding.

The North Face Chilkat 400 II,

The Chilkat 400 II is the North Face’s cold weather winter boot, rated to -40F and insulated with 400 gram Primaloft Silver Eco insulation.

Salomon Toundra Pro

Salomon’s Toundra Pro was the first winter hiking boot to incorporate ultralight Aerogel insulation developed by NASA for spaceflight. Rated to -40F,

Vasque Snowburban II UltraDry

Vasque’s Snowburban II UltraDry boots are beefy winter hiking boots insulated with 400 gram Thinsulate synthetic insulation.

Always make sure your hiking boots are the best thing you own, as they will keep your feet safe during the trip and safety while hiking is the most important part.

Now maybe your not planning to hike in snow and you would like to know what the most comfortable hiking boots are for year around type hiking.

most comfortable hiking boots

Lets take a look at some of the top rated most cozy hiking boots on the market.

The Salomon X Ultra 3 Mid GTX, these are a lightweight waterproof hiking boot, they look great and are extremely comfortable to wear.

Pros:
Minimal break-in time
Lightweight
Stable and supportive

Cons:
Not quite supportive enough for hiking with exceptionally heavy loads
Narrow toebox may restrict those with wider feet
Low-cut ankle height allows water in while hiking through puddles or shallow streams

Best Budget Hiking Boot: Merrell Moab 2 Mid Waterproof — Men’s & Women’s

These hiking boots are made for folks with high arches, and they’re so comfy the first time you put them on,” said one day hiker who took the pair up gullies, through meadows, and across many streams to treeline.

There you have it a list of everything you need from how to hike in the snow to keeping warm and in between, hiking is such a fun thing to do, just like anything you gotta have the right tools to do it right.

Check out some of our videos below of the products we listed above to give you a better idea about them.

Check out the video on best underwear to keep you warm during a cold hike

Check out our other outdoor article

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