Help in staying warm while hiking and in camp

[Just_Jill]

Help! I can't get warm!... Mostly while in camp but sometimes while hiking.... I need some tips/tricks and gear ideas (without bringing my entire closet) from other "always cold" ladies.

[Traffic Jam]

I have issues too with staying warm but it's always after hiking, not during.

While hiking, you have to be diligent about monitoring your body temp and don't overheat and sweat. I often have to stop to add or remove layers. What works best for me is to hike in my merino base layers with arm warmers, a buff around my neck, and light running gloves. When I stop to eat or rest, I add my coat and a pair of warm mittens.

Eating is essential to maintaining warmth. If you are cold, eat something, even if you don't want to. Keep snacks handy to munch on during the night.

When you get to camp, change all of your clothes, including bra, underwear, and socks. This winter, I'm going to add a pair of fleece pajama bottoms over my cold weather cycling pants and see if that makes a difference.

I sleep cold and will shiver most of the night, even when it's in the 40's, so I just bought a 15* down bag. I'm keeping my fingers crossed that this is the one.

[Teacher & Snacktime]

Eating is essential to maintaining warmth. If you are cold, eat something, even if you don't want to. Keep snacks handy to munch on during the night.

My personal favorite and something that works amazingly well: Tootsie Rolls. Snacktime and I always make sure we carry the giant twin packs for each night in the tent. If it's particularly cold I'll include some PB in the snack. Dipped, of course. Delicious, decadent, and defrosting.....what more could you want?

[One Half]

add layers to your core. I have a silk base layer, then a long sleeve wicking shirt followed by a short sleeve one, then a fleece vest, quolofill jacket, and a rain jacket for more wind protection. lower level - silk base, hiking pants, goretex lined pants (for cooler weather) and/or rain pants. This is good for me in the white mountains most of the year. I don't were all this while hiking but in camp.

[Gambit McCrae]

Saw this in the "Todays Post", I would say that my method if not monitored could be self destructive BUT, it works for me HYOH.

Even in the cold of winter I wear my PFG(Columbia) zip off shorts, a dryfit tshirt. If I get cold, I put on my rainjacket. The goretext keeps my heat in and I personally do not sweat alot. If I do sweat, its just my rain jacket, so once at camp I can take off my walking shirt, put on my camp shirt and my down jacket, down hat and running gloves, and I am good to go again.

[1azarus]

this idea is from glenn at gossamer gear. he suggests you get a really oversized rain jacket and wear your sleeping bag under it -- with the hood over your head and the bag wrapped around you. not a fashion statement, but sure does make use of all that down, and avoids the need to carry a big puffy jacket. i have done this for years, to the great entertainment of those that see me. just make sure the jacket is quite large. the added advantage is that the larger jacket is less like a sauna when you need to wear it without the sleeping bag stuffing... i suggest you try this at home or at a store first! there is some skill in the wrapping...

[Another Kevin]

this idea is from glenn at gossamer gear. he suggests you get a really oversized rain jacket and wear your sleeping bag under it -- with the hood over your head and the bag wrapped around you. not a fashion statement, but sure does make use of all that down, and avoids the need to carry a big puffy jacket. i have done this for years, to the great entertainment of those that see me. just make sure the jacket is quite large. the added advantage is that the larger jacket is less like a sauna when you need to wear it without the sleeping bag stuffing... i suggest you try this at home or at a store first! there is some skill in the wrapping...

You also wear JRB sleeves with your bag, right? I seem to recall seeing you dressed like that in Harriman. (Wow, it got chilly that night, by downstate standards. I almost thought I was back up here.)

[1azarus]

You also wear JRB sleeves with your bag, right? I seem to recall seeing you dressed like that in Harriman. (Wow, it got chilly that night, by downstate standards. I almost thought I was back up here.)

oh my. it has been so long since real cold weather i forgot about those down sleeves that JRB makes for their wearable quilts. i use them on my legs or arms based upon some system i can't remember. have used them for years.

[Bati]

Just Bill had some good advice. What works for me is to change my clothes when I make camp and break camp, to get rid of the sweat. Yes, it' on polypro and capilene; the only things I didn't change were my balaclava and glove liners, as I didn't have spares (I did use overmits).
In addition, I would eat dinner in the middle of the day, and change to a dry shirt to stay warm during the water filtering and meal. Taking breaks helps me stay warm hiking, and it's hard to do when the weather is miserable. I have to remind myself to take more frequent, shorter breaks and be sure to stay hydrated and keep eating while hiking. I tend to warm up again quickly when I resume hiking after short breaks.
Supper could be a quick no-cook meal, with perhaps a cup of mint tea or another hot meal such as ramen. I tried to filter water on a hiking break, so I would warm up again. I rarely melted snow, as the amount of fuel required for this or for making a hot water bottle is incredible.
When I was having problems waking up cold in the middle of the night I hit on the idea of adding olive oil to supper. Fat right before bed helped me stay warm, but it takes horrible straight. Pemiccan (with doe fat, not just fruits and nuts) would be a more palatable choice if you're not cooking supper.
Make sure you eat enough and that it has a reasonable glycemic index (not all sugar!).
In cold weather though you do strike a balance between clothing weight, food weight, and fuel weight; for a while you can burn body fat, but that will disappear and muscle loss will set in. So plan on carrying more weight if you're backpacking in cold weather; with all the lighter gear available today, you should be able to handle some extra to stay warm.

[Bati]

I forgot to mention: try to spend as little amount of non-sleeping time in camp as possible. Hike slower and take more breaks. Shorter daylight hours make this hard, but exercise is a great way to stay warm; this is another reason why eating dinner at noon helps. When you are in camp, do things as quickly as you can then into your bag. The same rule applies in the morning; if you're cold, you can always break camp quickly, start hiking and then stop for breakfast after you've warmed up.

[One Half]

fyi my jacket is very small and lightweight. not bulky. i got it at an end of season sale most likely at REI. i don't have it with me right now so i can't check the brand but its very warm

[RED-DOG]

The type of foods you eat has a lot to do with it. the food helps the body generate heat, if you getting cold in camp and it's not necessarily cold weather I would suggest you change your diet.

[Dogwood]

Throuout the hiking day and into camp I'm adjusting all the velco, snaps, zips, flaps, etc on my apparel as well as adding/subtracting apparel as I need to manage that core and extremity warmth.

[Dogwood]

I find it's better to be a bit cool when hiking rather than be a bit too warm which leads to sweating which when stopped make me feel very cool fast.

My main targets in staying warm are my core(the torso area, where many vital organs are) and extremities(feet, face, head, and hands). For keeping my core warm nothing beats the versatility and focused warmth in that area as a vest. I hike and typically sleep in an appropriate featured vest. I almost always carry light gloves, merino beanie(again some are warmer than others so research the weather pre-hike for your hike), and warm socks.

[swisscross]

Keeping my extremities warm typically keeps me warm while exercising.
A good pair of gloves and toque usually does the trick. Try bison wool.
Pick up a buff, I really like my wool buff.

[Starchild]

Good suggestions with clothes, stay comfortably cool, not warm, will limit sweating and help keep you warmer in the long run, or in the long hike - in camp this is different but you don't want to be damp.

Camp under tree cover, not in a low valley (cold trap), but chose your camp site so you will be heading uphill first thing in the AM to help you warm up faster, find a hiking partner to spoon with.

[CarlZ993]

I try to hike 'cool' even in cold weather. This minimizes sweat. Here's what I wore hiking in high-teens start of my AT hike: long hiking pants (running shorts as underwear underneath), short-sleeve undershirt, long-sleeve hiking shirt, 100 wt fleece vest, ~3 oz wind jacket, med wt liner gloves, Buff head gear, & hiking hat. When I rested, I put on my rain jacket to keep the heat in. I ate & drank at every rest stop. I didn't stop very long & continued hiking until I got to my planned stop.

Once stopped, I make sure my shelter & water resupply situations are completed. Then, I determine whether or not I need to get out of my hiking clothes. Worse case scenario, I change into some dry clothes, eat something w/ a high level of fat content (e.g. Snickers Bar), drink something, & climb in my sleeping bag. I was taught to 'feed the furnace' when you're cold. This generates heat from the inside.

Good luck in dialing in your cold-weather hiking/backpacking techniques.

[Pinhoti]

Thanks for the ideas, these seem like some very good ideas.

[illabelle]

Just Jill, I can't help but introduce you to Just Bill: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/memb...9133-Just-Bill
Interesting guy, a bit wordy, and sometimes engages in cyber scuffles.

To your question, like others I'm not usually cold while hiking, but I do shiver for a while at night.
The clothes I wear while hiking in cold weather are intended to minimize sweating. To keep from being cold, I have to keep moving. So if I get winded, I just walk slower but don't stop. Adding/subtracting gloves and hat are a good way to extend the comfortable temperature range. I also sometimes wear my fleece vest backwards so it protects my torso in a cold wind.
At night, I definitely put on all dry clothes. No sweaty undies, bra, or socks. My bag is supposedly rated to 15*, but I swear it can't be right. I often bring my fleece vest and my down jacket inside the bag with me. I zip up the vest and slip it over my lower legs, and I use the jacket like an extra blanket. If that's not enough, I'll scoot over closer to my husband and that usually does the trick.

[wornoutboots]

Sorry, I'm not a cold lady BUT..... Fleece Pants & Down booties, MMmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm....