My outfit for winter

[Ruud]

Hi all,

I wrote a new article on my blog and have posted it here for those who are unsure of where to start when choosing clothing for spending time outdoors in a winter-setting. Let me know what you think!

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Clothing for Winter

Choosing the right kit to set out in areas where you’ll face deep snow and temperatures below ZERO can be a bit frustrating for some. In this article I’ll share with you which items I choose for spending time outdoors in Swedish wintertime. The reason why I choose the items mentioned below is because I know they’ve proven their capability to keep me warm in temperatures of about minus 20 ° C in different settings (wet snow, dry snow, wind, no wind, shelter, no shelter, on foot, on a snow scooter).

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The first layer consists of an under layer of nice and cosy Woolpower underwear. I like how the 200 grams pants and shirt performs. It keeps precious warmth close to your skin while wicking away moisture, which keeps your skin dry, and thus warmer.

I dislike wearing a boxer since most of them are made from cotton (which feels very cold after a while on your butt-cheeks). So I go the Full Monty before getting the garment on.

The shirt can be unzipped at the top, enabling you to adjust the temperature when you’re starting to overheat a bit.

The price is pretty good for the incredible quality you get.

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SOCKS! They are so valuable, since your feet are only about 3 centimeters away from the snow below your feet. Go for 100 % wool socks, they work the best for sure. More technical trekking-socks, made of a blend of cotton and wool, often get hard and cold after a while.

Wool keeps your feet warm and they wick moisture.

Get some thinner and thicker pairs of socks. Test to see which combo suits the situation best (two thin socks over each other, one pair of thick socks over one pair of thin socks, options a plenty). Try keeping your feet dry (good boot-choice, see below).

The socks I use only cost me 4 euro’s a pair, I’m sure you can find even cheaper, 100 % wool, socks.

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Try going for a good sturdy full-leather boot. I stumbled upon a good pair of Lundhags at their factory-store at Järpen, the Lundhags Syncro Mid. The boot would have costed me about 600 euros brand new. These didn’t get sold at some store so they were returned. I could get them for 280 euros, didn’t hesitate to get my hands (or should I say feet) on them!! Funny thing is the big boss of Lundhags came towards us to help us getting the very best sizing of shoes (important feature if you’ll need them to fit you with two pairs of thick wool socks).

They were pretty painful to wear in, but now they feel superb.

Leather is, when cared for properly, a lovely material. It repells water, breathes well and is sturdy. A nice thick rubber sole will form a nice barrier between your feet and the cold and wet underground.

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Comfortable, warm gloves, are perhaps the most important piece of kit to have on you at ALL times in temperatures around zero and below. Once your dexterity is gone you won’t be able to light a fire, open your waterbottle, undo bindings or even open your rucksack. I’m still doing fine with a pair of Burton snowboarding gloves from years ago. I dislike using mittens and I’m doing fine with these. I’m looking forward to purchasing some Hestra Falt Guide gloves, because then I have a glove that is more suited for building fires and such also. The synthetic material of the Burton gloves is prone to melting…

An important feature to look for is that they can be tightened around the wrists. If you put your sleeves inside and then tighten the gloves, snow will be kept outside.

I always add a second pair of thinner leather gloves which are excellent for firepreparation and little tasks in camp.

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I’ve written a review about the Buffalo Special Six, excellent kit to keeping your core warm. I like the warmth it produces to weight ratio a lot.

I dislike wearing more than three layers at a time. It simply prevents me to move as unrestricted as I like. Sometimes I meet people who are wearing up to six layers, they can’t move around freely and thus get annoyed quickly when they get stuck in the snow or in branches. And most of the time they don’t feel like undoing a layer or two because it takes to much effort (getting it out, put it in a drybag, leave it somewhere dry, etcetera), ending up overheated, sweaty and grumpy.

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I’ve found a perfect combo that serves me well for almost any circumstance. I can keep most of my clothing on and still air out by unzipping some zippers.

Here it is:

Woolpower 200 (warmth)
Buffalo (warmth and keeps wind and snow out)
Arktis B110 Smock (keeps wet and wind out)

The Woolpower keeps me comfy, the Buffalo adds warmth and keeps wind and snow out, the Smock keeps wind and rain out. Too hot, discard the Smock, still too hot, open the vents of the Buffalo and unzip the Woolpowers’ collar. Pretty easy to regulate your temperature without having to undo layer after layer. The Smock can be used in all seasons since it is not lined with any material designed to keep you warm. It is just a very sturdy, wind/wet proof outerlayer to keep all your clothing underneath dry.

The Smock also allows you to stow away a lot of useful items that you might need like your knife, folding saw, fire kit, first aid, flask and mug, binocular, spare gloves,….

I like having a warm drink on me when getting outside. The big pockets of this kind of smock allow easy acces to items when wearing gloves.

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Wool caps are great. They are lightweigt, stow away easily and keep your precious bodyheat close. I normally take one spare wool cap also, in case it got soaked during the day. A new, dry cap to put on in the evening is great, giving your soaked cap the time to dry.

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A fur hat is a bit too hot at times, but excells in keeping your head and ears nice and cosy while moving on snowscooters. Sharp, icy winds can be a pain to deal with while your both hands are needed for steering. When properly fitted with a pair of snowgoggles, you can cruze for hours and hours comfortably.

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A good balaclava or shemagh keeps your blood, streaming in the arteries in the neck, warm and gives an immense boost in keeping you warm. I use an old wool collar of the Belgian army. It has flaps that reach up to the shoulders.

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I like using the Fjallraven-trousers a lot. Good material, dries fast, rugged stuff. Since my leather boots aren’t very high, I like adding some more protection against snow getting inside them by the use of gaiters.

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The kit I use is very easy to adjust for other settings and seasons. By excluding the Woolpower and Buffalo Shirt I end up with a light but still weatherproof outfit. The price for the most of these items is good for what you get.

Getting comfortable outdoors is an art in my opinion. By making the right choices in regards of clothing can get you halfway there easily. Good kit has a price-tag, invest in pieces that will get a lot of use. Let’s say a Buffalo-shirt… I know it will serve me for over 10 years when used responsibly. 160 euros/10 years of use = 16 euros a year!

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[Clouston98]

Good stuff mate! Nice post

 

[Brynglas]

Great selection. I've long been a fan of Buffalo shirts and for the past pew years I've used an Arktis smock with the waterproof drop liner. I've had great success with Paramo the trousers in snow conditions. Warm, waterproof and good ventilation. Hestra gloves have served me well for over ten years, fantastic quality and toasty warm.

 

[Ruud]

thanks guys

 

[sgtoutback]

nice post, i use much the same kitout, except for boots, which i am currently trying to find a pair i like.
my smock is a ventile version of the sass smock, and i pack a set of buffalo trousers and mitts for those stationary times in my ruck.

 

[Monspoonmaker]

Thanks for a great post.

 

[Tiley]

Interesting, balanced and informative. Many thanks for your post.

 

[Ruud]

Thanks for the comments guys, very kind.

Brynglas, would the Hestra's be good enough to use on a snowscooter also? I'm not sure if they fit snugly around sleeves to keep snow out.

 

[shaggystu]

Good stuff Ruud

 

[Squidders]

Looks like a solid clothing system.

My winter clothing is more for english wet and windy winter weather. We share the same irritation of over layering (I also stick to three) and it's always odd but cool to see buffalo gear used around the world, I know it has a large following and has been around for ages but it still, for me at least, feels like a quirky british brand.

 

[DocG]

Hi Ruud,

Thanks for the info. I appreciate your insights and hope to make use of them soon.

Please will you confirm the Arktis smock is the B110 - the unlined one?

The Arktis site notes that the B110 "lacks the drop liner" which, I think I'm right in saying, makes it waterproof.

If that is the case, I'm not sure how your clothing set is waterproof.

Sorry, I may have missed something or messed up with the details.

All the best.

 

[Shewie]

Which insoles do you use in your Lundhags Ruud? I have the wool and synthetic Betas in my Ranger Highs but find I get cold feet in snow, that's with Woolpower 400 or 600 socks.

 

[Brynglas]

There are several models, I'm not sure what models mine are, I've got two pairs of hestra, both about ten years old. One with a cinch strap at the cuff, the other with an elasticated cuff. I've used them during in temperatures down -30 without liners and have been quite comfortable. They're extremely well insulated and windproof and retain a good amount of mobility for your hands. Inside them as the palms are lined with good leather and are really tough. They do mitts as well if that's your preference.
Another option that's always worked well for me and what I keep as a spare are Dachstein type wool gloves or Mitts(i prefer loves) over a thin liner and under a shell mitt. The Dachstein wool is great as it provides good grip.

Thanks for the comments guys, very kind.

Brynglas, would the Hestra's be good enough to use on a snowscooter also? I'm not sure if they fit snugly around sleeves to keep snow out.

 

[Ruud]

Hi Ruud,

Please will you confirm the Arktis smock is the B110 - the unlined one?

The Arktis site notes that the B110 "lacks the drop liner" which, I think I'm right in saying, makes it waterproof.

If that is the case, I'm not sure how your clothing set is waterproof.

Hi DocG,
The B110 is unlined, no fleece or other fabric to keep you warm is integrated. It is just one layer with rip-stop. Although the B110 has no drop liner, it still sheds rain without a problem. When you take the time to treat the jacket with a waterproof-spray once in a while or when it has become quite dirty, it does perform adequately to keep you dry until you find a place to stay or set up a tarp. But you're absolutely right, might have chosen a wrong word, it is not waterproof, just water-repellant for a good duration of time. (in the end, water wins always )

Hi Shewie,
I use no insole whatsoever, I still use the soles they came with. The soles are felted and quite thick, giving enough insulation in combo with wool socks. In the past I upgraded shoes by cutting out the pattern of the original soles out of a piece of felt (the one they sell in stores with sewing-materials).

Thanks for the info Brynglas!

Thanks Stuart

 

[DocG]

Ok,

Thanks for your reply.

I've suffered with cold and wet kit a few times, so I'm looking for a reliable system that doesn't cost the earth and can withstand use round a fire. I'm guessing that the Arktis is ok with sparks and will protect the Buffalo - even better when it's wet!

All the best.

 

[Ruud]

Ok,

Thanks for your reply.

I've suffered with cold and wet kit a few times, so I'm looking for a reliable system that doesn't cost the earth and can withstand use round a fire. I'm guessing that the Arktis is ok with sparks and will protect the Buffalo - even better when it's wet!

All the best.

Wet and cold are indeed pains to deal with and it is pretty hard to find kit that can deal with both at the same time very well. The basic Arktis jacket is windproof, can take a shower and is indeed ok with sparks, which is why it ticks a lot of boxes for me (and I like the massive pockets). The price is pretty good for what you get.

 

[Red Fox]

Nice work pal ...

 

[rg598]

Thank you for writing the article. It is very interesting.

I personally prefer a winter clothing system that separates out the insulation layers based on mobility vs. stationary functions. My system has two components. The first is the action suit. Its ultimate goal is to provide just sufficient insulation and protection for when I am active. Often times that is very little. This light insulation or action suit allows me to move rapidly and exert myself without overheating.

The second component of my system is designed to deal with the times when I am in fact stationary. Once movement stops, the heat produced by the body drops significantly. When stationary, much, much more insulation is needed to keep you warm than when moving. Because my system is centered around mobility, this insulation layer for stationary activity has to be stored for most of the time. This means it has to be light and compressible so that it fits in my pack. It also has to be designed so that it can be put on quickly when I stop so I don’t lose the heat my body has already generated, and it has to pack away quickly and easily when I am ready to keep moving.

My active layers consist of:

Top:
-synthetic t-shirt
-thin fleece layer-Patagonia R1 pullover
-secondary insulation layers (60g Primaloft)-Patagonia Nano Puff. The primaloft insulation is much easier to compress and store in a pack than a comparable fleece layer.
-shell layer-Arcteryx Beta SL-it is fully waterproof, it is harness and helmet compatible, it's tough, weighs under a pound, and compresses into a very small package.
Bottom:
-a pair of nylon pants-often times I don't need much more insulation than that
-if very cold, a pair of cappeline long underwear.
-shell layer-Marmot Precip full zip pants. They weigh under a pound, and can be put on without taking off boots of crampons.
-Gaiter-REI knee high gainets

Stationary layer:

-Patagonia DAS Parka, or
-Eddy Bauer Ascent Peak XV when very, very cold (below -30F/-34C)

I like fully waterproof gloves with liners

For socks I prefer wool/synthetic blends. I find that the pure wool socks stretch out very quickly, and are not very durable.

I use different boots depending on what I'm doing. I find that no matter the boot, or the material from which it is made, none of them breathe well enough to keep your feet dry. That's why I use vapor barrier liners on longer cold weather trips.

I used to use a wool cap, but switched to a fleece one because the wool one would take forever to dry out.

 

[Ruud]

Interesting outfit Ross, thanks. I like your approach in choosing appropriate outfit for the activities at hand and the fact that you carry good clothing with you in case you cool down rapidly. My kit would not be suited for long hikes which make you sweat a lot.

I like to put new wool socks in very hot water for a while. It makes them shrink a bit and makes them less prone to stretching afterwards (think this is called 'boiled wool').

 

[rg598]

Thanks Ruud. I know that used to be done with higher end wool, and probably still is (boiling the wool to shrink it).