How do you prepare for winter hiking

Who said you should be lazy during the winter? With our cold weather hiking tips, we will make you love hiking in the winter.

We all know, we get a little lazy when the temperatures drop down. All we want to do is to cuddle and cozy up to a fire. You can do all that while hiking. How? Here’s how:

Winter Hiking Tips for you:
A quick view of winter hiking tips:

1. Choose Uphill trails
2. Layer up smartly
3. Warm Up with A Drink
4. Follow the Sun
5. ‘Fast’ Snacks
6. Protect head

1. Choose Uphill Trails

There is no better way to get your heart pumping. Start by going uphill to get your body to work more. That way your body will increase the heat and temperature. You need that to fight the nasty cold and make you hike longer.

1. Layer up smartly

You will look ridiculous if you pile up random clothes on you. Of course, dressing smart and look cute while hiking will boost up your self-confidence while hiking. In addition to that, you need to feel comfortable. First, you need to wear clothes that are easily dried. You don’t want to sweat and end up wearing wet clothes.

Cold weather hiking requires three layers. You need a base layer. After that, an insulating layer. Lastly, you need the third layer, which is a shell. Go for synthetic material because it dries quickly.

1. Warm Up with A Drink

This is one of the most important cold weather hiking tips. Take some hot coffee or tea into a thermos with you. A great option would be hot cocoa or even a bowl of yummy chicken soup. Hot liquids warm up the body quickly and fill up the tummy. You will last longer with a full and warm belly. A bowl of good chicken soup will help you avoid catching a cold.

1. Follow the Sun

Even though we don’t like the sun during our summer hikes, we love it during the winter ones. If it’s possible, follow the sun while you winter hike. The sun will keep your spirit up and make you feel warmer. Avoid using trails close to the mountains because there might be shades. Hiking in the shade will make you feel even colder. Go for open trails.

1. ‘Fast’ Snacks

Yes, we don’t mean ‘fast’ food. By that, we mean, carry snacks filled with protein. Protein is a great choice for giving you more energy. More energy means longer hiking. They should be easily accessible because you don’t need to stop and eat. If you take long breaks to eat, you will feel cold even more.

1. Protect head

Protecting the head from cold breeze or snowing is a prime concern while hiking through a cold-weather area. Wearing a hat will help you avoid losing a huge amount of heat on your head. When you chose a winter hat, go for thick beanies that will cover your head completely. Maybe some of you are not big on hat-wearing, pack one either way. It won’t hurt.

Conclusion

I hope we warmed your hiking adventures with these winter hiking tips. Cold temperatures can get dangerous. That’s a reason why you should always make sure that you are well prepared.