What to wear when out in the hills in winter.

Clothing can be a very subjective subject but this is a rough guide as to what you might want to wear.

I would normally go for a four layer clothing system; Base layer, lightweight/midweight fleece, heavyweight fleece/soft shell/primaloft coat, waterproof shell.

A warm hat, beanies are fine but if you can get hold of a mountain cap with ear muffs and is water proof you will have much more fun in bad weather. Make sure you can fit your hat underneath a helmet, you may struggle with bobble hats. I normally have two or three hats with me in case I lose one or get stuck outside after dark.

Buff or balaclava. There is a huge range of Buffs on the market now so find one that suits your budget. Again I carry a few buffs with me when I am out.

Base layers. I have found that thick heavy base layers get damp with sweat and stay damp. I tend to stick to thinner base layers when active even in winter. Whether you go synthetic, marino, bamboo, used to be a shopping bag or organic when it comes to your clothes is up to you. There are pros and cons to all material types.

Fleeces. Polartec make about twenty two different types of fleece material so there is a big range out there when it comes to fleece. Cost is going to be a big consideration but so should fit. If you have a lot of space between you and the fleece that will just encourage air to circulate near your body which will have a cooling effect on you. Things you might want to look for on the fleece is a high collar or hood and draw cords to help keep spindrift out. On some heavier fleeces it is possible to get ventilation zips to help stop you from getting to sweaty. Love them or hate them, thumb loops can be good at keeping your wrists warm and warm wrists means warm fingers.

Soft shells. There is almost as large a selection of soft shells now as there are fleeces. Soft shells are essentially heavyweight fleeces which have good wind stopping and water repellence properties. The things to look for in a soft shell are pretty similar to what you would be looking at from your fleece. Different materials will offer better wind stopping, water repellence and moister control properties. Find one that will fit your climate and activity.

Primaloft is a man-made down equivalent for insulation. I favour primaloft over down for coats for most activities in the UK because of the amount or rain and high humidity we have here. Primaloft unlike down retains its thermal properties even when wet. Primaloft may not be quite as effective as down or be as light but it is cheaper which is handy when crampons and ice axes are about. If you are wearing a fleece and your waterproof when active but then find you are cooling down rapidly every time you stop put your primaloft coat straight on over your waterproof and then stow it away in your pack again when you start moving. This stops the hassle of taking layers on and off all the time.

Waterproofs. No matter how much money you spend on your clothes very little sweat is going to pass from your skin to the outside of your waterproof in winter when you have lots of layers on. Because of this breathability of your winter waterproofs is not as important as it is in summer. Stay away from fast and light clothes in winter, they will not be able to stand up to the abuse of winter mountaineering for very long. If you are concerned about moister control consider a coat with pit zips but bear in mind the more zips your clothing has the heaver it becomes, the more zips there are to break and more stitching for leaks to possible appear at. When fitting your waterproof swing your hands above your head and make sure the coat does not rise above your hips. Snow skirts are good but strong cuffs draw cords are just as good.

Gloves. Some people think I go a bit overboard carrying spare hats and buffs but I would absolutely recommend taking spare gloves with you. I use base layer gloves. You can get silk, marino and bamboo gloves but I stick with thick warm synthetic ones because my hands don’t sweat much and they are cheap. You then get as many gloves to go on top of your base layer as you get winter activities. Fit is an important consideration here as to tight can restrict blood flow and make your hands cold. A good set of over mittens to keep your gloves dry and to stop snow building up on the Velcro of your cuffs can also make your winter experience much more enjoyable in bad weather.

I wear long johns in winter. They may not be the sexiest things in the world but they do keep you warm.

You can get some great soft shell style trousers for winter use now that cut out a lot of wind keeping your legs warm. Strong ankle reinforcements to help stop crampon tears are worth looking out for, especially if you are not used to walking in crampons.

Your waterproof trousers are going to take a beating in winter so try not to be too precious about them. Again look for strong ankle reinforcements, the higher they go the better. Thigh high side zips will make getting the trousers on and off over big winter boots much easier.

What socks you wear will depend a lot on what boots you are wearing. I normally wear one heavyweight set of socks and one midweight set underneath. On particularly cold days however I have been known to wear three sets of socks.

Unless you are planning on doing a lot of ice climbing a good set of B2 boots should do you for most simple Scottish gullies and general winter walking. Winter boots are graded from B1-B3 and this refers to the rigidity of the sole unit and the type of crampon it will take. I have refrained from plugging any one manufacturer up until here. I however love my Scarpa boots. The Charmoz is a great year round boot that I can scramble with in summer and take up into the Cairngorms in winter. Some people think the Charmoz lacks enough insulation for deep winter use but I think a good set of socks sorts that out.

A set of Yeti gaiters by Berghaus are great for when there has been a lot of thaw because they fully enclose the boot but still allow you to fit a crampon.

I hope this has been of some use to you,

Ben.