my snowshoeing experience has all been in the Rockies, temps run the gamut from well below zero to above freezing (this means spring usually 
)
winter load-outs will be heavier and have more volume than equivalent "summer" trips, but you can still have a relatively light load and small pack
items that are worn or carried directly on me:
when moving, I wear very little (unless bitterly cold or very windy)
thin baselayer (150 merino or cap 1), soft shell pants, wool socks, gaiters, insulated boots, light beanie, light wool gloves, buf and snowshoes- I've found 30" best for my weight
in addition, I wear sunglasses, carry a neck knife "kit", keep a match safe (has compass, storm matches and firestraws) in my pocket and use trekking poles w/ snow baskets
for day hikes- in the pack goes a AMK thermolite bivy and a 2 person heatsheet, if forced out overnight a debris shelter or if enough snow, a snow trench is what Ill be sleeping in- the heatsheet in either case will be placed over the lattice work to keep snow from getting in and it reflects some heat back in, the bivy to crawl into- a 1/8" ccf pad is put atop as much insulation as I can gather (usually pine boughs)- it weighs all of 2 oz and you can see it takes up less room than a water bottle- its also great for a sit pad or kneeling pad when taking a break
I carry three small 6 hour candles (beeswax)- these add quite a bit of heat to a confined shelter
a large contractor (these are the heavy mill jobs) garbage sack- this can be used to carry debris, a makeshift poncho, melt snow, etc but mainly to make a "door" filled w/ snow for my shelter
gerber folding saw helps w/ the framing (and w/ firewood)
shovel- small snow shovel, I've tried the small plastic ones and while light they just don't work as well as a metal one- this one only weighs a pound, but can throw snow like a champ
25' of cordage, I've had good luck w/ 200# Spectra line, it's multi stranded like paracord, but takes up less space and weight- of course it's only half the rating as 550, but for shelters, etc more than enough
lots of redundancy in firestarting- a couple of lighters, a variety of tinders- wetfire, firestraws, tinder quicks tabs, ranger bands, etc; storm matches, firesteel
cooking I use a 4 dog bushcooker 1 stove- burns esbit or wood (and alcohol too), my mug/pot is a 600 ml snowpeak and a small spork- the stove, fuel, spork all nest in the mug
I like to have some warm soup for lunch and a hot beverage- the little stove boils up water pretty quick and does pretty decently melting snow
food isn't pictured, but usually lunch is something along the lines of salami and cheese in pitas, soup (a variety of instant knorr usually), several clif bars (a few for reserve), beverages I carry instant coffee, instant hot chocolate (combined for a luscious mocha) and several gatorade packs; for emergency I carry a single dehydrated supper (boil and water) and some instant oatmeal
water is carried in a 2 liter insulated platypus bladder- it's hard to use a bladder in the winter, but I've had good luck w/ the Insulator- after drinking blowing back the water out of the tube back into the bladder helps, as does keeping the tube/bite valve in your shirt/jacket
I like a bladder as I find myself drinking more, if you wait until your thirsty you're already dehydrated
I also carry a 1 liter nalgene, widemouth and upside down so it's less prone to freezing- this is typically what I mix my gatorade w/
I also carry six water purification tabs (don't bother w/ melted snow), but sometimes there is running water
for navigation a compass, map, gps, notebook/sharpie and a headlamp (headlamp and gps both w/ lithium batteries)
a signal mirror, whistle (on the knife)
keep a pretty complete repair kit mainly for the snowshoe repair- a spare strap, pins/clevis, duct tape, few zip ties, wire, line/needle, safety pins, crazy glue- along w/ a Leatherman Juice- in the repair kit also goes 3 spare lithium batteries
first aid kit, toilet paper, four hand warmers (these can be very welcome little devils!)
clothing carried- a down parka (for winter I prefer a hood)- this goes on at breaks and lunch, my mid layer- usually a pullover R1 can be worn while moving if it's really cold as it breathes well, a windshirt- cuts wind, sheds moisture and breathes great- this is a great piece of kit and takes up very little room (or weight), balaclava-again great insurance for very little weight/volume
I carry fleece mitts and goretex overmitts- normally I'm hiking w/ just light liners, but can add/subtract as conditions dictate
light pair of goggles, found out the hard way what driving snow can do to your eyes
the load-out (sure looks like a lot of stuff!
)
broken down a bit
and all fits nicely in a 22 liter pack
)winter load-outs will be heavier and have more volume than equivalent "summer" trips, but you can still have a relatively light load and small pack
items that are worn or carried directly on me:
when moving, I wear very little (unless bitterly cold or very windy)
thin baselayer (150 merino or cap 1), soft shell pants, wool socks, gaiters, insulated boots, light beanie, light wool gloves, buf and snowshoes- I've found 30" best for my weight
in addition, I wear sunglasses, carry a neck knife "kit", keep a match safe (has compass, storm matches and firestraws) in my pocket and use trekking poles w/ snow baskets
for day hikes- in the pack goes a AMK thermolite bivy and a 2 person heatsheet, if forced out overnight a debris shelter or if enough snow, a snow trench is what Ill be sleeping in- the heatsheet in either case will be placed over the lattice work to keep snow from getting in and it reflects some heat back in, the bivy to crawl into- a 1/8" ccf pad is put atop as much insulation as I can gather (usually pine boughs)- it weighs all of 2 oz and you can see it takes up less room than a water bottle- its also great for a sit pad or kneeling pad when taking a break
I carry three small 6 hour candles (beeswax)- these add quite a bit of heat to a confined shelter
a large contractor (these are the heavy mill jobs) garbage sack- this can be used to carry debris, a makeshift poncho, melt snow, etc but mainly to make a "door" filled w/ snow for my shelter
gerber folding saw helps w/ the framing (and w/ firewood)
shovel- small snow shovel, I've tried the small plastic ones and while light they just don't work as well as a metal one- this one only weighs a pound, but can throw snow like a champ
25' of cordage, I've had good luck w/ 200# Spectra line, it's multi stranded like paracord, but takes up less space and weight- of course it's only half the rating as 550, but for shelters, etc more than enough
lots of redundancy in firestarting- a couple of lighters, a variety of tinders- wetfire, firestraws, tinder quicks tabs, ranger bands, etc; storm matches, firesteel
cooking I use a 4 dog bushcooker 1 stove- burns esbit or wood (and alcohol too), my mug/pot is a 600 ml snowpeak and a small spork- the stove, fuel, spork all nest in the mug
I like to have some warm soup for lunch and a hot beverage- the little stove boils up water pretty quick and does pretty decently melting snow
food isn't pictured, but usually lunch is something along the lines of salami and cheese in pitas, soup (a variety of instant knorr usually), several clif bars (a few for reserve), beverages I carry instant coffee, instant hot chocolate (combined for a luscious mocha
) and several gatorade packs; for emergency I carry a single dehydrated supper (boil and water) and some instant oatmealwater is carried in a 2 liter insulated platypus bladder- it's hard to use a bladder in the winter, but I've had good luck w/ the Insulator- after drinking blowing back the water out of the tube back into the bladder helps, as does keeping the tube/bite valve in your shirt/jacket
I like a bladder as I find myself drinking more, if you wait until your thirsty you're already dehydrated
I also carry a 1 liter nalgene, widemouth and upside down so it's less prone to freezing- this is typically what I mix my gatorade w/
I also carry six water purification tabs (don't bother w/ melted snow), but sometimes there is running water
for navigation a compass, map, gps, notebook/sharpie and a headlamp (headlamp and gps both w/ lithium batteries)
a signal mirror, whistle (on the knife)
keep a pretty complete repair kit mainly for the snowshoe repair- a spare strap, pins/clevis, duct tape, few zip ties, wire, line/needle, safety pins, crazy glue- along w/ a Leatherman Juice- in the repair kit also goes 3 spare lithium batteries
first aid kit, toilet paper, four hand warmers (these can be very welcome little devils!)
clothing carried- a down parka (for winter I prefer a hood)- this goes on at breaks and lunch, my mid layer- usually a pullover R1 can be worn while moving if it's really cold as it breathes well, a windshirt- cuts wind, sheds moisture and breathes great- this is a great piece of kit and takes up very little room (or weight), balaclava-again great insurance for very little weight/volume
I carry fleece mitts and goretex overmitts- normally I'm hiking w/ just light liners, but can add/subtract as conditions dictate
light pair of goggles, found out the hard way what driving snow can do to your eyes
the load-out (sure looks like a lot of stuff!
)
broken down a bit
and all fits nicely in a 22 liter pack
. Thanks for sharing, man.
