If you are going to visit some national parks soon, you might need a list of winter hiking clothes. Last year was my first time going on some winter hikes and I was ill-prepared. We were planning on going to Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, and Escalante so I researched all over the internet for recommendations and advice. I literally had or bought everything down below so I’ve already tested everything out. Even though I think I did a pretty good job, there were some instances that I could have done better so I wanted to dedicate a blog post so you don’t make the same mistakes I did!

Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links and I may earn a small commission when you click the links at no additional cost to you.

 

Winter Hikes

If you are interested in what winter hikes we did, I have them listed all down below! All of the hikes are located in the state of Utah and are located within a couple of hours of each other. We stayed in Zion for a couple of days, then moved on to Bryce Canyon, and our last stop with Grand Staircase Escalante. It was an amazing road trip that was all done in a week so if you are interested in doing the same winter hikes this holiday break, it’s totally possible!

• Zion National Park: Guide to Hiking Angels Landing in Winter
• Bryce Canyon National Park: Inspiration Point at Sunrise
• Bryce Canyon National Park: Navajo Loop and Queen’s Garden Trail
• Grand Staircase Escalante: Peek-a-Boo and Spooky Slot Canyons

 

What Winter Hiking Clothes Should I Buy?

It’s so important to know what to wear for winter hiking because you don’t want to be too cold or too hot out there. The biggest key for winter hikes is to wear LAYERS. Do not think that buying one set of the heaviest or thickest layer will be sufficient. Your body’s temperate will rise and fall throughout the course of your hike. For example, if you are hiking uphill, you will definitely get hot and probably want to take off layers. If you stop for lunch, your body is now at rest and you’ll start getting cold again. The best thing that you can do for yourself is to have multiple layers that are light and easily removable.

 

What to Wear for Your Head

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1. BEANIE: You’ll definitely want something for your head. You can bring any regular old beanie or if you don’t have any, I recommend those above. The one I have in my picture has a pom on it only because regular beanies make my head look weird/round so I need that extra height.
2. SUNGLASSES: Any pair will do. This is for those sunny days but more so if you are going to hike somewhere where there’s snow and sun. The light reflecting off the snow will make you squint the entire time so you want to make sure you protect your eyes. The picture above taken was obviously on a snowy day so we didn’t need them but wish we had them for our Angels Landing hike.
3. FACEMASK/GATOR: Due to COVID, you probably already have a face mask, but I opted to buy a face gator instead so it would at least cover our necks.

 

What To Wear For Your Top

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1. UNIQLO HEATTECH LONG SLEEVE: For the upper part of my body, I went with the Uniqlo Heattech line as my base layer. Uniqlo’s Heattech technology is great since it’s light, keeps you warm, and moisture-wicking which you want on winter hikes. It’s also affordable and versatile if you want to wear it as an everyday piece. All my hiking and backpacking clothes pretty much come from Uniqlo. Men’s version here.
2. NORTH FACE FLEECE ZIP-UP: I already had this North Face fleece zip-up from my snowboarding trips and it’s my favorite thing ever. The key to hiking in the cold is to layer up so I thought this would be a great middle layer. You’ll want to be able to take off/put on clothes depending on where on how you feel. I like this version because it can zip all the way up and make a turtleneck if your neck gets cold. It’s better than wearing a turtleneck base layer since it gives you the option to zip down if you get too hot. Men’s version here.
3. UNIQLO ULTRA LIGHT DOWN PARKA: For my outer layer, I knew I wanted something that was super lightweight and that would keep me warm. I’ve never bought a puffer jacket before and ended up buying two of these but wished I bought this one instead. The version I bought didn’t cover my butt so I wished I bought the one that went over my behind. Since I didn’t have this luxury, I took an extra jacket and tied it around my waist. It’s totally up to you what you prefer though. Also, I want to mention I went with Uniqlo specifically because the jacket can fold down so little that it fits into a pouch that you can hang off your backpack. This is great since it won’t be taking up room in your backpack. Men’s version here.

 

What to Wear For Your Bottom

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1. FLEECE LEGGINGS: Granted, this is obviously going to be different for men and women. I know most guys run hot so maybe men wouldn’t need this layer. I know I run cold so I definitely wanted something thick and warm as my base so I went with these fleece leggings. I got mine at H&M and they are super comfy and affordable. For men, 32 Degrees is having a sale on these.
2. UNIQLO HEATTECH LEGGINGS: To put over my fleece leggings, I got a pair of Uniqlo Heattech leggings. They are super stretchy so they went over my fleece leggings easily. They also have an Ultra Warm version if you need something thicker. I have both just in case.
3. COLUMBIA JUST RIGHT HIKING PANTS: For my outer layer, I wanted something that is wind and water-resistant. THIS IS KEY! Wind will go right through anything that is knit (aka your leggings) so you need something that will protect you from that. Also, you want something that is water-resistant especially if you plan on hiking something like Angels Landing where you will have to get on your hands and knees. You don’t want the water/snow to soak through. I like this version because it has a “short inseam” version which works for me since I’m petite. Men’s similar version here.

 

What to Wear For Your Hands

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1. WATERPROOF MITTENS/GLOVES: This is on the top of my list of what to wear for winter hiking. This is the one thing I would not skimp out on! I bought these but they were a waste for winter hiking purposes. Definitely get gloves that are insulated and waterproof. I didn’t think I needed fancy gloves and boy, was I wrong. I was on my hands and knees for a lot of our winter hikes and my gloves were soaked. I was MISERABLE. If I would have known, I would have gotten these instead or at least brought my snowboarding gloves with me.
2. HOTHANDS: This is not something you wear “per se” but it’s something I highly recommend and have used a lot in the past. If you don’t know what these are, you are missing out! It’s a little air-activated heat pack that you can slip under your glove for extra heat. It’s great for hiking, camping, snowboarding, skiing, etc. The best part is that it’s really affordable for the use you get out of it.

 

What to Wear For Your Feet

1. COLUMBIA HIKING SHOES: Bought these hiking shoes specifically for this winter hiking. I have summer hiking shoes where they are more of a knit to let air flow through. For winter hiking, I wanted something that will keep my feet warm and that was waterproof. Ended up working out well and loved the color too. The color I’m wearing is Elk/Mountain Red.
2. DARN TOUGH HIKING SOCKS: Bought my first pair of Darn Tough socks and they did not disappoint. A little on the expensive side but the last thing I wanted was cheap quality socks that were going to make my feet hurt or even worse, slip down. I definitely think it was worth the investment. Men’s version here.
3. CRAMPONS: Something like this, this, or this. This is only needed if your winter hikes include trekking through the snow or ice. You really want something that’s going to grip the ice. When we hiked Angels Landing, it just snowed the night before. Even though snow doesn’t sound scary, it eventually melted and turned into slippery rock-hard ice. We were not prepared AT ALL for this and absolutely regretted not having crampons. Our hiking boots were not sufficient and we were slipping and sliding all over the place. This is not what you want to be doing thousands of feet in the air. Do not underestimate having these! If you don’t end up using them, just return them. It’s better to have them than not.

 

Conclusion

I hope this blog post really helps you figure out what winter hiking clothes you’ll want to buy! Last year when I was researching for my own winter hikes, I wish I had read something like this where bloggers actually hiked with the clothes that they recommended so they were giving true first-hand information. If you have any questions about the items above, please do not hesitate to leave me a comment below. I read all of them so I’ll definitely try to help you as much as I can! Happy Hiking!