How to Stay Warm in the Backcountry

Here is my comprehensive guide on how to stay warm when backcountry skiing or skinning up at the resort.

1. Stay Warm Before Starting: Warm up before leaving the car. Drink warm liquids on your way to the mountains, and make sure you’re warm (but not sweaty) before heading out.

2. Avoid Sweating: Pay attention to the first sign of overheating—often a prickling sensation on your skin. Stop, shed a layer, and stay ahead of it. If you’re with friends, don’t hesitate to ask for a quick break. If your clothes get sweaty, the rest of your day can be miserable or even dangerous due to hypothermia.

Layering is key to staying safe while backcountry skiing and it depends on several factors: how cold it is, how fast you’re going, and whether you tend to run hot or cold. Staying warm and dry is all about managing your layers and being proactive about your body temperature.

Base Layer

Always start with a high-performance wicking base layer. Not all wicking fabrics are created equal—I personally find that my Patagonia capilene, and Brynje wool base layers perform much better than my Lululemon and Athleta tops. (And the Brynje layer can also double as your disco dancing top, ha!) Kari Traa is another popular base layer that is high qulaity and always has cute prints.

Mid Layers

• For the Top: A thicker fleece works well. I typically wear the Black Diamond coefficient hoodie because it doesn’t have pockets at the waist. It makes it really smooth for layering.

• For the Bottom: If I’m moving fast, I wear just a wicking layer and shell pants. If I’ll be standing around more, I wear shell bibs add puffy pants for extra insulation. Just note that puffy layers don’t typically breathe very well, so you will sweat if you are moving quickly. And as I mentioned before, sweating is something you really want to avoid when possible!

Outer Layers

• A packable puffy jacket is essential for really cold days. I’ve chosen the Patagonia Down Sweater because it does not have a hood and it packs up really small.

• For my last layer, I use a breathable, stretchy, water resistant shell that has skin pockets. You have to balance waterproof/breathability/stretch and finding the right balance isn’t easy! The coat that I’ll buy next season will most likely be this Dynafit coat which also has skin pockets.

Feet

I have a secret for cold days, and it has changed everything for me. I wear heated socks anytime the temperature is below 20 degrees OR when I know I am going to be standing around more than I am moving. Heated socks are a total game-changer and I've never regretted the money I spent on them. If you aren't ready to make that investment, I recommend a tall, thin wool sock. I wear one similar to this on days above 20 degrees. Do your best to start with warm and dry feet. 

Hands

Your hands sweat just like your core, so layering is essential. I like to wear a wicking glove liner as my base layer. Be sure you get one with a low profile cuff so it doesn’t interfere with the cuff of the over-mitt. My favorite setup is what I call my "sleeping bag gloves"—I add a charcoal hand warmer in the finger compartment for extra warmth. When I need more dexterity, I peel back the liner while still keeping my hands warm. It is a genius system and my fingers haven’t cold since I started using it.

Neck & Head

• If all your layers have hoods, your neck can feel restricted. I recommend one insulating layer to have a hood and a shell with a hood (that fits over a helmet) for the right balance. You don't want all 4 layers to have hoods.

• A neck gaiter is a simple but effective way to regulate temperature. I wear mine high under my helmet when it’s cold and pull it down for airflow when I warm up. It’s an easy layer to adjust without having to remove other clothing.

Other tips:

1. Put your skins on your skis at home.

2. Drive to the hill with your left ski boot on.

3. Be wearing exactly what you plan to wear going up the mountain, and then put your biggest puffy coat on top of all of it to drive.

4. Minimize the time you spend between parking and staring to ski. The moment you step out of your car, the clock starts ticking and your body temperature starts to drop.

5. Have your backpack ready to go with another puffy coat packed inside of it.

So the only things you need to do outside of the car is put on your right boot, peel off your extra puffy jacket, then grab your backpack and skis and get moving! The time between putting you car in PARK and skiing should be less than 10 minutes, ideally more like 3-4 minutes.