Clothing and footwear in snowy and icy regions

[andreas]

This is all good info. I will be having to pick up some thermals and warm socks and things before our trip at the end of the year - we're going to Europe, including Lapland up north (brrr!) and I feel the cold pretty badly. I do have some warm things, but not to the extreme of the Arctic.

In terms of shoes, I have a pair of Doc Marten boots, a pair of snow boots I got at Aldi last year and some hiking/walking shoes from Mountain Designs. Do more experienced cold weather travellers think they'd be suitable for the varying options of cold but not 'that' cold and omg freezing?

I have the Aldi snow boots as well and use them all the time in "medium" cold climate areas like Hokkaido and Europe to walk around cities and for before/after skiing. If you are planning on some more serious hiking or spending more time in genuinely cold and snowy areas, I'd suggest that your Mountain Design boots would be better suited for this (depending on which ones you have).

As for the other clothing, I agree with what several others have already posted - good thermals + thermal socks as a base layer, then layer up. I personally use either wool or synthetic thermal tops, a long-sleeved T-shirt,then a Nano Puff jacket from Patagonia as my mid-layer as I find it adjusts to a fairly wide temperature range, then a water- & wind-proof shell jacket with integrated hood for outerwear. I also have a full balaklava for really windy or very cold days. That combination has worked for me down to about -25 degrees.

 

[andreas]

I’m not sure if you are aware or have been told but you can get hand and feet warmera from most sporting stores. Well worth it!

Agreed - they are totally worth it. You can get them cheaper on ebay than in-store usually (~$30 for a box of 20).

 

[Melburnian1]

One omission above is that in winter (in Europe for one), there can often be a very nice though weak sun during the day. It sounds counterintuitive but it's chilly but in a lovely way.

I take thermal undergarments but don't worry about boots: I just have shoes with a tread bearing in mind footpaths are usually OK to walk on.

If anything, it's ice that I have to watch as I came a cropper once but only paid for it with a sore posterior. If I was hiking, boots would be useful but I'm not, and am also trying to minimise weight in luggage.

My biggest gripe is apart from shops and houses as mentioned, many 3 - 3.5 star hotels are overheated to billy-o in winter and sometimes one does not have individual temperature controls to get it down from say 23 or 24 to a more comfortable 20 - 22C.

 

[mlob]

Highly recommend Uniqlo thermal underwear. Various levels of warmth available. Most comfortable thermals i have worn.

 

[joe7238]

I’d recommend buying over there- the quality is so much better, the variety is fantastic and the prices are far cheaper than buying the same thing in Australia.

We always travel over on the flight wearing jeans and closed in shoes (now a pair of nikes bought in Geneva on a previous trip that are waterproof and fantastically warm), wear a long sleeve shirt then pack in your hand luggage/somewhere with easy access: thermal tops and/or botttoms, beanie, gloves, scarf, maybe even puffer vest, raincoat. Works a treat. Airports are not cold, trains are not cold, it’s the bits in between that are so be ready. We always buy some item(s) over there that last a long time and are made for that exact weather- it’ll be hard to find the same on Australia.

Add an extra day for shopping at the beginning of your trip and go where the locals go eg department stores etc you’ll come back with some cool gear that will always remind you of your travels too.

 

[fn0]

The suggestions about the clothes and footwear fro keeping warm are fine but I would like to add one to help you stay on your feet if you are going to be walking on icy surfaces in the city or on a trail. You should put urban traction aid devices/city crampons/icecleats on your shoes or boots. These are lighter and smaller than the heavy duty mountaineering crampons used for climbing and most are held on with stretchy rubber. Brand names include Yaktrax, Hillsound, Salomon, Kahtoola nano-spikes, and Life-Sports City. Expect to pay anywhere from C$15 to C$100 for a pair depending on model and where purchased.

 

[VPS]

The suggestions about the clothes and footwear fro keeping warm are fine but I would like to add one to help you stay on your feet if you are going to be walking on icy surfaces in the city or on a trail. You should put urban traction aid devices/city crampons/icecleats on your shoes or boots. These are lighter and smaller than the heavy duty mountaineering crampons used for climbing and most are held on with stretchy rubber. Brand names include Yaktrax, Hillsound, Salomon, Kahtoola nano-spikes, and Life-Sports City. Expect to pay anywhere from C$15 to C$100 for a pair depending on model and where purchased.

Thanks - this is what I am very interested in because i certainly don't want have a slip

 

[trader10]

1) Thin synthetic thermals
2) lightweight puffer jackets - these are superlight and superwarm.
3) waterproof but breathable shell/parka/ski jacket
4) hand liners
5) waterproof breathable mittens (ski gloves)
6) Waterproof and breathable "Apres" boots.
7)Blalaclava (though if you come across some US travellers they may take exception/offence/manufacture outrage to the "blackface"

In principle - dress in layers.

Agree. Been to Northern Norway etc. Layer, layer, layer. Gloves/ mittens with inners. Beanie +/- balaclava andear muffs.
You will have to take some sort of parka and there is no way around that . Costco has cheapies all the time which are more for Northern Hemisphere.
Also it will be carry on luggage and you can also ties your “ winter boots” to a
Carry on back pack if space gets tight.

 

[Dougo]

We are travelling to Norway in late October and have been advised by a tour operator there that our silk long Johns which we wore in Antarctica are insufficient and that we really need woollen long Johns.

Some of the chain- type stores that stick hiking gear didn’t have what we wanted so on a recent trip to Tassie, we went to a couple of outdoor shops and got what we wanted.

“Patagonia” in Hobart had a great range of “ rated” long Johns and a huge range of socks, jackets and footwear with brands that I haven’t seen in the Sydney area or stores such as Katmandu.

RE: hand warmers ... I don’t know if there are any special ones you need for the icy conditions however last year a “ cheap” shop and a chemist in our area stocked them and they were around $2 or $5 for a couple of pairs.

 

[Denali]

My recommendation is good, warm socks, something with merino. Went with this and so comfortable and warm. I was wearing brand new boots and didnt have any issues

Therma Dry - Ugly Possum Trekka Sock

Im also a big fan of beanies or headbands that cover your ears/protect from the wind - hubby has quite a collection now