One of the first blog posts I wrote on this website was about what I carry with me when I’m out on an adventure. While it has been a few years since that post, a lot of what I carry with me still hasn’t changed. Even in different seasons my adventure bag doesn’t change too much. That original blog post assumed that I was traveling during the spring. So, I thought I would do an update on that post with a winter edition. Winter generally means travels are smaller scale and your backpack density gets larger as you need more to survive out in the colder temperatures. So here is what is in my bag:

Pretty much everything I mentioned in the original post I still use and is still useful during the winter months. I have, however, upgraded two items in my bag. The first is a Petzl Tikkina headlamp, which I find has a much longer battery life than the predecessor that I used. Its sleeker design also helps a lot in a heavier pack. The second item is a Goal Zero Flip 24 Power Bank. Once again this is a sleeker design that saves space in my pack. On good days I can get almost two full charges on my phone with this power bank. That may not be the case during the colder months, but it’s still an exceptional item to have in your pack.

There is one item that I mentioned in the spring edition that I normally do not carry in my pack during the winter months and that’s my Smartwool Sport Fleece Hybrid Pullover. Depending on what type of activities I’m doing on my travels I either don’t bring this with me or I’m wearing it during the duration of my travels. High intensity hikes mean I will leave this at home as I don’t need a sweater to help regulate my body heat as it’s just extra weight. If it’s a short hike or another activity I will be doing then I will already be wearing this as it’s still my favorite sweater on the market.

There are four items that I now add to my pack to help me survive the winter conditions. The first one is an orange Buff. I love Buffs as they have a variety of uses. In winter you can use them as a facemask against extreme cold. I use an orange one (especially early in the winter season) as the hunting season in Connecticut slightly overlaps with the winter season. It’s an easy way to keep you safe if you’re out in the woods. The second item I carry is a pair of Burton gore-tex gloves. I normally carry a small pair of gloves or glove liners in my coat pocket but these heavy duty Burton gloves come in handy if I end up in higher elevation with more extreme elements. Their ability to keep in heat is quite noticeable compared to lesser gloves. I also carry a spare set of socks in my pack. I love Smartwool, Icebreaker and Darn Tough brands as they all use merino wool, which is effective at any time of the year. With snow much more prevalent at this time of year it’s always good to have a pair of dry socks to change into at any given moment. The final item I carry is an old Climatesmart long sleeve thermal. I’ve been using this for over a decade now and I feel like it’s more effective at keeping me warm than, say, my Smartwool fleece. It’s also much more compact and easy to carry in my pack. Normally, I would also recommend a set of thermal bottoms, but I personally find it much easier to regulate my lower body’s temperature than my upper body’s so I’m already wearing thermal bottoms during a cold weather activity. 

That pretty much sums up the alterations I make to my travel bag between spring and winter. I hope to update this again when we get to summer 2024.