Choosing Gear for A Winter Nordic Ski Expedition (Women's Edition)

I love to nordic ski in the backcountry, and I love to explore new areas. Big, snow covered mountains call to me. So it is not surprising that the idea of expedition skiing on the Arctic Circle Trail calls to me.

Yet dreaming about an idea from the comfort of your warm chair is much different than actually doing the thing. It is only in the practical application of the skills needed to undertake a big ski adventure that one can learn if this is something you are interested in, let alone capable of, doing. So it only made sense that @ultraucoach and I would find ourselves signing up for a Thule Expeditions 6 Day Ski Expedition Course in Norway; completing this course would not only teach us the skills and potentially qualify us for joining Thule on the Arctic Circle Trail in Greenland, it would give us a good sense of whether or not this type of expedition skiing was something that we would want to do.

Starting from Zero

The very first challenge for me was to select the gear that I would need to wear for this cold weather adventure. I’ve never really spent much time in cold weather, actually. In Oregon, cold is around freezing (0℃ or 32℉). When the temperatures dip into the single digits, you just stay home because that is “too darn cold for anything”, and those cold temperatures are not going to last. So none of the gear that I already owned was really up for the task for temperatures around -25℃ (-13℉) that we would experience during our trip.

Choosing Clothing When You Run Hot

In addition to not owning a single piece of good cold weather gear, I had the additional challenge of being someone who runs warm when they move. It is not uncommon for me to be sweating in light layers when everyone I am with is cold in their warm layers. Sweating in the cold is the biggest risk factor for hypothermia (as I was to learn the hard way one day on the trip!) So I was concerned about choosing the right clothing that would not overheat me when we were moving, but that would be warm enough when we had to stop. But how much would we be stopped? How much would we be skiing? How warm is it in the tent? I was full of questions, and I did not have many answers.

Enter the Overthinking

One of the mistakes I made in shopping was to not ask more questions, and to instead think and think again about what I imagined would be the best choices for my gear. All I can say now is, ask the questions!

I made the assumption that I should dress to start cold, knowing that I would warm up as we moved. This is a common assumption for running, and it certainly applies to adventures where you will be moving most of the time. But as I learned once we were together, the rule of expedition skiing is to actually start warm. So much time is spent waiting and being still that you should be warm when you begin. It’s also easier to keep the warmth that you have rather than regain it with movement. Cooling off is accomplished by unzipping, removing layers, etc.

Keeping in mind the layering system when you are someone who tends to be warmer when you move is essential. You’ll want to focus on pieces that have zippers that open from the top and bottom, pit zips, and that are fast drying. You can absorb some sweat during the day if you are setting up your tent and using your stove to warm up and dry out right when you get to camp.

Using Online Shopping for Outfitting Yourself - Lessons Learned

I was truly overwhelmed by all of the gear choices I had online. But online shopping offered me the best opportunity to find sales on the gear I needed, and when you are looking at outfitting yourself for an entire expedition, saving money is on your mind. I did not have the luxury of walking into an REI and picking out all of the gear on the list with no thought of cost (though when I was cold, I would have gladly gone back and spent all of the money so as to not be chasing off frostbite!), so I tried to find as many deals as I could and to see what gear of mine might actually work.

I spent a lot of time studying Sunny Stroeer’s Iditarod gear list to figure out what kind of gear you need in polar conditions: https://gearjunkie.com/winter/sunny-stroeer-1000-mile-iditarod-first-woman-skis

I found that having a list with links to items was helpful in that I could study what she had chosen and then look for similar items.

Sometimes I ended up with an item that was nothing like I had expected - like the Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody - a piece I now love but which I thought would have insulation. It is a great outer shell layer, but it won’t give any warmth.

In retrospect, I would have spent more time in mountain shops specializing in winter gear. REI, Mountain Supply in Bend, Fjallraven, Stio, Patagonia…all of these would have been worth visiting to check out and learn more about winter layers, even if I didn’t purchase anything in store. If you don’t have a lot of experience with cold weather gear, you’re going to learn a lot by actually seeing the items in person.

How The Right Gear Matters: How My Adventure Could Have Ended Because I Made Poor Gear Choices

On the second full day out, I had a brush with hypothermia that rattled me. Daytime temperatures were around - 18℃ (-.4℉); I had woken that morning feeling warm in my sleeping bag. I chose a set up for movement that day; a thick polyester/spandex base layer, fleece lined ski pants, a heavy wool/poly base layer, my REI 650 down jacket and my lightweight shell. We once again had some delays getting started, so I skied and walked around slowly, staying warm and comfortable.

We were then tasked with collecting fire wood. Making the trek back to the trees and using the hatchet, I quickly warmed up and found that I was sweating. I removed my shell, but the dampness was not drying up and I was cold. I put my shell back on and began working my way back to camp, but I could feel the cold setting in.

I retreated to the tent, and I changed out of my damp clothing, but the clothes I changed into were cold, and I could feel that I was not turning things around. I should have lit the stove at this point, but I had it in my mind that my tent mate should be there (this might have been fuzzy thinking brought on by the cold in retrospect). When she returned, we started the stove and I began to warm up, but it took some time. I had a few shivers rumble through me. A couple of toes were turning white (the second stage of frostbite), which we warmed over the stove and eventually on the stomach of our instructor. This did the trick, and I improved my layers for the day and for the rest of the trip. It was at this point that I could see how important the right gear matters for staying safe in the cold.

So which pieces of my gear impacted my struggle with the cold? First, my base layer was far too warm. As a wool/poly blend, it was holding more moisture than a lightweight layer would have. My second layer was warm but it held moisture. My third layer - the REI 650 down jacket - was a terrible choice. Down layers can pick up moisture easily, so when you get warm and sandwich it between a shell, that jacket is going to act like a sponge. It was wet and the down had compacted. It was a bit like putting an ice pack on my body. My base layer on my legs was another poor choice; while it felt like a heavy pair of leggings, the polyester/spandex layer was just holding moisture. The ski pants also held moisture in the fleece. I had to get those off and into a dry wool layer before I warmed up.

Thankfully I had appropriate choices back in camp, and I was able to work around the useless gear that I had brought so that I was able to stay warm for the remainder of the trip. Had it been colder, though, I probably would have failed to make it through the week. I lacked proper upper body layers to wick away moisture; instead I had layers which held moisture. I did not have a properly warm camp layer for my legs, bringing a downhill skiing pant that was too warm for movement and not appropriate for in the sleeping bag. I carried a lot of extra gear that did not serve me at all. With more understanding now of each piece and how it works together, I will be able to carry less gear that is more effective at keeping me warm. Don’t make the mistakes that I did! Learn about the layers, learn about how keeping warm and dry in camp works, and then make a plan for your packing list.

Improving My Knowledge to Make Better Choices

Learning by doing is the best teacher, but I have also found that there are some good resources on the internet that help to explain layering systems. This video is particularly good at looking at the pros and cons of different fabrics and when they might make sense to use them.

The Key Is Understanding Layering

Once you understand the basics of layering, it’s much easier to do your cold weather adventure shopping. Here in the US, we don’t get a lot of guidance about layering, wool thicknesses and so forth. You really have to know what you are looking for so that you can choose the right pieces; in Norway, the base layer displays really explain it for you.

The key is learning wool weights and what to look for in the technical specs in order to get the right kind of gear.

Basic guide to merino weights:

• Light merino wool = 150 - 190 GSM (grams per square meter)

• Medium merino wool = 200 - 300 GSM

• Heavy merino wool = 300+ GSM

• Anything over 230+ GSM is more like a mid-layer than a base layer.

You’ll notice that there are also base layers that are listed as lightweight, midweight, etc that are not made of wool at all. These are often polyester/spandex, and they tend to be less expensive than all wool options. The poly blend layers are going to hold more moisture than wool, so if you sweat easily, be wary of using these as an active layer. They do make a good layer for sleeping though. Having a second layer system for sleeping is important; once you switch into your sleeping layer, you’re going to be drying out those active layers for the next day. You really can’t stay in one layer the entire time.

Active Time vs Camp Time

The turning point for staying comfortable arrived when I finally understood the basics of camp time vs active time. Your layering system for when you are active is going to be much different than when you are in camp.

Your active time layers should be ready for shedding according to your level of work. This might look like:

Base layer - lightweight merino wool (130 - 190 GSM)
Mid layer - medium to heavy weight merino wool sweater/jacket (200+ GSM)
Outer layer - lightweight shell jacket/pants or softshell jacket/pants, with easy access zippers
Accessories - midweight gloves or mittens, lighter wool hat or wind blocking hat

Your camp time layers should be designed for maximum warmth when you are not moving. This might look like:

Base layer - heavyweight merino wool or poly blend (260+ GSM)
Mid layer - heavyweight fleece or wool sweater
Outer layer - 800 fill + heavy down belay jacket and down pants
Accessories - super warm mittens, down hat, down socks, etc

Transitioning between active and camp time layers is the secret sauce. When you arrive in camp, you will typically put up your tent and then get your stove going to boil water for the next day still wearing your active layers. Once your tent is up, you’ll change into the camp time layers and put your active layers in the loft to dry out with the heat of the stove. Even if you are not using the stove inside the tent to dry out layers, you will be changing into your dry sleeping layer and using different techniques to dry out the active layers (i.e. wearing them over the dry sleeping layer in your sleeping bag).

Reviewing the Gear List: What Worked, What Didn’t, And What I Would Choose Instead

We received a comprehensive gear list from our instructor, which I have listed below in the quote sections, followed by the items I brought and changes I would make. Having been through the course, these pieces now make sense, but I have to admit that when I was preparing for the class, there were many items that I wasn’t sure how to replicate. I am listing what I brought and the feedback I have around certain items, as well as what I would bring for a future expedition.

A Note on Shopping

A lot of these products are quite expensive, but it is relatively easy to find them on sale or used on the brand resale sites (ie Arc’teryx Resale, Fjallraven Pre-Loved, REI Re-supply) Poshmark or Ebay if you are willing to spend some time looking for them and watching for deals. We were able to pick up several key items at more than half off because we spent several months looking for our gear. It’s worth it to put in the time to hunt for bargains.

Head

What I Brought:

• Minus33 Lightweight wool merino hat - I used this hat almost every day. It’s a good weight for active movement when you don’t want a lot of heat on your head. A good choice for active time.

• Duck Down Earflap hat with fleece - I used this as my camp hat every night. It was quite warm, even if it looks a little crazy.

• Neoprene face mask - I should have used this more. It would be vital in the wind. I only brought one; two would definitely be in order.

• Sealskinz Extreme Cold Waterproof Hat - We had one day when it was windy out, and this hat kept me very warm. A good pick if the conditions are extreme, especially with wind or heavy, wet snow.

• Blackstrap Hood Balaclava - A disappointing layer. I used it, but it quickly would get wet and actually make me feel colder. The recommendation was to get a wool balaclava (which I overlooked). The wool would have felt warmer as it got wet. I would likely go with this balaclava from Ridge Merino (260 GSM) or this non-fogging midweight wool option (240 GSM) from Stratus.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Lightweight wool hat.

• Heavy wool hat. The Minus33 Expedition beanie would be a good option.

• Down earflap hat.

• 2 neoprene face masks.

• Waterproof wind hat. I might replace the Sealskinz with the Singi Heater hat from Fjällräven to cover the most extreme conditions.

Neck

What I Brought:

• I brought one wool neck gaiter from REI. I used it every day, around my neck, over my face, or even over my hat to cool my neck but keep my ears warm.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Lightweight wool gaiter.

• Polar fleece Buff. The combination of a lighter wool neck gaiter and the super warm fleece buff would be a good one to give you options depending on the temperature and whether you were using it as a camp or active layer.

Hands

What I Brought:

• Saranac Gauntlet Premium Deerskin Ski Mitt from Costco - these gloves were quite warm for their price. Had it been colder or windier, however, they might not have been quite enough.

• Alpaca fingerless gloves (Etsy) - one of my favorite pieces of gear. These are the “pulse warmers”, and I kept them on at all times, even when sleeping. They got quite beat up with the constant wear and spilling gas on them.

• REI wool liner gloves - these paired really well with the fingerless gloves and gave me a decent amount of dexterity. I still found that I was having to take them off to do any fine motor skills. I am not sure that there is a glove that I could keep full mobility with.

• Ozero winter gloves - these were far too stiff to be useful. I did not pull them out.

• Columbia ski mittens - a panic item I packed. They were not necessary.

• Three more pairs of gloves of varying weights - weight that I did not need to carry.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• 8000 meter gloves. These are made by several different companies; they are quite expensive, but the hands are so vulnerable to frostbite that a good pair of gloves are going to feel like a bargain if conditions are challenging. These are likely only going to be worn in camp when you are not moving. (These are the “very warm mittens made for polar conditions in his gear list - I am only now realizing this is what he meant!)

• Warm, thick work glove with better finger dexterity. A work glove like this one could potentially work well, but I would need to test it out. This is an item that it is worth trying out before you go in the field.

• Wool glittens (fingerless gloves/mittens). The beauty of this glove is that you can quickly access your fingers and then recover them with the mitten, minimizing the exposure time.

• Wool liner gloves.

• Alpaca fingerless gloves (pulse warmers).

Outer Jacket

What I Brought:

• Thick down jacket: Mountain Hardwear Phantom Belay Down Jacket - with 800 fill down and a water resistant coating, this jacket was one of my favorite pieces of gear. It zips in both directions, so I actually wore it on the coldest day for skiing. This is mostly a camp time piece of gear. With big pockets to keep gloves, toilet kits, and snacks in, it’s a work horse. You can also use it as a blanket over or in your sleeping bag. Basically you are looking for an 800 fill jacket with some sort of weather resistance that is rated as the warmest in the company’s category. You’re looking for something considered ultra-warm, which means it is going to be a little heavier/bulkier than a lot of the down jackets. I considered the Rab Neutrino Pro jacket as well, but we found a great deal on the Mountain Hardwear jacket. Other examples of super warm down jackets include the Norrona Trollvegen, the Fjallraven Expedition Down Jacket or the Polar Expedition Parka, the North Face Pumori Down Jacket, Patagonia AlpLoft Down Parka, or Bergan’s Expedition Down Parka

• Thin down jacket: REI 650 Down Jacket - I only used this one time, and that was when it got wet from my body heat. As it was one that I have used regularly for a couple of years, it might have been more useful if I had pre-treated it with Down Proof to restore the water resistance. As a person who sweats easily, a midweight synthetic down jacket with a hood would be a piece that I would like to add to my expedition kit. The synthetic jacket should provide better water resistance and faster drying qualities, providing a warmer mid-layer for the colder days. This would be part of my active time kit. The Arc’teryx Atom Hoody is an example of a light synthetic down jacket that would fit the bill. The Fjallraven Keb Padded Hoodie, the Rab Cirrus Flex Insulated Jacket, or the Helly Hansen Verglas Hooded Down Hybrid Insulator Jacket or the Patagonia Nano Puff Hoody are similar options of varying weights.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Mountain Hardwear Belay Jacket. No complaints with this piece of gear.

• Midweight synthetic down jacket with a hood.

Upper Body Layers

What I Brought:

• 2 Smartwool Sports Bras - these were heavy and retained a lot of moisture

• 150 GSM REI wool shirt - not a layer I needed as it is basically a duplicate of the 185 GSM

• 185 GSM REI wool shirt

• Lightweight polyester running top - useless

• Heavyweight poly blend base layer top - retained too much moisture

• Merino/tencel blend tank top

• Columbia Sportswear fleece vest - retained a lot of moisture so it wasn’t helpful

• Ortovox Fleece Light Jacket - 275 g merino/polyester blend - I used this one most days as it was a perfect active time layer

• Mountain Hardwear Polartec High Loft Pullover - one of my favorite pieces, super warm and cozy, perfect for camp time

• Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody - my thin windproof jacket, super light to carry

• Fjallraven Bergtagen Lite Eco-Shell Jacket - waterproof shell jacket. It’s super waterproof and lightweight, but it only has one small pocket. When skiing, I needed to carry a vest or fanny pack for snacks. A better choice would be a shell with more pockets, but you have to make sure that the hydrostatic head number is high enough to ensure waterproofing in the toughest conditions. You’re looking for a HH or water column number of 20,000+. Pit zips are also important for being able to ventilate in the shell. A good example of a jacket with pockets, a HH number of 20,000+, and pit zips is the Rab Namche Gore-tex or Namche PacLite jacket.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Two minimal wool or even synthetic bras. The less bra on your skin, the better.

• Aclima Woolnet base layer. This unique top is made of wool mesh, which wicks moisture effectively and dries super fast. This will be my go-to base layer for active days.

• 195 GSM wool base layer with ventilation.

• 240+ GSM wool base layer for my camp time clothing.

• Ortovox Fleece Light Jacket - 275 g merino/polyester blend

• Mountain Hardwear Polartec High Loft Pullover

• Black Diamond Alpine Start Hoody

• The Fjallraven Bergtagen jacket and a lightweight running vest for snacks/headlamp/extra gloves. I would not replace this jacket because it works, but if I was to start shopping over, I would pick a shell jacket with more pockets for carrying snacks and essentials like your headlamp.

Outer Pants

What I Brought:

• Bergtagen Lite Eco-Shell Trousers - waterproof shell trousers with a full unzip

• Backcountry soft shell pants - these are decent windproof pants and a good weight for active time (no longer available)

• Costco fleece lined ski pants - these might have been a good camp time option, but I tried to use them for active work, and they were way too warm. Useless. The lesson learned here is to bring only items that serve a specific purpose. Bringing gear “just in case” is really only extra weight.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Better softshell pants with pockets. I originally planned to use the shell trousers with a layer for movement, and I would certainly do that in wet snow or rain conditions, but a good soft shell pant would work better in sunny, windy or cold snow conditions. This is a very versatile active piece that is worth investing in. Some pants I am considering: Norrona Svalbard Flex Pants (warmer version than the Falketind) or Norrona Falketind Flex Pants (great pockets and venting zips), and Kuhl Frost Softshell Pant (not as many pockets as I would like).

• Waterproof shell trousers. You absolutely need a solid waterproof layer.

Lower Body Layers

What I Brought:

• Three pair wool underpants - you really only need two!

• Two pair polyester blend base layers - I thought these would be fine for active days, but I did not realize how much they would hold moisture.

• One pair 220 GSM wool pants from Kari Traa

• REI Trailmade fleece pants

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Pair of 160 - 190 GSM wool base layer leggings or the Aclima WoolNet leggings. No polyester blends.

• 220 GSM wool leggings. I used them for my camp time gear, but I also wanted them for my active layer on the colder days. I couldn’t use them because I did not want to risk getting them wet and not be able to warm them up before bed. Bringing an even warmer pair like the next item would allow me to use these for active wear if needed.

• Super thick wool pants like these ones for camp/sleep. This would give me one more option for super cold temps or as a backup if a layer got wet. Icebreaker offers a 300 GSM wool legging.

• Down pants. The fleece pants were good for a camp time layer and for sleeping, but down pants would likely be warmer and lighter/smaller to pack. Kuiu makes a good down pant in men’s sizes, the Mountain Hardwear Ghost Whisperer is a classic lightweight version, and Amazon has some reasonably priced pants with good reviews.

Socks

What I Brought:

• 1 pair Woodroad Alpaca Blend socks

• 1 pair Darn Tough wool socks

• 1 warmer pair wool socks

• 1 warmest pair wool socks

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Two pair of thin liner socks. In retrospect, I did not truly implement the thin liner sock / heavier wool sock combination. I thought the Alpaca socks were the thin layer, but an even thinner sock would have been appropriate. A true liner sock, like this Fox River sock, would be a better choice. I would bring two of these.

• Two pair of thick wool mountaineering socks, like this one from Darn Tough, would have been a killer combo. I would bring two of these.

• One pair Woodroad alpaca blend socks as an option for warmer days.

Feet

What I Brought:

• Two pair of wool soles from Amazon, but these may have been wool felt insoles and therefore less effective than 100 percent wool.

• Outdoor Research down booties

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Real wool soles. I think it is important to get the wool sole right, as cold feet are a real problem. Here is one example of a 100% merino wool insert. You don’t need two pair unless you want to put them in your down booties.

• Down socks. I was able to borrow down booties from a friend. I’m not totally convinced that my feet were warmer in the sleeping bag with them on, but they are warmer when you are in the tent, outside of your bag. This is an item that is a “nice to have”, but you can certainly do without. I would go with the Goose Feet Gear Down Socks if I really wanted an extra layer for my feet.

Ski Boots

What I Brought:

• Alfa Outback 2.0 boots - a great boot that I found for a steal on REI Re-Supply! Most of the participants wore the Alpina Alaska, which also seems to be a great boot.

• Kamik Momentum 3 Winter Boots - for use in camp

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Ski boots only. I did not need to bring separate winter boots for expedition training, especially since the snow was so deep. These were not tall enough to wear out to pee; the snow would go over the top and make my feet wet and cold. It was just as easy to slip on the ski boots and not tie them up if I needed to go out. By the end of the trip, I had shoved these boots back into the pulk to keep them out of the way.

Sleeping Bag

What I Brought:

• Therm-a-Rest Polar Ranger Sleeping Bag - -20F/-30C survival rating, with a comfort rating of -20C. This sleeping bag was excellent and kept me warm on a night when others had to start their stoves. I would not go with a sleeping bag with any less than a -20C comfort level.

• Sleeping bag liner - I brought my liner with me, but I did not need to use it.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• My Polar Ranger sleeping bag. A -40F bag makes sense here as well. It is much easier to cool off than to warm up in your bag, and if you are skiing an expedition for two weeks or more, your sleep is very important. This is not a place in the packing list to save money.

• I would likely pair a fleece liner with this sleeping bag if facing even colder temps. A fleece or down blanket could also work in a pinch. I did use my down jacket as a layer over my mid section.

Sleeping Pad

What I Brought:

• I have an older Therm-A-Rest NeoAir X-Lite sleeping pad with an R Value of 5.9. I also brought a Exped Flex Mat Sleeping Pad which boosted the R Value to 6.9. I was warm enough below. R-Values are cumulative. The flex mat would also double as a sitting pad on the snow, but I never used it as such.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• A sleeping mat with higher R value to carry less on the pulk. The NEMO Tensor Extreme sleeping pad is a solid choice with an 8.5 R Value.

Storage

What I Brought:

• 30 L (Extra large) Duluth Pack eVent Compression Dry Sack - fits sleeping bag, sleeping pad, jacket and liner

• 14L (Medium) Duluth Pack eVent Compression Dry Sack - fit all of my extra clothing

• Zpack Dyneema Slim Dry Bag - I put even more clothing into this one, but I did not need any of it.

• 3 sizes Sea to Summit dry bags - I used these for a tool/hygiene bag, food bag, and an electronic bag. Keeping these things in separate bags made finding things easy and packing up in the morning really fast. It’s much more difficult to keep everything in one large bag.

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• XL and med/large dry sack and 3 smaller dry bags for loose gear and food. Some of the participants used stiff dry bags. These are hard to pack in the pulk. The compression sacks are nice because they can compress and be shaped as needed.

Night Peeing

What I Brought:

• Just my basic toilet kit - toilet paper, disposal bag, matches, hand sanitizer

What I Would Bring in the Future:

• Kula cloth. I could not find mine, and I wish I had. This cuts down on how much toilet paper you need. My friend gave me a retractable clip to put in on, which would make it super convenient for daytime use. One thing we both experienced in the cold was an overactive bladder, which meant we had to pee a lot in tiny amounts. The Kula cloth is perfect for this.

• Nalgene bottle for night time peeing. Essential piece of gear. Throw pee out of tent right after going to avoid having it freeze.

• Pee funnel. There are a lot of brands out there. I like the size of the EllaPee version. I would definitely learn how to use this to avoid having to put on boots to leave the tent during the night.

Recapping My Future Packing List

After my full review of my gear for this expedition course, here is the clothing I would pack for a future expedition. This list is a bit more robust than the minimum equipment requirements. I have designed it to give an optimal amount of options for weather conditions and activity levels during the day:

Active Kit (Clothing Only)

• Lightweight wool hat

• 2 neoprene face masks

• waterproof/windproof hat with ear flaps

• wool neck gaiter

• wool balaclava

• alpaca fingerless gloves (pulse warmers)

• wool liner gloves

• wool fingerless glove/mitten combo

• 2 light wool bras - as minimal as possible

• 2 pair wool underwear

• Aclima Woolnet base layer top

• 195 GSM base layer

• wool/fleece jacket mid layer

• midweight synthetic down jacket with hood

• lightweight windproof hoody

• softshell windproof pants

• shell trousers with zipper (waterproof layer)

• 160 - 190 GSM wool leggings or Aclima Woolnet base layer bottoms

• 220+ GSM wool leggings

• 2 pr liner socks

• 2 pr thick wool mountaineering socks

• 1 pr alpaca wool med socks

• wool insoles

Camp Kit (Clothing Only)

• down earlap hat

• heavy wool hat

• polar fleece buff

• 8000 m gloves

• warm work glove (burn protection from cold burns)

• super warm down jacket (ie MH Phantom Belay)

• 240+ GSM wool base layer top

• fleece pullover - warmest rating

• down pants

• thick wool pants or 300+ GSM leggings - optional, but I would lean towards it as an emergency layer option

• down socks