Bula Foot Print Beanie A hat is a hat, until you start looking at the materials that go into that hat. The Foot Print is constructed with a sustainable bamboo and wool blend and a comfy recycled microfleece liner. $25. Bulabula.com.
Big Agnes Flying Diamond 8 Don’t think of this as a four-season tent. Think of the Flying Diamond as your winter mountain home. It’s completely waterproof and windproof from top to bottom, with enough floor space to sleep eight and the headroom to accommodate Andre the Giant. Add the mesh gear loft to keep your packs and jackets organized and pop open the front vestibule for a shaded front porch. $599.95. bigagnes.com.
MSR Lightning Ascent Snowshoes You only wear snowshoes for one reason: to save energy when hiking in deep snow. The Lightning Ascent maximizes the energy savings by offering an uber-light and stable platform that keeps your ankles out of the snow and your legs fresh for the trail ahead. The shoes are edged in light aluminum with “teeth” that grip the snow, while the rubber center provides the float you expect from a snowshoe. $259.95. msrgear.com.
Western Mountaineering Antelope A five-degree bag may not keep you warm enough on your thru-hike of Antarctica, but it does the trick below the Mason Dixon most of the time. And the Antelope weighs under 2.5 lbs, making it the perfect partner for winter backpacking trips. With seven inches of natural down loft and a fully insulated collar and hood, this five-degree bag might keep you warmer than some zero-degree bags on the market. $435. Westernmountaineering.com
Mountain Hardwear Dragon A lightweight, wind and water-resistant soft shell, the Dragon is designed for intensely aerobic winter activities (think cross country skiing or ice climbing), which means it’s highly breathable with a full range of movement. But our wear-tester loved the details built into the Dragon, like the thumb loops, chamois lined collar, and convenient chest pocket perfect for an Ipod or map. $240. Mountainhardwear.com.
GoLite Inferno Jacket You think carrying a down jacket on your winter backpack trip is a luxury…until the temperature drops into single digits at night. Then it’s a necessity. The Inferno’s fleece lined pockets are a nice touch, but our tester loved the jacket’s weight. The 800-fill Inferno weighs just over a pound, giving it a stellar warmth to weight ratio, and is held together with a 100% recycled polyester shell, making it a little greener than most other down puffies. $230. golite.com.
Sierra Designs Nahche Sleeping Bag A zero-degree synthetic bag that uses a mix of recycled polyester and coconut shells for its liner and recycled polyester textiles and PET bottles for the shell. Weighing in just over four pounds, this might not be your choice for fast and light winter overnighters, but the Nahche is the ideal cornerstone for a toasty base camp, skiing Deep Creek’s cross country trails by day and car camping in the state park by night. $269. sierradesigns.com.
Scarpa Barun GTX Just because it’s winter doesn’t mean you have to lug around five-pound boots to keep your feet warm. The Barun has all the winter boot goodies (Gore-Tex lining, Vibram outsole) but none of the winter weight. Each boot weighs just 1.5 pounds. $219. scarpa.net
Big Agnes Dual Core Sleeping Pad You could sleep on your thin summer pad, but why? Take your standard inflatable air-core pad and add double layers of PrimaLoft Eco insulation (50% recycled materials) for added warmth. All in, there are 2.5 inches of air and insulation forming a barrier between you and the cold ground. $99.95. bigagnes.com.
Cloudveil Inertia Peak Touring Pant All the breathability and stretch you expect from a soft shell pant, but a fraction of the price. The tightly knit twill wicks sweat beautifully while creating a formidable barrier against the winter weather. $135. cloudveil.com.
Black Diamond Tempest The Tempest is a four-season tent with windproof and waterproof walls that still manages to breathe, letting moisture escape throughout the night. Our wear-testers set up the Tempest in a snowstorm that dropped more than a foot of powder and woke the next morning dry as a bone. Two attached vestibules add floor space while keeping the set-up simple, and the 32 square feet of interior room was ample for two testers and all their gear. $499.95. bdel.com.
