Sunday, February 11, 2018

My 2018 Winter and Spring Complete Clothing Breakdown

Introduction

So I finally have a few section hikes coming up!  I will most likely do a gear list breakdown for my spring base pack weight (BPW), but I don't think I will have the time to do one for my winter kit for the trip coming up soon.  However, it has been a while since I've gone over my clothing combos for all the different seasons I encounter (my older one you can check out here, also includes BPW), so figured I should at least update my current clothing choices.  Not to mention that I still get plenty of questions from friends, family, and sometimes online about what my clothing choices are for hiking.  Later on in the year I'll do another breakdown like this for my two summer outfits (one for the mountains, one for the woods), so stay tuned for that.

Two years ago I showed off my winter gear list in a video, and not too much has changed since then as far as gear goes.  But there have been some significant changes to my clothing, in spite of still using some garments for about half a decade or so.  Some of the more hardcore UL backpackers may cringe and/or scoff at some of the relatively heavy choices of clothing I have.  But everyone has their limits, and when it comes to clothing worn I am more likely to shrug and say "good enough" with slightly heavier choices.  

I think because I obsess so much over my BPW down to every little detail, I just don't have the energy to really dial in my clothing combos to be lighter and (this is key) just as warm.  I'm also just not into clothing in general, as say a fashion or social statement, so it's hard for me to get excited about buying say, a pair of pants or a shirt.  But I've spent plenty of time drooling over packs, shelters, quilts, and other BPW gear, and have literally had my pulse rise after getting a package slip in my mailbox for new gear.  Not to say that clothing is any less important for backpacking, it should almost go without saying!  And also note that quite a lot of this gear gets used in my day-to-day life to work and on day hikes, so it's not just collecting dust in the closet when I'm not on section hikes.

So let's get down to the breakdown of my full winter and spring outfits.  First up is some context: