I have a 6 week old baby and it’s winter.  How can we get outside and be sure my baby is warm enough?

The guidelines for dressing a baby for cold weather is the same as the guidelines for dressing an adult.

Dress Baby in Layers

When you are dressing your baby for cold, plan on dressing him in layers.  Start with a wicking base layer.  Follow with an insulating layer.  End with a waterproof, windproof outer layer.  If this sounds like a familiar formula, well you dress a baby the same as you would dress an adult.

Avoid Cotton Clothing

Babies, as well as adults, should not wear cotton clothing in the snow.  When cotton gets wet, it loses it’s insulative properties. 

For the base layer, Halo (the sleep sack people) have come out with a Technical Comfort System line of infant clothing made from Cool Max fabric.  These are available as footed coveralls, onesies, or 2 piece sets starting in size 0-3 months.

The easiest insulating layer would be something like this Fleece Blanket Sleeper by Little Me.

For an outer layer, you are looking for waterproof and windproof.  You also want to look for something that has an attatched hood, pullover mittens and booties.  Columbia Sportswear has several good options like their Snow Powder Bunting or Snow Powder Down Bunting .  These both come in sizes from 6-24 months.

Perhaps the most important piece of clothing for your baby is his hat.  As with adults, most of a baby’s heat is lost through the head.  This is actually more true of babies because their heads are proportionately larger to their bodies.  You can layer hats the same way you layer clothing.  Consider getting a fleece hat with a velcro chin strap to make sure baby’s had stays on baby’s head.

Use One extra layer for Baby

 One of the best guidelines that I have gotten for dressing a baby is to dress her in one layer more than you would need to be comfortable.  If you are going out snowshoeing or cross country skiing, you need to dress your baby for going out and being sedentry.  You may be working up a sweat, but your baby is probably just resting.

Wear your baby in a Wrap

Finally, my favorite cool-weather accessory for baby is my baby wrap.  This is a long swath of fabric designed for wearing your baby.  While you are wearing your baby, he will benefit from your body heat (and you from his).  As a Mom, I can relax so much more about whether or not he is too cold when I am wearing my baby snuggled up against my chest.

If you want to make a wrap, MamaToTo.com has instructions on how to make (no sewing required) a wrap. For outdoor, cold weather use, you can even make a wrap out of fleece. Choose a plain colored fabric and you might even be able to get Dad to wear his baby. (My husband likes wearing our baby because he likes the extra body heat).

If you are not crafty, the Moby D wrap is a good choice to wear your baby.  The Moby Original is made from jersey cotton, but the Moby D has a fleece (or silk–your choice) panel in the center for extra warmth.

Moby has provided good instructions on how to use a baby wrap .  For going outside, I prefer the hug hold (for a young baby, check out the newborn hug hold).

Other Considerations

While babies can get cold quickly, they can also overheat quickly.  A sweating baby will quickly get chilled in cold weather.  To check if your baby is too warm, touch the back of his neck and see if it is damp with perspiration.  If he is sweating, remove a layer of clothing.

If you take your baby out often, eventually you will have to do a cold-weather diaper change.  Chose your baby’s clothing so that you can change his diapers quickly and with minimal undressing.

Having a new baby doesn’t mean you have to stay indoors all winter long.  Following the basic rules for winter dressing and taking some basic precautions can open a winter wonderland to you and your baby.

With spring on its way, most of the outdoor retailers are trying to shed some winter gear for reduced prices. Now is a good time to start looking in to buying that winter weather gear in preparation for next winter. Here in Idaho, I could probably get a few more months of use out of some good winter clothes before pulling out the swim suits and kayaks.

Last time I went out snowshoeing, I wrote that I was having layering issues with my clothing. In that outing, I was wearing snowmobile coveralls, and I was warm by the end of my trek through the snow.

Think Layers

SHREK: For your information, there’s a lot more to ogres than people think.
DONKEY: Example?
SHREK: Example? Okay. Uh… ogres are like onions.
DONKEY: They stink?
SHREK: Yes. No!
DONKEY: Oh, they make you cry?
SHREK: No!
DONKEY: Oh, you leave them out in the sun, they get all brown and start sprouting little white hairs.
SHREK: No! Layers! Onions have layers. Ogres have layers. Onions have layers. You get it? We both have layers.
DONKEY: Oh… you both have layers… You know, not everybody like onions. Cakes! Everybody likes cakes. Cakes have layers.
SHREK: I don’t care what everyone likes. Ogres are not like cakes… You dunce, irritating, miniature beast of burden. Ogres are like onions. End of story. Bye bye. See ya later…

In researching, it looks like a good basic snowshoeing outfit would include something like this:

• Base Layer top and bottom wicking/insulating made of silk, wool, or a wicking synthetic (like Under Armour ColdGear)
• Insulating Layer top and bottom made of fleece or wool
• Outer shell top and bottom that is windproof and waterproof. Ideally made of a tear-resistant, rip-stop material, loose enough not to bind your movement, and is breathable.
• Accessories Hat, gloves (I like fingerless liner gloves with wool mittens over top).
• Foot wear Waterproof boots, wicking sock liner, several pairs of wool socks (make sure the outer socks are big enough that they won’t restrict blood flow).
• Optional for colder weather, or really back country hikes, a puffy vest would be a nice addition to keep your core-body temperature up while allowing enough cool air to keep you from sweating.

photo by James Jordan CC-By-SA

Think Thrift Store

For starting out, the most expensive part will be buying that base layer. The pants run from $35+, and I haven’t worked up the courage to price the tops yet. I’ve never really seen them at the thrift store, but maybe I can find a cheaper (non-name brand) version at the army-navy store.

I can usually find synthetic fleece tops and pants at the thrift store for around $2 (or less). I actually have some horrendously ugly bright blue fleece pajama bottoms. In spite of what the outdoor retailers would like you to think, hiking and snowshoeing are not fashion shows. Otherwise, I have seen fleece tops and bottoms for sale at about $9 a piece, new.

A really good outer shell suit will probably run around $100. I can probably find some windbreaker pants for a couple of dollars at the thrift store, and I already have an anorak nylon pullover. I can put about $7 into a can of scotch guard and have a waterproof outer shell that will last me for this winter and keep me going until I save up for a nice waterproof, breathable, windproof, rip-stop, costs-an-arm-and-a-leg, rain suit. Maybe I just need to find a supplier of sil-nylon and make my own light weight rain gear.

Today was the first day in a few weeks that the temperature got above freezing. I took the opportunity to go out snowshoeing. I didn’t have a way to get out to a trail, so I went on the city bike path. From the looks of it, there wouldn’t be many bicyclists out today.

I am always surprised by how warm I get when I go out snowshoeing. I expect to be cold–after all it’s only 36 degrees out. I always end up sweating and wishing I had worn more thin layers.

Today I was just in blue jeans and a light cotton shirt with my snowsuit over that. I wish I knew more about winter clothing so I could wear the right sort of layers.

I guess knowledge comes with experience.

When you head out on the hiking trail for an afternoon or all day hike, you will need to pack some essential gear. The gear that you choose to carry will change depending on the climate, season, and location of your hike.

In the 1930′s, The Mountaineers, a hiking club based out of Seattle, created a gear list that is still referred to as the Ten Essentials. Here is their list:

1. Topographic Map
2. Compass
3. Flashlight
4. Extra food
5. Extra clothes
6. Sunglasses
7. First Aid Kit
8. Knife (multi-tool)
9. Waterproof matches
10. Fire starter material

There are a few extra things that I would add to The Mountaineers list like water and a way to purify it, sunscreen, rain gear, and a space blanket.

The basic idea of carrying this much stuff on a day hike is to be prepared to stay out all night in the worst weather the season can throw at you and survive it.

In the winter, you should carry gear to survive a night of snow and freezing temperatures. The temperature lows vary from location to location, and when you pack for a mountain hike, don’t forget to take altitude into consideration.

Summertime, your greatest threat is likely a cold thunderstorm. Actually, the chance of hypothermia is probably worse in the summer than in the winter because the average summer hiker is not prepared for it.

I’ve said it before, the most important thing to carry with you is knowledge, common sense, your brain. Unless you know how to read a map and use a compass, just carrying the items in your pack won’t do you any good.

I’m as bad as anyone–worse even–for wanting to just put on my shoes and head out to the trail, but a little pre-planning could save your life.

Next time, I’ll write about putting together a Bug-Out-Bag (BOB) with essential gear so that going on a day hike will involve putting on your boots and grabbing your BOB.

The recent disappearance of hiker, Meredith Emerson on Blood Mountain in Georgia has gotten me thinking about personal safety on the trail.

There are so many risks when heading out to hike, and you need to take some measures to protect yourself.

Some possibilities that you should consider when you go hiking:

• unexpected weather changes
• injury
• being lost
• dangerous animals
• dangerous people

I certainly don’t recommend avoiding the great outdoors because of the risks involved. Even the most experience hiker needs to prepare for the dangers that surround you on the hiking trail.

The most important thing you can take with you on a hike is knowledge. Having a first aid kit isn’t enough if you don’t know how to use it.

Over the next few posts, I am going to explore some of the basics of personal protection for the outdoor adventurer.

The sky had turned a dusky pink as we pulled into the parking lot on the side of the Forest Service road. The snow was about 6 inches deep and all the other vehicles in the parking lot were big trucks with snowmobile trailers behind them.

Brenton popped the trunk on our little Kia Rio, and we hurried to strap our new snowshoes on. The afternoon was slipping by fast, and we only had about 3 hours before sunset. The clouds were heavy with unfallen snow.

I slipped my arms into the straps on my backpack, buckled all the buckles and we set out to put a few miles on our snowshoes.

Right away, I noticed that the snow wasn’t really deep enough to need the snowshoes. We were just out there for practice, and to get a few newbie mistakes out of the way.

Newbie lesson#1:

About 1/4 mile into the hike we stopped to test our alcohol stove in the cold. We tried to move quickly to get the stove lit while our bodies were still warm from hiking. Priming an alcohol stove in cold weather requires extra priming fluid.

After three attempts the stove finally lit and we heated up some tomato soup.

Newbie lesson #2:

After eating the soup, and attempting to scrub out the pot as best we could, I decided to learn freezer bag cooking–at least for winter hiking and camping.

We packed up our gear and got back onto the trail. The snow was rotten. Two weeks ago, we had 18-24 inches of snowfall (overnight), then we had a week of 50%deg; weather. The first snowfall had turned into an ice crust over top of an air pocket, and the snowfall from the night before was powder on top of the ice crust.

We kept falling through, but it wasn’t as jarring as trying to post hole with out snowshoes over rotten snow.

Newbie Lesson #3:

About 1/2 a mile into the hike, my backpack woes began. The pack was heavy because we hadn’t had time to plan what we were going to carry. I am glad that we were just doing some test conditioning rather than actually trying to get anywhere. Backpacking requires pre-planning every ounce of weight. Maybe someday I’ll be so used to packing my backpack that I can just throw things in, but someday isn’t today and I doubt that it will come for quite a few years.

Newbie Lesson #4:
Enthusiasm waned at about 3/4 of a mile into the hike. My pack was too heavy and it wasn’t adjusted properly for my body. We decided to turn around and head back to the car. I need to adjust my pack so it hugs my body. The temperature started dropping and by time we got back to the car, I was ready to head back home.

Our first snowshoe hike was a pilthy 1 1/2 miles. Those newbie mistakes may not seem like much but they could have had disastrous results if we had planned a longer trip for our first snowshoeing hike. Next time I’ll try to remember my camera too.

Live and learn, and don’t jump off the high dive until you know how to swim.

Last night our snowshoes arrived. We ordered the Atlas 12 series shoes (I got E1227 and Brenton got 1230). Any new toy has to be tried out right away. We started out in the house practicing adjusting the snowshoes.

I decided that it would be easier to leave the snowboots in the snowshoe bindings and then put the whole thing on when we got to the park.

We got out to the park and stomped around the park for a while, tried running, and watched the stars for a while. After about 20 minutes, I was plenty cold enough to go home. I checked the weather when we got home, and it was 12 degrees outside.

We headed back to the car and I started to undo the bindings on our snowshoes. What I found when I leaned over, left me doubled up laughing. When I put my snowshoes and boots on, I managed to put them on backwards. I think I might have to paint an R and L on my snowboots after this. You’d think I would know how to put my shoes on by now.

This is part 5 of a 5 part series on buying snowshoes. For more information, make sure you check out parts 1-4 of the series.
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Part 1:Snowshoeing Vocabulary

There is some specialized vocabulary in any sport and snowshoeing is no exception. Check out part 1 of this series to familiarize yourself with the jargon before heading out to the gear shop.

Part 2: Your Purpose

The thing you want to decide when you are buying snowshoes is what kind of snowshoeing you will be doing. There are four main styles of snowshoes: racing, recreation, hiking, and back country/mountaineering. You should select your snowshoes to fit your purpose.

Part 3: Snowshoe Shapes

Snowshoe tails come in three main shapes: pointed, rounded, and tear-dropped. Each of these shapes has its own benefits and drawbacks. You may want to test snowshoes with different shaped tails to see which shape you like best.

Part 4: Snowshoe Size and Your Weight

Snowshoes are not one-size-fits-all. You should buy the size that is designed for your weight (including clothes, gear, boots, pack, and anything else you will be carrying when you go out snowshoeing). The size guidelines are approximate, and you may need to use a size larger or a size smaller based on the local snow conditions. Your local gear shop would be the best place to determine your sizing needs.

That’s all for selecting snowshoes. At first glance it seems complicated and a bit overwhelming, but after some research, I am ready to face this with confidence. All I need now is some snow.

Snowshoes come in a variety of sizes. Choosing the ideal size for you is based on your weight (including clothes, boots, pack, and gear). You want to purchase snowshoes that will float when you are carrying all the gear you will need. The added weight will be different if you are just planning on taking day hikes than if you are planning on doing back country camping trips.

If you will be snowshoeing in deep powder, you will need more float and should go up one weight category.

This size and weight chart shows the optimal conditions. Each of the sizes will work okay for 20 pounds above or below the recommended weight range.

Additionally, some women’s snowshoes are sized slightly different. I have merely included standard snowshoe sizes in this chart.

When you think of snowshoeing, you probably imagine someone slogging through the snow with something that looks like wooden tennis rackets strapped to their feet.

Snowshoe designs have come a long way since then.

The basic shapes are rounded, pointed, and tapered (or tear-dropped). These shapes refer to the unique design of the snowshoe tail. Each shape has advantages and disadvantages.

Rounded tails provide maximum flotation and balance, but the wide tail causes awkwardness when you are walking. Rounded snowshoes are best for people who are heavy, or who will be carrying heavy loads.

Pointed snowshoes taper slightly at the back and allow for a more normal gait. The pointed design is not as effective at flotation and can be difficult to balance on. However, you are less likely to trip over your own snowshoes if you are wearing ones with a pointed toe.

Tear-drop shaped snowshoes are unique to Crescent Moon Snowshoes. These snowshoes have a long, skinny taper. The snowshoes are longer overall, but they provide good balance and float. These snowshoes might be a good option for females because they allow a narrower gait while providing float and stability.

While I am usually the kind of person who goes out and buys the gear right away (as opposed to renting stuff), the question of snowshoe shape may lead me to go rent various styles before I choose one to buy. Some stores that rent and sell snowshoes will allow you to rent a pair and then if you decide to buy that style you can apply your rental cost to the purchase price. It’s worth asking about anyways.

There are three basic shapes for snowshoes. The different shapes are designed to allow maneuverability, float, and stability. Each of the shapes have their advantages and drawbacks. Renting snowshoes is a good way to try out different shapes before you commit to a purchase.