Packing list: Winter trip

Tips

• Two changes of wool base layer — one for walking, one inside the cabin. Rinse or wash along the way and hang it in the drying room.
• Light indoor clothes can be thin microfibre trousers in addition to the spare set of wool base layers.
• Bivvy shoes (down or synthetic) as light indoor shoes give you a margin of safety if your BC ski boots freeze to the binding.
• An insulated jacket gives quick, effective warmth during breaks. Worn over the outer jacket in dry weather.
• An outer layer in windproof cotton or microfibre usually wicks moisture better than all-weather gear. Weigh up the forecast and keep rainwear in the rucksack for when you need it.
• A transceiver is recommended for trips in avalanche-prone terrain. Practise with the kit before the trip — the handling has to be second nature.
• A probe is not only used for avalanche searches — it is also useful for assessing snow depth before digging a snow pit or confirming that a cornice is large enough.
• A bothy bag, a warm sleeping bag and a sleeping mat should always be with you. These save lives every winter.

Source: the Norwegian Trekking Association (2019), adapted by Snuitide.