Cold! Backcountry Winter Clothing for the Whole Family

How-ToHow-To (02)

Nov 8

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Nature feeds my soul. But it also feeds my metabolism (I’m out there working hard). It feeds my mind (I’m solving problems and making decisions that have real consequences). It feeds my sanity (I’m focused and very, very present). It is nectar for the whole of me.

So, I don’t really want to go months and months out of the year not being able to get that sustenance. I want to experience the ebbs and flows of my rhythms in sync with the world and do so through all the seasons, not just the green ones.

Still getting out, even when it’s cold, is important to me.

Maybe it is to you, too? Maybe for similar reasons? Maybe for more “practical” reasons. Believe me, I have those, too: My energetic twin boys still need to be able to burn off energy. I don’t want them or I to become slaves to screen time. The need for sunshine and vitamin D is a real thing.

But I also know that it can be hard to keep getting out when the moment-by-moment comfort gets harder to find. And if you through youngsters into the mix, who have shorter time horizons for their wishes and desires, getting them to “stick with it,” and trust that “it’ll be fun” can be daunting.

And maybe you are pretty new to being outdoors, in the backcountry, in the cold, too; and maybe that makes it hard to commit to brining your kids out along with you because your mistakes won’t just be your own, they will suffer the impacts, too.

That was the inspiration behind this new series called “Cold!”

If you haven’t gathered my “mission” by now, it’s to try to make the backcountry and the joys of nature more accessible. There is a lot that goes into accessibility, some of which neither you nor I can control. But I can help out with know-how. So, that’s what I’m trying to do. That, and maybe some encouragement, too.

As I mentioned in the video, the Cold! series will be getting into several topics, but we are starting with clothing. You’ll notice, once again, I didn’t turn this into a gear review. Rather, I tried to talk about the properties of each layer of clothing that I think are important. That way, you can know what to look for across many brands and options. There is a lot of good stuff out there, and - as mentioned in the video - you can even get creative with replacement items you may have already.

But for those of you who are dying to know what the boys and I are using when it gets really cold, here’s the list:

Exofficio Give-N-Go Underwear

Men's Give-N-Go Sport 2.0 9" Boxer Briefs

Women's Give-N-Go Sport 2.0 Mesh Boy Short

Boys' X-Temp® Lightweight Boxer Briefs

Patagonia Capilene Air Crew Baselayer

Men's

Women's

Outdoor Vitals DragonWool Zipoff Thermal Pants

Unisex

Boys' Hanes Premium 2pc Thermal Underwear Set

Eddie Bauer Cloud Layer Pro Full Zip Jacket