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What should you wear hiking in fall and winter? Dress in three layers: a moisture-wicking base layer, an insulating mid-layer, and a shell that blocks wind and water, then add warm gloves, a hat, and wool or synthetic socks. What most guides leave out is what happens when you stop moving. That is where heated cold weather gear earns its place in your pack: an extra layer of heat you can switch on at a cold sunrise or a windy summit and switch off when the trail warms you up again.
My name is Chris Haffly, and I am the founder of Volt Heat. I have never really considered myself a "hiker," but apparently I fit the definition. According to the internet, hiking is simply the recreational activity of taking long, vigorous walks in natural environments. By that standard, I guess I have been hiking for most of my life.
Growing up in the Pacific Northwest, I spent plenty of time exploring mountain trails throughout the North Cascades and Olympic Mountains, including Mount Pilchuck and Mount Ellinor. I have even hiked to the summit of Mount St. Helens. Still, I have never really thought of myself as a traditional hiker. Most of my adventures are day hikes rather than multi-day trips where I am carrying a heavy backpack, camping gear and several days' worth of supplies. Maybe "trekker" or simply "outdoor explorer" is a better description. Whatever you want to call it, I have learned that heated clothing can be a surprisingly useful piece of gear when you spend time outdoors.
This guide covers the winter hiking gear and cold weather hiking gear basics, the layering system that works in every cold season, and how to add heat only where and when you need it.
Table of Contents
If you are wondering what to wear hiking in winter, start with the layering system that hikers have relied on for years. Three layers, each with a different job, let you add or remove warmth as conditions change. These are the basics of cold weather hiking clothes:
|
Layer |
Its Job |
What to Look For |
|
Base layer |
Wicks sweat away from your skin |
Synthetic or merino wool top and bottoms |
|
Mid-layer |
Insulates and holds warmth |
Fleece, wool, or a synthetic insulated layer |
|
Outer shell |
Blocks wind, rain, and snow |
A windproof or waterproof, breathable jacket |
|
Extras |
Protect hands, head, and feet |
Warm gloves, a hat, and wool or synthetic socks |
The one fabric to avoid is cotton. It absorbs sweat and dries slowly, so it leaves you colder the longer you wear it.
Good layering is also active. Add or remove a layer before you start sweating, not after, because damp clothing is what turns a cool breeze into a chill.
Fall is the trickiest season to dress for. Fall hiking clothing has to handle a cold start, a warm afternoon, and a possible storm somewhere in between. A sunny morning at the trailhead can turn into a windy, cloudy afternoon higher up, and the days are shorter, so a headlamp belongs in your pack even on a day hike.
Elevation adds to it. A common rule of thumb says air temperature falls roughly 3.5°F for every 1,000 feet you climb, and the real number varies with moisture and local conditions. Even 500 to 1,000 feet of climbing can make a noticeable difference in both temperature and wind.
Wind makes it feel colder still. The National Weather Service wind chill formula shows that 32°F air with a 10 mph wind feels closer to 24°F on exposed skin.
The usual fix is thin layers you can add and remove, and many fall hiking guides suggest carrying an insulating layer to put on the moment you stop.
When you are climbing a mountain or moving at a steady pace on a trail, your body generates plenty of its own heat. In fact, overheating can sometimes be more of a concern than getting cold. On most of my hikes and outdoor adventures, I actually don't need to turn on my Volt Heated Clothing very often.
Then you stop. Your activity level drops, and so does the amount of heat your body produces. Taking photos at a viewpoint, eating lunch, waiting for sunrise, or standing around while the group catches up can feel much colder than the climb itself. Standing still in the cold catches outdoor travelers everywhere, from a windy summit to a night under the northern lights, as our guide on what to wear aurora chasing explains.
Even so, I almost always like having a heated vest or my trusty Volt heated hoodie packed with me. The advantage isn't necessarily having the heat on throughout the entire hike. It is knowing that extra warmth is available when conditions change, when you stop moving or when you find yourself standing around in the cold.
For hiking and outdoor exploring, I don't really think of heated clothing as something that needs to stay powered on all the time. I think of it as another layer, except this layer has a thermostat.
When you are climbing, turn it off.
When you stop for lunch, turn it on.
When you're waiting for sunrise, turn it on.
When the sun comes out and temperatures rise, turn it off again.
That flexibility is especially useful in places where temperatures can change dramatically throughout the day or with changes in elevation. Instead of constantly adding and removing heavy layers, you can adjust your warmth with the push of a button.
I recently returned from a week-long trip exploring some of the most incredible outdoor destinations in the American Southwest, including Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Arches and the Grand Canyon. We had beautiful weather for most of the trip, and I rarely needed additional heat while we were hiking.
Bryce Canyon was the exception.
We arrived before sunrise, and the temperature was around 32°F with roughly 10 mph winds. Standing there in the dark waiting for the sun to come up felt considerably colder than the thermometer suggested. That feeling has a number behind it: by the wind chill formula, those conditions feel closer to 24°F on exposed skin.
That was one of those moments when I was very happy to have my Volt heated hoodie. I turned on the heat while we waited for sunrise and stayed comfortable for about 30 minutes while everyone stood around taking in the scenery. Once we started hiking, I didn't need the extra heat anymore. I simply turned it off and continued wearing the hoodie as a normal layer.
That's one of the things I like most about heated clothing for hiking. You don't have to use the heat all day. It is there when you need it.
Another memorable example happened after hiking to the summit of Mount St. Helens. Reaching the top is obviously the hardest part of the hike, and by the time you get there you are generating plenty of body heat.
But then you stop. You start taking pictures, looking across the crater and enjoying the view.
After sitting at the summit for a while, clouds began covering the sun and the temperature suddenly felt much cooler. With my activity level dropping, so did the amount of heat my body was producing. I was glad I had packed my Volt Cracow heated vest. Instead of immediately adding several bulky layers or cutting my time at the summit short, I could simply turn on the vest and add some warmth while enjoying the view.
A rechargeable heated vest works well on the trail because it warms the core, the part of your body you most want to keep steady, without adding sleeves or bulk under a shell. A good electric heated vest is thin enough to wear under a jacket and light enough that you barely notice it in your pack. If you want to know how the heating works and how it differs from regular insulation, see our guide on what electric heated clothing is.
The Volt Heat Cracow 7V Battery Powered Insulated Heated Vest is the one I packed for the Mount St. Helens summit. It has a 3-zone heating system with two panels on the chest and one oversized panel on the back, 80 grams of insulation, and four power settings. Runtime is up to 2 hours on high and 8 or more hours on low. Because it only needs to run while you are standing still, that makes it a natural fit for stop-and-go hiking, and Volt Heat lists hiking among the activities it suits. A women's version of the Cracow vest is also available.
The Volt Heat CARBON Rechargeable Heated Fleece Vest is a fleece option made with Klimate Shield performance fleece, which blocks wind and has a water-repellent coating. It has four heating zones across the chest and back and runs on a 10,000mAh battery: 5 or more hours on high and 10 or more hours on low. It works as a mid-layer under a shell or on its own.
For a lighter nylon option, the VOLT X Heat 5V Unisex Insulated Nylon Heated Vest has five heat zones across the chest, back, collar and pockets, 80 grams of insulation, and a water-resistant finish. It includes a 10,000mAh battery and runs 5 hours on high and 10 or more hours on low, which suits long days on the trail.
Fall hiking season also overlaps with hunting season, and the stop-and-go problem is even more extreme for a hunter sitting still in a stand. For that, Volt Heat makes a 7V camo heated hunting vest in Mossy Oak Country, and our guide to staying warm during hunting season covers the full setup for anyone shopping for a heated hunting vest.
My trusty Volt heated hoodie is the piece I reach for on cold mornings and at sunrise stops, because it works as a normal layer when the heat is off. Volt Heat's heated mid-layers include heated hoodies and half-zip pullovers designed to sit under a shell, which makes them an easy way to add heated cold weather gear to a layering system you already own.
Your hands are one of the first places to feel the cold. On a hike, they are also the part you cannot easily bundle up, because you need them for trekking poles, zippers, snacks, and your phone. Many winter hikers carry a thin glove plus a warmer outer glove for that reason, and heated gloves for hiking are a way to add warmth without carrying more layers.
Volt Heat's heated gloves put heating elements on both sides of the hand, running the length of each finger, and every pair comes with rechargeable batteries. The right heated hiking gloves depend on how you hike:
Frostie II Heated Gloves: the lighter option. The Frostie II has less insulation to reduce bulk, which gives you more dexterity, and it is popular for everything from cycling to walking the dog.
Tatra: the Tatra Men's 7V Heated Snow Gloves are a rugged, durable all-purpose option designed to be waterproof, a good choice for wet and snowy trails. For women's hiking gloves, the Tatra Women's 7V Heated Snow Gloves offer the same all-purpose design in a women's fit.
Fleece and liners: the Volt Heat 7V Fleece Unisex Gloves are a low-bulk everyday option, and the Volt Heated Liners Gloves are thin enough to wear on their own in moderate weather or as a base under a heavier glove.
Whichever pair you choose, these rechargeable heated gloves do the same job as the rest of your heated kit: they stay off while you climb and come on when you stop. That makes them useful heated winter gloves for cold trailheads, and heated gloves for cold weather more broadly, from sunrise viewpoints to summit lunches. If you are new to them, our beginner's guide to battery-powered heated gloves covers how they work and how to care for them, and a pair of heating gloves for winter slips into a daypack without changing the layering system you already trust.
On the trail itself, most hikers wear waterproof, supportive boots with warm wool or synthetic socks, and that should not change. Heated socks go inside the boots you already own, and the Volt Heat 8V Battery Heated Socks are the simplest way to add foot warmth to your existing setup.
Where heated winter boots shine is around camp and on slower days. The Volt Heat LAVA Series Indoor/Outdoor Rechargeable Heated Boots are heated boots that also work as slippers. They have a DWR-coated ripstop nylon upper, a faux fur and Terry cloth lining, and an 8V heating system with 5 or more hours of runtime on high, 8 or more on medium, and 10 or more on low. They are a good fit for camp, the cabin, the trailhead, and the walk to the car after a long day, while your hiking boots do the hard work on the trail.
Ironically, the times when I appreciate Volt Heated Clothing the most aren't necessarily during difficult hikes. It is during the slower outdoor activities. Walking outside on a cold winter day, sightseeing, watching an outdoor event, sitting around a campsite or simply spending time outside without constantly moving can make you feel much colder than hiking up a mountain. Your body isn't generating nearly as much heat.
That's when heated clothing really shines.
One of my favorite combinations for cold outdoor conditions is my Volt CARBON Fleece Heated Vest along with my Frostie II Heated Gloves. The vest keeps warmth around your core while the heated gloves help with one of the first areas that always seems to get cold: your hands.
And when camping, I will sometimes bring along a Volt Heated Seat Cushion as well. Anyone who has camped on a cold night knows the feeling of sitting around a campfire and trying to get just a little closer to the flames. Your front might be warm while your back is freezing. A heated vest and the 5V Rechargeable Heated Seat Cushion can make sitting around camp much more comfortable without having to constantly reposition yourself around the fire.
Cool nights at camp are not only a winter problem. Our guide on how to stay warm while camping covers the full camp setup, from heated vests and hoodies to camp slippers, heated socks, and a heated camping blanket.
|
Situation |
Heated Piece to Reach For |
|
Cold trailhead or sunrise viewpoint |
Heated hoodie or heated vest |
|
Windy summit or lunch stop |
Cracow or CARBON vest, turned on at the stop |
|
Cold hands on trekking poles |
Frostie II gloves |
|
Wet snow or rough trail use |
Tatra gloves |
|
Warmth under gloves you already own |
Liner gloves |
|
Campfire or camp chair |
Seat cushion plus a heated vest |
|
Cold feet at camp |
LAVA boots or heated socks |
A few habits keep your heated gear ready when you reach the stop:
Charge before you leave and pack a spare. A spare charged battery is useful insurance on a long day.
Use high as a quick boost. Volt Heat's battery guidance suggests a short burst on high when you first switch on, then dropping to a lower setting once you are warm.
Do not charge a cold battery. Never charge a lithium-ion battery below 32°F. Bring it indoors and let it reach room temperature first.
Turn it off when you move. Running only at stops stretches a single charge much further than running all day.
Whether you consider yourself a serious hiker, a weekend trekker or simply someone who enjoys exploring the outdoors, heated clothing can be a great addition to your gear. You may not need the heat while you're moving quickly up a trail. But when the wind picks up, the sun disappears behind the clouds, you stop to enjoy the view or you're sitting around a campsite on a cold night, having instant heat available can make a big difference.
That's why even when I don't expect to use it, you'll often find a Volt heated vest or heated hoodie packed in my bag. Sometimes the best piece of outdoor gear is the one you don't need very often, but are extremely glad you brought when you do.
Volt Heat has been developing heated clothing since 2010, and every product is built on our patented Zero Layer® Heat System, backed by a Lifetime Limited Warranty and designed, developed, and distributed from the USA. Contact Us today and we will help you find the right combination for your trail and your conditions.
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