The four seasons are always a perfect time for blogging, vlogging and photographing. The so-called "bad" weather of winter is in reality a call to arms, like those who enjoy winter sports. And by winter, we mean the northern hemisphere, northern regions. Like snow, cold, blizzards and frozen waterfalls.
And now for the transparency: I haven't done nearly all of the photographer's bucket list locations, yet. In fact, I've barely started. But, I have gathered some of the gear, so I think I'm ready for future trips. Here is my winter blogging wear.
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Tip for Your Cold Weather Trips: check out the gear at outdoors and sports stores that will have products specifically made for cold weather, rather than general department stores or just shopping online. Also, blogs dedicated to cold weather living, sports and travel will have lists of products that have been tested.
First up, I like to keep my feet warm and dry, although I really don't anticipate staying outdoors in temperatures less than -20° F (-28.88° C). But I like to know I'm prepared with boots that will work for that. So, I bought the Sorel Caribou boots. As with most items, there may be some that are better but I also like availability and cost effective products. Starting from the bottom (the feet), here are the boots for my winter blogging wear.
Access to the buttons on your equipment is extremely important, of course. If you can, get the remotes to your equipment. Fingers get cold very fast in frigid temperatures, so it's important to know how your cameras work. (You should not be taking a camera right out of the box on a new trip, play with it first so that you know where all of the controls are). Gloves and/or mittens with finger access is cool, no pun intended and fingertips with touchscreen capability is even better. I do better with mittens for my winter blogging wear. My fingers like to be cozied up together. But I do have glove liners and ski gloves as well. I pull of the outer gloves and keep the liners on when I need to access the buttons and screens on my equipment.
Warm hats are plentiful. And there are many options in styles, fabric and colors. I have a few that are satin lined, but those are not always the best if you sweat (yes, I actually sweat in below freezing weather). Moving around in cold weather wearing winter blogging clothes may actually get your metabolism up and burn some calories. And wet hats and cold weather are not good at all. Look for moisture wicking hats and carry more than one so that you can switch them out. Also, using a liner beanie under your hat can help. The exact Under Armour liner beanie that I have is no longer available, but here is what I found:
Jacket/Coat: My jacket of choice for my winter weather blogging wear is one that I bought on sale at the Blue Ridge Mountain gift shop in North Carolina with no label. It's reversible with one side water repellent, and the other side fleece. Many people have asked where I have gotten it. But, it's not available. With today's technology, warm doesn't have to mean bulky and you can actually layer a warm parka with a wind or water resistant outer jacket. In this case, you might want to try on the coats if you want to layer them, especially if you wear a heavy sweater. North Face, Patagonia and Columbia are popular brands that are reliable and easy to find.
Many pants will keep you warm but in rough winter weather you need pants to keep you dry. Ski pants will do nicely. Or, you can wear lightweight rain pants that go over jeans, sweats or other bottoms. The rain pants will do double function for spring as well. Just buy them in a size larger, so they can go over your pants. I have Mountain Warehouse Pakka Rain Pants. There's a jacket as well.
Scarves are a matter of choice: if you are wearing a gaiter style hat or heavy turtle neck, you may not need one. But face protection is a very real issue. Frostbite and sunburn at the same time are possibilities, so protecting your skin is essential. Fleece and moisture wicking materials for neck/face gaiters and/or scarves are helpful here. Check out Under Armour or Nike balaclava ski masks.
Happy Travels!
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All photos and videos created and copyrighted by Marcia Crayton, unless otherwise noted.
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