Gear Guide - Mount Katahdin Winter Ascent

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In March 2018, I climbed Mount Katahdin via the new Abol Trail. This was a 3-day trip that involved camping in a lean-to at the Abol Campground. Because it was an overnight trip, it involved a bit more planning in terms of packing. Although this is not an all-inclusive list, this does include some recommendations on both apparel and equipment that were useful for me on the trip. For more information on the climb itself, read my trip report here.

My layering system:

I have a pretty good system for staying comfortable in the cold. My base layer is always a tight synthetic layer like the Under Armour Cold Gear long sleeve shirt. Next up I wear a quarter-zip fleece pullover because they are lightweight, warm, and never seem to take on much water or sweat. Even when I take my fleece out of the wash it feels dry, and I think that's an important quality to have in winter apparel. Outside of my base layer and fleece will be an insulated vest (if it's REALLY cold), then an insulated jacket, and then a Gore Tex hard shell (I prefer hard shells with pit zips in case you need more ventilation).

Jacket: Marmot Dena and Mountain Hardwear Nilas

I brought the Marmot Dena jacket to wear at lower elevations. This is what I use for my “puffy jacket”. When I hiked Mount Washington in the winter, this jacket was all I needed to keep me warm up to the summit, and for my Katahdin hike I didn’t even need it until the tablelands because the weather was so nice! Once the weather started getting nasty on the tablelands, I wore my puffy jacket with my hard shell. My favorite part about this jacket is that it’s insulated with recycled materials. It also has an interior chest pocket for me to keep my batteries warm in. I also carried my Mountain Hardwear Nilas jacket with me. It is a super warm 800-fill down jacket. The down is water-repellant, so it retains its loft even when wet. It packs down to be just a little bigger than a Nalgene bottle, so it didn’t take up too much space in my backpack. I wore this jacket on my climb up Mount Elbrus, the highest mountain in Europe (18,510 feet), and I was warm even in a snowstorm. I would have had to put this jacket on if I stayed sedentary on the summit any longer than I did. The men’s versions of the above jackets are the Marmot Baffin and Mountain Hardwear Nilas.

Staying warm in my Marmot Dena jacket on a previous hike up Mount Washington.

Gloves: Mountain Hardwear Onza Mittens and Outdoor Research Alti Mitts

From what I’ve gathered, the Mountain Hardwear Onza Mittens are no longer in production, so I’ll be brief in my review of these. I brought these mittens for the lower part of the climb, and I expected to switch to my “Everest mittens” (Ourdoor Research Alti Mitts) once we got above treeline. Surprisingly, these mittens kept me warm all the way to the summit! My fingers did start getting numb when I took my gloves off to fiddle with the camera, but a pair of glove liners would have solved that problem. The nice thing about the Onza mitten is that there is no insulation in the palm. Instead it is a layer of leather with a fleece lining, and this makes it very easy to hold onto hiking poles, ice axes, branches, etc. A close alternative to the Onza Mitts are the Outdoor Research Adrenaline Mitts.

I call the Outdoor Research Alti Mitts my “Everest Mittens” because they are actually used by climbers on Mount Everest. They are the warmest mittens I’ve ever owned, and I’ve never gotten cold in them, not even when climbing Mount Elbrus. The mitten has a PrimaLoft insulated liner which is warm on its own, and there is a pocket for hand warmers which I never needed to use. The outer glove is also insulated with PrimaLoft and has a Gore-Tex shell to keep it waterproof and breathable. I’ve had good luck with Outdoor Research products. They tend to be more reasonably priced, and they have a lifetime guarantee on all of their products. The only annoyance I noticed was that it was a little harder to hold onto things while wearing these gloves because of all the insulation. This is not a product issue, but instead me not being used to wearing really warm gloves! These gloves come in men’s and women’s styles. They have won several awards, including Backpacker Magazine’s “Best for Extreme Cold,” and Outside Magazine’s “Best Winter Survival Winter 2014”. I was initially hesitant to buy these mittens because of how expensive they were, but when comparing that to the price of frostbite or losing fingers, it didn’t seem all that bad.

Snow Pants: Eddie Bauer Igniter Pants

I wore these pants on Mount Elbrus, and they kept me super warm, so I knew these insulated pants would do the trick on Mount Katahdin. The great thing about these pants is that they have side zippers that run all the way up the length of the pant. This not only allows you to take your pants off while keeping your boots on, but it also allowed me to vent my legs when they were overheating. Unfortunately, Eddie Bauer doesn’t make this snow pant any more, but their First Ascent line of gear has always impressed me, so I would encourage trying other styles. I combined my snow pants with Outdoor Research Expedition Crocodile Gaiters to prevent my crampons from catching onto and ripping my pants. Dale prefers a different style of pant. Instead of an insulated snow pant, he LOVES his Outdoor Research Furio Pants which are a durable waterproof / windproof hard shell pant that pairs well with a wool baselayer.

Goggles: Airblaster Air Goggle

I bought these goggles after a bad goggle-fogging experience on Mount Elbrus. The Airblaster Air Goggles are claimed to be one of the best anti-fog goggles, and they were rated #1 by Snowboarder Magazine. Unfortunately, these goggles fogged up on me too, which is a sign that it might be user error causing the fogging, and not the goggle itself. Until I figure out how to use goggles correctly, I will hold off on any more goggle recommendations!

Balaclava: Polar Buff and Outdoor Research Windstopper Gorilla Balaclava

I love my buff! Dale and I wear them all year long, and the polar buff is great for winter activities. The buff is a tube of fabric, part fleece and part thin fabric, and it can be made into all sorts of protective gear (hat, balaclava, neck warmer, etc). Its versatility is what makes it so great for me. I wore my polar buff as a neck warmer on the tablelands and summit. It was quite windy on the tablelands, and I probably should have transitioned to my heavier-duty Gorilla Balaclava (see below), but I managed just fine with my buff. However, I would have needed more protection if I stayed up there much longer.

The Outdoor Reserarch Windstopper Gorilla Balaclava is a serious balaclava designed for alpine environments. I wore this on Mount Elbrus, and the Gore Windstopper fabric is a true barrier against the wind. I didn’t need it this time, but it was worth having this in my bag in case the weather made a turn for the worse or I got stuck above treeline longer than expected.

Hat: Dakine Women’s Vine Beanie

It’s warm. It’s comfy. It’s cute. What more is there to say!? But really, this hat is awesome. It’s one of the few cute woven hats I could find that is fleece-lined and is big enough to cover down to the bottom of my ears, and I’m totally in love with it!

Staying warm in my Dakine Vine Beanie on a November hike of Mount Katahdin.

Ice Axe: Black Diamond Raven Ice Axe

I’ve used this ice axe for a few years, and although it is Black Diamond’s most basic ice axe, it has treated me well on all my adventures. I say this every time I use it, but I would recommend getting a leash for your ice axe in case you drop it! I ended up not needing my ice axe on this climb since we had great conditions, but I would always carry this on hand just in case you need it!

Crampons: Black Diamond Contact Crampons

I initially bought these crampons for my first ascent up Mount Washington in the winter of 2012. I wanted a reputable brand, but I was also on a budget, so I opted for Black Diamond’s most basic crampon, the Contact Crampon. These crampons have treated me well so far. Although they’re not fancy step-in crampons, they still fasten up easily and quickly. The strap on crampons also have the advantage of being able to be used with multiple types of boots. I have used these crampons with mountaineering boots and smaller snow boots, and they worked great in both situations. I was able to fit both our crampons in my Black Diamond crampon bag to prevent the spikes from ripping our backpacks when they were stowed away. As with the ice axe, I did not need to use my crampons on this trip, but certainly keep them in your pack in case you need them!

Backpacks: Osprey Stratos 36 and Osprey Tempest 30

These were the two best backpacks we owned for climbing Mount Katahdin, so that’s what we used! Dale used the Osprey Stratos 36 (which was a bit bigger), and I used the Osprey Tempest 30. Both packs are comfortable, and the main difference between the two is that the Stratos has a solid frame with more support in the back panel, while the Tempest has a flexible back panel that molds to your body. I personally prefer the flexible back panel, but everybody is different in their preferences. I would recommend going to your local gear store to try on backpacks yourself to see which has the best fit. When picking out a backpack, make sure to get one that has a spot to attach your ice axe. It just makes life easier. One thing I liked about my Osprey packs is their “Stow-On-The-Go” trekking pole attachment, which allows you to stow away your trekking poles without having to take off your pack. They also had just the right size and number of compartments to fit my needs.

Boots: Salomon Snowtrip TS WP Winter Boot

Although the Salomon Snowtrip boots are very warm, I was nervous they wouldn’t be warm enough for Mount Katahdin. I would have preferred to have worn mountaineering boots in the event that we slowed down and couldn’t keep warm, but I ended up doing just fine in these boots (Men’s version here). The benefit of NOT wearing mountaineering boots is that your feet are lighter and you have more freedom of movement. However, you won’t have as much protection against the cold. We had great weather on our trip, and these boots kept me plenty warm. I’m glad I wore these instead of mountaineering boots because it made walking easier.

Sleeping Bag

I did not make a good sleeping bag choice for this trip, and it was solely based on using the warmest sleeping bag I had. I used my Big Agnes Edna -5 degree sleeping bag, and although I made it through the night fine, I was certainly cold. Dale was much warmer than me because he rented a -20 degree sleeping bag from the University of Maine. The outdoor center at the University of Maine is located in Orono, just north of Bangor, and is a short drive off the interstate. If you don’t want to empty your wallet buying a winter sleeping bag, I would recommend renting. Their website (Maine Bound Adventure Center) provides more information on this, but I would call ahead to make sure they have what you need. No matter what sleeping bag you use, I would recommend bringing a sleeping bag liner for extra warmth.

Sleeping Pad: Nemo Astro Insulated Sleeping Pad

The Nemo Astro Insulated sleeping pad is lightweight and packs down to the size of a Nalgene bottle, so it was a nice addition to my sleeping arrngement. I have been in love with this sleeping pad since the day I got it. It is 3 inches thick and feels like I am sleeping on a cloud. The horizontal baffles make it easier for the pad to curve with your body and prevent you from rolling off the pad like vertical baffles would. This may sound silly, but I often feel guilty when I go camping with friends because I feel like I shouldn’t be this comfortable when I’m sleeping out in the woods. This pad has won several awards from places like Backpacker Magazine and Outdoor Gear Lab. The only downside of this sleeping pad is that it’s not self-inflating, and it takes a lot of air to get it blown up. In addition, you don’t want to blow your sleeping pad up by mouth because the moisture in your breath will go inside the pad and freeze. To fix that problem, I bought a nifty bag called the Thermarest NeoAir Pump Sack. This functions as a large stuff sack, pack liner, and most importantly a vessel to blow up your sleeping pad. Not only does it save your lungs, but it also prevents moist air from your body from entering your sleeping pad. The way it works is there’s a hole at the bottom of the bag that seals over the valve of the sleeping pad. You open up the stuff sack and roll down the opening to trap air which you then push into the sleeping pad. It is a simple device that works surprisingly well.

GPS: Garmin Fenix

I like wearing a GPS watch to track my mileage, speed, and altitude. The Garmin Fenix won me over for two reasons: 1) It measures altitude, which most GPS watches don’t, and 2) The battery life is up to 50 hours (for the original model that I have), which is ridiculously long for a GPS watch. The watch is waterproof up to 50 meters and has more features than I know what to do with. The only downside is that it is a bit bulky, but that has never bothered me. I use this watch every time I hike, paddle, run, bike, and climb, and it does an excellent job on the trail and later on the computer as it plots your trail on a map. Garmin has come out with newer versions of the Fenix, but I can’t speak on those since I have not used them. I would recommend wearing this on your wrist or putting it in an inner pocket to keep it warm and preserve the battery life.

Trekking Poles: Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ Trekking Poles

I did not get my Black Diamond Distance Carbon FLZ Trekking Poles until after my Katahdin climb, and I wish I had them for this trip. They are just so light! There’s a few things I like about them, and if you decide to buy them, make sure they have all these specs since there’s different types of poles made by Black Diamond that look very similar.

Carbon - This is what makes them so light. Each pole weighs a little over 6 ounces.
Packs up small - These poles have two joints that allow you to collapse your poles to fit in nearly any suitcase (or your backpack).
Adjustable - The “FLZ” part of this pole refers to an adjustable segment at the top of the pole that allows you to fine-tune your pole’s length to your size. Ideally, you want your poles to be shorter going uphill and longer going downhill, and this pole allows you to do that.

Be sure to buy the snow basket attachments which aren’t included with these poles.

Camera: Canon Powershot

Although I love my Canon DSLR, this was not the place to be lugging it around. My Canon Powershot was a much better option since it is compact and lightweight. Despite keeping the camera and batteries in my internal coat pocket, the first battery still died on the summit due to the cold. Luckily my spare battery still had some juice left in it, and we were able to get some memorable photos.

Other miscellaneous Items:

Sled: We used this sled to tow all our gear, and it held up well even with a heavy load. No matter what sled you buy, you will likely need to make some adjustments for towing with cross country skis. We used PVC pipes on the string handles to give it more stability going downhill, and it worked great for us.

Map: Baxter State Park Trail Map

You need a map for any hiking trip… Need I say more?

Black Diamond ReVolt Headlamp

My go-to headlamp for all my adventures is the Revolt headlamp. This is a cool headlamp because you can charge it with a USB cable (see my charger recommendation below). The only downside with this headlamp is that the batteries may die when exposed to cold temperatures. A better choice may be the Black Diamond Icon Polar headlamp because it has an external battery pack that you can stick somewhere warm like a jacket pocket. However, this one cannot be charged on the the trail like the ReVolt can.

Solar Charger – I carried the Bushnell Bear Grylls SolarWrap Mini USB Charger in my bag in the event I needed to charge my ReVolt headlamp or phone in an emergency. It is very tiny and doesn’t take up a lot of space. You can pre-charge the lithium ion battery pack in 4 hours using an outlet at home, but when you are out on the mountain it unrolls into a solar panel that can recharge it as well. There are way bigger and more powerful solar panels out there, but this little guy is enough to keep things going when you’re away from civilization.

First aid kit and compass – A compass is a must-have for any expedition on Mount Katahdin, and our experience in the foggy tablelands is proof why. It is surprisingly easy to get lost and go down the wrong side of the mountain because you can’t see where you’re going. Even if you’re not an experienced compass-reader, you can at least get a general idea of where you need to go in case you experience a white-out. Of course you should have a map with you as well. Don’t rely on a GPS to get you home since the batteries may die in the cold weather. Our first aid kit was simple. We had a little bit of duct tape, an ACE bandage, waterproof matches, fire starter “cubes”, and some toe warmers. We usually carry little whistles as well, but each of our backpacks had a whistle designed into the chest strap.

Thermos – There’s nothing nicer than drinking a nice hot cup of tea on the summit of a cold mountain. When I go on winter hikes, I always fill a thermos with hot tea, and I never regret it. This thermos has always worked great for me and does a good job at keeping my tea warm for hours, even in the bitter cold.

Snacks

My biggest piece of advice for trail food is to bring stuff that you can eat frozen! Several of my go-to hiking snacks (Lara Bars, Clif Bars, Rx Bars, etc.) turn into frozen blocks of ice in the cold which are nearly impossible to eat. You can overcome this problem by sticking some bars in a warm inner pocket of your jacket, but in general stick with things that won’t freeze. Below are some of my favorite winter snacks:

Go Raw Spirulina Sprouted Bites – These might look and sound like some weirdo hippie food (and maybe they are), but these things are DELICIOUS! They are dehydrated crackers made from bananas, sesame seeds, coconut, dates, and spirulina. They have a nice rich taste to them and just taste heavenly (like a banana coconut smoothie). When I bought them at our natural living store the cashier said, “These are my favorite!” Since they’re dehydrated, they won’t freeze in the cold weather and you won’t break your teeth trying to eat them. The only downside: they’re expensive! If you have a dehydrator, try out this recipe to make them at home! Their lemon flavor is also very good and tastes like a lemon cookie!
Fruit leathers – Fruit leathers are my favorite way to get a quick sugar fix. They’re like fruit roll ups, but it’s purely dehydrated fruit with no added sugar. We’ve made our own fruit leathers before with our dehydrator, but they’re usually all in our bellies before the day is even over. My favorite fruit leathers are the Stretch Island fruit leathers and Simply Balanced (Target brand) fruit leathers. Dale also likes Pure Organics fruit leathers. I find that the Simply Balanced brand is the softest consistency which makes it easier to bite into when they are cold.
Wella bars – These are peanut butter and almond butter bars, and were pretty much the only bars I had that didn’t freeze up on me. They are stored in the refrigerator and actually “melt” and soften up at room temperature, so they are a perfect consistency when they get cold. I buy my Wella bars at Sam’s Club.
Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Honey Mints – These chocolates are the best! Trader Joe’s makes an awesome dark chocolate candy that has a mint honey filling. It contains just three ingredients (chocolate, mint, and honey), and there is no refined sugar which is unusual in a chocolate treat. The great thing about them is that they don’t freeze, and they are still soft when you bite into them in frigid temperatures. The link takes you to an overpriced version on Amazon, but in store it is much cheaper. Dale and I are addicted to these chocolates, and luckily (or unluckily), the closest Trader Joe’s is 2 hours from us, which forces us to NOT eat too many of these!
Homemade chocolates – I prefer homemade chocolates because you have control of the sweetener you use. I prefer honey. The chocolates sweetened with honey tend to melt easier, which also means they are easier to bite into when frozen.
Trail mix – I usually get my trail mix in bulk at our Natural Living Center, as long as it doesn't have artificial sugar in it. It’s dense in calories, and you don’t have to worry about it freezing on you!
Dehydrated fruit – Dried apricots, raisins, etc.
Dr. McDougall’s soups - To keep our sled light, Dale and I packed a lot of these dehydrated soups. They are lightweight, and all you need to do is add boiling water to the cup which makes for an easy (and HOT) meal at camp. Even better, the packaging is made of cardboard, so you can just throw it in the fire when you are done for an easy cleanup! On day #1, we also carried some pre-cooked rice/veggies that was leftover from dinner the night before. Although we had to eat it cold, it was nice to have a hearty cooked meal on the trail.