appropriate clothing for Rainier in Winter

[Jeebus]

Will you all please review and critique my clothing for a winter trip to Mt. Rainier. I plan to spend at least 3 days camping up there in late december. Any advice is greatly appreciated. Thanks!

 

Base Layer

Upper: synthetic mock turtle long sleeve shirt (Under Armor type)

Lower: Polyester/Lycra full length tights

 

Mid Layer

Upper: Polartec 200 Fleece Pullover

Lower: Insulated Pant (polarguard complete side zip)

 

External Layer

Upper: Windproof Fleece Jacket (polartec windpro fleece)

Lower: Water resistant/Breathable/Windproof (complete side zip)

 

Insulation: 650 Fill Down Jacket (no hood)

Rainwear: Waterproof hooded jacket

 

Gloves: polartec 100 liner, polartec windpro gloves, insulated mitt (yet to buy)

 

Headwear/Hats: yet to buy...any advice would be welcome. specially if anyone knows where to buy a good fill down hood only without buying an entire jacket.

[DPS]

I would not wear tights with lycra. Lycra holds water, a bad thing. Go for 100% polyester base layer. As for hats, fleece ski hats and balaclavas work well.

[genepires]

try feathered friends for a hood for your down jacket.

 

I would add something like a precip full side zip pant. When the weather turns to shite (and it will), keeping dry will be very important.

 

I would also take some kind of light nylon windbreaker which will be useful 80% of the time especially in nice yet blustery weather. Add a schoeller jacket and forget the windstopper jacket would be my choice as I am not fond of this material for jackets.

[Nick]

Make sure your shells are wind and waterproof, top and bottom. I prefer synthetic everything, except for wool base layers. If you use down make sure you have the shells and stuff sacks to keep it dry! In case you get your down wet it is good that you will be carrying fleece as a backup. Bring a warm balaclava, much warmer than a ski hat. You should bring at least two warm and water repellant pairs of mittens or gloves. Even if you somehow keep one pair dry it is easy to loose a glove in the wind; you want spares. If you will be using fleece pants you will need to wear your shell pants all the time to keep the fleece from becoming full of snow. High gaiters are very good idea as well. I assume you will be using double boots. If not you should carry extra socks and plastic bags or gore tex socks that you can wear over your socks, inside your boots, to keep them dry. Better yet, rent double (plastic) boots. Snowshoes or skis and an avalanche transciever should be part of your clothing. It is good to have a pocket or some other arangement for carrying a water bottle or bag inside your garments to keep drinking water from freezing. Drinking tubes always freeze up, even with the insulated cover.

[Clivus]

IMHO the best lower combo is

Light weight synthetic long johns (no lycra)

Midweight shoeller pants (marmot atv or similar)

Precip pants as a backup

[JohnHemlock]

IMHO the best lower combo is

Light weight synthetic long johns (no lycra)

Midweight shoeller pants (marmot atv or similar)

Precip pants as a backup

 

I agree. I do everything in cheap lightweight long johns and shoeller pants. I carry precip pants if it gets wet outside. Maybe you could thicken up the long johns a bit for really cold weather.