Re: Trailrunning in winter with snow
Posted: Sun Dec 02, 2012 4:51 pm
I ran every day in the winter for many years when I lived in New England, often on trails since the roads were salted either became a slushy mess or very icy. Down to -20C or so, polypro-lined running tights, a polypro shirt, a fleece midlayer, a windbreaker, and gloves and a hat were sufficient. Never used plastic bags or gaiters for my feet but I did have three pairs of running shoes and many pairs of synthetic socks, and rotated them so that I always ran in a dry pair. If it was colder than -20C or very windy I'd make sure I had something over my face (scarf or balaclava) to keep it from getting frostbitten. I really liked running in fresh snow in winter because it was very quiet and there weren't a lot of people out, and you could regulate your layers so you don't sweat much. Of course if you are going to run alone on a trail where there aren't other people and you can't easily bail out to civilization, it's a good idea to bring extra layers in case you sprain your ankle or suffer some other injury that might force you to walk or limp out.