Hey everyone,
I’m new to the world of winter and high-altitude camping. I’ve been working diligently to put together gear for myself so I can go out in inclement, negative degree temperatures and remain safe. In my future, I would like to prepare myself for winter 14er ascents.
I’m running into what some may call a personal hang-up that I need some advice to get over…
Personally, I run very warm. As in— body temperature wise. I’ve found that as 120 lb female, I generate the heat of a person 3x my size. People typically end up wearing my jackets when out on a winter hike.
This is great when I’m out in the cold and not moving around too much, but also terribly dangerous as I have to constantly be considerate of sweating and soaking my clothing during exertion.
Should I assume that this is how it will be for me when I go out to do these climbs and perhaps back-down on temperature ratings of things such as sleeping bags and jackets? Or should I ignore the furnace that is my body and prepare as though I were the average person, getting a -25 F sleeping bag and a huge, 800 fill, puffy jacket.
Obviously this all might just come down to trial and error.
But – in general – would anyone have any gear advice for someone who has a higher threshold for the cold? Does this bless me with the ability to perhaps spend less money on certain items? Or am I just naïve to my potential needs higher up? I am terrified of running into sweating and would like if at all possible to avoid over packing or buying.
Thanks for your help!