Snow Skills

Winter hiking, trekking, snowshoeing, and nordic skiing is a Tale of Two Hats. When aerobic activity in the winter is involved, it takes two hats: one for traveling and one for taking a break. The traveling hat keeps you comfortable on the go while the taking a break that keeps you warm and dry at rest.
The Traveling Hat: A good ‘traveling’ hat is one that breathes, stretches, and dries relatively quickly: one of my favorites for traveling is the Cloudveil Four Seasons Beanie. The outer covering is Schoeller material which breathes and sheds moisture, while the inner layer is fleece for warmth without too much heat. This hat is attractive, too, with a traditional nordic appearance including a top tassel. You can also find this hat at Altrec or Mountaingear.
Need a rest? Hang the traveling hat to dry out a bit and slip on the taking a break hat.

The Taking a Break Hat: A good ‘taking a break’ hat is the North Face Windstopper High Point Hat. It’s designed to bring you back to warm in any weather condition. It’s made of 300 weight DWR Gore Windstopper fleece which is pretty much instant heat upon putting it on your head. The adjustable chin strap has a cordlock to keep it in place and over-sized earflaps allow this hat to pretty much cover your entire head. This hat is more about warmth than style, but that’s the point: you can count on it to keep you warm in extreme conditions. You can also find this hat at REI or Altrec.