How to Gear Up For a Winter Trek in India

Planning to go on a winter trek is exciting as well as nerve-wracking. In your heart, you feel excited about trekking up the hills enveloped in snow. On the other hand, your mind tells you to keep safe and warm because not every member of the group may be able to bear the chill. Having the appropriate gear as well as proper knowledge is essential to enjoy the winter trek in any part of India or abroad.

Layering the clothes

Even though you might have heard this tip many times before, it is worth repeating in every manual meant for winter trekking. Sweating at high altitudes may prove harmful because it rips your body off the moisture if you do not drink enough water. That is why; it is essential to wear your clothes in layers and remove one layer if you feel overheated during the workout. When you are trekking up the hills, you will automatically feel like taking off a few clothes to feel light and ease your movement. However, as soon as you stop moving, you must put on your clothes. The body gets cold very quickly if you do not wear proper clothes. 

The worst thing about cold weather is that no matter how many clothes you wear, you cannot keep your face warm. When your nose and chin become overwhelmingly cold, you will hate that feeling if you cannot do anything about it. Buy a breathable face mask, and a good quality pair of goggles or sunshades to keep your face from freezing.

Buying the gear for snow

Shoes and clothes are the most important things while purchasing the equipment for snow trek. Regarding shoes, you must buy the traditional knee length shoes if you plan to trek deep snow. You can purchase modern snowshoes if your trek comprises high altitudes, but less snow. Do the research well before going on the trek so that you can buy everything in advance at reasonable prices. Camping is a significant challenge on the snow-clad mountains. Buy or rent a canvas tent as they are warmer than the nylon tents. You can also light up a wooden stove inside the tent. Use a foam Thermarest in place of a pump-up one because pine twigs can easily puncture them. Buy or rent a polycarbonate sled to drag your gear rather than carrying it on your back when you are on the snow plains.

Safety is of utmost important

Since you are new to the snow space, you will never know when you reach a lake or thin ice. The best thing is to hire a professional guide who can let you know about the safe regions to trek. Use a GPS or a SPOT locator to let someone know back home that you are safe. In case they do not hear from you, they would alert the authorities at the least. Do not forget to share your whereabouts from time to time at least with one person back home. Snow is really unpredictable, so it becomes crucial to take every step possible to be safe.

Stay hydrated

When you are in cold weather, you do not feel like drinking too much water, but you must. However, water will freeze in too much cold, so it is better to bring an insulated water bottle, a non-insulated container, and a thermos. Fill up the water bottles with hot water and keep sipping water throughout your way. Use the thermos to sip green tea or soups.

Snow trek is indeed an adventure, but it needs loads of dedication and determination to achieve the feat. Since India is not a cold country, you will have to travel to far-off corners of the country to fulfill your hunger for adventure. Nevertheless, if you leave from Mumbai, hire a Self-drive Car Rental Mumbai to reach the base camp, prepare well and keep safe to cherish your memories when you return home.