At the end of April I did one of my most awesome hiking trips. It was a winter ski hike with a pulk sled and most important - it was my first overnight trip with my Alaskan husky Linkka! Together we covered about 65km in 4 days near and in Abisko National park in the Swedish Lapland (see the vlog from that trip here).
Hopefully my gear list will help you plan your own winter adventure, but as cold and remote places in winter time are more dangerous, then please take these 3 things into considerations before you use my list for your trip:
My trip was on a relatively used snowmobile trail with staffed mountain cabins along the way. This way I was always around people if I would have needed some extra help. If going to more remote places then make sure you have a PLB (personal locator beacon) with an active SOS-service subscription.
I had my hard working sled dog Linkka with me who was pulling me and my pulk sled. This way I had a bit more allowance on what gear I could bring with me. If you are going to pull your sled by yourself, you might need to lessen the load a bit. But do not skimp on the safety items! Hiking in winter and especially in remote areas are full of risks and you need to maintain them with your gear.
Warm winter gear can be very expensive. Before buying everything yourself think how much you are really going to use these items. Consider borrowing or even renting some bigger/more expensive items. I had the possibility to borrow a -30°C rated sleeping bag and a proper 4-season expedition tent.
Okay, as we have all safety topics covered, here is exactly what I had with me:
BIG ITEMS:
Pulk sled (how I did my DIY sled)
Tarp (for covering gear in sled)
Bungee cord (for attaching gear to sled)
Skiing equipment (skis, boots, poles, ski skins)
Backpack (48 liters)
4-season tent
Winter/snow pegs
Inflatable mattress
Foam mattress (for sitting during day, and for sleeping for my dog)
Sleeping bag (rated for -30°C)
Sleeping bag liner
Small shovel (but big enough to shovel snow)
CLOTHING (WEARING):
Underwear
Socks (Merino wool)
Base layer bottoms and top (Merino wool)
Rain jacket
Sunglasses
Neck scarf (for wearing as headband)
Thin leather gloves
Skijoring harness
Shell pants (windproof pants)
CLOTHING (EXTRA)
Warm down parka
Base layer pants x2 (Merino wool)
Base layer tops x3 (Merino wool)
Camp shoes (I recommend waterproof ones)
Extra socks x3 (Merino wool)
Wool socks (for sleeping)
Underwear x2
Neck scarf x2
Cotton bandana
Wool headband (too much, shouldn’t have brought it)
Wool sweater
Knee support
Hat (Merino wool)
Thicker gloves with spare wool liner
Thinner working gloves
Waterproof thin gloves (too much, shouldn’t have brought those)
ELECTRONICS:
Smartphone
Backup phone (old Nokia)
Battery bank
GoPro with small tripod
GoPro extra battery
Charging cords
Extra memory card
NAVIGATION:
Paper map
Compass
Smartphone app with topographic map (Topo GPS with Sweden map)
HYGIENE:
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Dental floss
Wet wipes
Sunscreen SPF 50
Lip balm SPF 30
Toilet paper
Small hair brush
Hair ties
Small mirror
Ear plugs
Face oil (jojoba oil)
KITCHEN:
Plywood board
Food and snacks for me
Food and snacks for my dog
Gas burner and gas (liquid gas and burner work better in winter!)
Pot
Long handle spoon
Cup
Thermos x2
Water bottle
OTHER:
First aid kit
Emergency / survival kit
Pepper spray
Head torch
Sketching kit
Notebook and pen
Warming packs
Matches
Tuck tape
Leatherman
Cash
Extra batteries (for head torch)
Extra sunglasses
GEAR FOR MY DOG LINKKA:
Dogsledding harness
Bungee leash
4 booties
Paw cream
Jacket
Dog t-shirt (for possible harness rub)
Bowl
Dog poop bags
If you wish to have a bit of an explanation and visual to this list, see my video on the same topic:
If you ask how much it all weighed, I have no idea! ;)