Winter is coming... I guess it should already be here, but oh well, at least Lapland has got winter =)
Looking forward to you winter trip in fjällen, make sure you prepare well! Here are my three best tips in the preparation of your winter backcountry skiing adventure:
- Natural materials: Use natural materials in clothes and sleeping bags. Wool, for example, stays warm even though you start sweating and it gets wet. Down, in sleeping bags, is lighter and more compressible than synthetic material. Synthetic materials are often derived from oil, which means an environmentally friendly choice is to choose natural materials. Know that many water-proof brands incorporate into their clothes Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) which is a non-biodegradable and potentially carninogenous substance. Try to avoid it!
- Four layers on your hands: Hand temperature is something truly personal (and important for you happiness!). Closest to your skin, wear a pair of very thin finger gloves that you almost never take off outside in the winter. Don't use wool for those since snow sticks to wool and makes it wet. Next, have a pair of thicker finger gloves. Cover those with at pair of thick and well-insulated wool mittens to cover with a pair of shell mittens in leather (resistant to humidity). This way, your hands are covered with four layers of clothing and you will hopefully have to take some layers off in warm weather. This is much better than being cold though!
- A holy set of clothes: Bring a pair of thick cosy socks and thermal underwear that is holy. This means, you never ever use it for physical activity. This holy set is only used in the camp at night/evening, when the temperature has dropped and you are slightly humid after a long day of backcountry skiing. When sleeping, cover yourself in this holy pair of clothes. Your feet will dry out completely so that you avoid soreness and your body will soon be warm, happy and ready for a full day of backcountry skiing in the beautiful Swedish mountains!
