Crampons may be needed in full-on winter conditions. Photo: Bob Smith/grough
The long, warm days of the early summer are a distant memory and hill-goers need to put their outdoors brains into winter gear.
With nights drawing in, wind speeds rising and temperatures dropping, it’s important to equip yourself adequately.
And who better to give you an inside view of the recommended contents of a winter rucksack than Buxton Mountain Rescue Team member and mountaineering instructor Rob Wymer?
He’s put together a 10½-minute YouTube video with his thoughts on what a UK hillgoer might want to take with them on the hills now winter is approaching.
Should you pack crampons or microspikes? Are you betting carrying an insulating jacket with down or synthetic filling? And just what is a ‘stopping layer’?
There’s no absolute right and wrong on what to pack, but the advice of International Mountain Leader Wymer will certainly point you in the right direction and might even prompt you to fill your rucksack with the kind of equipment that will stop you becoming a customer of his rescue team.
There’s more advice on the Buxton MRT website.
Rob Wymer shares his views on the ideal contents of a winter rucksack
John Smith
28 October 2020A brilliant talk, one observation is the head torch in a box including a spare battery. My head torch came in a small material bag, at home one day I needed the torch to help with my DIY.
The battery was flat: reason when I stuffed it into my rucksack's top pocket the on/off button must have been activated. I then found a suitable plastic box to protect it from switching on.
Stuart Dodson
31 October 2020John Smith, using a little plastic box for a head torch is a good good tip, thank you.
Neil B
01 November 2020With increasing use of phone and gps, I now carry a power pack so I don't end up with 'only one bar' syndrome.
Neil B
01 November 2020I now carry a powerpack so I can recharge both GPS and phone if required. Avoids the 'only one bar' syndrome.
Stu
03 November 2020Turn one of the batteries around this prevents accidentally turning on.
Bruce
04 November 2020A secondary head torch is much better than spare batteries for the primary one for a number of reasons.
Weight and bulk is always an issue in Winter and so Iike Rob I will often only carry a small first aid kit.
I'm not under the illusion that anything in a first aid kit that small will "keep people alive until help arrives" though. Perhaps an Asprin to treat an M.I might be one exception.