Layers and shell for the Himalayas in January?

[Nomad_K]

Hi all,

I have pm'd an outdoor guru here, however, just in case one of the resident experts is busy, I would appreciate some advice on cold weather gear for the Himalayas :victory: in January :Wow1:.

I will be doing some hiking, light manual work etc (infrastructure/ capacity / public health work) ranging from 2500 - 4500 m elevation in temps ranging from hopefully above 0*C to damn cold depending on how high up we go.

I can do layers for a short hike or sliding down a ski slope on my backside, but I am not an expert on working in the above conditions.

Advice on a suitable outer layer (Gortex or no, down or synthetic) and ideal layers underneath would be great. I have some reasonably rugged ski pants, both light insulated (to slide under work gloves) and heavy ski gloves (for hiking around), thermals/long johns for a base layer, and some Gortex boots that I have broken in on previous (warmer) trips.

If I make it back without frostbite, I will show my appreciation with a few pictures of our little expedition and other trucks while we're there if I see anything noteworthy.

Thank you, and a slightly early Happy Thanksgiving to everyone back home in the States!

 

[teotwaki]

Hopefully you can shop extensively for sales. Otherwise you'll pay full price. The best clothing is way cheaper than amputations.

Awesome and well proven brands are Marmot, Mountain Hardware, Outdoor Research and some North Face items, also Patagonia. Weight may not be as much of a concern but packability/compressibility could be.

You may want to consider matching pants pieces that have a zipper that runs from the top of the crotch to the top of the buttocks. Very convenient in cold weather!

Some folks go for one piece down outer suits but you may be able to go for pants and a jacket. North Face discontinued the Baltoro jacket so I don't know what they have right now. 800 fill is the best with a breathable shell such as Gore Dryloft..

Synthetic insulated pants and jacket are good extras to have. My favorite jackets are the Patagonia Puff (very compressible) and the North Face (TNF) Optimus Red Point with a hood (bomb proof). The Mountain Hardwear Compressor series are excellent too. I used Marmot insulated pants that have a full side zip.

Silk weight underwear for your bottom layer. Patagonia is my favorite.

Medium weight thermals next. Outdoor Research makes a great sleeveless union suit.

Patagonia fleece thermals next. The El Cap 1/4 zip top is awesome and can be used as an outer layer when posssible. Bomber construction.

Some sort of soft shell based on Malden Mills/Polartec Powershield fabric. Highly breathable. I lived in mine for a couple of weeks and it doesn't retain body stink. Arcteryx hooded top and pants but I hear they are made in China now with lower quality.

Outdoor Research Alti Mitts with the fleece liner. Have at least one backup pair of gloves, maybe down that are very compressible. Also a few pairs of Black Diamond Power Stretch fleece light gloves and a pair of TNF Windstopper fleece gloves to layer over them. I like Marmot leather "Work Gloves" that ski patrollers use. Handy if you are doing actual work in cold conditions.

Hats! Baseball cap with a neck sun shade such as the OR Sun Runner Cap. A full fleece Balaclava is good to have to. Avioid ones with Windstopper fabric that cover the ears as it makes it harder to hear folks. OR has one with holes for the ears. A good wool knit cap is a nice extra

A ranger friend of mine has a one piece Goretex suit that he lives in. He'll layer the down over the top of it. I've got one but preferred separate pants and jacket in the end.

Get mountaineering boots, full plastic or hybrids. I have Arctis Expes but I heard that the company went out of business. Your hiking boots may not cut it in serious weather

 

[teotwaki]

Forgot socks!

Bridgedale are the best. The area at the sole of the foot doesn't flatten out like the cheap brands. Wear those plus thin synthetic liners and maybe a synthetic pair of light hikers when you have your mountaineering boots fitted.

Also camp booties! It is nice to get out of your heavy boots and let them dry out. I like the ones from Parbat Mountaineering. The man who owned it was in NorCal. Yuba City or Marysville when I bought mine direct.

http://www.frontcountry.com/site/parbat_booties

Also get some of the chemical hand and foot warmers

EDIT: Looks as if Parbat is out of business. Too bad as they were burly booties. Remember that if you have icy ground wear your boots and crampons (Grivel G-12s are good!).

 

[adrenaline503]

I have been really happy with First Ascent, its Eddie Bauer's high end line. I have their Rainier pants and Hangfire hoody. Outdoor Research makes some great stuff, i have mentor jacket which is a GoreTex Pro Shell. Totally bombproof. Not all Gore Tex is the same, there are a lot of product lines that you should familiarize yourself with.

 

[Nomad_K]

Hi guys,

Thank you both for the reply and advice. Between you guys and a nice long list from my Viking friend I think I will avoid frostbite.

RE the boots - we won't be trekking across glaciers or anything like that, unless my friends have a surprise for me - they've seen what I have hiked around in before and thought it was overkill but typical for a visitor . That said, if I find out we're going to be hiking through the snow for a full day or few days, I might grab a proper pair of boots. Any recommendations Teotwaki, or Adrenaline?

Socks - now thank you all for the great recommendations here! If I did remember one lesson from back in the day, the importance of quality socks would have been high on the list. A friend will be sending me a few top pairs from Norway, but I will look for a few of the brands that you all mentioned if I can find them locally as well. Thanks again!

 

[teotwaki]

Boots:

Extremities are the first thing to lose circulation. I've tried Goretex lined and Thinsulite insulated all leather boots (Matterhorns) and they just did not cut it in very cold conditions above 3300 Meters. At 4500 meters I think you are risking frostbite. Leather boots absorb moisture and freeze and are a PITA to try to put on in the morning. I'd worry if the weather goes bad and you get stuck outside of a camp.

My friends who have climbed in the Himalayas have metnioned that you can get good deals on climbing gear over there. Maybe as a compromise you could pick up a used pair of overboots like the Brooks Rangers from Outdoor Research

http://www.outdoorresearch.com/site/brooks_ranger_overboots.html

I ued them in Alaska, worn over my plastic double boots (Koflach Arctis Expes)

 

[adrenaline503]

As far as boots go I use the LaSportiva Makalu. Its a Idro-Perwanger leather upper (silicone impregnated leather) with a mixed use Vibram sole that should do well in both dirt, rock and snow. One word of caution, they are very stiff and will require some breaking in. The good part is that once they are broken in your feet will be very well protected. They are also crampon compatiable.

http://www.sportiva.com/products/prod/238

 

[teotwaki]

Those are nice looking boots! Good point on mentioning the treatment of the leather to prevent moisture absorption.

 

[Nomad_K]

Well,

You guys have me a bit nervous - thankfully its 5 am and it was a damn hot day in Thailand, so the reaction will be delayed (a bit). I will have a look around for the boots listed above (cheers!). If I can't find them, a pair of overboots may be in order instead.


Thanks again!