My 5 Nonessential Essentials in a Winter Hiking Trip

While trudging along the trail this past week, enduring frigid temps with cold winds that can cut through even my heavyweight fleece, I thought about those things that some may not consider essential but you are sure to find in my pack on a winter hiking trip.

1. Cell Phone - an important tool, especially if the trip goes wrong. The camera feature makes many memories of your winter adventure. Another item of value - the Garmin InReach. It can be used in emergency situations that may well save your life.

2. Chapstick – Oh yes, that tiny little tube of wonder that keeps your lips from drying and then cracking when you near the end of your journey, smiling from a great wander. Sore lips are no fun, especially if you plan to stop at the taco joint afterward. Ouch.

3. A Seat Pad – once a luxury item, maybe a HUGE necessity when you plan to stop for a break or lunch and find the rocks covered in snow. Or even sitting in the cold on an ice-cold rock just makes you downright chilly. Thermarest and other brands make nice lightweight options to keep your tushy from freezing on a break.

4. Traction devices like Yak Trax or Microspikes.  I can’t begin to say the number of times I have begun a trail without anything on the ground, only to hike higher in elevation into unexpected snow and ice. Traction devices have saved a hike, turning what would have been a treacherous journey into an enjoyable, confident, and safe excursion.

Unexpected icy trails - Yaktrax or microspikes helps the trek

5. Wind shirt – While pricey at times, this ultralight garment is truly a necessity when the winter winds whip up, cutting right through your Polartec fleece or merino wool top. It provides just what you need to block the wind and keep you warm. I like it too for an extra layer. Be sure a down jacket is part of the packing. Most are packable into a stuff sack with little effort. It comes in handy when stopping for a snack.

Your turn – what are your nonessential essentials?

Be sure to also check out my blog on Day Hiking in Winter

Other related blogs:

Observations of a Two Week Appalachian Trail Hike

2025 Blissful Hiking Wrap Up and What Lies Ahead

Blissful Hiking wraps up 2025 with a reflection on this past year and what lies ahead for 2026.

2025 began with the expectation of completing a third Appalachian Trail hike that started back in 2012 and progressed over many years from Georgia to Vermont. 

Training for the hike went well with multiple trips to the nearby national park to get ready for the summer’s journey, and then onward to Vermont, where Blissful had left off the previous year.

Unfortunately, while on the trail in Vermont, Blissful suffered a fracture of her big toe. 

This threw her gait off severely for the first two weeks in Vermont, leading to tendinitis and eventually a hip issue. Because of this, Blissful was forced to leave the trail at Hanover, New Hampshire, to seek medical help and eventually physical therapy. The difficult decision was made then to postpone the adventure over tough terrain to a later date.

This did not stop her, of course, from enjoying other adventures, even caving and romps in the vast Virginia State Park system (a great place by the way to explore and hike in your state). For now, the A.T. finish is pushed to 2026. While the new year promises to be an active hiking year, Blissful will continue to monitor the hip while training to be physically ready for the A.T. in New Hampshire come summer.

Blissful also eagerly awaits the editing, cover design, and publication of her third book in the hiking adventure series entitled Bears, Blood and Breakthroughs, delving into her adventures as a ridgerunner working six years on the Appalachian Trail in Maryland and Shenandoah National Park. Sign up for the newsletter for all the updates on this forthcoming release.

Check out her Appalachian Trail hikes north and south, and also the Florida Trail in The Hiking Adventure Series

Here’s hoping 2026 brings many great hiking adventures your way!

Section Hiking Vermont on the Appalachian Trail

 

The return to the AT in Vermont in July netted us a state and also two weeks' worth of humid, warm temperatures, accompanied by lots of deerflies and mosquitoes. I wish I had brought more insect repellent as they were not easily deterred. In camp, my toes especially got bitten up, requiring socks. 

We did meet up with many hikers seeking to hike the whole trail in one year, called thru-hikers. And we enjoyed our stay at the Green Mountain House in Manchester Center, which I highly recommend. 

The trail did bring us to some nice pond areas where Papa Bliss took a dip, as well as scenery on top of Bromley Peak before the first and only rain of the two weeks which soaked us for about two hours. 

An interesting suspension bridge took us over the scenic Clarendon Gorge, where just a few weeks ago,  it had been unsafe to cross. Before that, a nice ice cream treat by a trail angel helped propel us up and over the steep rocks we encountered afterwards.

A long day up and over the wooded Killington Peak, crossing roots and rocks, eventually brought me to Rt 4 and Rutland for a much-needed two-day break. Especially as a few days before, I had banged my big toe quite severely on a rock while in camp and had been babying the foot. But now pain is on the rise, and icing is required.

Continuing on a fifty-plus-mile section from Rutland to New Hampshire included this quite tall ladder, which I climbed down. But the heat and humidity persisted, and the combination of this plus my hurting foot has moved the goal posts of the rugged White Mountains to a future hike in the fall. 

Limping into Hanover, I am glad to have completed Vermont, but sad that I must delay any further hiking. Upon my arrival back home, it was determined I had actually broken my big toe when it struck the rock in camp ten days previous. Eighty miles hiked on a broken big toe, yikes! Thankfully, after several examinations, the doctors feel that fracture is stable and I can return to the trail in September.

Stay tuned for Part Two with the Whites of New Hampshire, coming soon. 

When Injury Sidelines You

There is nothing more frustrating than experiencing an injury that keeps you from doing what you love to do. Especially hiking. After completing a three-week journey on the Allegheny Trail, I came home, did too much, and ended up with severe hip pain and sciatica. Diagnosis - hip separation and muscle overuse (possible piriformis syndrome). Right now I have a tendinitis issue from compensation due to a fracture in my toe after stubbing it on a rock. My third AT completion attempt is now on hold.

So now I am sidelined. I am no longer a happy hiker, enjoying what the trail has to offer, but resigned to icing, Physical Therapy, and simple walks. I’ve had injuries that have given me issues for many years. It’s not an easy thing to deal with when you are active.

So what do you do when injury strikes?

1.      First off, if you’ve suffered an injury, don’t be brave and keep hiking on it. You’ll just do more damage. Pain and swelling is your body's way of trying to tell you to STOP. So stop hiking. Period. (I only got off trail when the humidity and foot pain became too much. Later, I found out I had hiked over 70 miles on a broken big toe!).

2.      RICE. Rest, ice, elevation, compression.  DO it immediately after an injury happens. Don’t wait 24 hrs. It impedes the healing process. And be sure its ICE. Don’t ever put heat on an injury. If your stomach can handle it, taking ibuprofen (Advil) helps ease the inflammation. If you can’t, Tylenol helps with pain. Turmeric is also an anti-inflammatory.

3.     See the doctor. Many times, you can try to deal with the injury at home. But in my case, I did not wait as things were not improving. Sometimes it's good not to wait, to ward off other issues (like scar tissue forming). In severe cases with major swelling, pain, etc., you need a doctor to evaluate it. You may need x-rays to make sure something isn’t broken (I could walk with my injured toe, but only an X-ray showed I had indeed fractured it). You may need physical therapy to get back in the groove as soon as the injury allows. With the cost of medical care, sometimes this is put off. Only you know how bad it is.

4.       Eat nutritious food. If you are going to be sidelined for a while, be sure the food you eat is good for you. Don’t eat sugar and useless carbs thinking it will make you feel better. It won’t and may even worsen things. Protein, fiber-based foods, and lots of water are important to the healing process and for your well-being.

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5.      Try not to get depressed. Easier said than done, especially when you see your buddies hiking and you’re sitting. But most have suffered like you have in one form or another. Most have been sidelined. Think of this as rest time to do other things that maybe you haven’t done. Think of the projects you can accomplish while you’re mending. Be sure to be outside too as sunshine is important to elevating your mood. Talk to others who have had injuries. Above all, give yourself time to heal by giving your body (and you) a break.

6.       Engage in other physical activities that don’t aggravate the injury. I have an exercise bike. Yeah, I hate the thing. But it’s better than nothing for cardiovascular means. A swimming pool works wonders also. Do some strengthening exercises (check online for exercises that have to do with your injury to begin rehabilitating it when the pain allows). Stay involved. When you are able, return slowly to your activity. Don’t push it or you could find yourself back at square one.

7.       Above all, be patient. It takes time to heal ligaments, tendons, and bones. Let your body do its job. Then you will be raring to go and ready to tackle that trail in no time. Remember, the trail is going nowhere. You will be back when the time is perfect.

Related Blogs

Ankle Injuries
Oh My Aching Knees

When Plans Change

First Aid and Trail Medicine

Preventing Heat-Related Issues while Backpacking and Hiking

It’s summer and time for great hiking adventures. But it’s also time that heat-related illness can affect you while exerting yourself in hot and humid temperatures.

The two heat-related illnesses one needs to look out for are heat exhaustion and sunstroke. Heat exhaustion can be managed on the trail, but sunstroke is a life-threatening emergency where the hiker must get to a hospital.

Yes it can get hot with bad water even in places like the Colorado Trail. Prepare!

Heat Exhaustion can occur in hot, humid temperatures when the body becomes depleted of fluids necessary to cool itself - (severe dehydration). There may be heat cramps involved. The skin may be pale, cool, clammy, the hiker slightly anxious, pulse and breathing are basically normal. However, if the hiker is not cooled down, it can advance to the life-threatening sunstroke as the core body temperature begins to rise. Seek rest in a shady, cool spot. Sometimes resting on rocks that are in the shade or beside stream beds are cool. Or find an area next to water or in a wet environment. Breezes can also help you cool down by allowing convection to happen. Drink! – Especially replace lost salt and water. Having an electrolyte type mix in your hiker bag is crucial to helping replace sodium and potassium lost during sweating. When you get to town, eating a banana helps with heat and muscle cramping due to imbalances.

Sunstroke occurs when the mechanism to keep yourself cool begins to fail and your internal body temperature rises. Your skin becomes red, hot and dry. You can become disoriented, confused, and irritable. Your heart rate is rapid and there may be a seizure. Cool immediately by immersing into a cold stream or river or pouring water over the body. Give fluids if still awake and you can massage limbs to draw out the heat. Call for help. Sunstroke can kill!

How to prevent heat-related illnesses from happening on a hike:

• Take frequent rest breaks in cool, shady areas
• Drink plenty of water and eat salty foods. Carry electrolyte replacement (like Nuun or Liquid IV Hydration)  to add to water. Be sure to carry plenty of water in desert environments. if the sources are far apart or contaminated, prepare with filtering capability, a good guidebook, and containers to tote water.  You can also over-drink and deplete your sodium levels, leading to other potentially harmful conditions. When you drink, don't overdo it either! Do NOT drink Alcohol which can lead to quicker dehydration as it pulls water from your body.
• Wear lightweight clothing and light colors. Wear a lightweight hat. Use sunscreen to prevent sunburn. 
• Carry maps and guidebooks so you know where the water sources are. If you pass a source, no matter what, fill up. You can also collect water off your tent, etc. during storms. Check for areas too where you can take a dip and cool off. Use hiker intel to tell you what water conditions are like en route or ask in hiker forums before you go. 
• Never go off on a hike, no matter how short it is, without water.
• Use common sense. If you are prone to heat related illness, choose a different location or wait for a better time to hike (such as early AM or late PM)
• Carry a cell phone for emergencies and hike with a buddy.
• If you feel hot, dry, your urine output is low, that means you are severely dehydrated and your core body temp is rising. Especially if you STOP sweating when you should be. That means DANGER. Stop immediately, rest, and rehydrate. Sunstroke kills!  

Plan ahead and prepare for the conditions. Hot weather is not the time for heroics or Olympic feats. Take it easy and enjoy the hike. 

Learning from Tragedy

The recent tragic event on the high mountain of Katahdin in Maine, where a father and daughter both lost their lives to hypothermia, has prompted me to share a few thoughts. 

I believe one of the most widely neglected parts of Leave No Trace is planning and preparing for high peak hiking such as Katahdin. It’s very easy to let things go because of the thrill inherent in summiting a major peak like this, and also the northern terminus of the Appalachian Trail. I’ve been in that mood where one is so excited to reach a goal, you let go of the things that matter. Such as planning in a way that could save your life in certain situations. Humans like to believe in their invincibility, but we really do sacrifice it to the unknown.    

I’ve summited Katahdin twice, and the second time I did was in July, when pleasant weather existed at the base. But once the hiker ascended into the high peaks, the weather turned. I was very thankful to have full rain gear and insulated wear when hail began to fall. But many people up there wore flimsy clothing, no packs with adequate clothing and necessities, and not even rain gear. Hypothermia in these high peaks is an all too frequent scenario that hikers must prepare for. In a temperature of 50° with precipitation and high winds, you easily lose body heat. I’ve been in a situation where one of my family members exhibited hypothermia, and they became totally confused, entering the mumbles and grumbles stage. They don’t think, and they don’t react appropriately. It's important to know the symptoms, to know what to do in hypothermic weather and be ready for it. Dealing with Hypothermia in the Wilderness

But if, for some reason, things happen and you get stuck, a way to alert authorities is crucial. Thankfully, I listened to a good friend of mine who encouraged me to carry an emergency device, and bit the bullet for a Garmin inReach that I now use. It can send out emergency texts when cell phones fail, as well as an SOS feature. 

It’s important to do whatever you can to safeguard yourself. We mourn the losses, but through their experiences, perhaps future tragedies can be prevented. 

1. Know your limitations

2. Check trail details ahead of time. Don't be afraid to alter plans.

3. Check the weather right up to the start date

4. Bring adequate clothing, wind and rain protection. Bring food and other survival gear.

5. Know first aid, including hypothermia symptoms. Bring a good first aid kit

6. Bring a Garmin Inreach

7. Leave word of your hiking plans with others, and if possible, don't hike alone.

Are You Ready for a Big Hike? Besides Gear, Consider These Steps

How do you get ready physically for the demands of an extended backpacking trip? The goal of just doing a trip is the first step to starting the process.

Here are a few tips I’ve used to begin the process and get myself ready for that next great adventure.

Set a Goal

More than anything, a backpacking trip is a mental venture. You can do the physical preparedness as best you can in gear and meals, but it’s the enjoyment of reaching a goal and enjoying the journey that ultimately leads to success. So spend some time thinking about your hiking goals. Where do you want to go? How much time do you have to hike? Go over some trail guides and seek the advice of others on social media as to the trails that might work. Check out YouTube videos. Make notes and look over your personal calendar. Check also travel arrangements and anything needing to be done with the job or the home. With the goal in mind, you can now begin to work toward it. Sharing about it in social media forums also helps set the goal before you.

Getting in Shape - Diet

 If you are one of those that may need to shed a few pounds, start by choosing good foods now. There is no need to do some kind of diet fad. In fact, doing that and then eating junk on your hike can cause major issues.

Veggies, especially the green types, lean meats and fish, whole wheat products, and drinking plenty of water are good choices. Try to cut down on refined sugary products and useless carbohydrates like white breads, crackers, muffins, things that will spike your sugar levels. Also, when you feel full, stop eating. Don’t take the second helping. Controlling portions helps. Look into intermittent fasting. A few pounds shed now is less that needs to be carried on the trip.

Getting in Shape - Physical Activity

If you have never engaged in physical activity, start slow. A walk around the neighborhood for instance. Take the stairs at work instead of the elevator. Park a good distance away from where your need to go and walk there instead. Walk as much as you can and slowly increase the amount of walking you do. I’ve heard of some walking up and down bleachers at school stadiums, etc. if there are no hills in your area. You can also load up a day pack and head for the hills. Every step helps.

I do day hiking in nearby Shenandoah to prepare. But any place where you can walk will do.

If you have trails to walk, try to get out on weekend and enjoy a few mile hike, increasing the mileage as time goes by. Later on, you can load up the backpack you plan to take and carry it. I’ve been seen carrying my backpack on trips around the neighborhood. I also alternate jogging with hiking or cross-training. One day I'll hike 8-10 miles, the other days I am out jogging 2-3 miles. You can also alternate with other sports, like biking, swimming, etc. I have to admit I am not a treadmill person, but if this is what you have to work with, then use it. But stay as active as you can.

The Big Day Arrives!

Don’t worry if you are not in great shape. The trail will do it for you in no time. Keep your miles low and the weight in your backpack low. Start out slow. Realize that aches, pains, and blisters are all part of doing something your body is not accustomed to. You will adapt. Most of all, enjoy the journey, whether on your own or with family or friends. Take lots of pictures and share about your trip. 

2025 Trail Festivals and Conference Schedule

Upcoming Hiking Events, Trail Festivals, and Gatherings 
2025

Appalachian Trail Gateway -Formally the Kick-Off,  

Feb 28- March 2, Amicaloloa Falls, GA

AT Flip Flop Kick Off, April 25-27, Harpers Ferry, WV

Appalachian Trailfest, May 2-3, Hot Springs, NC

Trail Days, May 16-18th, Damascus, Virginia

Hiker Fest, June 6, Waynesboro, VA

Virginia Black Bear Festival, June 7, Stanardsville, VA

Loudoun AT Festival, June 7, Old Stone School, Hillsboro, VA

Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival, June 21, Duncannon, PA

The Gathering, ALDHA, Oct 10-13 in Abingdon, VA 

Check back for more events.

Feel free to e-mail at blissfulhiking(at)gmail(dot)com or comment with any other festivals that should be included.