Advice: UK winter kit list

Following is a suggested kit list of clothing and equipment for anyone heading into the mountains to walk or climb lower grade winter routes in the UK in winter conditions. Clothing choice will, of course, be very personal (there are now many alternatives to the conventional hardshell layering system), but the suggested system is a good start for most people. Bare in mind that temperatures and workload can vary dramatically throughout a day and any clothing system chosen must allow adaptability to differing weather and levels of activity.

Head	Hat. Neck gaiter or balaclava. Ski goggles and/or sunglasses.	Up to 50% of heat loss occurs through the head and neck.
Body	Baselayer top (long sleeve zip neck). Baselayer pants. Light or midweight fleece top. Shell jacket. Shell pants or salapettes.	Ensure your shell jacket allows adequate ventilation, has easily accessible pockets and a well fitting hood. Using a windproof fleece layer will mean that you only need to put your shell on when conditions get really testing.
Hands	Fleece gloves (for the approach/walk-in). Waterproof gloves or mitts (for when it gets really cold or you are less active).	Mitts are warmer and easy to put on with very cold hands, but dexterity is reduced. If climbing, you will probably want a 3rd pair of spare gloves or mitts.
Feet	B1 or B2 boots. Winter weight socks and liners. Gaiters.	Although to first-time wearers winter boots can seem very heavy, clumpy and awkward, as soon as you step onto any angle of snow, a decent boot will make a very dramatic difference to your confidence and ease of movement.
Equipment	Daypack (about 40 litres). Platypus hydration system or waterbottle. Stainless steel flask (you can't beat a hot drink on a cold hill!). Crampons and anti-balling plates (suitable for use with chosen boots). Crampon bag (much easier than crampon rubbers). Walking or mountaineering axe. Walking poles.	Drinking tubes can be prone to freezing in very cold conditions, so are disliked by some users. Workarounds include blowing liquid out of the tube after drinking, only using the tube during the walk-in, or buying an insulation sleeve.
Safety items	Map (plus waterproof case if not laminated). Compass. Spare warm layer (synthetic duvet or fleece). Whistle. Bothy bag or survival bag. Headtorch and spare batteries. Spare high energy food. Small first aid kit (inc. blister plasters and lip-salve).	Down filled clothing is very warm and light but UK conditions are usually very damp and therefore synthetic options can be better.
Climbing equipment (if required)	Harness. Helmet. Rope. Rack.	A harness which can be put on without taking your feet off the ground is often a real advantage.

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