Are you getting cabin fever yet? It’s getting to that point in winter where I have trouble remembering my days, and Kevin and I have been itching to get outside. It gets sooo easy to hibernate this time of year (especially when it’s SO cold out), and I have to admit I am totally guilty of spending way too much time inside during these winter months.
Kevin, on the other hand, has always LOVED hiking in the winter. And I have always thought he was crazy! But, he goes out no matter the temps and loves it. Like I’ve told you guys before, he hikes all year round but he especially loves the winter because the state parks are so empty, everything is so silent and everything looks so gorgeous when it’s covered by snow.
And, now that I’ve gone out with him, I totally agree.
We had a great time hiking together, falling in the snow, and spending time just US two. Given the very real risk of frostbite, we didn’t have our phones out besides to snap a few photos, and it felt really good to disconnect from everyone else. We’re already planning the next time we’re going out! If you’re looking for a great way to spend time with your guy, gal or fam and get out of the house this winter, head to your nearest state park! I promise you’ll love it!!
If you’re not up for hiking there are so many other ways to get outdoors this winter with your Sig O! You could…
- Go to a hockey game!
- Go ice skating!
- Take a weekend trip to a cozy cabin up North!
- Go snowshoeing (which I’ve heard is a KILLER workout)
- Just play in the snow!
- Go skiing/snowboarding
- Go sledding!
- Check out your local winter festivals (Minne has a TON)
- Go on an outdoor run or walk (we do this 1-2X a week – walk not a run lol).
That being said, make sure you bundle up when you go out! When we went out this past weekend, it was a whopping 8º outside! But, we felt bundled up and prepared. Before going out, I knew I needed to grab some new gear from Backcountry because Kevin looks like abominable snowman every time he goes out, and I was no where near that prepared, lol!
I grabbed this pair of Merrell winter hiking boots and was SO impressed by them. Kevin told me to go with Merrell for any hiking – summer or winter. They are the most sturdy, waterproof and don’t slip AT all. And he was right, I had no issues. And, although they’re a bit lower on the ankle, you can tie them very tight so snow can’t get in and make your feet wet. I sized up .5, and they fit perfectly with thick socks!
I also picked up this new Patagonia puffer jacket, which was a hot topic in DM’s this weekend. Funny enough, when we met up with a few of our friends (the same ones who go backpacking in Europe and introduced me to Patagonia), our friend Brian was wearing the men’s version of my jacket – lol! So the style works for men and women and is DEFINITELY gearhead approved. It’s very lightweight but still warm enough that it kept me cozy on our hike! I love it so much I pretty much have stopped using my other jackets since I got it. I sized up to a S to layer over sweaters.
And, because hiking is all about layering (or so Kevin told me!), I had lots of layers in case we hiked on warm day! I wore this super cute olive green long sleeve and my puffer vest under my jacket. This long sleeve is so versatile, a great weight for spring and would be really cute with jeans too! I also wore fleece leggings and WISH I had grabbed a pair of snow pants. Lesson learned for next time. If you’re hiking in 20º+, you’ll be find in just leggings. And, of course, I had to wear my fleece lined mittens and beanie!
First time customers can get 15% off their orders at Backcountry.com with code LOMEYER15 (some exclusions apply!) – AKA you can save on pretty much everything I wore out to hike! Woooop!! ALSO, they just launched their huge end of season sale with 50% off Patagonia, Sorel, The North Face + more!! A similar version of my puffer is on sale & I LOVE these Sorels that are marked down too!
Also, I have to give a HUGE shout out to Backcountry’s customer service. If you were watching stories last week you know that I was a victim of a porch pirate Thursday. Well, they took ALL of my gear for this weekend’s hike. Since we had this planned a few weeks out we didn’t want to cancel (especially since we were hoping to see the fresh snow from Friday’s blizzard #priorities). Anyway, I messaged Backcountry on their chat messenger right away about it, and they overnighted a new package, no questions asked, the same day. I didn’t have to pay anything and the whole process took 5 minutes. It arrived Friday, and I had everything I needed for Sunday. Could not recommend them more for any outdoor gear you need!
xoxo
**Thank you for Backcountry for sponsoring today’s post. As always, all items were picked out by me and all opinions are my own.**
SHOP the POST
Leave a Reply