In everybody’s journey into hiking, the backcountry is an inventible progression to going further and seeing more. Backcountry hiking doesn’t have to be anything crazy; some stay away from it because they simply don’t know where to start or think it’s beyond their current experience level. We’re here to tell you that heading backcountry can be accessible for all experience levels and have a simple 4 step plan to help you get there.

We’ve broken this down into four main categories to start off with and smaller points of advice beneath them. This is what we’ve learned through years of experience and we want to encourage you to see the island during the winter.

1) The planning process

This is going to vary considerably based on what kind of trip you want to take; one day close to home compared to five nights in the Cape Breton Highlands looks very different. Please note that planning to go backcountry in the winter requires extra precautions and time compared to going out in the summer. 

• Routes // The first thing you want to look at is your location and route. Where are you going? How long will you be out? How long will you be walking/skiing each day? Sit down and write out a detailed plan to make sure that you and those in your group know where you are going and what to expect. There are a few free options to use such as CalTopo, Canada Topo app, or, Avenza Maps for this.

• Weather // You won’t be able to coordinate everything until closer to the day when the weather forecast is more concrete, but knowing what you’re walking into will impact what you pack and how long you plan to be out for. We use Accuweather, Windy.com & Weather Canada.

2) Your gear

In our experience guiding backcountry trips, this is where a lot of people hesitate to buy the proper items because of the price. Going backcountry may seem hard and costly, but you don’t necessarily need to drop a lot of money on your gear as long as you have the right items for the job BUT if you have to invest in items, we would highly recommend splurging on essential items like sleeping bags, tent and main items like this.

A good friend once told us ‘You’re not going to be complaining about the price when you’re warm and dry in a blizzard”.

• Tent // Winter camping tents are made out of more robust materials as there is harsher weather in the winter so they are meant to withstand more. They also tend to be more expensive. We have used our summer tents plenty of times and it is definitely possible to get out there with whatever you yours as well.

• Snowshoes or skis // If you’re going anywhere with snow, you will want snowshoes or skis. Trying to hike without them will be exhausting and slow. And, on the plus side, instead of pegging your tent to the ground you can use these snowshoes as anchors.

• Sleeping bag // Choose the properly rated one for the climate you’re going in. You’ll have three options: down, synthetic and, blend/hybrid. Down is lighter and warmer however if it gets wet it will lose its insulating value. Synthetic, even when wet, stays warm, however is heavier and will take up more space. Blended bags are expensive but are generally what we choose to use during the winter.

• Sleeping pad // You will want a sleeping pad to make sure that there is a layer between you and the cold ground at night. We recommend, and rely on, therm-a-rest products and tend to stick with their Z-lite or foam pads. Some choose a mix of foam and inflatable pads for extra insulation but this is totally up to your preference.

• Clothing // Take a look at our blog on layering here for more advice on how to properly layer and stay warm in the winter. You will most likely get sweaty while moving during the day, but we highly recommend always having something warm and dry to change into when you get to your camp. When you cool off it is extremely important not to be wet in subzero temperatures. Your body will self-regulate when on longer trips but it’s up to you to prepare for these trips and figure out what layering setup works best.

• Food // You’ll want to bring food that is easily accessible and will limit your cooking time; this is because winter temperatures can get very cold and you don’t want to have your hands out in the freezing wind cooking for too long. On a winter camping trip, you’re eating for fuel more than pleasure and what you bring will really depend on the kind of trip that you’re going on. Dried food is a good thing to resort to (beef jerky, dried-fruit, and granola bars), but remember that they won’t benefit you if they’re frozen. If you choose to bring something like protein bars, you’ll want to keep them close to your body to stay warm. Dehydrated food is also really useful and a great way to limit weight.

• Stove // You will absolutely need a stove so this is an important one. You can definitely get cheap, budget-friendly stoves that run, typically off of isobutane from MEC or Canadian tire. However, in subzero temperatures, these stoves will lag as they are affected by such cold weather even with 4 season fuel. If you want to invest in something better or are going with a bigger group, we recommend white fuel stoves which you can also find at MEC or MSR; these burn at a higher temperature and are less likely to be affected by the cold.

• Water // Always plan for water usage. You can boil snow but make sure you’ve boiled some before bed so that you’ll have plenty to drink on your hike the next day. If you pass a water source such as a brook or river, everyone should fill up on their water there. This will limit your fuel usage from boiling snow later on. Make sure you pack & use water filters, drops, or tablets when needed.

  *tip: bringing a Nalgene bottle means that you can boil some hot water before bed, fill up your bottle and tuck it in your sleeping bag to keep you warm. With the cold winter temperature, it will be fine to drink on your hike the next day. 

3. Safety

As we’ve already said, going backcountry in the winter is much different than in the summer. There is an added level of safety precautions needed to make sure that you and your group get from point A to point B safely.

• Safety plan // Having a safety plan is a must. It is also imperative to register or share that plan with other people. This way, people will know where you are at all times and will be expecting you to contact them when you’re back. If they don’t hear from you, they will know exactly where you were headed and how long you were meant to be gone. We use a Garmin InReach for this but there are other options like SPOT as well.

• Notes // Speaking from experience, if you are parking your car somewhere and maybe gone a few days, it is a good idea to leave a note informing people that you will be gone a few days. It may seem silly, but this way your car will not get towed and no one will report you missing in the highlands.

4. Execution

Now that you’ve set a plan, packed your gear, and mapped out how to do it safely, it’s time to pull it all together and get out there.

• Stay warm, limit exposure // We’ve already touched on this a little, but your whole goal is to stay warm and comfortable and to limit exposure while you’re on this trip. This means streamlining your entire process- packing, unpacking, what gear goes where who has what job (setting up the tent/ cook space/ boiling the water)- to be the most efficient as possible. If it is raining, blowing snow, or wind, then you will want to get your tent up as quickly as humanly possible so for part of your group, this may be their only job. Waste as little time as possible.

We hope this info was informative. The only way to learn what works for you is to get out there and explore!