Recommended gear for a short winter weekend hike- two nights in the woods.
Shelter: If going with a group, consider sharing a shelter to save weight. A tarp makes a great, light winter shelter for hammock or ground. If going to the ground, bring a sheet of plastic, or even better tyvex, to lay on the ground under your tarp.
Bring cord and stakes for your tarp.
If you must bring a tent...go with a small/ light one if you plan to do much hiking...every pound of junk must be carried.
Snakeskins coupled with a pre-rigged Ridgeline allows you to deploy your tarp in seconds. When a sudden storm blows in..this can be the difference between comfort and being wet and cold. See the green tube in the picture above? Thats a tarp snakeskin, the tarp is inside. I can string my tarp ridgeline in seconds, and slide the snakeskin off to open up the tarp.
Hammock: I'm using a Yukon Outfitters Freedom v1 hammock. Wide, long enough, comfortable and cheap (when on sale). It weighs 10 Oz. There are lots of other good options. Aim for over 10ft long and 60 inches wide for a comfy nights sleep.
For straps, there are of good options...use something with whoopie slings for adjustability. I'm currently using AHE's suspension. I've also used Hummingbird Hammock straps...which only weigh 2oz, but I've had a couple fail on me, so I'm now using something heavier.
Backpack: I recommend an internal frame pack. Size will depend on your gear...a big cheap synthetic bag can take up a huge amount of space. I carry a 48 L pack with lots of room to spare on weekend hikes. Pay attention to the weight of the pack...my Osprey Exos 48 weighs about 3 pounds...1/2 the weight of some packs. 3 pounds of weight savings is huge. Decent packs aren't cheap...borrow a pack for your first few trips if you can. This is much better than buying the wrong pack.
Keeping your Backpack contents dry:
Put a trash compactor bag inside your pack. Put all dry items inside, fold the top over a few times, and place remaining gear on top. If really wet, for extra assurance, use dry bags for items inside the compactor bag.
Base Clothing: No cotton. Anywhere. Not even your underwear. For a weekend...wear the same pants, the same shirt (synthetic or merino wool) the whole time. If you are obsessed with changing clothes...bring a spare shirt if you must. Bring One spare pair of socks. That's it. The clothing on your back plus a pair of extra socks and layers to add/remove.
Layers to stay warm/dry: a down puffy jacket or vest is hard to beat. I carry a down puffy jacket and a thin raincoat to go over the top for extra warmth and to keep it dry. If extra cold, consider adding a long sleeve base layer for added warmth or a warmer down Jacket.
On colder trips in particular, I am very fond of adding a soft shell rain jacket. This is a synthetic rain resistant stretchy layer that feels a bit like a wetsuit. I will often sleep in it for added warmth.
So: warmer trip- Down puffy for around camp plus thin rain jacket.
Colder trip- same plus softshell.
Super cold- same as Colder plus a super warm down puffy.
Warning: the coldest possible trip is mid to low 30s...freezing rain and a stiff wind. Go for layers...synthetic insulated base...softshell...rain coat...synthetic insulated bottom.
Gloves/Mittens- I use a superlight pair of rain Mittens from Borah gear and some thin synthetic gloves underneath. For super cold trips...go with warm insulated mittens. Wearing a thin pair of gloves under the Mittens can help when it is super cold..it allows you to use your fingers to set up camp without having them fully exposed.
Hat: You need a warm hat for sleeping. Get something that covers your ears. Keeping your head warm helps to keep your feet warm. If you need a hat for use while hiking (good idea), bring a separate hat...your sleeping hat will be too warm.
Footwear: Resist the temptation to use heavy boots. A good fit is critical. For a weekend trip, waterproof footwear may work. For longer trips..go with non waterproof. The issue is that once waterproof shoes are soaked through...they take a long time to dry. Lightweight hikers are a good choice. Do not assume you must have ankle support, many experienced hikers prefer low top shoes. Tennis shoes can even work....they are certain a better choice than big heavy boots. Remember, if you are hiking...you have to lift your footwear with every step...lighter is good, and will make you less likely to stumble.
If weather includes wet...you might want to bring an extra pair of dry socks for sleeping. Don't get too worried about your boots/shoes wet...it is hard to avoid on some trips. As long as you keep moving, and you have good synthetic or wool socks, your feet will stay warm enough.
Water system: Nalgenes are absurdly heavy. Use a cheap disposable water bottle instead. The 1.5 L SmartWater brand bottles are a nice shape and very durable. They fit nicely in the side pockets of many packs. Camelbacks also work fine...but on the coldest trips the hose may freeze. If it is getting down to 20 or below...leave the camelback at home.
Water- Avoid carrying water for the whole weekend if possible. Confirm if the hiking route has water..and plan accordingly.
Water Filter- the Sawyer Squeeze or Sawyer Mini are under $30 and are widely available. (Including most Wal-marts). The mini is my choice...but it is only an ounce or two lighter...the squeeze is a bit faster filtering.
Trekking poles: Highly recommended. If you have some old ski poles in the garage.....they work great. I used a $7 pair from Goodwill as my first set......and I still periodically loan them to new hikers.
Cooking: I like to cook...but if the goal is hiking and covering miles...keep it simple. A pop tart or prepackaged donut can make a quick breakfast. I like hot coffee in the morning...Starbucks via if you want awesome and $1 a cup. Individually packaged Tasters Choice if you want so-so coffee at a fraction of the cost. I go cheap. Add a packet of hot chocolate for a mocha. Use your cook pot as a mug.
Lunch and dinner- a 750-850 ml ti pot weighs about 4-5 oz and can cook a whole meal. A Lipton Rice or Pasta Side plus some meat is easy to cook, salty and yummy. Ramen is also quick and tasty. Google "Freezer bag cooking" for a simple approach that will keep your pot clean.
A premade sandwich or items that require refrigeration also work great on winter trips.
Peanut M&Ms are hard to beat as a snack on the trail. Gummy Bears are also a calorie dense snack. There are limitless yummy snack items...bring your favorites.
