Duncan Reid
Why a short winter walk still deserves a full kit list
There is a kind of Scottish winter day that tricks you. The sky is a pale, scrubbed blue, the hills are sugared with frost, and the car park at the foot of the glen feels almost mild. You think: an hour, maybe two, no need for the big rucksack. Then the cloud rolls down off the plateau like a lid, the wind shifts, and the temperature drops four degrees in ten minutes. In folklore, this is the season when the Cailleach washes her plaid and brings the snow. The practical lesson holds: on a short winter walk, carry what you would need if the short walk became a long one.
The good news is that a reliable kit list for a low-level half-day is not heavy. It fits in a 20–25 litre rucksack, and after a few outings it becomes second nature.
Layers you can add, not just remove
Most walkers think of layers as something to shed as you warm up. In winter, pack for the reverse too: what will you add when you stop, or when the weather turns? A body that has been working hard cools fast the moment you pause.
- Base layer in merino or a good synthetic — never cotton, which holds sweat and chills you the moment you slow down.
- Mid layer: a fleece or thin synthetic jacket that traps warmth without bulk.
- Insulated jacket, down or synthetic, kept dry in a stuff sack for lunch stops and emergencies.
- Waterproof shell with a hood that fits over a hat, plus waterproof overtrousers. Scottish winter rain arrives sideways.
- Spare gloves and a spare hat in a dry bag — wet gloves are the quickest route to misery.
Dress so you are slightly cool at the start. You will warm up within ten minutes, and you will not arrive at the first viewpoint soaked from the inside.
The flask, the food and the quiet pleasures
Slow outdoor living in winter is largely about the stops. A short day has room for a proper one: a sit on a drystone dyke, a view down a loch, a hot drink that tastes better than anything served indoors.
- A good flask, 500ml to a litre, filled with soup, stew, tea or hot chocolate. Pre-warm it with boiling water first and it will still be hot four hours later.
- Easy food: oatcakes, cheese, nuts, dried fruit, a piece of shortbread — things that work with cold hands and no cutlery.
- A sit mat or a folded piece of foam. Cold ground pulls warmth out of you faster than cold air.
- Water. You dehydrate in cold wind just as readily as in sun.
There is old wisdom in eating outdoors in winter. A shared flask on a hillside is one of the oldest forms of Highland hospitality, and there is no reason to leave it behind because the walk is short.
Light, navigation and the emergency shelter
Scottish winter daylight is short and it goes quickly. A walk starting at two in the afternoon can end in dusk by half past three, and dusk in a glen is darker than you expect.
- A head torch with fresh batteries and a spare set; a small hand torch as backup costs almost nothing in weight.
- Map and compass — paper, in a clear case, and the ability to use them. Phone batteries die in the cold and signal is patchy at best.
- A fully charged phone in a waterproof pouch, kept warm inside a layer rather than an outer pocket.
- An emergency shelter — a bothy bag or group shelter. Around 300g, the size of a flask, and it turns a cold, wet wait into a survivable one.
- A whistle on a lanyard, and a foil blanket in the bottom of the pack.
- A small first aid kit: plasters, blister patches, painkillers, personal medication.
None of this is dramatic equipment. It is the difference between a walk that goes slightly wrong and a walk that becomes an incident.
Feet, hands and the small details
Cold extremities ruin a day faster than anything else, and wet feet in winter are a safety matter, not just a discomfort.
- Waterproof boots with a decent tread, worn in and comfortable. Winter ground is often frozen, greasy or boggy — sometimes all three.
- Gaiters to keep snow, mud and heather out of your boots. Cheap, light, quietly transformative.
- Microspikes if there is any chance of ice on a path. A fall on a frozen track is the most common winter injury there is.
- Walking poles for balance on icy or uneven ground, especially on the descent.
- Glove liners under thicker gloves, and a buff or neck gaiter — the most useful winter kit per gram that most people own.
Packing it in, and knowing when to turn back
A 20–25 litre rucksack will swallow all of this if you pack it sensibly. Line the pack with a dry bag or bin liner, keep spare layers and the shelter low and central, and put the flask and snacks where you can reach them without taking the pack off.
Tell someone where you are going and when you expect back. Leave a note on the dashboard. Check the mountain weather forecast before setting out and take it seriously — the old stories about the Cailleach and the winter storms are, at heart, a long memory of how quickly this country's weather turns.
And keep one piece of folklore in mind that has nothing to do with kit: there is no shame in turning back. The glen will still be there next week, and so, with a well-packed rucksack and a warm flask, will you.
