The Fat Girl's Guide to Living

This week’s Fat Girl’s Guide is the first installment of a two-part series. Part I takes you through all your cruise prep – from research to wardrobe. Next week’s Guide will be crammed with ways to make the most of your onboard experience.

A few things are certain on a cruise: Drinks will be ridiculously expensive. By Day 3, you’ll begin to recognize other passengers and to make up nicknames and stories for them (“Needs-to-Lay-Off-the-Spray-Tan Lady,” “Guy with Giant Smurf Tattoo”). If your name is “Angela,” you will be “The Girl Who Over-Packed” and you will never live it down.

You’ll notice one assumption conspicuously absent from that list of guarantees: Everyone will be thin, sporty and cover-model gorgeous.

If anyone has ever told you that fat people don’t cruise, I’m here to tell you they’re wrong. The truth is, unless you’re taking a specialty voyage geared toward a particular audience (singles, families, LGBT community, under-30, BBW, etc.), your fellow travelers will represent all different shapes, sizes, ages, backgrounds and activity levels. Cruising while fat is the same as tackling any other opportunity — you just need a game plan. And maybe some Dramamine.

Determine your travel style.

The options are almost limitless when it comes to voyage length, destination, ship amenities and formality level, so a savvy girl and her traveling companion(s) need to set a few basic priorities before booking. Will you spend most of your time on the ship, or do you plan to see the sights at each port? What amenities are the most important to you? Fabulous spa? Tons of pools? Luxurious bedding? Unique on-board activities like bowling or a climbing wall? Do you want lots of kid-friendly activities or a more relaxed, adult pace? Lengthier cruises tend to attract more seasoned travelers and retirees, while voyages during school breaks will be loaded with kids. Compile a list of must-haves (spa!), negotiables (bedding), and deal-breakers (tons of kids if you’re looking for a singles experience) and see if you can find a cruise line and voyage that meets your needs.

Your dining experience requires more planning than you think.

We know fat girls sometimes feel more confident in casual wear vs. formal (or vice versa), so it’s important to know your comfort level before committing to a particular ship. Do you love the idea of getting dressed up in the evening, chatting with new friends and having a set dinner time? You’ll probably be a fan of more traditional cruises, offered by many lines (Carnival is one example). Although a number of lines have begun offering flexible dinner times or a 24-hour cafeteria on some ships, the traditional cruise dinner experience matches you with a set group of dining companions at a fixed time throughout your voyage. Dress codes are more formal as well, and some may require cocktail attire.

On the other hand, if you’re not a fan of chatting up new people, or if you enjoy a more casual experience and a higher level of flexibility, you’re definitely a candidate for “freestyle” cruising. Employed most notably by Norwegian, but gaining traction on other lines, freestyle is just what it sounds like — freedom to choose where and when you eat, and with whom you share meals. During our nine days aboard the Norwegian Jewel, my friends and I dined in eight different restaurants at times ranging from 5:30-10:30 p.m. With the exception of the Japanese steakhouse, we never shared tables with other passengers. Shorts, jeans and tank tops are off-limits everywhere but the buffet, but basic, casual cruise wear (check with your line for their rules on casual and formal dress) was appropriate for all other restaurants.

Veteran tip: Even if you cruise freestyle, be prepared to do some on-board planning. Reservations (made up to 24 hours in advance) are usually required at non-buffet restaurants, while a few of the boutique dining options (steak house, hibachi, Asian cuisine) required a $10-$20 cover charge.

Once you’ve set your priorities, dig in to researching, purchasing and planning.

Put time and thought into planning your cruise vacation. If you’ve heard good things about a particular cruise line, or spotted a great bargain, explore every inch of the web site, including the FAQ and virtual tours of staterooms, dining rooms and amenities. Many lines will offer basic info in the sections for first-time cruisers and some sites also offer a community area to network with other passengers.

For feedback beyond the colorful marketing pictures and exciting descriptions, turn to independent web sites like Cruise Diva, which offers summaries and reviews of each cruise line’s concept, in addition to the individual ships in its fleet. Cruise Critic and CruiseMates each provide news and reviews, as well as bustling online communities that are phenomenal resources. Comb through discussion threads by cruise line or topic (Cruise Critic is even searchable), or create a user account and post your own questions. Many of the message boardies are hardcore — having traveled on a dozen or more cruises — so their insights are usually pretty helpful. You also may be surprised to see how many of the questions pertain to weight issues or fears about size.

Veteran tip: Cruise lines take care of their online communities. On a recent  NCL sailing, members of an active message board group attended an exclusive on-board party and were invited to tour the ship’s bridge and rub elbows with the captain.

Read the fine print before booking excursions.

Both the cruise line’s web site and the independent message boards provide a wealth of information regarding excursions offered at every port. Again, corporate descriptions will be glossier, while you’ll get more of the down-and-dirty scoop from fellow travelers. Whether deciding on a cruise-sponsored excursion (higher costs but more accountability to you as the customer) or seeking an independent tour guide or vendor in a port city (lower costs, smaller group sizes, more customer responsibility to vet thoroughly), be sure you understand everything about the activities. Some excursions (zip lines, ATV travel, helicopter tours, some smaller boats or kayaks) will have clearly outlined weight limits of 200 lbs, 250 lbs, 400 pounds per 2-person boat, etc. Many tours and excursions will outline the exertion level involved or provide a list of activities a participant must be able to accomplish (climbing stairs, walking a mile, walking on uneven terrain, climbing into and out of boat, etc.). Again, many travelers on message boards will have done these activities and can give you honest feedback. If you feel nervous or unsure about any portion of a description, never hesitate to contact the cruise line or the vendor.

While there are definitely some activities off-limits to larger travelers (I doubt I’ll ever be welcome on a zip line!), it’s important to realize the vast majority of the options are things most of us can do. There wasn’t a  remotely skinny person in our Caribbean travel group, yet we snorkeled, climbed catamaran ladders, swam with dolphins, hiked down to view a volcano, rode tenders out to play with stingrays, and toured an island on an 18-person bus that resembled a clown car. Be honest with yourself about your limitations, but don’t let worries over your size keep you from trying something new.

Pack a few different swimwear pieces.

The two-suit rule is a gimme; no one likes climbing into a wet swimsuit, and sardine-can staterooms don’t afford great options for ventilated drying. Aside from doubling up, however,  you may want to consider multiple styles of swimwear (like a skirted option and a one-piece, even if you’re vehemently pro-skirt) or top & bottom separates that you can mix and match, especially once you determine which excursions you’ll be taking. Dressing for a tour of Mayan ruins or a day at the beach is pretty easy, but several of the tropical excursions involve multiple components that require you to be clothed one minute (in a local restaurant, for example) and ready for swimming the next. For these swim/land hybrid excursions, don’t wear a swim dress with a built-in skirt if you hope to put a pair of shorts or pants over it for the land portion. Few things are as uncomfortable as trudging around for several hours with a soaking-wet mass of fabric balled up at your waist (the skirt part on many swim dresses takes forever to dry). I MacGuyvered this problem when I encountered it by gathering the skirt at one side with an elastic hair band, but believe me, it was not my finest hour.

Look for quick-drying, versatile, over-the-suit options, like these multipurpose shorts from Junonia, available in sizes up to 4X. We also like the selection of swim shorts and activewear from lines such as Lands End, Danskin or Faded Glory. And even if you’re not leaving the ship, remember to pack a cover-up, sarong or pair of swim shorts for the lengthy trips between your stateroom and the pool.

Veteran tip: Plan your excursion outfits to be useful regardless of activity order. Our day in St. Lucia was described chronologically as land/lunch/swim/sail, but we learned that half the groups go in reverse order to manage crowding with the tour vendors.

Supportive, broken-in shoes or sandals are a must.

Whether you plan to disembark at every port or just chill on the ship, prepare to do a good amount of walking. Cruise ships are enormous floating civilizations, and the distance you’ll cover just traveling between your room and the various locations onboard will surprise you. Additionally, some excursions may involve wet conditions, walking over varied terrain, climbing up or down stairs, etc. I’ve never been able to walk comfortably in flip-flops; they don’t stay on my feet and they provide zero support. If you’re like me, consider sandals from Chaco or Teva, which offer good tread while providing ventilation and supportive ankle straps. There’s also the Crocs option. Yes, they are as fugly as shoes come, but – love ‘em or hate ‘em – they were a godsend for the port days when our itinerary involved a sloshy catamaran ride, stops to swim and snorkel, hiking down into a volcano, and a bus tour of the island – all in a single outfit. Crocs were easy to clean when sandy or dirty, they went from wet to dry conditions without problem, and I didn’t care if I ruined or lost them.

Veteran tip: Get a rush of accomplishment by wearing a pedometer to track all those steps you’ll take during your cruise. Plus, you’ll know without a doubt you’ve earned that trip to the midnight chocoholic buffet!

Come back next Thursday for Part II — all about selecting/maximizing your stateroom, on-board accommodations and (of course) the food! In the meantime: Been cruisin’? Tell us your packing must-haves or share tips for finding a fat girl-friendly ship and excursions that excite.

Photo by Mike Baird

This question landed in our inbox this morning, and because time was of the essence, we decided to (ahem) gallop with it:

Hello! I was wondering if you could help me out. I’m going horse riding for the first time for a hen’s weekend and am more than a little anxious about it. I’d really appreciate any and all advice.”

This isn’t the first time we’ve received a question about horseback riding, particularly whether a bigger gal might be too much for a horse to handle. We poked around online a bit and found that there is some controversy in this area; obviously people of all shapes and sizes can and do ride horses, but in the equestrian community, opinions can be pretty strong about how big is too big, but reading between the lines it seems that it is possible to ride responsibly if you’re overweight.

We spoke with Mary Midkiff, founder of Women & Horses,™ which covers female-specific training with an eye toward the care of and empathy for the horses while riding. Many big, tall men ride horses, and we wondered whether this was analogous to a 250-pound woman mounting up, and Midkiff agreed. “You could hurt the horse if the horse is too small,” she said. “For a person of that size, I’d want to see them on a draft horse or a draft type horse–in other words, a heavy-boned, bigger horse.” Before riding, call and ask if there are any weight limitations for riders, because every place will have horses of different sizes and abilities, and every stable will have different preferences about riders’ ability levels and size.

What to wear

We’ve all seen cowboys riding horses, and cowboys (and girls) wear jeans, right? Not if you’re a beginner, says Midkiff. “They’ll rub you around the knee, calf, and upper thigh, and the seams at the crotch can be uncomfortable over time.” She suggests investing in a pair of plus size riding tights, or if you’re not sure you’ll be riding often, wear pants with a straight leg that stretch well with some padded bicycling shorts underneath. “Some women are embarrassed to wear riding tights because they are tight and they do show a lot, but you can wear a longer shirt or jacket over them,” says Midkiff. Skip the yoga pants or boot cut jeans if you’ll be riding English style (as opposed to Western style–read about the differences here), to prevent getting caught in the stirrups.

There’s a reason cowboy boots have heels, and so should your footwear when riding. A shoe or boot with a 1″ heel will keep your foot from sliding through the stirrup, so leave your gym shoes at home. Some Western saddles have toe guards, but unless you know your stable will have them, don’t count on that. Midkiff insists on protective headgear, too: “There are equestrian-specific helmets that meet the safety standards for riding and run in the $30-50 range,” she says. Most, if not all outfitters provide helmets, but Midkiff suggests bringing a bicycle helmet along just in case. Finally, here’s where having an Enell or similarly structured, high impact, minimum bounce sports bra will serve you well, because there will be bouncing–even more if your horse decides to trot, canter, or is spooked.

Before you ride

Horseback riding doesn’t just bounce your jiggly parts, it also works your inner thighs in ways most other activities don’t. Therefore, stretching the inner thighs is important and warming up the core muscles with some pelvic tilts is a good idea, too.  “Always ask your outfitter for a mounting block or to stand on a hay bale – something secure and sturdy – to help you mount the horse,” says Midkiff. “For one thing, you don’t want to stand on anything unstable where you can lose your balance, and if you mount from the ground, you torque the horse’s back.” A good outfitter will demonstrate how to mount and then help you properly–and safely–climb aboard.

After riding

If you’re sore after riding, Midkiff recommends a hot bath with bath salts to soothe aching muscles. Expect soreness in the inner thighs, glutes, and piriformis muscles. “You’re doing a lot of gripping with the inner thighs just naturally while riding,” says Midkiff. “So when you get off, you’ll feel like one of those bowlegged cowboys.” For bruises, she suggests arnica gel or lotion, which you can find at most natural or health food stores.

Girls, share your own experiences with horseback riding in comments, and if you love horses, too, consider contributing to an organization right in Toni’s back yard, the Hooved Animal Humane Society.

In her element: Snowface, from Toni

I loved this the moment I saw it, and while Toni and I aren’t eligible for monthly photo prizes for our own photos (obviously!) I wanted to showcase it, anyway. There is little more beautiful than the happiness obvious on our faces when we’re truly engaged and in our element.

What about you? Where are you most in your element? Show us this month, and have a shot at winning one of our monthly prizes.

Snowshoes by m.prinke

Today’s guide comes with a little homework. Don’t worry! It’s not too painful–just a little (ahem) warm-up reading. Our Guide to Cold Weather Hiking covers how to dress warmly and stay dry and be safe while moving your bod outdoors during winter, and we list some retailers that carry clothing that will actually fit us larger girls. See? Not painful at all. Now let’s get to it.

First, some reasons why snowshoeing is a great activity for fat girls:

* Just about anyone who can walk can snowshoe (even me, and I’m as clumsy as they come)

* It’s low tech, low impact (easy on those joints!), and carries less chance of injury than skiing or snowboarding

* It’s inexpensive compared to other winter sports and activities (no lift tickets, no special boots needed)

* You can snowshoe just about anywhere – no need to drive to a resort – and you can practice in your back yard

* Snowshoeing allows you to hike above the snow instead of “post holing” knee- or waist-deep through it

Now for some snowshoe-specific gear tweaks on our cold weather hiking guide:

Layering – Some outdoor sports require thicker long underwear, with good reason. If you’ll be standing around for hours watching Winter Olympic snowboarding or going hunting or snowmobiling, then winter weight underthings are the way to go. But because I’m a sweaty Betty once I get moving for winter hiking, cross-country skiing, or snowshoeing, I tend to wear a lighter base layer made of water-wicking, synthetic fabric (i.e., NOT COTTON) that moves sweat away from the bod, keeping you warm and dry.

Footwear - Winter starts with the letter W, and that’s how you’ll want to think of the boots you’ll strap into your  snowshoes: warm and waterproof. You don’t need spendy, high-tech performance boots, just sturdy-but-comfy snow boots that work well with your body, offer great ankle support, and won’t get wet or leave your toes feeling chilled on the trail. As someone who hikes year-round and spends hours sledding with my three sons, I never skimp on socks – winter-weight socks (again, not cotton) like these snowshoe-specific ones by Thorlo or these winter hiking socks by SmartWool, which come in XL, are a worthy investment.

Outer Shell – This is basically whatever type of waterproof jacket or parka you own, plus snow pants. Skip the heavier ski pants or jackets because you’ll be plenty warm walking around over the snow.

Poles - If you’ll be snowshoeing in the mountains or very hilly terrain, you might want to spare your knees and buy or rent some poles. There’s a wide array of trekking poles available; check a local, trusted outdoor retailer to help you find the right size, strength, and weight.

Snowshoes - There are three basic types of snowshoes, and they’re generally defined by activity type and level: recreational, backcountry/mountaineering, and adventure/running. Beginners need look no further than the recreational style, which is great because they’re the most affordable. Snowshoes are sized in length and based on the user’s weight (including whatever load a person will carry in a daypack), not shoe size, which makes shopping easier. However, the more you weigh, the harder it can be to find shoes designed to carry you over the snow, and larger snowshoes can sometimes cost a bit more.

I asked Beth Mairs, founder and director of Wild Women Expeditions, Canada’s largest outdoor adventure company for women to offer some snowshoeing pointers for this guide. “I use and recommend Atlas brand snowshoes, and their Elecktra line of snowshoes for women work with how women walk and stride.” Their 27″ beginner model, the Elektra 8, is sized for people (and daypacks) weighing between 120-200+ pounds. If you’re new to this sport and not sure you want to commit to it, many ski and outdoor shops rent snowshoes so you can get a feel for it before buying.

Technique

Testing your snow legs with an outfitter is a great way to get started; retailers like REI, local independent outfitters, and some park and conservation districts run beginner workshops. For you visual types, REI has an excellent series of videos and expert advice on basic snowshoeing techniques, such as moving up or downhill. Once you get going, it feels a bit tougher than walking in general, but easier than walking barefoot over an uneven sandy beach. You’ll be picking your feet up a bit higher than normal, so expect some soreness in your thighs later on, depending on your fitness level.

I asked Beth Mairs for tricks to getting snowshoes on, especially for those of us who have a hard time bending down due to flexibility issues and/or bellies getting in our way. “My trick? Put one snowshoe on inside, being careful not to put your full weight on the floor due to the teeth (crampons)! And sitting is a must; only extreme (as in extremely annoying) jocks will be able to put on and take off snowshoes while standing.”

Trail Etiquette

“Stay out of the way of cross-country skiers,” says Mairs, a cross-country skier-turned-snowshoer. “Snowshoeing is maybe more of a personalty type B than a type A activity.” Tread Lightly, a nonprofit organization dedicated to promoting outdoor ethics has a nicely crafted set of guidelines for outdoor sports, including:

Be considerate of others on the trail.
Keep to the right when meeting other winter recreationists and yield the right of way to downhill traffic.
Respect established ski tracks. If traveling by foot or snowshoe, don’t damage existing ski tracks.
When stopping, step to the side of the trail to let other skiers and recreationists pass.
When skiing, move to the right to allow faster skiers to pass.
If crossing private property, ask permission from the landowner(s).

Best Times to Go

Mairs describes the ideal snowshoeing weather as “during mid-winter, when there’s an adequate base packed down already but then some sexy, soft powder falls, say six inches. That’s the stuff.” Her final words of advice? “You’re out to explore and marvel in nature’s beauty, and able to go places you could never be except for the buoyancy that the snowshoes give you over the surface of the snow. Savor that.” That’s a technique we can all get behind.

So, as we often ask here at FGG, if you’ve been curious about snowshoeing, what are you waiting for? If you have questions, ask away. If you’re experienced, please share your tips and tricks in the comments section.

The Charm from Salomon Sports

I tried skiing for the first time last year, but gave up because I could barely get the boots I rented buckled, and they were so uncomfortable around my calf, which is about 18″ around, that I couldn’t stand it. The staff wasn’t much help recommending another boot to try and I left feeling embarrassed, so this year I’d like to just buy my own. Are there any ski boots that work well for fat girls?”

I wonder how many of us haven’t done much skiing for that very reason. Like, say…ME. I have a long, narrow foot, ironic bird ankles, and some impressively chubby, bulky Popeye calves. I’m a ski shop’s nightmare.

Unfortunately there are so many different combinations in leg shapes and variations in ski boots (i.e., some fit a wide foot but a smaller calf, some do well with high arches and lower calf muscles, etc) that there’s no one recommendation that will work for all women with large calves. So if you have the money to spend on comfort and you’re planning to make good use of your boots, your best bet is to visit a custom bootfitter (find a shop near you here). But if you’re on a budget or don’t know if you’ll be serious about skiing until you’ve got a few seasons behind you, there are brands that do make boots wider or more flexible, and tricks for making a standard boot a better fit for bigger legs.

We chatted with a few ski shop pros on some good models to start with, and some ideas for how to tweak an otherwise great-fitting boot to fit your calf. With the caveat from each of them that every foot will fit differently in every boot, here’s what they had to say:

Bobo’s Mogul Mouse
Reno, NV

The Olympia Gransport (GS) by Nordica is a good boot for larger calves; the opening is wider than in most boot models. The Atomic B-series ski boot is also a good choice, because they’re very adjustable to different calf sizes.

Porter’s Tahoe
Tahoe City, CA

You have to make sure to fit for the foot first, then tweak for other problem areas. That said, there are a few models that naturally run wider, but overall you want to stick with four-buckle boots. They let you made adjustments at more points, resulting in a better leg fit overall. One of the things we can do is put in a heel lift, which makes the top of the boot rest lower on the calf where it’s more narrow. Some boots also come with spoilers you can adjust up or down, or remove altogether to make more calf room.

Christy Sports
Denver, CO

The Tecnica 10 is nice because they’re a little wider and also really adjustable, accommodating a wider range of calf sizes and shapes. If that’s not enough, there are custom adjustments we can make – like drilling an extra hole to let the buckle out a little bit.

Christy Sports
Salt Lake City, UT

Sometimes it’s not so much the boot as it is the stiff shell or lining that’s the problem. One of the things we suggest for customers who feel like their boots are too tight is to fill two two-liter bottles with hot water and place one in each boot before you go skiing (this works well for rentals on the spot to make a better fit). The heat will soften up and stretch the shell, and then when you put your foot in, the boot material will mold around it.

Reno Mountain Sports
Reno, NV

I like the Head models, Edge and I-type, for larger calves. They allow lots of custom moving and adjusting to make a good fit, and the I-type is especially good for anyone just starting out.

Other good stuff we learned in our search:

:: A good bootfitter can also make custom foot beds, and from what we hear, that can make ALL the difference.

:: If your feet are on the small side, try looking at junior/kids boots. They don’t come up as far on the calf, and therefore don’t have to accommodate the full width.

:: None of our pros mentioned it, but we found a lot of love for Salomon boots in blogs and forums around the web.

:: A couple of searches turned up pointers to Surefoot custom boots. We’ve never heard of them, but they claim to be the most comfortable ski boot on earth for any foot/calf type. If you’ve tried them, let us know!

What about you? Are you an avid skier? Share your favorite wide-calf ski boots in comments!

Yes, you can hike when it’s cold. It’s all about the gear, baby!

As fall color reaches its peak in northern climates, it’s easy to forget that we’re about to hit that lull before winter makes its frosty self comfortable. For many of us, that might mean heading indoors to work out, but I’d like to argue that time spent outdoors is both essential to our well-being and achievable year-round. I covered hot weather hiking earlier this year (see Part 1 and Part 2), but when temperatures drop, your comfort outdoors is largely dependent upon how you dress. Here’s a rundown of what you’ll need before heading out for a brisk hike.

What to Wear

The phrase “dress in layers” comes up often in articles about outdoor activities. But what exactly does this mean, and how does one achieve proper layering for cold weather? ‘Layering’ simply means dressing to insulate your body from the cold without trapping too much sweat against your body or letting any rain or snow leak through your clothing (both of which could put you at risk for a serious condition called hypothermia). In very cold weather, this means a base layer of long underwear under warm clothing and a wind- and water-resistant jacket or parka. Your clothing and coat will vary depending on the season and amount of rain, wind, or snowfall.

The trick to dressing in layers as a fat girl is to balance staying warm and dry against looking like Randy from A Christmas Story. It can also be tough finding outdoorsy clothing and outerwear in plus sizes. I’ll share a handful of retailers I’ve had luck with, and always welcome reader suggestions for more resources in the comments section.

Long underwear - Look for non-cotton fabrics that will wick perspiration away from the skin. Junonia offers long underwear up to size 5X; the only down side is they only offer one style and weight in two colors. Lands’ End and L.L. Bean each have a small selection of plus size long underwear up to size 3X.

Winter Coat - Who says parkas can’t be sexy? (See photo, above). Okay, nobody–but that doesn’t mean you should wear a lightweight or dress coat that will let cold and water seep through while hiking. Ideally you should look for a parka or long jacket with vents you can unzip to allow heat to escape. Finding a plus size winter coat can be tricky, as many outdoor companies don’t offer much (REI) or anything (Title 9) in the plus size range (what’s up with that, outdoor retailers?). Once again, Junonia comes to the outdoorsy fat girl’s rescue, with parkas and jackets made for safe, warm outdoor fun in sizes up to 6X. The parka I’ve had the red parka in the photo above for about a decade, the Squall Parka from Land’s End, available up to size 3X, and their sizing tends to be pretty generous.

Snow or Ski Pants (optional) – I only wear snow pants when I know my legs are going to get wet, as when I’m sledding with my kids. (I found mine at L.L. Bean – their XL juuuust makes it over my size 20 bum). Unless you tend to run super-cold or know you’ll be in wet conditions, these are optional for hiking. I know I sound like a broken record but: guess who also has snow pants in extended sizes? Snow pants tend to be uninsulated and lighter, for those of us who tend to run hot, and ski pants are thicker and made for extended time outdoors.

Hat, Scarf and Gloves – You’ll also want a scarf, hat and gloves, in fleece, wool, or any other non-cotton fabric, because cotton retains moisture, which you don’t want happening while you hike.

Footwear – As our recent Ask FGG post about building strong ankles illustrates, preventing injury and re-injury to your ankles is essential. Wear sturdy, water-resistant boots with good ankle support when hiking in wet or snowy weather, or trail runners with sturdy construction in milder, drier weather. I’m a big fan of Zappos.com and their free, lightning-fast shipping on purchases, returns, and exchanges. Montrail is probably my favorite footwear brand, though I know many Merrell fans, too. Ideally, visiting a store with knowledgeable sales people who will help you find shoes and boots is the best move (REI is the best in this department). And don’t forget cozy socks (I love SmartWool and Thorlo) in a non-cotton fabric.

Ultimately, when choosing gear for cold weather hiking, know your own body and tolerance for cold. I tend to be a sweaty Betty, so I wear lightweight long underwear and avoid down jackets for more than just their Michelin Man effect on my upper bod. If you tend to run colder, look for mid- or even expedition weight long underwear and a heavier jacket. Either way, you’ll be amazed at how quickly you forget the cold when you’re properly decked out to enjoy it.

Safety and Etiquette

Food and water. Carrying a water bottle, granola bar and apple in a small day pack or fanny pack will keep you hydrated and blood sugar levels stable.

Pace Yourself. Winter hiking means trying not to work up too much of a sweat. Having a jacket with vents to unzip can help in this regard, but remember also not to push yourself too hard in cold weather. Picking up your feet to stomp through leaves or snow requires extra effort, so build that into your experience beforehand to avoid overdoing it on the trail by either going more slowly than usual or choosing a shorter route. Also, be watch for ice patches hidden under freshly fallen snow and consider trekking poles for extra stability, particularly in rougher terrain.

Be Aware. Know the symptoms of both hypothermia and frostbite and head back at the first signs of either condition.

Protect Yourself. Whether or not you’re hiking solo, always let someone know where you’ll be hiking and an estimated time of return. If there’s a register at the trailhead, sign in and out so park rangers will know whether to look for you. Make sure your cell phone is charged and consider carrying a loud whistle to signal for help or dissuade potential human or animal attackers.

Know the rules where you’re hiking. Many state and local parks offer multi-use trails that include cross-country skiers, and it’s good trail etiquette to not stomp over pre-existing grooves. Also practice leave no trace ethics, an extension of the classic hikers’ adage, “take only pictures and leave only footprints.”

Stateside readers can find local trails at AmericanTrails.org, and GoTrekking.com offers reviews of trails around the world. Also, remember that you don’t have to be hard core to hike outdoors, even in winter. To get a nice dose of the natural world, any municipal park will do, especially for beginners.

So, what are you waiting for? Grab some gear and get ready for some cold weather hiking! And look for guides to snowshoeing, ski boots, and cross-country skiing later this winter.

Ask questions, share tips on where to find the best cold weather outdoor gear, and tell us about your favorite hikes in the comments section.

This week’s photo is from Tee’s (FGG’s very own) wedding day, a nontraditional fiesta in an unconventional setting: a remote valley in northern Nevada, complete with a dazzling meteor shower after nightfall.

This is one of my favorite sorts of photos: an unvarnished image that captures a moment in time with all of its delicious vibrancy and humor (the lovely bride is swirling about on the left).

It brings to mind a lyric from one of my favorite songs, These Are Days by 10,000 Maniacs:

These are the days you might fill with laughter until you break.
These days you might feel a shaft of light make its way across your face.
And when you do you’ll know how it was meant to be.

Congratulations to Tee and her new husband Shane!

Wow! We’re up to 44 members in our FGG Girls Flickr Group. If you haven’t yet, won’t you join us? If you post a photo of yourself out bicycling we’ll send you a surprise!