My Gear Guide – What to Wear in Cold Weather

I am a firm believer that “there is no bad weather, only bad clothes”!

I wanted to put together a guide that makes sense to me because I am a visual person and I found some of the guides confusing if I only saw a list of written words describing what to wear. Plus, I need specifics, generalities don’t work for my brain. 

For some reason it makes sense to me to organize them with the base at the bottom and the top layers at the top because that matches the order that they’re on our body. Most of the lists and guides seem backwards to me. 

I clearly like the REI Co-op and Patagonia brands. They are expensive but I have found that I get way more use from them and they last a much longer time than less expensive brands I’ve purchased. I like to think of prices as a price per use rather than a just the purchase price. When I compare based on price per use, I have found that Patagonia and REI Co-op have been a bargain. We are outside a lot so we most wear this gear in the cooler months. We literally have two regular pairs of pants that zipper into shorts that can be wear year round and t-shirts for summer and nothing else. I have tried buying clothes from thrift stores but they are always uncomfortable and don’t keep my son warm so have ended up buying other things instead, particularly winter coats and snow pants (we don’t ever use snow pants anymore and we spend a ton of time out in snow and Owen has never complained of being cold since switching to this set up). 

If you’re an REI Co-op member they often have sales plus you get rewards from purchase. They also often have deep sales on off colors. What I love is their return policy. If something isn’t working for you, they are great about returns and accept them for up to a year. 

Since these are higher quality gear, you can often find them used with lots of life still in them as well. I’ve had luck on Facebook Marketplace, ThredUp, etc.

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Accessories

Extra Top Layer (Water Protection)

Necessary if there is a chance of getting wet and cold. These are good from fall to spring. Add a fleece layer underneath over a base layer and they can be sufficient in the coldest of weather.

We really liked the REI Co-op rain pants until we found we started using the Reima rain bib. The rain pants are somewhat more universal but they don’t keep the wind of the lower back the same way the Reima rain bib does. If I had to choose one, it would be the Reima rain bib or the Tuffo coverall. We’ve never actually owned a Tuffo coverall but people love them.

Top Layer (Extra Warmth)

This layer is necessary once it starts to get cold out. This puff coat over a fleece and base is warm enough for most days. If it’s wet, add a shell or rain layer on top. If it’s not super cold but it is wet, we often skip this layer and just wear the shell over the fleece and base layer.

Mid Layer (Warmth)

Great in chilly weather all the way to extreme cold. We always wear over the base layer and add on Reima bibs or other rain pants if it’s cold or wet.

Base Layer (Wicking + Warmth)

Unless it’s warm out, these go under everything. We’ve been able to get away with only having one pair of these at a time and just washing when they are dirty. They rarely get dirty since they are always worn with clothes on top. We wash at night and hang to dry and they dry quickly. 

We like both the wool and the synthetic options. The synthetic has tended to last longer than the wool because it seems to be more durable. The wool is very comfortable though.

Bottoms
We started wearing these when my son was 2. They were big but worked great. He got 2 years use out of them before they got serious holes. They would have lasted longer if we wouldn’t have also used them as regular pants. I don’t see any reason to get a smaller size. I would just use these as base layers for toddlers and let them grow into them.

Boots & Socks

We buy bogs and have found that they are great for winter wear. They are not so great for really deep puddles though so if it’s really wet, something like KidORCA is going to be a better option. KidORCAS aren’t warm enough for the super cold or snowy weather but they are great for deep puddles. I really like buying our Bogs from REI because they have a very easy return process, especially if you live near one. It’s great not to have to worry about getting the wrong size.