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Keep your fingers toasty warm this winter with the 7 best hand warmers

Serious cold demands serious heat. These next-gen hand warmers are designed to keep you toasty all winter.

Woman jogging in winter holding a chemical hand warmer.
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Mike Richard

Mike Richard has traveled the world since 2008. He's kayaked in Antarctica, tracked endangered African wild dogs in South Africa, and survived a near-miss great white shark attack in Mexico. His travel advice has appeared on the websites of industry-leading publications for Forbes, Travel + Leisure, CNET, National Geographic, and Vagabondish. He loves the great outdoors and good bourbon, and (usually) calls Massachusetts home. Mike also enjoys speaking in the third person.

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Get the best snowboard boots for comfortable connection
These snowboard boots will keep you in control on the mountain all day long
Person snowboarding down a mountain with a wake of snow behind them

Your snowboard boots are a vital link in the chain that connects your body to your snowboard. But more than that, they're where your feet will be for hours at a time when you're on the slopes. If you've moved on from rental boots already, you will know that having your own boots not only keeps you more comfortable throughout a day of snowboarding but also keeps your feet warmer and drier and gives you much greater control over your snowboard.

But when picking your perfect snowboarding boots, there's more to it than just finding a pair that looks great and fits your feet. Different boots suit different snowboarders. If you're a hard-charging carver, you'll need a pair of boots to match. Likewise, if you love sending spins and tricks, you need a softer and more playful pair of snowboard boots. We've picked out the best boots for various snowboarders this winter, so you can spend more time on the mountain and less time finding the perfect snowboard gear.

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The best leg gaiters for exploring the snowy outdoors this winter
No matter how far off-trail you're exploring this winter, protect your legs with a good pair of gaiters
The best gaiters are lightweight, waterproof, and durable to protect your legs and footwear.

Outdoor adventuring in winter can be brutal. Frigid temperatures, waist-deep snow, and the constant challenge to stay dry all make cold-weather hiking, backpacking, and camping especially trying. As with any outdoor adventure, the right gear makes all the difference: Good insulated pants, warm socks, a cold-weather jacket, and lots and lots of layers for starters. But, nothing protects your lower extremities quite like a good pair of gaiters.

Not to be confused with neck gaiters, of course, traditional gaiters are designed to keep your legs, feet, and footwear dry while bushwhacking, post-holing, and extreme off-trail exploring. They're essential for anyone serious about exploring the outdoors in winter. Here are our picks for the best gaiters for venturing into the snowy outdoors in 2023.

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Don’t let the season stop you: Our top picks for the best winter hiking gear
Keep hitting the trails this winter with the best winter hiking gear on offer
Hiker in the snow.

It can be tempting — when the snow is falling and outside temperatures drop sub-zero — to get yourself comfortable on the sofa with a good book or a new film. But the winter months provide some of the best outdoor experiences of the year. With spectacular sunrises and sunsets, snowy scenes and quieter trails, it's not just skiing and snowboarding that you can do in winter in the US.

But winter requires a whole different set of gear to stay safe and warm and to enjoy your days out on the trail. Along with knowing how to navigate on the trail in the winter, understanding the dangers of avalanches — if they apply to where you hike — or knowing what to do if you get caught out in a storm, having the right winter gear is a seasonal essential. This list of eleven items isn't a comprehensive winter packing list, but it does contain some winter essentials and a few items that will make your winter days that bit better.

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