Backcountry skiing and snowboarding is fun, sure. But the pinnacle of the activity, the frosting on the cake if you will, is taking your boards and skins high into some remote mountain range for a hut or yurt trip. There’s nothing better than reducing your life for a few days and nights to doing nothing but skiing, sleeping, and drinking beer around a crackling, pot-belly stove. Mix in downright gourmet food (seriously, I’ve never eaten so well as I have on a hut trip,) fun friends, and (hopefully) powder nights followed by sunny days, and you’ve got a mathematical equation for heaven-on-earth.
Of course, the best vacation for some can be hell-on-earth for others, and a hut trip may fall into that category. Much can go wrong, and you can have a terrible time if you’re not prepared for the winter elements. Essentially, you’re stuck in a tiny cabin in the middle of nowhere for days on end, and without the correct gear and creature comforts, your amazing trip can go south fast. So we’ve put together this guide of what to bring to a hut or yurt trip to ensure that you’ll not only survive, but will want to go back for more.
The most important thing you can have on a hut or yurt trip is a good sleeping bag. Huts get nice and cozy thanks to wood burning stoves, but overnight, when nobody is getting up to stoke the fire, temperatures drop fast. So a winter sleeping bag is a must. I like to use a 15-degree rated bag, but many people bring mummy bags rated at 0-degrees and colder.
Once you have your warm sleeping bag, the rest of your gear is dependent on what activity you’ll be doing once at the hut. Some parties snowshoe, other just hang out and drink. For the purposes of this article, we’ll assume it’s a backcountry skiing trip. Below is a list I’ve compiled after years of hut trips. It’s one I use and refer to every time all my gear is spread out on the floor as I pack for a weekend in the mountains.
HUT TRIP GEAR LIST
In the hut you’ll need:
- Sleeping bag rated at 15 degrees F or colder.
- Backpacking pillow. I like using an inflatable one for packability.
- An extra pair of base layers and extra pairs of socks.
- Headlamp.
- Lighter.
- Newspapers or firestarter (in case there are none at the hut.)
- First aid kit.
- Personal toiletries.
- Down booties for wearing in the hut.
On the ski tour you’ll need:
- Large backpacking pack.
- Day pack (I put the daypack for ski tours inside the large backpacking pack and stuff my sleeping bag, extra clothes and food around it. Other people like to just use the large pack on day tours. This is a personal preference.)
- Skis with backcountry bindings like Dynafits.
- Extendable ski poles.
- Backcountry ski boots with a walk mode.
- Climbing skins.
- Avalanche beacon.
- Probe pole.
- Avalanche shovel.
- Water bottles or bladders (I dislike personal hydration systems in the winter because the tubes tend to freeze.)
- Emergency whistle.
- Pocket knife (multi-tool.)
- Map and compass.
- Energy bars and snacks (I always bring cheese and summer sausage to share with the group.)
- Synthetic or merino wool base layers.
- Two pair of gloves – a light pair for skinning and a heavy pair for skiing.
- Mittens.
- Compressible, insulated mid-layer (synthetic or down.)
- Breathable shell jacket with hood (softshell or hard shell depending on conditions.)
- Breathable snow pants (something with ventilation is best for skinning.)
- Wool hat.
- Baseball cap.
- GPS or watch to track routes.
- Voile straps.
- Sunscreen.
Of course you’ll also need to bring enough food and drink for yourself for however long you’ll be at the hut. Water can be acquired by melting snow on the wood burning stove, so you don’t need to carry much into the hut. For food, bring light weight, dehydrated meals for packability and easier preparation. I like to bring instant oatmeal with dried fruit for breakfast, cheese, sausage and energy bars for lunch and snacks, and easy dinners that only require adding hot water like pasta, rice or backpacking dinners. Desserts also should be easy. I like to make sweets that only need milk (pack in dehydrated milk powder) like chocolate pudding, or instant cheesecake.
Also, depending on your preference, beer is a requirement on any hut/yurt trip. Cans are easier to pack in and out, but liquid is heavy, so be prepared to suffer packing in that 12-pack.
This list is based on my personal experience and preference, so it is by no means comprehensive. If there is anything you think I’ve missed, I’d love to know about it! So get online, do some research about the excellent huts and yurts available to rent in Utah, make your reservations, and get ready to experience one of the greatest things about being a skier – the backcountry hut trip!