13 Travel Essentials For Cold Weather

First and foremost, a warm winter coat is arguably the most important travel essential for cold weather. My favorite winter coat for travel is my packable down Columbia jacket because it packs super flat yet provides plenty of warmth in the outdoors. However, when I’m at home and not worrying about suitcase space, my go-to winter coat is always my full-length Kenneth Cole puffer coat. Having your legs covered makes a huge difference in warmth when you’re out in cold weather. For fancier winter travel, I bring my trench coat like this one or, new to my travel jacket collection, my Gap x Beis blanket coat.

Next, keeping your ears and forehead warm is crucial to stay comfortable when traveling in cold weather. So, some type of hat is essential. While you could certainly travel with a chunky knit hat in theory, I recommend opting for an ear warmer instead. Ear warmers perform about as well as hats without taking up precious suitcase space.

Likewise, mittens or gloves are also travel must-haves for cold weather. My hands run cold, so I prefer chunky knit mittens like these over thin cotton gloves. Sometimes, I’ll even layer thin gloves under my mittens for double the warmth. If you’re skiing or snowboarding, you may want waterproof mittens or waterproof gloves instead. Either way, even though thinner gloves pack flatter, I don’t skimp out on my hand warmth when traveling.

Speaking of hand warmth, hand warmers are super useful travel essentials for cold weather. You can put them in your jacket pockets, mittens, gloves, pant pockets or even boots for added heat. We have these HotSnapZ reusable hand warmers that can be reused easily after boiling them (hotel room coffee pots work great for this when traveling). Otherwise, you can get single-use hand warmers too.

Similarly, a warm yet packable winter scarf could make all the difference in keeping you warm in a cold climate. However, like a lot of winter travel gear, warm scarves can be very bulky and hard to pack. So, instead, opt for a thinner winter scarf like this one. You can wrap it around your neck multiple times for added depth when wearing it. Plus, it folds much flatter than knit scarves.

Snow pants are typically very bulky and extremely hard to pack, especially if you’re packing carry-on only. But, this year, I found the perfect snow pants for travel: the Helly Hanson Odin shell pants. These winter pants are super thin compared to other more insulated snow pants, packing as easy as a pair of jeans. They’re super stretchy too, which is great news for active winter activities.

Furthermore, a high-quality pair of winter boots that are waterproof are an absolute necessity for snowy weather. Ironically, I’m personally in the market for a new pair of winter books. I’ve been eyeing a pair of Sorel boots like these, which are popular here in Wisconsin. But, for now, I wear my waterproof Columbia hiking boots and YakTrax when needed.

Under all your cold weather travel gear, you’ll need multiple layers, starting with base layers. You can buy designated base layers like these popular Smartwool merino wool base layers. Or, you can just wear leggings like these and a basic long sleeve like this like I wear. Merino wool is more moisture wicking than my cotton long sleeves, but it’s not totally necessary if your visiting the outdoors on a budget.

Over your base layers and under your coat, you’ll also want to wear mid layers, AKA a sweatshirt. Contrary to popular belief, your mid layer does not need to be chunky in order to be warm, especially when trying to save luggage space. In fact, I find thick sweatshirts to feel too restricting. A couple of my favorite mid layers are this Eddie Bauer zip up, this Athleta zip up, this Lululemon zip up or pretty much any athletic quarter zip.

When traveling in cold weather, the air is more dry. This means, your skin will be more dry too. For this reason, I always pack a travel size hand lotion like this and extra facial moisturizer on my cold weather trips. My favorite face moisturizer is the Vanicream daily facial moisturizer because it doesn’t contain any acne-triggering ingredients. I also use this hyaluronic acid serum for added moisture. You can check out all of the best travel essentials for acne here.

Next, this cold weather travel essential may come as a surprise, but if you’ll be outside on your trip, you should still wear sunscreen even though it’s cold. If you’ll be in the mountains, you’re at a higher elevation, which means you’re closer to the sun. If you’re going to be outside in the snow, the sun will reflect off the snow and could cause sunburns. My favorite sunscreen right now is the Clove Hill Tinted SPF because it’s not oily and, again, it doesn’t contain any acne-triggering ingredients.

Unfortunately, in cold weather, runny noses are inevitable. When I’m going to be outside in the cold, I always make sure I have a travel pack of Kleenex on hand.

Finally, this last essential for cold weather travel is totally optional, depending on if you have extra luggage space. It’s a warm sherpa blanket. A nice thick blanket is truly a luxury to have in your car or hotel room after being outside in the cold. I suggest packing your blanket last, though, because if you don’t have room in your suitcase for it, you can easily skip it.