Shooting in cold and unpleasant conditions

XC-skiing race in Switzerland.

I originally published this article on my personal website in 2019. Having reviewed it, I have republished it because I still believe it contains valuable information.

My thoughts and tips may sound extreme, but consider this: when I go out in winter, I'm often out for hours alone in temperatures as low as -20°C (sometimes lower with wind chill), far from inhabited places. If anything were to happen to me, it would take the rescue team a long time to reach me. This could mean that I would have to spend the night outdoors, so it's important that I stay warm and safe during this time. Security is the top priority for everything I will tell you about in the following text!

Of course, it's always better to be outdoors with at least one other person, but unfortunately, this is not always possible. If you're going somewhere alone, always tell someone exactly where you're going and when you plan to be back.

My list of important things is quite long. This doesn't mean you have to bring every item every time. However, I would like to make you aware of the dangers, so that you can make informed decisions about what you want to do, and know what you would need in the event of an accident.

When we look back at accidents, we often realise that they resulted from a series of poor decisions. To avoid making these, it's important to gain as much knowledge as possible from books, the internet and training courses, and to talk to trained and experienced people. If you want to go out in the wild, a thorough training in tour planning, avalanche safety and outdoor first aid is essential. During first aid training, you mostly learn how to help others, but with knowledge of injury treatment and how to recognise dangerous symptoms, you may also be able to help yourself.

Inside a glacier cave.

Clothing

Of course, you should wear warm clothes, but what else should you consider?

Generally speaking, clothes can only insulate your body, not heat it. However, I will tell you about an exception later. This means it's useful to wear lots of layers. You should wear several layers on your legs, upper body and head. These layers must be dry. When I know I have to walk somewhere first, I take some layers off and move slowly to avoid sweating!

My base layer is similar to what you would wear for skiing. Then I add a wool or fleece layer, followed by a thick layer of real or artificial down. If necessary, I finish with hard shell trousers and a jacket. I also wear scarves, a beanie and one or more hoods. I also wrap my lower back in a fleece kidney belt. Regarding trousers, I want some with zippers on each side so that I can put them on and off without struggling with my boots.

Regarding down products, I would not buy any more due to concerns about animal welfare (although I might consider buying recycled down). Fortunately, I still have some vests and jackets, so I don't have to make this decision yet. By 'artificial' down, I mean products like Primaloft.

Of course, it's difficult to layer up your feet. I wear very warm boots and socks. The boots should be comfortable with a long shaft and a rubber sole that stays soft in the cold and provides good insulation. For increased insulation, I put a second insole in the boots if possible. Unfortunately, it's often not possible to have a boot that is both super warm and comfortable to walk in for a long time. Recently, I bought some heated socks – you remember the exception I mentioned? You can also buy heated gloves or heated kidney belts. These socks are quite expensive, but they're really useful! The best thing about this technology is that I can control the heat using my smartphone. I leave the heating off while I'm walking and only turn it on when I have to stay somewhere.

For a photographer, their hands are probably the most important body part, and they can be tricky to keep warm. I haven't found the perfect solution yet. At the moment, I mostly wear woollen mittens that are lined with fleece. They're not completely windproof, but they offer the best combination of warmth and sensitivity. I can also wear thin gloves under the mittens, which I do when I know I'll need to take them off occasionally because I need better sensitivity. I sometimes put a hand warmer in my mittens, too. An added bonus is that you can put your camera remote control directly into your mitten. I don't like fleece gloves, (they always feel wet), or mittens with separate compartments for each finger. Over my woollen mittens, I can wear Gore-Tex mittens for increased insulation and weatherproofing.

On a medical note, cold hands and feet can be a sign that your body is prioritising warmth in the core and reducing circulation elsewhere. If you experience this alongside shivering and an increased heart rate, you are suffering from grade I hypothermia. When someone stops shivering, has a decreased heart rate and has lost some awareness, you are talking about grade II hypothermia. Grade III hypothermia is characterised by cardiac arrhythmia, unconsciousness or circulatory arrest. A person with grade II or worse must not be moved, as this could be fatal. You can read or listen to more information about hypothermia on Outside Online.

Wearing sunglasses or goggles protects your eyes from the sun, snow blindness, wind and snowfall.

Equipment

When I know I'm going to be walking somewhere, I need a very spacious backpack to carry all the clothes I want to wear later. It's always a good idea to bring a spare shirt or gloves in case something gets wet or you lose something. It's also a good idea to bring some extra hand warmers.

I almost always carry a camping mat, which I can stand, sit or lie on, and which insulates my body from the cold ground. If there is enough room in your backpack, you could also bring a small tent and/or a sleeping bag. I often take a tent with me when I'm shooting an event in the summer and it's raining, as I have to stay in one spot for a long time.

As you know, batteries die much quicker in the cold. Therefore, I either keep them close to my body or pack them with a hand warmer in an insulated canister.

Other important items to bring are a fully charged mobile phone, a first aid kit, a SamSplint, a pocket knife, a head torch and a bivvy bag. Depending on what I want to do, I also need to bring snowshoes, ski poles, a helmet or crampons. You can't fix everything with duct tape, but you can fix a lot. An avalanche shovel can be used to dig a bivvy.

Anything you touch, such as ski poles or the legs of a tripod, conducts warmth away from your body, so make sure it's insulated. If this is not the case, find a DIY solution!

If you don't know an area very well, you need a map. However, it won't help you much in misty conditions; in this case, you would need a compass or a GPS. Of course, you must also know how to use these items.

Lake Sils in a full moon night.

Nutrition

We probably all take an insulated flask of tea with us when we're out and about. I sometimes add ginger as well, as it is a warming spice. To stay warm throughout the day, I also like to eat warm food. You could bring an insulated canister with hot soup, but that would be very heavy. I therefore prefer to bring a small stove (keep the matches waterproof) and a freeze-dried meal that I can prepare with hot water (or melted snow). In any case, it's important to eat and drink enough, even the day before. You often hear the recommendation to eat lots of fat, so I like to bring nuts. Of course, I also like to bring some chocolate! Food that contains a lot of water is not very useful as it will freeze solid. In an emergency, it would be important to have some extra food.

Know-how

When you go to Scandinavia, you might be told not to wash your face in the morning, as this would remove some of the protective oils from your skin. Sunscreen designed for use in cold conditions should not contain water.

Normally, the cold is not a problem for your camera gear. However, when you return to a heated room, moisture will build up. To protect your equipment from this, it's best to leave it in the camera bag and allow it to warm up inside. You can also put some silica gel bags in your pack. Of course, it is also recommended that you use sealed gear.

When taking long exposures or time-lapse shots, the front lens can freeze (like your car's windscreen on a cold day). There are special lens heaters that can prevent this. You could probably also use hand warmers instead.

Do you have any more valuable tips?

Engadin Ski Marathon, 2018.