Best Budget Winter Hiking Gear Under $50

Are you looking for the best budget winter hiking gear you can find this season?

Winter hiking doesn’t have to be expensive. With the rising gear costs, you can use smart budgeting tactics and still enjoy winter hiking. Budget-friendly hiking gear can still be of great value if you know what you’re looking at.

The purpose of this guide isn’t to advertise specific gear; it’s to show you how to find the best budget winter hiking gear for under $50 by knowing what to actually look for rather than taking a guess.

What to Look for in Budget Winter Hiking Gear

When selecting winter hiking gear on a budget, you do want to look out for some important things to ensure you get the right gear.

Look at how insulated the gear item is. It needs to be insulated but also breathable in most cases. Many low-budget items are warm with great insulation, but have no breathability at all, which means sweat will likely occur and lead to issues.

Make sure you know the gear items are resistant to wind, moisture, snow, and other wintry weather-related elements.

You’ll want to take notice of how much the gear weighs. A lot of budget-friendly gear is made with more common materials and therefore typically weighs more than the pricier items. Try to get a feel for how the item will pack as well, so that you’ll be able to easily carry it.

Read the reviews on the product and look for how durable the gear is when used during many different winter days and seasons.

Choosing gear that is less than $50 does work for day hiking. Day hikes are typically shorter and less impactful than backpacking or thru-hiking. You can get away with spending less and finding budget winter hiking gear for shorter and less impactful hikes.

Best Budget Winter Hiking Gear for Under $50

Now, let’s take a harder look at some of the best budget winter hiking gear types and what to look for on your search for the best but most affordable piece of gear.

Budget Winter Hiking Gloves

When looking at budget winter hiking gloves, you’ll want the gloves to have specific features. Insulation, grip, and touchscreen compatibility should be the basic features that the gloves offer. If they don’t offer those features, they may be too generic and will provide no real protection or functionality for you.

You want to look for budget gloves that are marketed as best for hiking, snowshoeing, and cold mornings.

Most budget gloves will be in the $15 to $40 range. I’d recommend getting something at least in the $20 and up range. The cheaper ones are likely not going to be as durable and functional as the others.

Budget Winter Hiking Hats & Beanies

It’s important to keep your head warm so that you can retain body heat. We know that heat rises and will leave your body faster without something keeping it in. This is why so many people become cold when they’re not wearing a winter hat.

There are different materials to look for in a budget winter hat or beanie, and that includes fleece, wool, or synthetic. Just make sure it’s breathable and stay away from anything like cotton.

Budget Winter Base Layers

Consider the importance of what base layers do for you when looking for budget options.

Base layers are meant to sit next to your skin (best if skin tight but comfortable fitting), and they wick moisture from you. That’s sweat, dampness from the weather, and stuff like that. If your skin remains dry, you remain warm.

Make sure the materials of the base layers are breathable and wick moisture, such as Merino wool or synthetics like polyester, nylon, and spandex.

I like to get base layers made for working out on Amazon. You can get a synthetic compression long-sleeve shirt and a pair of running tights for under $30. These are perfect and comfortable enough to act as my base layer. As a runner, I can use them for running, too, which makes it even more efficient.

Budget Winter Hiking Socks

Winter hiking socks are very important for both moisture and blister management for hikers.

It’s important to get winter socks specific to hiking that have a cushion to help prevent blisters and make walking on uneven terrain more comfortable. You also want to make sure the material is breathable such as wool socks. Try to get socks that are marketed for winter hiking if possible.

In many cases, you don’t want to go too cheap on good winter hiking socks since they’ll help protect your feet, which is often your most crucial asset during a hike.

Budget Insulated Jackets & Midlayers

There are many different options available for Midlayers and insulated jackets for hiking.

It’s important to understand that most insulation ratings for colder temperatures will be more expensive. You might have to go with a cheaper outer layer jacket or puffy and have thicker or warmer Midlayers on to help warm you in more extreme temperatures. There are definitely ways to work around insulation ratings.

In most cases, a budget hiking jacket will be enough, but there will be some hikes in more extreme temperature areas where it will not be enough and will be a dangerous option.

Budget Winter Hiking Gaiters

Another piece of budget winter hiking gear to consider is gaiters, used to keep snow and debris out of your boots.

In most cases, cheap gaiters should be all you need. However, if you’re in deep snow where temperatures are dangerous, you may need something designed for that kind of condition, which will typically be more costly. The idea is to ensure you can keep snow, slush, and ice out of your boots.

Budget Winter Accessories that Make a Big Difference

There are a few great options you can get to help stay on a budget during your winter hikes.

• Neck gaiters and buffs typically don’t cost too much, and they’ll help you retain body heat.
• Hand warmers at most stores cost less than a $1.00 for the air-activated ones, and that’s really all you need to help keep warm.
• Insulated water bottle sleeves are usually sold fairly cheap and they will help keep your water from freezing on colder hikes.
• Footwear traction control devices like Yak Trax are typically less expensive, and you can often find them on sale throughout the year and at the end of the season.

How to Layer Winter Hiking Gear on a Budget

There are three categories of layering when you go on winter hikes.

1. The first layer is the base layer, which usually consists of compression shirts and tights and helps to wick moisture and keep your skin dry.
2. The second layer is your mid-layer, which provides insulation. This could be hiking pants or leggings, outerwear shirts, or even hoodies.
3. The third layer is your shell layer, and it’s responsible for keeping wind and moisture from getting on your mid-layer. This can be puffy jackets, raincoats, rain pants, and layers like that.

Sometimes it’s best to take what you already have and mix the layers to make up all three. I run in tights so I can use those as my base layer for hiking. I have thicker bib tights I use for cycling and can wear them as a thicker base for colder days or even as my mid-layer.

Just make sure you don’t wear too many layers or non-breathable layers, as you don’t want to start sweating because it can lead to frostbite and hypothermia in some cases.

When to Find the Best Deals on Winter Hiking Gear

There are many times of the year when you can find great deals on getting the best budget winter hiking gear you can find at the right price.

There will be many deals online throughout the year you should definitely take advantage of them. However, check out any local mom-and-pop outdoor store first. The local shops often have either the same deals or better deals than online retailers offer.

Always look for the best budget winter hiking gear deals at the end-of-season and during the summer months. This is often when this type of gear is going to be the cheapest. Look at sales pages, too.

Go to various local discount stores, outlet malls, and thrift shops. These stores often have discounted items that can easily be used for hiking gear. This is especially the case for clothing and footwear.

Budget Winter Hiking Gear Mistakes to Avoid

Avoid these common mistakes when buying budget winter hiking gear:

• Don’t buy anything made with cotton. It doesn’t breath and it will hold its sweat, making you cold and uncomfortable for your entire hike.
• Don’t ignore wind protection. It’s easy to fall for marketing speak like “weather-resistant.” Don’t buy anything that doesn’t show, it will protect you from the wind.
• Don’t go cheap on really critical items like your footwear, socks, and emergency-safety items. If those fail when you need them the most, it can be a disaster.
• Don’t make the mistake of not seeing temperature ranges in the gear you get. Make sure what you’re getting can withstand winter weather and temperatures.
• Don’t skip reading reviews. Read reviews religiously and look for similar concerts and critiques to ensure you know what you are getting.

Final Thoughts About Budget Winter Hiking Gear

Budget winter hiking gear is definitely a possibility for folks who have a spending limit. Some hikers will try to argue this, but they’re either brand junkies or companies trying to sell their gear most of the time. The best way to see if it’s true or not is to try it yourself.

Your biggest priority should be layering and preparation. That will save you a lot of trouble when it comes to hiking in the winter. Many people fail miserably at this simple task.

Now, I want to hear from you! Comment with your favorite budget hiking gear and other alternative ways to save on hiking!

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