Winter hiking guide: choosing accessories for every adventure
Winter hiking in Australia is a genuinely special experience — crisp alpine air, quieter trails, and dramatic landscapes dusted in frost. But heading out in the cold without the right accessories is a recipe for discomfort, or worse. At PAST Outdoors, we've helped thousands of hikers across the country gear up for every season, and winter demands particular attention to what you carry and how you carry it. Here's our guide to choosing the accessories that will keep you comfortable, organised, and ready for any adventure this winter.
The right gear makes all the difference on the trail this winter
Watch our latest video of Kris explaining our new Winter Hiking Accessories from Fjallraven and Outdoor Research:
Why a bum bag belongs on every winter hike
When temperatures drop, layering up is essential — which means fumbling through a bulky pack for your phone, snacks, or trail map becomes genuinely frustrating. That's where a quality bum bag changes everything. Compact, hands-free, and always within reach, a bum bag lets you access your everyday essentials without breaking stride or removing your pack.
Our top pick is the Fjällräven High Coast Hip Pack bum bag — a minimalist 1.5-litre hip pack made from waterproof, 100% recycled nylon. Weighing just 125 grams, it sits neatly at your waist with an adjustable hip strap and includes a zippered main compartment with an internal key clip and mesh pocket, plus front and back zip pockets for quick-access storage.
One of our customers headed to the Kokoda Track described it as "an essential bit of kit for walking," praising its accessible design and ease of use on the trail.
The Fjällräven High Coast Hip Pack as a travel bag crossbody alternative
Beyond the trail, this versatile pack doubles brilliantly as a travel bag crossbody when worn across the chest — ideal for navigating airports, markets, or mountain villages. Its packable design means it folds away inside its own pocket when not in use, taking up almost no space in your main pack.
Whether you're a seasoned thru-hiker or heading out for your first winter day walk, the Fjallraven High Coast Hip Pack is one of those pieces of gear you'll wonder how you ever managed without.
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The Fjällräven High Coast Hip Pack stands out for its accessable design, ample storage, and durability, making it an ideal choice for the Kokoda Track. Its comfort and ease of use will allow to focus on the trek rather than fiddling with my navigation equipment.Preparing for the Kokoda trip, i have found this hip pack invaluable for carrying my essentials while keeping your hands free for navigation and snacks. It is essentail bit of kit for walking.
- Dunbavin Paul, Google Review
A versatile womens bum bag + male bum bag
One of the things we love about the Fjällräven High Coast Hip Pack is that it genuinely works for everyone. As a womens bum bag, it pairs effortlessly with hiking layers without adding bulk around the hips. As a male bum bag, the clean, understated design means it looks equally at home clipped over a hardshell jacket on an alpine ridge.
Available in four colourways — Clay, Sunset Orange, Blackberry, and Green — there's a style to suit every adventurer heading out this winter. You can read more about what makes Fjällräven our go-to brand in our Fjällräven Australia: the ultimate gear review guide.
Keeping warm: gloves for hiking in winter conditions
No winter hiking kit is complete without the right gloves, and choosing the correct pair depends heavily on the conditions you're expecting. For general cool-weather and shoulder-season hikes, the Outdoor Research ActiveIce Chroma Full Sun Gloves deliver excellent sun and wind protection without adding bulk, making them ideal gloves for hiking on exposed ridges or high-altitude day walks.
For more demanding winter conditions, the Outdoor Research Women's Versaliner Sensor Gloves are a standout as a womens bum bag-friendly layering option — they pack small enough to store in your hip pack when the sun comes out, and the touchscreen-compatible fingertips mean you never have to bare your hands to navigate your phone on the trail.
When genuine cold sets in, a male bum bag-friendly option that punches well above its weight is the Outdoor Research Men's Vigor Heavyweight Sensor Gloves — our preferred outdoor research gloves choice for serious winter hiking. 
Built with thermo-regulating ActiveTemp™ technology and double-layer recycled polyester fleece, these hiking gloves waterproof-and-wind-resistant performers offer 4-way stretch for full dexterity, a silicone print palm for grip, and touchscreen-compatible fingertips so you can check your map or adjust your GPS without pulling them off. Explore our full range of Outdoor Research hiking clothing and equipment to find the right combination for your adventure.
Rounding out your winter kit with Fjallraven Accessories
Your bum bag and gloves will carry you far, but a warm head and good organisation matter just as much. The Fjällräven Rib Hat and Fjällräven Heavy Beanie both deliver serious warmth without adding weight to your pack, and for keeping trail essentials sorted, the Fjällräven Farden Necessity Bag is a compact toiletry organiser that slots perfectly into the main compartment of your High Coast Hip Pack.
For more inspiration on building your winter kit, check out our Fjällräven backpack hiking & camping outdoor adventures guide and our detailed look at Fjällräven backpacks and hiking pants article, that explores how Fjällräven's sustainably made, G-1000 fabric gear — including key pieces like the Barents Pro and Keb Trousers — transitions seamlessly between urban environments and rugged outdoor adventures.
Why shop with PAST Outdoors?
PAST Outdoors is a proudly family-owned Australian outdoor store, based in Helensburgh, NSW with over 1,800 verified customer reviews and endless five-star ratings. We're passionate hikers ourselves, and every product we stock has been chosen because we believe in it.
Our customers regularly tell us our team goes beyond the basics to help them find gear that genuinely fits their adventure — and we wouldn't have it any other way. Whether you're after a bum bag for your next day hike, hiking gloves waterproof enough for a Snowy Mountains traverse, or a full winter kit ahead of a multi-day trip, we're here to help you get it right.
Shop our full range of Fjällräven and Outdoor Research gear at PAST Outdoors — and gear up with confidence this winter.
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