The Gear You Need: Winter Travel to Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park Photo Gallery

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Outer Layers
Salomon's Evo Softshell ($300) insulated jacket offers warmth in a heavenly, breathable, water-resistant exterior. The hood zips off—but left on it offered protection from gusts of wind. The jacket's comfortably snug fit kept me from feeling constricted by wearing so many layers, and its flexibility and breathability (courtesy of the "advantex move" fabric) kept me limber mid-sport. It also has RECCO's avalanche rescue system detector embedded in the arm…just in case.

Over my Patagonia Capilene 3 bottoms, I wore Cloudveil's Women's Hoback Pant ($395). The sticker price is high, but if you can afford the pants, they're worth it. Yes, the Primaloft insulation keeps you warm, and the Gore-Tex Pro keeps you dry. And yes, you'll likely use them for a long time. But the pants also look great, which is very difficult to achieve in below-zero temperatures. I never imagined finding (or coveting) a snowpant that made my butt look good, but this one does the trick. The pants also have a number of convenient pockets and unzip at the bottom to ease the process of pulling boots on and off.

Footwear and Accessories
Patagonia's Neck Gaitor ($25) rescued me while cross-country skiing near Old Faithful during one of the worst storms to hit Yellowstone in the past 30 years. The only body part that ever came close to the ice-cold air was my nose—and you can always yank the seam of the gaitor up over the nose as a makeshift face mask if the need arises. I also recommend purchasing a ski mask, also called a balaclava, a kind of face mask mixed with a hat that covers the head, face, nose, and chin. You may look like a bank robber when wearing it snowmobiling, but it provides the warmth and comfort you'll yearn for after a couple of hours exposed to ridiculously cold temperatures (besides, snowmobiling is the last sport where fashion matters—after all, everyone in your group will be dressed the same way, and I promise you that the bison don't notice such things). To save money, check with the snowmobile shop or guide ahead of time, as they usually provide some gear for the outing.

Either way, you'll need a warm hat that covers your ears like Patagonia's Wooly Hat ($35), which is lined in soft fleece to keep you from getting tormented by an annoyingly itchy forehead. Keep your fingers cozy with Salomon's Scarlett GTX Mitten ($55)—a soft shell Gore-Tex finger mitten with leather for warmth and comfort in big mountain conditions. (Considering my propensity for cold extremities, I also wore glove liners and always had hand warmers accessible.)

As far as footwear, opt for something that'll keep the moisture out and the warmth in, and something that's rugged enough for stomping through snow or attaching to a pair of snowshoes. I wore Merrell's Winterlude Zip Boots ($115), which have layers of insulation along with treads tough enough to hike through the snow, and an outer TPU waterproof shell with a waterproof leather upper. (That and toe warmers, too, naturally.)