Western North Carolina got its first real blast of winter.

It reached a high of 27 deg. in Asheville and was a lot colder above 3,500 feet. I know that if you're reading this anyplace but in the South, you would probably laugh at these temperature.

"Do you hike in the winter?" is a question that Carolina Mountain Club hikers always get asked. Of course, we hike all year round. That's the beauty of living here. But I do have to pack my daypack differently.

I pull out my snow creepers. I put in an extra pair of gloves, a wool hat  and a neckwarmer in my pack.

I wear a thermal top over a short sleeve shirt - always a short sleeve shirt. You never know when it's going to hit 60 deg. by the afternoon. Then a fleece jacket and a windbreaker/rainjacket.

I'll take a thermos of tea and a lunch that's easy to eat. Sometimes we have to eat on the go and a sandwich is much easier to carry than a packet of tuna or a salad container.

You might want to check out my gear list.

What do you bring on a winter hike?