This is the time of year when the weather is changing. There’s a nip in the air and the sweaters are out. And we can’t emphasise enough that this is the best time to go to the mountains. Hot soupy noodles and oversized hoodies make for a perfect combination by the way. Apart from packing layers of clothes for your winter mountain vacation, we suggest these 8 essential items you will need.
WATERPROOF SNOW BOOTS AND GLOVES 
Don’t we all hate it when we wear a fresh pair of socks or gloves and then step into something wet (we can sense the disgust)? And if you are going for a vacation to a cold place, everything is bound to be wet and soggy. Waterproof gloves and snow boots come to your rescue here. Whether you plan to play with snow or accidentally slip into it, you’re just as secure.
Brands: Ozero and Glacier Glove
POLARISED LENS FILTERS
While the warm sun feels amazing against our skin in the mountains, it doesn’t do justice to our photographs. Many a times, a glare or a reflection makes way into our photographs, not giving us the desired results. A polarised lens filter is used to remove polarised light from the images while correcting the saturation and helping you click Instagram-friendly pictures.
Brands: AmazonBasics and Neewer
DUAL PURPOSE PACKABLE PILLOW/BLANKET
Planning to stay in a tent on your next adventure trail? Apart from the packing layers of clothes a dual purpose packable pillow/blanket will most definitely come handy. The dipping temperature is a thrill on one hand but also every traveller’s fear on the other. While carrying bulky blankets and pillows while camping is not an option, a packable blanket/pillow will definitely help you out in the wild.
Brands: Comfy Cozee
ALL IN ONE TRAVEL TEA SET
There is a peculiar kind of satisfaction in sitting atop a mountain and sipping your favourite cup of tea. Despite the fact that it is an ideal accompaniment to any meal in the hills, it may not always be a cup to your liking. An all in one travel tea set comes to your rescue here. You can choose the tea to be as strong as the wind in the mountains or as soft as the sun on your face, the choice is yours. Also each part of the tea set is detachable and easy for you to clean as well.
Brands: Purple Clay
LEAK PROOF AND FOLDABLE FLASK
Despite it being winter, hydration is equally important. And if you are trying to be a responsible traveller, buying multiple bottles and carrying them doesn’t sound like a great option. Hence, we suggest to keep a leak proof and foldable flask and refill it wherever you can. The ease of carrying such a flask because of its light weight and being compact is what makes it ideal for a mountain vacay.
Brands: Concealable and Nomader
TECH-FRIENDLY GLOVES
We can do away with cold hands by putting on warm gloves but it sure is a trouble when we need to pull the glove out to be able to use our phones. Well, with tech friendly gloves you won’t have to think twice before using your phone. The finger tips of these gloves are enabled in such a manner that using your phone with your gloves on is easy breezy. Some of these gloves also come with a complete palm functioning facility too, thus, making use of any touch screen device easy and providing you full flexibility. Brands: Tough Outdoors and Achiou
REFLECTIVE GEAR
Mountains have something magical about them, they make you want to take a stroll around every now and then. However, a stroll after the sun sets can be risky as the visibility goes very low. But that should not be a hindrance for that evening stroll. A perfect solution to this problem is wearing reflective gear so that you can be spotted from a distance. Reflective gear will also be handy while you are camping in the woods. Brands: Neiko and Rena Chris
TRAVEL STEAM IRON AND AUTOMATED VACUUM 
Anybody who has travelled in winters knows what a hassle packing is because the number of bags never seem to be enough. Winter wear, bulky in size, takes up most of the space and adds to the number of suitcases. However, an automated travel vacuum is something that all winter travellers could get used to. Reducing all the extra space your clothes are going to take, a travel vacuum will surely make your life easier. Apart from that a tiny travel steam iron will make sure to get rid of all the creases from your perfect outfit.
Brands: Steamfast and VMSTR