Cross-country skiing is one of the most accessible ways to slide around on snow. But figuring out what gear to use can prove challenging. Here, senior gear editor Ariella Gintzler walks you through her kit and explains what you should and shouldn’t spend money on.

If you’re the kind of person who runs cold, shoulder-season layering is hard. Your natural instincts tell you to overdress, which causes you to drench your many layers in sweat and wind up freezing, so then you overcompensate and underdress. It’s a struggle that Outside senior gear editor Ariella Gintzler knows all too well. She has spent a considerable amount of energy searching for the insulation pieces that work for her specific needs. Here, she walks you through the best shoulder-season fleeces