A major advantage for me personally is that in all other seasons I find myself going a little crazy trying to figure out what gear to bring and what gear to leave behind. In winter the decision making becomes much simpler...I just bring everything. This includes stove, headlamp, flashlight, tent(megamid) ,sleepingbag, sleeping pad; two of just about every garment ie: hats, socks, gloves, shirts, extra food etc... All the stuff your supposed to bring on most hikes but never do go into my winter pack...even if it's a day hike. In winter due to the low temps it gets driven home just how important my gear is to my comfort and survival. Another advantage is the beauty of snow, not just in how it looks but in its physical properties and what that means to a winter hiker, ie... the ability to just brush it off your head and shoulders when rain would have soaked you; the ability to form structures out of the stuff like shelters and wind breaks; the wonderful way it fills in all the nooks and crannys on a trail making them so much easier to travel on the knees and hips; the ability to look and see the presense of animals from the prints they've left behind. Disadvantage...an injury out on the trail takes on a whole different perspective when it's really freezing out.
