Winter Layers

[Chaco Taco]

How does this sound for a late December hike in NC

Patagonia Capilene 4 Base layer Shirt
Mountain Hardware hiking shirt
Mountain Hardware Micro-ozone fleece
Golite Enigma Half zip Jacket

OR Polartec Tooque
OR Polartec Glooves
Patagonia Capilene 4 Base layer bottoms
North Face Convertable Pants
or
North Face Hiking Shorts
Golite Reed Rain/wind Pants

Should I add anything to this? I have a Columbia Fleece Jacket that I may throw in to wear around camp.

[mkmangold]

Colonel: what's a "tooque" and why a "hiking shirt?" Would that be cotton?

[Froggy]

I don't know what the temperatures are in your area or the relative humidity or how much sunshine you'll have. So as they say, your mileage may vary.

Here in Colorado, in 25 degree sunshine, I'm using:
Patagonia Capilene 2 zip-neck long-sleeve shirt,
Montbell Light Shell Jacket,
Patagonia Talus pants,
Generic polypro light-weight long underware,
Running undershorts,
EMS gloves,
EMS fleece headband.

It's plenty. When it's very windy or I'm in the shade going downhill, I'll add a Patagonia Synchilla fleece sweatshirt. I can carry that around my waist.

I also make sure that I'm wearing thick, warm socks. I'm wearing trail-running shoes.

The Montbell Light Shell jacket has sufficient pockets for the gloves and headband, but it unfortunately lacks a hood. In very windy conditions I'll add a silk scarf around my neck.

One thing about layering that's worth considering. It's easy enough to stop and remove layers when you warm up. But when conditions worsen and you want to add layers, how far down are you going to go to add layers? Sometimes it's not fun to take the shell off....

I generally get out before breakfast for a couple hours, and so my fuel level is low. But I camel up thoroughly.

[bobgessner57]

Definitely carry the fleece 200wt or more or something warm for camp.

Gloves: my personal preference is a set of polypro liners and a heavier pair. If hiking with gloves on it is usually liners only. They are also useful when cooking or doing things that heavier gloves make difficult. The heavy gloves come out only when the liners aren't sufficient. The liners are also easy to stuff in a pocket and retrieve if you are going from sunny to shady side of the mountain.

My preference is the zipoffs this time of year. They give more options with/without long base layer and/or rain/windpants. It is tricky planning given the wide range of temperatures you may encounter this time of year in the southern mountains.

Overall what you have listed is similar to what I carry when I go out in WNC or VA the week after Christmas.

[Chaco Taco]

Colonel: what's a "tooque" and why a "hiking shirt?" Would that be cotton?

Tobaggan and a hiking shirt is the shirts like under armour, no cotton

[bobgessner57]

Chaco:

I reread your post. The capilene 4 would probably be way too hot to hike in, I use a heavy wool/polypro to sleep in and like Froggy posted a lighter weight poly to hike in. Sometimes I just use the long pants, no base layer, depending on temps and wind.

[take-a-knee]

I would take something warmer than fleece for camp, the nights are long in DEC. A primaloft jacket with a hood is ideal. Patagonia and Montbell come to mind.

[River Runner]

I also vote for going warmer than a fleece for camp, and would not feel comfortable having a soft shell instead of a hard shell as my rain jacket.

I'd also probably go with a lighter weight base layer pant such as Capilene 1 plus an insulated pant such as the Cocoon by Bozeman Mountain Works. More versatile and probably warmer.

[bigcranky]

You don't say where in NC you'll be hiking, but let's assume Nantahalas or Smokies, you know -- someplace cold.

My personal take is that you have too much clothing for hiking, and not enough for camp. Here's what I take:

Hiking:
lightweight synthetic long sleeve zip tee
nylon running shorts or top half of TNF zipoffs
Marmot Driclime windshirt, if needed
trail runners, wool socks, tall w/b gaiters
microfleece beanie, very light windproof gloves
add lightweight long john bottoms if it's under 32-F.

If it's raining or snowing, add:
Precip jacket
Reed pants
possibly a set of w/b overmitts, depending on temps

For camp, change into:
powerstretch tights
microfleece zip-tee
wind pants or add lower half of zipoffs
big puffy down jacket -- way warmer than any fleece
down booties if it's going to be really cold
windblock glove-mitt things
powerstretch balaclava
add a heavier fleece hat if it's really cold

This past weekend it was pretty warm, temps only into the low 30s, so I took my Micropuff pullover instead of the down jacket, and skipped taking the booties -- no need. My 30-F bag was plenty, too, though for most December weather I'd take my 0-F bag.

I am always surprised at how much heat I generate while walking, so I keep my hiking clothes fairly light. But I need plenty of insulation for those long dark cold evenings in camp.

Have fun. I love winter hiking.

[Ramble~On]

I agree with the advice already posted...to me it looks like you might be hot while hiking and cold once you stop...at 4 pm it'll get cold regardless of elevation..if you are planning on heading into the GSMNP or higher elevations I'd take a shell and good insulating layer. I live pretty much with the Smokies in my backyard and went hiking last week in a Tshirt and shorts..and was sweating.
This week there's snow, it snowed last night and the view from Look Rock shows snow on Clingman's Dome.
So.. one day it can be hot and sunny and snow the next.

[JAK]

I try and hike mostly in wool sweater and shorts without any skin layer or wind layer. This allows me to keep my wool sweater on and make the other layers very light and packable. I always carry skin layers but try and use them only for sleeping, so they are the last layer to go on. In camp it is usually sufficient to just put on fleece pants and the wind layers. The thickness of the wool sweater and other layers depends on the season, but it is pretty much the same all year round.

[JAK]

Here is what I wear Fall, Winter, Spring

Bottoms:
4-8oz poly or wool skin layer
8-12oz 100 or 200wt fleece layer
5oz nylon wind layer
Flannel Boxers
Brushed Nylon Hiking Shorts

Top:
5-10oz poly or wool skin layer
1.5-4.5 pound medium to heavy wool sweater
10-15oz 100 or 200wt fleece layer for over sweater
5oz wind layer
9oz Rain Poncho/Tarp

This whole setup can be anywheres from 5 to 10 pounds, but its very robust.

[booney_1]

You need something heavier than just the micro-fleece and the go lite jacket.

A down vest, or a heavy ski jacket with insulation. It was 22 degrees a couple of days ago in Greensboro.

People feel strongly about gloves vs mittens...but I would have heavy mittens over glove liners.

When you are hiking you don't need that much, but sitting around camp...it gets cold.

I would have the jacket on the outside of my pack and slip it on everytime I stop.

You can also do a weather check just before you go. A week ago it was in the upper 70's. The one word for NC winter weather is changeable, especially in the mountains.

have fun..