Gear question

[RememberYourZen]

Hey guys,

I'm taking a mont bell ul down jacket and an arc'teryx gamma mx, as well as my golite phantom rain shell. Do you think I'll need my fleece jacket or should I just leave it?

[George]

dates ? trail? ect

[RememberYourZen]

heh sorry.

Starting in springer on March 5th.

[q-tip]

I have the same question. Leaving March 4th and have arc teryx alpha sv mountaineering jacket I used climbing in Switzerland and India and a marmot precip jacket. Is the arc teryx overkill?? want to bring one that will be with me the whole thru hike.

[Egads]

Hey guys,

I'm taking a mont bell ul down jacket and an arc'teryx gamma mx, as well as my golite phantom rain shell. Do you think I'll need my fleece jacket or should I just leave it?

You should not hike in a MB UL down jacket, so you will be using it for camp, adding your shell for additional protection, and seeking your bag when it's really cold

The question is, what are you hiking in on those cold, windy, & possibly wet days? The gamma? How warm is it?

Consider a couple of months later, the gamma will be overkill and should be sent home

[RememberYourZen]

You should not hike in a MB UL down jacket, so you will be using it for camp, adding your shell for additional protection, and seeking your bag when it's really cold

The question is, what are you hiking in on those cold, windy, & possibly wet days? The gamma? How warm is it?

Consider a couple of months later, the gamma will be overkill and should be sent home

Cold windy and wet days: probably the gamma with the shell over it. The gamma's got a thin fleece lining and is 99.9% windproof. It's water resistant, but that's where the rain shell could come in.

I just really like the freedom the gamma gives me and the cut over the fleece jacket, so I'm trying to figure out if I should just leave the fleece at home since it packs so large.

[Egads]

I'm trying to figure out if I should just leave the fleece at home since it packs so large.

I would

[bigcranky]

Q-Tip: The Alpha SV jacket is overkill. It's a serious mountaineering shell. It's not that heavy, though, so if you really like it, bring it. The Precip is fine but probably not as breathable, though many hikers have used a Precip the whole way.

Zen: The Gamma MX is a soft shell jacket, right? So you have a rain shell for bad weather, a down jacket for camp, and a moderately heavy soft shell jacket.

Now, my wife loves to hike in her soft shell jacket in winter, because she's cold all the time. It provides good wind protection and warmth over a base layer or a microfleece zip-tee. On the other hand, I can't stand my soft shell for multi-day hikes in any season. It's far too warm to hike in, and not at all warm enough when I stop.

I get a lot of use out of a 3-oz wind shirt over my base layer while hiking. It's just the right layer for those cool, windy days when a rain shell would be far too hot, but a base layer isn't enough. Those days happen a lot in March and April on the Southern A.T.

So that makes my 4-layer system: a base layer, a wind shirt, a down jacket, and a rain shell. Mix and match as needed. Vary the individual layers depending on the season (heavier down jacket in winter, that sort of thing.) Don't wear the down jacket while actually hiking, though.

So the soft shell choice comes down to this: will you wear it while hiking in moderate weather? If so, great, bring it. But most hikers generate a lot of heat while hiking, and would find it too much.

Good luck.

[bigcranky]

On a cold, wet hiking day, I wear my rain shell over my base layer. Otherwise I sweat my arse off. A fleece or soft shell layer in between would be way too much unless the temps were below 20-F or so, at which point it's snowing anyway.

[RememberYourZen]

Those are some good points. I have a wind breaker that weighs next to nothing that I could potentially bring as well.

I have done some multi-day stuff with my gamma and enjoyed it...if it starts bothering me I'll send her home! :)