Feb. starters...lets talk gear!!!

[ShelterLeopard]

The key to having a good time in February is warm stuff in camp. For in camp I have a Patagonia Down Sweater, Campmor 200 weight fleece jacket and fleece pants, one pair long underwear for in camp, two pairs of socks. Almost, ALMOST got the feathered friends down booties. Boy did those look tempting. And an arc'teryx hat. And a neck gaiter. And mittens. And two hand warmers to throw in the sleeping bag on a really badly cold day.

[ClassicMagger]

White_Russian - I've seen these stoves but my biggest worry is a large pressure drop and my canister stove becomes useless. BTW- How do you like the legs on the stove in comparison? I thought they might actually be a little more wobbly then the Pocket Rocket, besides the fact that it isn't on top the canister.

I guess what I'm asking is how do you keep your fuel canister warm enough, outside of hiking with it in your coat the last few miles of the day once in camp and lit?

Thanks,

-Kevin

[ClassicMagger]

Okay and something else, I've been slightly debating, but leaning towards not...a friend suggested these and swears by them.

A set of crampons, but more specifically not 'real' crampons but the YakTrax Pro, which are like 30 bucks: http://www.yaktrax.com/ProductsPro.aspx

Anyone thinking of taking something like this for the slippery fun...btw- I do NOT use Trekking poles if that is what someone is going to ask.

-Kevin

[ShelterLeopard]

YakTrax don't do anything on ice- I find they make it worse. The only thing they help with is slipper snow. If I was say, in VT in Feb, I'd get real crampons.

[white_russian]

White_Russian - I've seen these stoves but my biggest worry is a large pressure drop and my canister stove becomes useless. BTW- How do you like the legs on the stove in comparison? I thought they might actually be a little more wobbly then the Pocket Rocket, besides the fact that it isn't on top the canister.

I guess what I'm asking is how do you keep your fuel canister warm enough, outside of hiking with it in your coat the last few miles of the day once in camp and lit?

Thanks,

-Kevin

I think the Windpro does better in cold because of the preheat tube that the pocket rocket/ect. does not have. Now if it gets really cold with the windpro you can always turn the canister upside down and get every last drop of fuel out if you need to. If you were going to be doing that a lot then a real inverted canister stove would probably be better, I don't do it enough to worry with that. As far as the legs go it is way better than a pocket rocket/ect. The base is wider, the pot supports are wider, and it is lower.

[Lyle]

since I HAVEN'T A CLUE about gear. I will watch this thread carefully. One of my concerns is down v. synthethic as it relates to COLD weather with the threat of rain. Suggestions welcome about the proper trade. The Marmot bag dgaf169 mentions is likely my first choice. The maker claims that the shell is water repellant. Is that true enough to keep the fill from getting wet and becoming useless? I cannot imagine (dont want to imagine) being cold and wet. If my bag becomes useless because its wet, I could be in trouble.

Just a comment about down bags and moisture:

Yes it's a concern. Yes it can be dealt with if you use some common sense and a few basic precautions.

1) Protect your bag when it's stuffed. Keep a plastic liner inside the stuff sack. Keep you pack covered when it is raining. This is a higher priority than keeping myself dry.

2) Do not unpack your bag too early when the weather is very damp, it will take on some of the damp air.

3) In the AM, if it is cold, stuff your down bag as soon as you get out of it. This will force the warm, moist air out of the down so that it doesn't condense as the bag cools down.

4) Take advantage of every opportunity to air/dry your bag when the weather is sunny and dry. This will go a very long way in combating the every-night accumulation of moisture from your breathing and sweating. If you stop early and the weather is dry, hang your bag in a sunny spot. If you are leaving late on a dry morning, hang your bag in a sunny spot, if you take your lunch break at a sunny spot, pull out your bag and hang it for a while. Finally, if you have not had nice weather for a few days, and now your find yourself hiking down a sunny path, pull your bag out and drape it over your pack to get some air. Looks silly, but works.

5) When you come into town, toss your bag into a dryer set on low for a cycle or two, even if you don't think it's wet. It will help.

Know that a down bag gets wet gradually. One night or two nights of downpour should not saturate your bag. Falling into a creek with your bag stuffed will hardly be noticeable to the bag. It is difficult to saturate a down bag, ever try to wash one? That's one of the hardest parts, to get it wet.

What is possible is a gradual degradation of insulating ability due to night after night of sweating, breathing, tent condensation. This is what you have to be aware of and counter. Too many folks worry that one rainy night and their down will become useless. Besides, a wet synthetic bag is not comfortable to sleep in either. It may be a bit warmer, but you will still be wet and miserable. You really need to take the same kind of precautions with a synthetic as you do a down if you want to stay comfortable.

That's all for my rant. Learn to protect and care for your sleeping bag properly and down will serve you very well for many years. It's more comfortable when it's warm out too.

[ShelterLeopard]

3) In the AM, if it is cold, stuff your down bag as soon as you get out of it. This will force the warm, moist air out of the down so that it doesn't condense as the bag cools down.

Likewise in the summer, if you were sweaty a bit while you slept, pack your sleeping bag last and try to let it dry a bit first.

Sun does a surprisingly good job of A- drying any (slight) dampness of your bag, and B- making it feel and smeel fresher. In my opinion.

[BrianLe]

ClassicMagger asked:

"What kinda stove is everyone using either gas or liquid...I have my pocket rocket and figured I'd be fine, but I'm beginning to have my doubts as the date approaches closer and closer."

I'm not sure why you're having doubts, so tough to address that. Seems to me that if you already own that stove, you're set. What I'm personally bringing for this trip is a UL Caldera Cone setup from MLD along with their 850 ml titanium cup/pot. But if you already have a stove and pot that work for you, then ... ?

Yaktrax: I'm not a fan. Not too good in snow, IMO, just ice, and I've seen them just fall off. If you're set on traction devices, consider Kahtoola Microspikes, or Camp 6-point ~crampons. I'm starting in late Feb and not bringing any sort of traction devices; if it gets icy, I expect I'll make do with just a bit of care and judicious use of trekking poles.

[TEXMAN]

I too have some gear questions: I am planning to start my thru-hike on the third weekend in February. I know it has been unseasonably cold this year so far. I have a Western Mountaineering 20* down bag and a silk liner for it. I am also planning to bring a Hilleberg Akto tent. I swapped a Prolite 3 for a Neoair, but am wondering whether or not I will miss the R value of the Prolite pad. I have a bit of extra insulation and am generally a very warm sleeper. I felt adequately geared before reading this thread, but am now wondering whether I should pick up a 0* bag just to be sure. I was planning on using the 20* bag the whole hike.

Last year I started on Feb 15 and when I got to Mt Crossings I got rid of my synthetic 10 degree cheap bag and my North Face Fleece jacket and bought a Montbell Down Jacket and a 20 degree Western Mountaineering bag...
BEST DECISION I EVER MADE ... I was never cold from that point on and often slept only in underwear BECAUSE THE BAG WAS SO WARM....

Your bag will be fine , just keep it dry...

and I don't know about "unusually cold this year" I remember waking up to 15 degree weather - in my tent - in a shelter ...everything was frozen except what I had in my bag with me.. (including my pee bottle which started out at 98.6 degrees at 2 am)


Good Luck

May see you on the trail
O.M. River

[Thrasher]

What kinda stove is everyone using either gas or liquid...

I'm using a caldera cone and alcohol stove. Leaving Feb. 13th. I have to tilt the stove a little towards my lighter to light it, but it seems to work fine in cold weather. Just takes a minute to get it started sometimes.

[dgaf169]

Damn weather!!! I was gettin ready to do a 100 mile section in northern va so I could play with some of my new cold weather gear that I bought but wasn't sure if I was gonna take on my thru. There calling for temps in the high 40's to low 50's...I think I'm gonna go anyways I'm getting a little stir crazy waiting around for feb 15th. Guess I see yall in 5 or 6 days. Adios!!!

[takethisbread]

I have finalized my gear.
Pack: ULA Catalyst- love it, perfect for a Feb start
Bag: Golight Zero degree- a bit warm for some, but I like it.
Pad: Big Agnes: so much cold protection.
Stove: Jet Boil with converter kit- toughest choice. I tried an Alcohol
Stove, a Esbit Stove and a Whisper Light as well. Seen countless others on the trail.
JetBoil has its drawbacks, namely the fuel. But it's so efficient, it's hard to screw up
The converter kit makes it lighter and more versatile. I like it's reliability, as the alcohol had problems in the coldest temps, and the esbit smells. The whisperlite needs a babysitter.
Pillow- yes I bought one. I'm sorry but I think the 8 oz are worth a healthy neck.
It compressed really small.
Bivy sack-neccessity
Headlamp-ditto
Cell phone and charger-ditto
Grill lighter- size does matter
Steripen- water treatment
Contact lenses-couple pairs
AT guide-just a few pages from Ga/Nc section
Camera-nikkon Coolpix1000, big but useful
Fuel-2 canisters
Tent-Golite Xanadu. Very light, might switch to hammock in spring
Mittens- nice and crucial.
Rope- some rip chord like 50 ft
Bum-baby wipes(half dozen dried out a bit
Mini toothbrush with mini paste and mini purell
Titanium spork
Umbrella
Trashbags and stuffsacks

Items missing that most people carry;
Maps
Soap
First aid kit
Swiss army knife
Exotic cookware(I just carry a light titanium pan)

Clothing in bag: ( not on me)
Extra pair socks
Extra jersey
Down/polypro coat
Lohn johns-ua coldgear
Knit hat
Camp booties

[Elder]

I have finalized my gear.
Pack: ULA Catalyst- love it, perfect for a Feb start
Bag: Golight Zero degree- a bit warm for some, but I like it.
Pad: Big Agnes: so much cold protection.
Stove: Jet Boil with converter kit- toughest choice. I tried an Alcohol
Stove, a Esbit Stove and a Whisper Light as well. Seen countless others on the trail.
JetBoil has its drawbacks, namely the fuel. But it's so efficient, it's hard to screw up
The converter kit makes it lighter and more versatile. I like it's reliability, as the alcohol had problems in the coldest temps, and the esbit smells. The whisperlite needs a babysitter.
Pillow- yes I bought one. I'm sorry but I think the 8 oz are worth a healthy neck.
It compressed really small.
Bivy sack-neccessity
Headlamp-ditto
Cell phone and charger-ditto
Grill lighter- size does matter
Steripen- water treatment
Contact lenses-couple pairs
AT guide-just a few pages from Ga/Nc section
Camera-nikkon Coolpix1000, big but useful
Fuel-2 canisters
Tent-Golite Xanadu. Very light, might switch to hammock in spring
Mittens- nice and crucial.
Rope- some rip chord like 50 ft
Bum-baby wipes(half dozen dried out a bit
Mini toothbrush with mini paste and mini purell
Titanium spork
Umbrella
Trashbags and stuffsacks

Items missing that most people carry;
Maps
Soap
First aid kit
Swiss army knife
Exotic cookware(I just carry a light titanium pan)

Clothing in bag: ( not on me)
Extra pair socks
Extra jersey
Down/polypro coat
Lohn johns-ua coldgear
Knit hat
Camp booties

I highly recommend Lekis...support, balance, propulsion and stability..nothing else compares

[sarahgirl]

My strong advice is get yourself a good quality down jacket such as the Mountain Hardwear Nitrous, weight is only around 8 oz., and it will be invaluable to wear in subfreezing temps after stopping the day's hike and sitting around in shelters or in camp. I hiked from Dicks Creek Gap to Winding Stair Gap back in 2nd week of December, and hit night time temps below 10 degrees along the trail, with 25-35 mph winds at Standing Indian Mtn, wind chill was close to zero. That Nitrous down jacket was the BEST clothing item I brought along, plus you can wear it inside a 15 degree sleeping bag and it keeps you plenty warm down to zero.

The second best clothing item I use is a Patagonia R2 Regulator fleece jacket. It is fantastic for wearing over your wicking base layer for hiking in temps below 40 degrees or so. I also own the Mountain Hardwear Windstopper Tech jacket, and it is great for WIND, but not so great for keeping warm in camp at night or below 40 degree temps when you are not moving. You can suddenly hit very high winds on the trail when you come out from behind the lee side of a mountain or ridge line, suddenly that wind hits you like a fire hose, and you will be scambling for hat and gloves, so bring them too.

And it goes without saying, bring quality breathable rain gear, (GORETEX, Event, or similar).

If you are staring in Feb or early March, you will see temps similar to what I saw in mid December, bring the clothing to deal with everything from zero to 50s or even 60s daytime temps, and expect rain.

I also have a Patagonia R2 Regulator fleece (actually have two of them), and will be bringing one of these along.I love this jacket!!! I'm thinking it will be worth the weight Combined with a lightweight and midweight pair of icebreakers and waterproof/windproof jacket. I think this will be all I need, I hope so anyway.

...I will also be wearing pants.