What to wear this weekend?

[Joker4ink]

I was hopeing for a little advice as what to wear during an upcoming hike in the White Mountains (Presidential Traverse, AT in NH) for 4 days next week. Here is the gear I plan to hike in but am not sure if I am bringing too much or not enough.

Top
-Long sleeve REI midweight baselayer
-North Face short sleeve dry-wick shirt
-North Face TKA 100 1/4zip fleece
-REI winter jacket (Primaloft, not down)

I also have a Marmot Leadville soft shell jacket I could wear.

Bottom
-Midweight REI baselayer pants
-REI Mistral soft shell pants

Rain Gear
-North Face Venture rain jacket
-Marmot rain pants


Also, do I bring a second set of baselayers to sleep in so they are dry?

[Mountain Wildman]

I can tell you this, It is in the mid 30's right now and the sun has been out today.
I am in Gorham so I don't know about elevations but you could expect winter weather.
Partly sunny with chance of snow showers or rain from now until monday.
Temps between 16 and 40 degrees F, Again, Not at elevation.
This is the time of year when it is possible to become hypothermic or worse.
Your clothing looks pretty good and don't forget warm socks, hat or balaclava and gloves.
A second set of baselayers is a good idea, Make sure you have enough fuel to cook and heat water with, You can always boil water and put it into water bottles to bring inside your sleeping bag to provide additional warmth if needed.
Severe winter weather is not predicted but you never know up here, We usually have snow by now at ground level.
I just scoped out the mountains with my binocs and there is snow about half way up to the top.
If you P.M. me I will give you my phone number if you want to have it in case you need any help.
Joseph

P.S. Mount Washington - 14 degrees F, Freezing Fog, Winds 51 mph. And the sun is still out!!!

[peakbagger]

This time of year stringing together 4 good days is rough, most folks wait for good conditions and try to do it as a long day hike as lugging enough overnight gear slows you down too much. Odds are you are going to have at least one day with very high winds (high to the point that you arent going to be able to hike for several hours) There is not enough snow on the ridge to dig in so finding tenting spots will be tough. Know your bailout options which inevitably are to the west (right into the wind). Check the MT washington forecast before you go in the morning and make sure you check in at the Gray Knob Cabin during your first day so you can get the latest forecast from the caretaker.

I would add a Balaclava and a windproof hat with ear flaps that can be tied so the wind doesnt catch it

Goggles

Windproof mitten shells and a couple of pairs of liners

Lightweight nylon glove liners

Windproof Gaiters

Insulated hiking boots

zero degree sleeping bag

Ensolite pad (not inflatable type)

Bomb proof four season tent.

Traction Gear, Katoolas are probably right as there isnt a lot of ice build up yet.

Lots of disposable chemical handwarmers

Definite spare baselayers

A list of the bail out compass bearings for the ridgeline (when the ridge is in the clouds, you need to be able to find your way down)


Good luck and make sure you and your partners agree on when to call it a day.

[Joker4ink]

Thanks for the suggestions so far. I have been constantly monitoring the weather in the area as well as Mt. Washington, but as we know the weather changes rapidly! I will be bringing my goggles, Micro Spikes, etc but I do need to grab a couple things from the list you suggested: More socks, a second set of baselayers, handwarmers, etc. I didnt even think about what gloves I should bring! I may have to pick up a good set then. Any suggestions?

[peakbagger]

Nylon shell Mittens with removable liners are a lot more effective than gloves. I carry two sets of liners, one expedition weight and one standard weight with a pair of liner gloves underneath. If I need dexterity, I take off the mittens and the liner gloves help to stay sort of warm while doing the fine stuff. It is also a lot more effective to throw a hand warmer in a mitten than a glove. I uses OR gortex mitts, but I expect there are other lower cost brands out there. Ragged Mountain in Bartlett NH on RT 16 and International Mountain Equipment in North Conway NH most likely carry them but at this time of year they arent going to be low cost. Check out the consignment shop in the basement of IME, sometimes you find them. A friend of mine ended up with a pair from the IME owners Everest expedition many years ago from the consignment bin

By the way, I assume you are aware of the Mt Washington Observatories Webcam, the North View one looks over where you are planning to be hiking.

Current long range forecast is snow or rain on Thanskgiving.

[wystiria]

ditto the extra socks! and waterproof mitten shells. We do the same as the OP wear our gloves inside GT OR mitten shells. only take them off if we need to do refined things.

I also like to have a ear gaurd incase I am too warm for a hat but its windy. Since my ears hurt in the wind

I would also bring glacier glasses or a good pair of sunglasses (assuming your goggles are not polarized)

Hvae fun!

[Slo-go'en]

Woke up this morning to snow! In fact, it's snowing pretty good right now and could turn out to be our first significant accumulation down here in the valley this season. Most of the early snow up high went away, but it's back big time and likely to stay for the duration. I'll know better when the clouds lift and can see the summits again - maybe sometime next week!

Although conditions will not be as extream as mid winter, it will be rough enough. It will be slipperly so traction devices will be vital. Full wind protection for hands and face is also very important. Neopren face mask and goggles might be over kill right now, but at least have a good bavaclova, scraf, goggles and mitten shells.

Actually, if you have to ask what to wear up there, you probably don't have any experiance with winter conditions in the Whites. I would recommend instead of trying to do a traverse, (once you get a ways into it, there is no place to bale out if you start to get into trouble) you should first gain some experiance above tree line in the winter. The best way to do that is go to the RMC Gray Knob cabin and do a day trip above tree line and just do a Adams/Madison or Adams/Jefferson loop, which is a pretty good all day hike.