View Full Version : Thermal - Overkill / Realistic
Fletchlives1234
02-24-2014, 13:17
How do.
I am getting my kit together and just wanted to get a feel for how cold it is likely to be when I hit the AT in April and whether my clothing selection is realistic or overkill.
I have allowed for 2 sets of thermal base layers - lightweight and midweight tops and bottoms. 1 pair of zip knee trekking trousers, 2 midweight tops and a thermal T-shirt.
I planned to used 1 set of thermals whilst hiking and to keep 1 set for camp. The midweight tops are for the same purpose. The trekking trousers could be paired with the thermal base layers and the thermal t-shirt is for when it gets warmer.
I generally start the day cold and once I start walking I heat up and I was hoping that my choice of layering system would suffice and also mean that if I get a soaking then I have clothes in reserve.
I have a waterproof shell top and bottoms that I could also wear over the top of my leggins to act as a windproof barrier.
If the **** hits the fan I have a Rab Xenon hooded jacket which is awesome in the cold.
I have filled a Zpacks pillow dry bags with clothes to give an idea of volume.
http://www.zpacks.com/accessories/dry_bags.shtml
Can anyone give me an idea as to what they wear when hiking the AT and is my selction suitable.
Fletchlives
If I'm getting it right that makes 7 torso pieces -light wt and mid wt thermal tops, 2 mid wt tops(I'm guessing long sleeved?), tee shirt, waterproof hard shell/rain jacket(what's your hardshell?), and the RAB Xenon(which is NOT WP but good insulating piece for your start date). Seems overkill for an April start. You might consider dropping one of the thermal tops and/or mid wt tops. IMO, if you take along the RAB Xenon you can drop both those.
If I'm getting it right you have 4 1/2 pieces for your lower half - light wt and mid wt thermal bottoms, zip knee trousers(I guess convertibles? do the legs zip off the pants making them into shorts?), and rain pants. You might consider ditching one of the thermal bottoms and employing your rain pants at times other than when it's raining.
takethisbread
02-24-2014, 18:40
I'm an April start and I'm carrying 1 short sleeve top. 1 thin zip . 1 rain jacket , 1 puffy down zip, one pair shorts 1 rain/town pant. extra pair socks that's it. I've been through it before and I'll probably complain I have too much half the time complain of cold the other:)
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Fletchlives1234
02-24-2014, 18:42
Thanks for the advice Dogwood. Your assumptions were bang on. I was considering dropping 1 thermal set of leggings and 1 of the baselayer lightweight tops. Interesting point though about losing a midweight top as well, if I just run the rab.
Do you think it would be better to drop the light (200gm Icebreaker) or midweight 260gm icebreaker tops an bottoms.
for April, I would take 1 thermal top (light to midweight) and (possibly) 1 lightweight pair of thermal bottoms. If you have knee zip pants, you will generally not need thermal bottoms while hiking. It has to be extremely cold (well below freezing) for me to hike in long underwear bottoms. The top can be worn in camp but you generally won't wear it hiking either after you have warmed up...a ss teeshirt (and your rain shell if necessary) will generally do for the biggest part of the day. bring the warm coat...it is great in camp and can work as a pillow. I assume your sleeping bag is a good one that will not require a base layer during the night. These are guidelines, every has different comfort levels. If you want 2 pairs, pick up a cheap set at the Wally world. You can get rid of it if not needed.best wishes on your hike and visit.
So, your two thermal sets are Icebreaker merino wool one 200 gm one 260 gm? or are they your mid wt tops? If they are the thermal set wts, keep the lighter wt bottoms, the 2oogm IB thermal bottoms. Ditch the 260 gm thermal bottoms. You'll still have one light wt thermal bottom, convertible trousers(zip off pants/shorts), and rain pants. Sounds like you can make that work both for hiking and in camp for your lower half.
The torso is your core. IMO, it's more important keeping that warm. Even so, I'm inclined to say you can drop the 260 gm IB thermal top here as well but I would want to know about your mid wt tops and IF you are going to give up one of those as well.
Seems like you have plenty of good layering combinations covering a wide range of conditions even if you let go of the two torso pieces(mid wt thermal and one mid wt top) AND the mid wt thermal bottoms I mentioned. If you wore all your apparel pieces, minus the subtractions, you probably could easily go down to 10* Farenheit(-12 Celsius). April is a big temperature transitional month w/ occasional bouts of moisture. Once you get into May you'll be over the higher risk cold period of your thru-hike.
Your kit will change as you get further into the seasons. Don't forget you can and will change your kit. For someone thru-hiking the AT coming from the UK maybe think about a bounce box or storing some of your pieces here as you delete them from your kit as it gets warmer but have them ready if you might need to throw them back into the mix in the Fall as it starts gets chilly again if your hike goes that duration. You'll figure it out as you get further into your thru-hike. I expect you to stay with it. Most thru-hikers from the UK, after having traveled so far to hike, IMO don't have as high a drop out rate as U.S. citizens. You're tough SOBs. ;)
Fletchlives1234
02-25-2014, 06:15
Great advice from all parties involved. Thank you.
Just for clrification purposes. Excluding underwear, gloves and hats etc my kit list looks like this (before taking onboard any of the great advice above).
1x Icebreaker thermal leggins 200gm
1 x Icebreaker thermal leggins 260gm (intended for camp)
1 x zip knee trekking trousers
1 x water proof trousers
1 x Icebreaker long sleeve zip neck thermal top 200gm
1 x Icebreaker short sleeve thermal T-shirt 200gm
1 x Icebreaker long sleeve zip neck mid weight thermal top 260gm
1 x patagonia Capilene 4 expedition weight zip hoodie (intended for camp)
1 x rab xenon hoodie
1 x Montane minumus shell
Just to confirm - Dogwood. From what you have said I should ditch the 260gm thermal top and 26ogm thermal bottoms as a minimum?
This sound about right?
I have a Zpacks 20F slepping bag and a Exped Synmat -4C /24.8F sleeping pad.
The reason my kit list started like this was to ensure that I always had a set of dry clothes for camp. Maybe I have overcooked it a bit though?
Fletch - if it were me,I'd tweak your list like this: drop the 260 gm bottoms and (at least) one of the LS zip neck tops.also the ss thermal. would not carry both hoodies either (that's overkill). Might substitute pair of shorts and a poly ss tee shirt in place of what you have dropped. Your bag/pad should not require you to have a sleeping layer (I just carried a pair of cotton boxers for that purpose). And I trust that you have socks (min. 2 pairs). Just my opinion.
Starchild
02-25-2014, 08:57
Cold Weather hiking set
-top, t-shirt,lightweight fleece,down fuffy, frogtoggs, fleece hat and light gloves
-bottom 1 pr hiking socks, underpants, light weight hiking pants, frogtoggs bottom
Camp set, emergency, town not so stinky clothes:
-top t-shirt
-bottom bathing-suit, 1 pr hiking socks
The camp set would be augmented with hiking clothes as needed
If I got into real trouble such as getting everything I wore wet my plan would be to set up the tent, take off the wet stuff, have a dry base layer (socks/bathingsuit,t-shirt) and get into the sleeping bag.
This got me thru what I assumed was single digits, though I didn't have a thermometer with me. At one shelter someone had one and said it was 11F or 12F in the AM. I assume high teens to 20's during the midday part of the hike and the light weight fleece was all I really needed then. I was also very protective of the down puffy against getting it wet.
Drybones
02-25-2014, 09:24
Great advice from all parties involved. Thank you.
Just for clrification purposes. Excluding underwear, gloves and hats etc my kit list looks like this (before taking onboard any of the great advice above).
1x Icebreaker thermal leggins 200gm
1 x Icebreaker thermal leggins 260gm (intended for camp)
1 x zip knee trekking trousers
1 x water proof trousers
1 x Icebreaker long sleeve zip neck thermal top 200gm
1 x Icebreaker short sleeve thermal T-shirt 200gm
1 x Icebreaker long sleeve zip neck mid weight thermal top 260gm
1 x patagonia Capilene 4 expedition weight zip hoodie (intended for camp)
1 x rab xenon hoodie
1 x Montane minumus shell
Just to confirm - Dogwood. From what you have said I should ditch the 260gm thermal top and 26ogm thermal bottoms as a minimum?
This sound about right?
I have a Zpacks 20F slepping bag and a Exped Synmat -4C /24.8F sleeping pad.
The reason my kit list started like this was to ensure that I always had a set of dry clothes for camp. Maybe I have overcooked it a bit though?
For April, I would take the 200 gr leggins, lose the 250, take the hoodie and shell and only one long sleeve and one extra short sleeve for sleeping. Take two extra pairs of socks and keep your feet dry as much as possible, wet feet = blisters...and odor, I'd also take wool tops instead of symthetic to manage odor. Always remove a layer before you start sweating.
I carry the following
X1 Midweight top 5oz
X1 Midweight bottom 5oz
X1 Golite running t shirt 3oz
X1 Pair of Darn Tough Vermont socks 2oz
X1 Pair of Darn Tough Sock Liner 0.9oz
X1 Mont Bell wind jacket 1.7oz
X1 Nylon pants 3oz
X1 Mont Bell EX Light Jacket 5.7oz
X1 Marmot Mica 7.4oz
X1 Zpacks Rain Kilt 1.9oz
X1 Blackrock down hat 0.8oz
X1 Mountain Hardwear microdome 0.8oz
X1 Mountain Hardwear Rappel aka buff 1.2oz
X1 Outdoor Research Glove Liners 0.8oz
I get really cold easy so this works for me. I also use a quilt so thats why I have the extra stuff to cover my face and head.
39.2oz
Get rid of the 260 gm thermal set(top and bottom). That leaves three pieces for the lower half. Use your rain pants more often NOT just for when it's raining and you should be fine. I can see low use in April wearing 200 gm thermals while wearing convertible pants AND rain pant shells over that NOT that you might not want to do that in April if's really cold and rainy or you get some late season snow. I just don't see a great need to wear all those pieces at once when hiking in April and VERY unlikely in May which leaves at least one of those pieces for camp. I hope those are convertible pants because April can be a finicky month, one day 80* F(you'll might enjoy hiking in shorts!) and two days later freezing with moisture(sleet, cold rain, snow, etc).
You are more than fine up top(maybe even still slight overkill?) after losing the the heavy thermal 260 gm top. Keep the TEE. I can't see you ever wearing all those torso pieces when hiking even after the 260 gm thermal top deletion. You have also accessorized(hat, gloves, etc). I suppose that's the Montane Minimus Jacket not the Hoodie(Pull Over)? A Hoodie over a Hoodie will be stifling with humidity and warmth. As you get into May reduce the number of tops and accessories.
Fletchlives1234
02-25-2014, 13:27
A big thanks guys. I will take onboard your good advice.
Fletchlives1234
02-26-2014, 05:21
Ditched the 2 260gm thermals. 1lb of weight saving about £140 heopfeully to be refunded. Thanks guys.
Just remember the weather changes all the time. Last year, the second week in MAY in the smokies, it snowed (lightly) one night at Clingman's dome and several nights it was in the 20's and 30's in the shelters we were in. Again, 2nd week in MAY...