gear upgrades

[Old Creek]

I have shopped online tring to both pinch pennys and get lighter until I am completely information overloaded by manufacturers specs and could use some real world advise. the situation is this, a freind and myself are planning a trip from Springer to Neel's Gap for March or April 2015, this presents me with a couple of problems: (1) I am a cold sleeper, my current bag is a Big Agnes 0* storm king, the last time I used it in cold weather, mid 20's (I am guessing because a 6 oz cup about 3/4 full froze solid) I spent the whole night cold, finally gave up about 4 am and tended the fire until my grandsons got up. We were truck camping so we had a 2 inch memory foam mattress on top of 1 inch of neoprene (armaflex pad), I was wearing a mid weight top and bottom with a fleece 1/4 zip as well.
(2) I can't replace all my gear at once and have winter camps with the scouts coming.

I have decided to replace my thermorest backpackers pad with the xtherm but when it comes to the other of the big three which would be the first to replace, the pack or bag?
I probably should have mentioned I am using a 5.3 pound external frame pack from campmor, I think it is a outdoor research or outdoor products, and also I have settled on a tarp tent from Tarp Tents.

What would you guys and gals who have hiked the area in that time of year suggest for gear and what kind of weather should we expect temp wise??

Thanks in advance for your help and patience.

creek

[hikehunter]

Having done the BSA thing for the last 25 plus years, I first ask what kind of weight you are prepaired to carry??
When I was still on the ground...
I used a thick heavy black plastic footprint for the tent ( the black plastic was the stuff builders use before they pour the foundation.)
thermorest pad
10 deg. megregor poly-down sleeping bag (from the 1970s)
I use thermo-underwear if it was really cold.
used a ski cap to keep the ears warm....still use it...
layer....layer...layer....you can remove or put on what you need...

[Old Creek]

thanks for the reply. I am trying to get down around 22-23 pounds total including food for 3 days and water treatment which will be 10 or 12 pounds lighter than average for me.
I see you are from Texas, have You hiked that area in march, april ?
if any one can share what kind of temps can be expected it would be much appreciated. also rain/snow/visibility woulbe helpful.

thanks again.

creek

[illabelle]

Weather varies of course, but go prepared for freezing weather in Georgia in March. Less likely in April, but still possible.
You might check out trailjournals.com and peruse several of the first few days/weeks of AT journals. You'll learn a lot about what others have experienced in this section.

[Dholmblad]

Most people say buy the packpack last. But if you have a decent amount of backpacking experience you can guage what size bag you would need. If you have an older backpack that is heavy, i would recomend switching this out. It is a relatively cheap way to knock off a few pounds.

[Old Creek]

thanks for the replies all, good info and I will refer back to trail journals as suggested as well. BACKPACKS!!! man I am all over the place on packs! I am a little leery of going to light on the pack and living to regret it. I would like to get really light, my joints, neck and shoulders are showing the wear of a life of labor not to mention the odd accident but I am afraid if I shell out for a ul pack and don't get to upgrade the rest of my gear I may not enjoy the stroll. on the other hand I like the exos packs and that would cut pack weight in half from what I use now and haul more weight than would carry even if I have to stick with the b.a bag. if I don't replace my spit fire 2 my friend I am going with will either carry half the tent or if we have to have a bear can he will carry that.I have six months so all should be good by then. I hope to weigh all of what I would take if I had to leave today except the pack to see where I am. I will shed a lot of weight just leaving out the what if's I usually pack and never use.

thanks again.

creek

[mattjv89]

thanks for the replies all, good info and I will refer back to trail journals as suggested as well. BACKPACKS!!! man I am all over the place on packs! I am a little leery of going to light on the pack and living to regret it. I would like to get really light, my joints, neck and shoulders are showing the wear of a life of labor not to mention the odd accident but I am afraid if I shell out for a ul pack and don't get to upgrade the rest of my gear I may not enjoy the stroll. on the other hand I like the exos packs and that would cut pack weight in half from what I use now and haul more weight than would carry even if I have to stick with the b.a bag. if I don't replace my spit fire 2 my friend I am going with will either carry half the tent or if we have to have a bear can he will carry that.I have six months so all should be good by then. I hope to weigh all of what I would take if I had to leave today except the pack to see where I am. I will shed a lot of weight just leaving out the what if's I usually pack and never use.

thanks again.

creek

My experience buying a pack taught me that it's a tremendous help to go to an outfitter and try some on if it's at all possible. The closest outfitter to me with real knowledge was a 2 hour drive and it was every bit worth it for both the advice they could impart and the experience of actually trying the packs on. I thought I was going to get an Osprey Exos after reading all the rave reviews but it just felt awful to me, even after being properly adjusted the padding was too minimal for me. I wish I could be one of the many people that pack feels great on because the weight sure is attractive but I'm just not. Ended up going with something a full pound heavier with more padding and I haven't regretted the decision at all. I also learned that it's hard to fit a pack to me because most folks my height (6' 2") have a wider waist than me (155-160lbs.) So my torso falls in the medium range for most pack makers, while my waist is closer to the small range. Ruled out a couple models right away which didn't have a hip belt that would adjust small enough. Now if I had ordered online I would have learned all that through an exhaustive process of order, wait, try on, return, repeat.

[Old Creek]

I am in the same boat more or less only my problem is a 17.5 inch torso and 35 waist. I dont know of any where in my area that could be of use, my wife and me had planned to head to north Ga this weekend to look around but decided against it when we realized it was a holiday weekend. I hope to head that way by months end. if anyone has a brick and morter store they trust and like from Columbus Ga south to maybe Jacksonville Fl chime in and save me some miles, it will be much appreciated.

creek

[BuckeyeBill]

There is a REI in Jacksonville (http://www.rei.com/map/store#FL)that should be able to help you out.

[kidchill]

Well, what's the weight of your tent? What weight can you go to? I don't mean to sound negative, but to me a 5lb pack is crazy. If you're doing mountaineering and need 40lbs of gear, that's different. I would check out ULA, Gossamer Gear, and HMG for packs. I used the largest GG pack for my thru and it weighed like 27oz. That's less then 2lbs. If that works for you, that's a savings of about 3.5lbs. GG just released a new model line of packs, so you may be able to get a deal on the previous model. I think I used the Mariposa for my thruhike and the hyperlight or something for backpacking in Europe. I think the Mariposa can carry 35lbs. ULA packs are also great, a little bit heavier (some models) but can probably support more weight as well. A new pack, the UL style, is gonna run you a couple hundred dollars. It may be more expensive to get a new tent. By TarpTent, you mean Henry Shrines? I would look at the cost of the item (tent/backpack) and weight savings. Start at whichever item gives you the most bang for your buck.

[Venchka]

thanks for the reply. I am trying to get down around 22-23 pounds total including food for 3 days and water treatment which will be 10 or 12 pounds lighter than average for me.
I see you are from Texas, have You hiked that area in march, april ?
if any one can share what kind of temps can be expected it would be much appreciated. also rain/snow/visibility woulbe helpful.

thanks again.

creek

Where in Texas?
Upper East Side: Freezing and below, Teens, in early March. Frost free by mid April.
Lower East Side: Doesn't get gold.
Upper West Side: Could be winter in early March.
Big Bend: Lovely time. Avoid Spring Break Week.
Texas is huge. The weather is different from one end to the other.

Wayne



Sent from somewhere around here.

[Venchka]

A thought. You won't sleep any better or drier with a new pack. Save the pack for last.
In my mind: Bag & Pad. Tent. Other stuff. Pack.

Wayne


Sent from somewhere around here.

[Twogears]

Concur on buying your pack last. You need to know how big (or small) of a pack to buy and you cannot do that until you have decided on your other gear.

[bobp]

I would defer doing anything on the pack, because you are probably doing pretty well for yourself already. I like internal frame packs for ease of transport and organization, but an external frame pack handles changes in shelter and sleeping systems with more grace, since those items are typically lashed onto the frame. Also, while it may be a controversial opinion (and your mileage may vary), if your pack is doing its job in transferring weight to your hips, you may not notice the difference between a 5lb pack and a 3lb pack. From what I've seen, going much lighter than 2.5 lbs on a pack involves using the sleeping pad as a "frame" and using more delicate materials (so, probably not Scout tough, and not great at transferring weight off the shoulders and back). I've done the Scouting thing for years, and it is worth remembering that you probably don't have the luxury of being ultralight as a Scouter. Normal hikers might carry a few Band-Aids and some hand sanitizer as a first-aid kit, while some Scout leader is carrying a 2+ lb monstrosity (and it WILL be used). A lot of good advice in these forums applies nicely if you only care about your own butt, but it goes right out the window if you are responsible for 11 neophyte butts as well :^)