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SAnVA
09-29-2015, 11:37
My Grandson and I are planning a thru-hike of the AT starting on 3/5/16 and we are trying to get by as cheap as possible and still be as light & comfortable as we can afford! Was wondering if any of you use the military surplus poncho's and how they worked out for you, haven't found a weight for them anywhere. I have also read on a journal (can't rem. who) about using the Military poncho liner as a sleeping bag liner, any input on this would be very helpful, thanks!

Slo-go'en
09-29-2015, 11:53
Forget about the military poncho. It's heavy from what I've heard and is only good for a sleeping bag in the peak of summer heat.

There are some things you simply don't want to cheap out on. Sleeping bag and tent are the top two. If you can't stay warm and dry your not going to get far.

Starting in early March you will need a 20 degree or better bag. It will be cold and wet for the first couple of months. You need a good tent as there will be a million other people on the trail so you can pretty much forget about using shelters until the crowds thin out, if they ever do.

If you buy good gear to start it will last the whole trip. If you buy cheap gear you will be replacing it as you go along as it either wears out or you find it doesn't work. In the long run you will spend more on cheap gear then if you just bought good stuff to begin with.

Derf
09-29-2015, 11:59
I personally carry a lightweight rain jacket from OR, as for ponchos I knew of a few people that wore the Sea to Summit Tarp poncho this year on the trail and loved it. As for military surplus I always found better and lighter gear even when on a budget I figured with better gear comes better odds of lasting a little longer.

Good luck on your hike, my wife and I are starting that same week.

SAnVA
09-29-2015, 12:08
Thanks, and good luck to you also!

SAnVA
09-29-2015, 12:12
Thanks, I am a firm believer in (you get what you pay for) but some of this gear is just outrageous, and wondering if maybe just paying for a name, like to cut corners but still want to be comfortable!

Casey & Gina
09-29-2015, 12:17
You could just buy an appropriate yardage of lightweight fabric from somewhere like ripstopbytheroll.com and make your own gear if you are handy with that sort of thing. Some types of fabrics demand royalties paid to the patent-holder, sometimes decent cheaper alternatives are available... If you make stuff yourself you can choose which tradeoffs you are willing to make.

tarditi
09-29-2015, 12:49
Military ponchos are heavy for their size. If you want to tarp camp there are better options out there.

If you try and go too cheap you may regret a lot of your purchase decisions in weight, failure, or poor performance - buy once cry once.

Venchka
09-29-2015, 13:35
A pair of these would keep y'all alive until it warms up. Then you could swap them out for summer bags. Then swap back to the down bags in New England.

https://www.kelty.com/product/cosmic-20-en-21

You also need decent (R-4+ or better) sleeping pads under the bags. The EN rating of sleeping bags is based on having an R-5 pad between the ground and the bag. It doesn't do any good to pay for a 20° F bag and then put cheap R-1 blue foam pad under it. If you do that, you won't have a 20° bag.
Good luck!

Wayne

Starchild
09-29-2015, 14:23
I used a Wally World $0.97 emergency poncho to very good effect on the AT thru, they will last quite a long time, and for their weight you can carry 2, if you care to, for less weight and money then any one other single method rain solution. Easy to replace at $1 stores, but that cost a extra $0.03.

My $0.02

Slo-go'en
09-29-2015, 14:27
If you really want to cut costs, don't start in March, start in the middle to end of April when the weather is better. The weather in March and even early April can be brutal and you need to be well prepared for it. Otherwise you might find yourself burning through a lot of money in town stays to avoid bad weather. If you read trail journals from people who started in early March you will find a lot of stories of miserable weather and injuries as a result.

Starting later allows you to use lighter, less expensive gear and less of it.

Cotton Terry
09-29-2015, 14:36
I agree with Slo-go'en.


If you really want to cut costs, don't start in March, start in the middle to end of April when the weather is better. The weather in March and even early April can be brutal and you need to be well prepared for it. Otherwise you might find yourself burning through a lot of money in town stays to avoid bad weather. If you read trail journals from people who started in early March you will find a lot of stories of miserable weather and injuries as a result.

Starting later allows you to use lighter, less expensive gear and less of it.

Venchka
09-29-2015, 15:04
Anyone planning a thru-hike should pay more than passing attention to weather patterns along the trail. The information is all over the web.
March-April, 2013 showed what can happen in a bad year. However, I think the folks hit hardest that year were in the Smokies the last week of March.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php/221

Interesting. The 15 mile plan puts NOBO hikers smack in the Smokies in their 3rd week. No wonder there were so many folks affected.
Yep, March is a very unpredictable month at 5,000+ feet in the mountains.
Be dry. Be warm. Be safe.

Wayne