View Full Version : January Start?
Plug-it In
09-29-2015, 22:02
I live near Knoxville and am somewhat close to the southern part of the AT. I can get off the trail of weather gets too bad. I would like to start in January to get in front of the crowd. As for my gear. My sleeping bag is a 10 degree bag. I have a silk liner and down pants and jacket to sleep in. Any advise? What do you all think?
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What do you put between your bag and the ground? Do you trust your bags rating? Have you spent a night in your bag at or below its rating?
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
How much hiking and camping have you done in the snow?
HooKooDooKu
09-30-2015, 00:38
For a January start, you need to be experienced with winter camping. You will hit the Smokies in the middle of winter. You are already near GSMNP, so I would suggest some practice camping trips at high elevation come this December... something like Ice Water Springs shelter where you are close enough to.the road where you can abort when you realize you are not ready for winter camping.
Gambit McCrae
09-30-2015, 08:32
+1 on practice. Being so close to home, its not really a make or break to try it out, could get lucky and have minimal snow. Could get a lot so that's what you prepare for. Thanksgiving this past year I spent in Georgia in my 15 deg down bag, and I froze lol. pulled off the trail the next day and went home. This year however I have a WM 5* down bag made of waterproof gortex. I am expecting better results :)
If I were planning to go in January I would have a "pull back and punt" plan of what to do until march. We have spoke of doing some hiking this winter and your more then welcome to join me in VA or possibly a GSMNP trip.
You have brought up wanting to get ahead of the crowd as your reasoning for starting in January, If you do not have a deadline you might want to consider starting in Maine and SOBO. That will definitely get you away from the crowd.
Tipi Walter
09-30-2015, 08:39
This has been extensively covered here---
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/102902-2015-Early-Starters
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php/105646-Any-January-Starters
The Solemates
09-30-2015, 12:42
agree its been extensively covered. and agree hiking in winter is done best with lots of experience hiking in winter. I wouldnt do it with a 10 degree bag. below 0 temps are not uncommon on the AT, and below 10 are certainly not. we started our thru 1 Feb (a month later) and had around 30 days or so where the low was in the single digits. we had about 5 nights where it was below 0. I also hike on the AT between Christmas and New Years almost every year. Its always at least single digits at night.
Cotton Terry
09-30-2015, 13:10
Read some of the January start journals on Trail Journals.
squeezebox
09-30-2015, 21:05
If the main reason is that you want to get away from the crowd you might consider a flip flop.
If the main reason is that you want to get away from the crowd you might consider a flip flop.
Lol. There will always be crowds
O.o
Unless of course it is snowing...and winter.
Lol. There will always be crowds
O.o
Unless of course it is snowing...and winter.
Not really. August in the mid-Atlantic AT is pretty quiet, eg. Wayesboro to Daleville, or most of PA or MD.
Sarcasm the elf
10-01-2015, 20:48
Not really. August in the mid-Atlantic AT is pretty quiet, eg. Wayesboro to Daleville, or most of PA or MD.
Or most of the trail outside of the main tourist areas for that matter.
Whenever people complain that the trail is too crowded I just tell them to try hiking the other eight months of the year.
joshuasdad
10-01-2015, 22:46
I would never want to do a January start, because unless you hike very slowly, you will be in miserable mud conditions north of Connecticut in mid-spring. The White Mountains can be positively dangerous in May. I was likely the closest hiker to this guy on May 7th, and I had to bail into a shelter because I was wet from collapsing monorail and 33 degree sleet. And that was only at about 2000 feet above sea level.
http://www.wmur.com/news/hiker-75-rescued-off-nh-mountain/25841214
Plug-it In
10-02-2015, 18:12
What do you put between your bag and the ground? Do you trust your bags rating? Have you spent a night in your bag at or below its rating?
Wayne
Sent from somewhere around here.
Awesome questions. I have a 10 degree ZPacks sleeping, Borah Gear down paints and jacket, silk sleeping bag liner, thermarest neo air and a 1/8" foam pad to lay on the ground under the sleeping pad.
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Plug-it In
10-02-2015, 18:13
How much hiking and camping have you done in the snow?
Not too much in the snow but quiet a bit in below freezing temps.
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kayak karl
10-02-2015, 18:27
I found February colder then January. Hardest thing is eating enough to keep your weight on. I lost 50 lbs in those two months. That's too much , too quick.
Plug-it In
10-02-2015, 18:43
I plan to backpack 2 weeks in both November and December. Hoping to get a little more experience in colder weather. I've camped in cold weather but not a lot but have day hikes a ton in below freezing weather. I really appreciate all the advise you all are giving my. If I have too many issues by December then I'll back my start time to February. My thoughts were that if the weather for too tough I could get off the trail for a few days then get back on since I'll still be pretty close to home.
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