View Full Version : Clothing for GA/NC March and April
I'm looking for suggestions on clothing for the AT in March/April. Espically in dealing with snow and wet conditions.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
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Rain Man
07-20-2016, 23:23
Be prepared for a very wide variety of weather conditions.
Gambit McCrae
07-21-2016, 08:06
It can snow in march, I hiked the Smokies in march in a T-shirt and shorts. That is your variety.
I'm from Florida so I already have shorts and a t shirt!
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la.lindsey
07-21-2016, 11:34
So, I did a lot of sections in NC/TN in February and March and April. I'm a cold-natured lady, so YMMV, but I generally wore thick Nike Pro leggings with Nike shorts over (any brand will do, but this is what I had and they photograph best, if you are concerned with that sort of thing). Take the leggings off if it gets hot; comfortable enough to sleep in and doesn't hold water. I sometimes bring a second pair of lighter leggings because I like to sleep in TWO pairs of leggings sometimes. And I have been known to hike in two pairs of leggings if it's cold out.
Top layers were a sleeveless shirt, a long sleeve shirt (I alternate between a regular long sleeve or a quarter zip), and a fleece or wool hoodie, depending on how cold it looks like it might be. I always bring a down jacket because I sleep cold and my knees like the padding at night if it's not cold. Also count my rain jacket as a layer because every layer counts.
The Smokies in March this year I started off in a couple feet of snow wearing all of my layers. I ended up in shorts and the sleeveless shirt, sweating and sunburnt. A section around Hot Springs (maybe early April) had snow on Saturday and I was sleeveless and sweating and sunburnt on Sunday.
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generoll
07-22-2016, 09:48
pretty much what you've been told. you can get sunburn and frostbite within a 24 hour period.
Fireplug
07-22-2016, 12:04
I'm looking for suggestions on clothing for the AT in March/April. Espically in dealing with snow and wet conditions.
Thanks in advance for your assistance.
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im from Fla also. I did a hike last April 1st to the 4th. Days were nice. Nights got down to about 30. I wore base layers all the time. Never rained.
swjohnsey
07-22-2016, 12:38
Waterproof/windproof outer layer, insulation layer, base layer, hat and gloves. Expect weather down to maybe 20.
saltysack
07-22-2016, 15:00
Expect the unexpected!!!
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daddytwosticks
07-22-2016, 15:52
The wind...watch out for the wind this time of year. It can cut through you like a knife. Definitely bring some sort of outer wind proof/resistant covering. :)
CarlZ993
07-22-2016, 17:51
It was pretty cold and wintry when I hiked it in 2013. A friend of mine hiked it in 2012 & sent back winter gear right away. The worst day I had was when I climbed into the Smokeys. It was cold & rainy. The rain froze to the vegetation as it fell. I've never been more miserable on a hike.
Started at Springer mid April of this year (2016)......weather in GA was cool mornings but not overly cold. But, it snowed on May 5th in the Smokies. Good weather after that though. It was shorts and t shirt time. Expect the unexpected that time of year. Be smart.
glenlawson
07-26-2016, 11:07
If you have any flexibility in your start date, starting the 3rd week of April will save you a lot of uncertainty in the weather. You will also miss the crowds and won't have to wait in line just to fill up your water bottle.
Everything that has been said is right on target about the variability of the weather. It could be warm and dry or cold and wet with ice and deep mud.