View Full Version : Thru-Hike February 2018- NOBO
Hey Everyone,
This is my first posting, and as such. I want to thank each person/contributor for the amount of information that has been added and made available. The community contributions to this forum, and the forum itself have been able to make this endeavor more realistic for me, especially given that I am newly married and have a 3 year old child. My wife is not too big on the idea of me hiking parts of the trail alone, however, I am not worried in the least bit.(more on that below) ANYWAYZ>>
Well, I am new to the WhiteBlaze.net forums, as in I have not had a profile very long, but I have been an active reader for some time. I have been doing the personal research for a thru-hike for a rather lengthy period of time. I have probably planned the hike, in total, 4 times with me never actually starting it. I am finally going to do so!! I have been able to provide enough details as to where I will be, on what date, with a +/- distance as well for my wife to feel comfortable with me leaving for an extended period of time(unsupervised). I am a former FMF Corpsman so my skill-set in terms of medical needs/knowledge of nutrition needs, is where it needs to be. I am a competent hiker, and camper as well. The only thing I have hesitation/questions with are some of the gear options available. I have noticed that there has been a major influx of Hammock Camping, and I have been hesitant in purchasing a system to test it out. I have a both a 1 man 3-season, and a 1 man 4-season already, but am contemplating getting a camping Hammock setup. I am also interested in Sleeping Pad(s). I have only used the old school, military foam roll, so I feel it is time for a new one. Lastly, stoves. I have a custom alcohol stove, but I am interested in either upgrading to a system like JetBoil.
Additionally, anyone that has started a NOBO hike in February, can you please give me some ideas, as to what was the hardest challenge for you personally in the beginning 150 miles? I know that cold is going to be a rough one for me, but other than that are there things that need to be accounted for during the beginngin stages of my hike that you may have thought you prepared for, but overlooked, or something that you did prepare for, that you should have focused more heavily on. Thank you!
Question 1: Do you recommend specific Hammock Set-up? (If so, which?)
Question 2: Self-Inflating or Closed Cell? (why?)
Question 3: Should I upgrade my stove? (current one works fine....just slow....if yes, should I go to Liquid Fuel? or Canister/Rapid Boil)
Thank you again, for the assistance.- (Admin- if this post is not correctly listed in the correct forum please let me know and I will gladly take it where it needs to be. Thank you!)
1. Dutch Halfwit, Dutch Chameleon or if money no object, Warbonnet XLC (for all inclusive model).
2. Neoair for Pad if tenting. Probably close cell if hammocking for rare nights in shelter.
3. Personal choice based on weight, cook time and safety. I had alcohol but found I liked Canister fuel for colder fall and ended up always grabbing the Microrocket. Others love the speed of the JetBoil but I hate the weight.
Unsolicited, if replacing or upgrading a sleeping bag, look at quilts that well work for both. The Enlightened Equiptment Revelation works and is used by more tenters. To many other choices work better for Hammockers.
Also check out Early Riser You Tube videos from this past spring. He is Military as well.
Slo-go'en
11-07-2017, 22:07
A hammock might not be the best choice for a Feb start and someone who is not already experienced with them. If you do go that route, be sure to practice setting it up and taking it down a few times before you leave. You don't want to be trying to figure this out in the dark, in the rain on your first night. It's not rocket science, but it does take some practice to develop a routine so you don't have to think much about it to accomplish.
While an air mattress is typically more comfortable, you'd need an insulated one for Feb/March. CCF mats are light and warm, but are bulky and therefore difficult to neatly attach to most packs.
While I primarily use an alcohol stove, for late winter/early fall I prefer the canister stove. Quicker and easier to deal with. And with the addition of a little fry pan, gives me more meal options too. But it really is a toss up and personal preference.
The fun factor is directly related to the type of weather you get and how well you deal with it. Prolong periods of rain can get depressing. Prolong periods of cold gets old. Then you get a couple of really great days in between which makes it all seem worth it.
Old Hiker
11-08-2017, 08:29
Additionally, anyone that has started a NOBO hike in February, can you please give me some ideas, as to what was the hardest challenge for you personally in the beginning 150 miles? I know that cold is going to be a rough one for me, but other than that are there things that need to be accounted for during the beginngin stages of my hike that you may have thought you prepared for, but overlooked, or something that you did prepare for, that you should have focused more heavily on. Thank you!
29 FEB 2016 - I'm almost twice your age, so take it for what it's worth.
Used to hammock - went back to the ground in 2012. Could NOT get out in the bad mornings without getting cold/wet, etc. Best sleep I can get, but staying dry while packing up, changing, etc. Storing the pack in bad weather underneath was a problem as well.
Used to use a closed cell pad - no problems until 2016 when my elderly hips decided no more. Went to a Klymit Static V - NO problems. Slept comfortably the rest of the hike.
Tried an EE quilt - 20*. Slept cold, cold, cold. I was very uncomfortable under 35*. Went back to my 25* semi-mummy bag and was comfortable the rest of the hike. YMMV. Lots of people swear by them.
Used an old M-65 BDU jacket liner for primary coverage. Wore it backwards, as my pack kept me plenty warm on the back. I was taking the liner off every now and then, even in the 20-30* range because of sweat and overheating WHILE HIKING. When I stopped, I would chill down, so a Marmot down vest went on under the liner.
Carried micro-spikes the first month - sent them back - never used them, even though I had 3 snow storms. YMMV.
Have some sort of rain suit: pants and jacket, again IMO. It helped me stay dry (of course) and warm in COLD rain and kept snow from melting through my BDU liner. Yes, I still had dampness from sweat, but I wasn't soaked or chilled.
Dry clothes to change into to sleep in helped - t-shirt and very lightweight shorts, plus DRY - DRY - DRY socks.
Question 3: Should I upgrade my stove? (current one works fine....just slow....if yes, should I go to Liquid Fuel? or Canister/Rapid Boil)
If you are satisfied with your stove AND it won't break down AND you can find fuel, go for it, IMO. I had a Pocket Rocket and was satisfied the whole way. No prob finding fuel. I just boiled water for the most part. I sent it all home during the middle part. Too hot, too much weight. Cold coffee in the morning worked fine. After NH, got it back and I was happy.
According to conventional wisdom, I did everything wrong: too much weight, too slow, too much food/water, was not very social, didn't drink or use drugs, didn't stay at the shelters at night, complained at almost every step, etc.
Took me 7 months, 3 days to complete the hike. However, for the most part: I was dry and almost comfortable at night minus the aches and pains from hiking.
Good luck.
johnspenn
11-08-2017, 09:03
Plenty of folks have thru'd using a hammock system, but as mentioned above you want to be proficient when doing so. Check the hammock camping forum here, user "Shrewd" just NoBo'd this year and gave a really good summary of his experience hammocking the AT.
Here's an article that may help you with a purchasing strategy, part of a beginner's hammocking series you may find helpful as well.
https://couch2trail.wordpress.com/2017/11/06/hammocking-101-buying-a-hammock-system/
Not to discount the advice given above about packing in the rain, but with the right tarp coverage that can be overcome, and if you want to go lighter weight, cuben fiber/dyneema composite is always an option.
You will be more comfortable and get better rest in a hammock system, IMO. That said, you only have a short time to get one, and to get familiar and proficient with it before your thru, so unless you're willing to commit to that then you may just want to stick to what you have. Happy trails!
LittleRock
11-08-2017, 16:32
As a fellow father of a 3-year old who has also hiked parts of the AT in winter (although that was before children), here is my advice to you:
Once you have your gear figured out, head out the the AT somewhere fairly close to home (maybe Virginia) for a week in January. If you get through that and still want more, then consider starting a thru-hike in February. Hiking the AT in winter can certainly be done, but it requires an additional level of preparation and fortitude.
It can be tough leaving small children for that long. Not just for you, but for child and especially your wife. Age 3 might actually be the toughest time to leave them. By then they are very much aware of what's going on and can perceive you leaving for months as being abandoned by their father. My son cried every night the last time when I went out for a week, he had just turned 3 at the time and never had issues before. After that I agreed never to go out hiking unless my wife's parents were available to help with the children (although part of that was due to having a 2nd child recently).
Not saying you shouldn't go - just make sure your family will be OK without you, as well as you without them.
I started at Springer on FEB 15th in both 2009 and 2010 >>
two more things to think about ...In Feb the days are short so you have less daylight which equals short miles every day ...and long nites ...12..14 hours in your tent every night can be quite boring ...
Also anything that has batteries have a problem working at the extreme cold temps ... you need to carry extra batteries
I slept with my stove fuel, my cell phone, batteries, water bottle and various other items in my sleeping bag to keep them from freezing...
Hiking in Feb was the "best of times and the worst of times" ..enjoy
Old Man River
Emerson Bigills
11-09-2017, 15:34
This website was the best resource I found for preparing for a thru hike. You will get lots of different opinions and suggestions. Try them out on weekend hikes or just try to determine what seems to fit your style best. You really should get a few days and nights out in cold weather before you leave in February. I can't help you on the hammock advice, I am a tent guy, but spent most of my nights in shelters.
I left on Feb 20. There will be cold weather, wet weather and pleasant weather. About every 4 years or so, a big dumper hits the southern Appalachians in late Feb or March, such that the trail becomes impassable, or close to it with deep snow. It can impact about anywhere in the south, but clearly the worst will be in GSMNP and other high elevations. Know your equipment and it's limits, more important, know your limits. No harm in spending some unplanned time in a hostel or hotel if you don't have the gear to move on until conditions improve. I was barely out of the Smokies this year when the snow storm hit. I walked from I-40 to Erwin in snow for a week. I spent an extra night in Hot Springs because I didn't have enough bag for single digits at that point. There was a two day period in that section when the temps never got out of the teens, which made for no breaks and serious attention to what I was doing. It was damn cold up on those ridges.
Honestly, I look at those "tough times" of the hike as the most memorable. There were enough people on the trail that I never felt I was out there alone, but you better know how important the hike is to you on those days, or your mind will play with you. I treated it like a series of section hikes and only focused on the next town or resupply. You will develop your own style, speed, etc.
As for equip, I used a Neo-Xtherm the entire trip. It was plenty comfortable, gave me extra warmth when I needed it and was very light/compact. I carried microspikes until Damascus, but only used them on the frozen trail above 5500 ft on Roan Mtn. Yea, just because you get out of the Smokies, don't think you have the high elevations licked. Roan Mtn is always a devil.
Last piece of advice, get things on the home front tightened up before you leave. I was fortunate to have great support from home, both emotionally and from a re-supply standpoint. If things are not right at home, you will have way too much time to think about them on the trail. Good luck, it is one heck of an adventure.
Thank you all for the recommendations that you provided. I have been looking at a few of them very closely, and I think I am gonna bite the bullet and just purchase one. even if I dont end up using it on the trail, its always nice to have another gear item. lol
gbolt- I will check in to Early Rise. Much appreciated for the recommendation
Slo-go'en- Noted- I will certainly make sure that I am proficient in any and all gear I purchase prior to hiking. Only makes sense to me. Thank you for the Stove insight as well. I have been thinking about it, and have had many people recommend it, mostly guys that hike in the gorge on the weekend every couple months, so recommendation from someone other than my close group of friends is always ppreciated.
Old Hiker- Thank you for the insight as well. greatly appreciated. Will certainly look into the klymit static v, i hadn't heard of it until recently. Also, thank you for the micro spike plug, i will happily take them out of my bag. I had been toying with it anyway, so i may as well drop a little bit of unnecessary weight right!?
johnnspenn- Noted, certainly will be proficient, appreciate the reaffirmation of the need to be comfortable with your gear, I feel like the majority of people do not realize how important that minor detail is. Thank you.
LittleRock- Glad someone with a 3 year old responded. I appreciate the insight on the homefront, especially since I have yet to experience the time away from my kiddo, and her from me. I have hiked in many different terrain, and I am comfortable in cold weather, hot weather, high altitude...name it i'm pretty comfortable hiking/camping in it. I fully intend on going out to part of the trail in January, I just haven't narrowed a location yet. My wife, and our whole family is very supportive, if they were not I would certainly not be venturing out on this journey. Best part about it is that her parents live 1 block away and my dad and granmother both live very close as well so things on the home front will, hopefully, still be as great as they are now! Thank you!
TEXMAN- Thank you for those two additional points. That certainly will make a difference, both battery and the daylight hours.
Emerson Bigills- Thank you for the insight as well. Maybe I will have my Wife bring my spikes if it gets rougher than I expect. Good to hear about the Neo-XTherm, have been recommended to this pad in the past. The pad isnt one thing I have thought about until this trip. I have no real issue typically without a pad at all, but I feel like a Feb. start warrants a new pad with some R-value... Thank you as well for the homefront advice.
I am lucky that my wife is a nurse and works 3 days a week. She will make the trek to where I am a few times while I am on the trail both for larger resupplies, and so that I can see them both/both see me. This will be where I plan for zero Days.
Thank you all for your contributions so far. I hope that everything in my planning keeps going as needed, and I am able to get started this coming Feb.
As a fellow parent of small kids (7,6,3,1) I find I start missing them and the Mrs on first 24. after 2nd night I'm ready to see them all. My wife hates the outdoors and hates my backpacking trips even more. Good luck on your journey, I hope to do it with my kids one day...