How Cold Will Nights Be After APRIL 5th on AT?

[Old Spice]

I am not worried about the temp while hiking, but am curious if I will be warm enough while sleeping and hanging out in camp. I have:

-silk pants, and top
- synthetic shirt
-Patagonia Micro Puff Vest
- Frog Togg Rain Coat (for insulation as well as wind and rain)
- fleece gloves
- winter hat
-Western Mountaineering Highlite (rated 35 degrees)

I plan on sleeping in everthing but the Frog Toggs and Gloves, do you think this will be enough for early April?

[Old Spice]

Oh yeah... warm ass smartwool socks.

[Singe03]

You are probabily fine, but just be aware that things can be kind of freaky sometimes. 6/1/03, I left Overmountain shelter and folks were knocking ice off of their tent so they could pack up. I had to put a layer on to keep warm in a 20 degree bag and I like to sleep on the cool side.

[stickat04]

You will be cold in a 35 degree bag. We had snow up to April 24th last year. I used a 20 degree till the end of may.

[max patch]

I left 5/1 with a 20 degree bag and still was very cold a few nights even wearing all my clothes to bed.

Even at that late date still had snow flurries in the GSMNP.

[Kerosene]

I'd definitely go with a 20-degree bag, minimum, until Pearisburg, and certainly a 15-degree bag would be fine.

[Alligator]

I hang out in camp a bit. Silk is a good base layer, but I think you will immediately be putting on your rain paints to stay warm. Silk is not windproof. You could always get into your bag, but you may wish to bring a light pair of microfleece pants. This would allow you to have your rain paints in reserve. This is a conservative suggestion though. It depends on where you wish to spend your evening.

I'd also go with a 20 bag.

[Pedaling Fool]

I hiked the Maine section of the AT back in '81 and was caught in a sleet storm on some mountain in the middle of JULY!

We (with my Father and Uncle) lost the trail and had to set up the tent. We each had a tent, but we all stayed in my Father's 2-man tent for the warmth. We were held up there for 2 days - it SUCKED! We could'nt even cook a meal and was running low on food; ended up eating nearly all our food, including raw onions - not bad when you're starving.

[Preacher Dude]

Hiked the GA portion of the trail in late April a couple of years ago ....was nice and warm in a 0 degree bag and long johns. Some nights can dip into the upper 20's - low 30's. Met several folks with 40 degree bags and no long underware who froze....especially when sleeping in shelters instead of a tent. Also....the GA portion can be completed in 6 - 8 days then you're into the higher elevations of NC/TN where there is usually an April snowstorm...in addition there are sure to be days and nights of "cold rain" (mid 30's - low 40's) which to me is worse than snow. Main thing is not to be fooled by the warm days and be tempted to send home your winter gear. Every year hikers do and inevitably they get caught in an April snowstorm in the Smokies. Someone on this site referred to an old army saying that goes, "pack light, freeze at night". Pretty good advice ...at least for the beginning portion.

[Burn]

old spice, i am thinking yer sleeping bag is way to under rated for potential freezing temps....but as odd as it sounds, you might have 50+ nights in the south....best to over prepare with maybe some sorta heavier, yet more cool resistant bag...or hone yer fire building skills to a science....not may will feel very simpathetic if you get out there and whine and keep them awake at a shelter because yer cold....a tent adds more heatby holding that layer of breath and body heat longer, so maybe when and if it turns super cold, stay in the tent. i know of folks who sleep in really cold temps that i prfer my 15* bag in and a nylon liner that others do just fine with just more basics....its preference, yet be prepared or conscious of others and yer wake up calls at 7, 9, 10, 12, 2, 3, 3:45, 5am, 10am...and the dreary feeling of hiking on no sleep.

oh other things to do to stay warm include eating little candy bites like butterfingers or beef jerky or some kind of long burning heat source.....mixed nuts....they will fuel you thru the night so yer internal heat keeps burning while you sleep. A pee bottle also works.....drinking liquids so you pee heats ya twice...be sure to use the big gatorade bottle....hehehe picturing a 10 fuel bottle overflowing.

[Rain Man]

I was reading Jim Shattuck's thru-hike account yesterday. ("Hiking The Appalachian Trail," Volume One, Rodale Press) On Sinking Creek Mountain in southwest Virginia, it was 27 degrees BELOW zero the windy night of March 1, 1967. He was praying all night to survive. But, a full month before the date you asked about.

For myself, I was cold in a 45 degree bag, with long underwear, pants, and Frogg Toggs on a July 31 night in Hawk Mtn Shelter in Georgia. Another breezy summer night in a cloud on Standing Indian Mtn, cowboy camping in a zip-up fleece blanket, I was so chilly I could only sleep in short fits.

Anyway, I learned my lesson about how cold I can be up in the mountains, even in summer months. Now I take at least a 20-degree or better bag. Even when my water's frozen in the morning, I'm still toasty But that's me.

Rain:sunMan

.

[wildbill4416]

In March of 05 I did the Ga section. My last 2 days was in snow about 4-6 inches with drifts up to my knees. This was April 1-2. I used a 20 deg bag and long johns with no problems.

[Old Spice]

You will be cold in a 35 degree bag. We had snow up to April 24th last year. I used a 20 degree till the end of may.

Who's we? Are you talking about GA? If so, then wow!

Looks like I may have to bring my other bag.

[astrogirl]

I was at Overmountain the first week of May last year. I think it was the 3rd.

We got a hard frost, my thermo said 25 when I looked, and that barn is *breezy*. There were frozen puddles on 6" ditch that is the trail up Hump all the way up and then after, at Doll Flats, it got warm.

Cold night though.

In fact, it was a cold week. I slept like crap that whole trip because I brought my freaking mosquito net instead of my silk liner. The only night I was actually warm was at Kincorra.

[Old Spice]

I think I am going to get creative and make a liner/quilt out of an old bag I have to use in my highlite. I am actually getting kind of excited about this idea. I think between this and my trail pjs I a can take my current bags rating down a significant amount. I'll let you all know how it works.

[Tinker]

I'd probably go with a 20 degree bag. I'm starting March 7th (Georgia section only) with a 5 degree bag and a solo winter tent. For in-camp chores, I'm bringing a TNF Nuptse down jacket (yes, I'm bringing rain gear, and no, I won't be hiking in the jacket - I have a vest to wear over my long johns if I need to.

Have a great hike.

[JustPassinThru]

Don't let the fact that you're going to be "Down South" fool you. Nights can get surprizingly cold. I've camped at Big Meadows, in the Shennandoahs, in July, and the temp has been in the 30s. You may want to consider using a bag liner such as;
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=112288
or;
http://www.campmor.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?memberId=12500226&productId=7750
I used a Marmot Helium (15 deg) with a silk liner last year. You get a little more warmth/ounce with the silk liner, but the synthetic is easier to take care of. You can't hike well if you don't get a good night's sleep. Also, are your fleece gloves windproof? You'll probably end up wearing them in your bag also. At least until you get warmed up. I agree with Alligator that you should have some fleece pants, and I'd also recommend a 200 weight fleece jacket/pullover. Take Burn's advice and eat before bed. And a 22 oz. Gatorade bottle is about the right size for nighttime bladder relief. You may want to consider a silk balaclava, you can lose an awful lot of heat with your head uncovered. One more thing; don't send ANY cold weather gear home until AFTER Mt. Rogers.