View Full Version : Need help figuring out how to stay dry & warm.
I spent the weekend on the AT in Shenandoah NP testing out my gear and myself. Yes, the ice storm that went through really helped keep me in my tent quite a bit more than I'd expected/wanted.
On my second morning, my shoes froze solid. It took me a good fifteen minutes to budge the laces and break open the tongue enough to shove my frozen toes into my trailrunners. How do I prevent them from freezing again? I had them tucked under the vestibule of my tent.
I don't know what I was doing wrong, but I had serious condensation problems with my tent and my sleeping bag was chilly. I'm using a Zoid1 from MSR for my tent. It's a double-wall with lots of netting but I still had ice crystals covering the walls.
I had occasional shivers in my 15* 800-fill down bag while wearing lightweight wool long underwear and wool socks and fleece hat.
:confused: I guess what I'd like to know is: (1) is some amount of tent condensation okay or normal? (2) shouldn't a 15* bag be sufficient for an April start? and (3) most importantly - what can I do to prevent my shoes from freezing solid? :confused:
Thanks for any help,
Laura
hopefulhiker
03-20-2007, 15:58
I would keep the shoes in the tent. Also condensation is caused by a temperature difference between the outside and the inside of the tent.
A little bit is normal.. you can reduce condensation by sleeping a little colder..
Also I think on a long hike you might get adjusted to the cold somewhat.It must have been really cold out there.. Site selection out of the wind can help.
Gray Blazer
03-20-2007, 16:01
You survived. This warm FL gator probably can't help you much. If you spent a lot of time in your tent, the condensation was probably from your breath. Keep your shoes in your bag. It must have been freekin' cold. That's probably the coldest weather your'e going to see for a while and if you are going to start in Apr. you'll be fine. Be prepared. Your basketball team pulled a rabbit out of their collective hat the other day. Congrats on making it to the sweet 16!
bigcranky
03-20-2007, 16:05
1. Tent condensation is normal, even in double-wall tents. It's the moisture from your breath condensing on the cold wall of the tent fly. Under certain conditions you will get condensation. Try opening up as many doors and vents as you can without getting totally soaked.
2. Yes, it should, but temperature range and comfort vary. Try wearing your insulation layer (fleece or down/synth jacket) to bed, or better yet, drape it over your upper body inside the bag. Even then, it's normal to get cold in the wee hours as your body runs out of fuel and the nighttime temps bottom out. You could stash a snicker's bar in your bag for those occasions.
3. Put your trail runners in a plastic grocery bag and stash them at the bottom of your sleeping bag, or inside the tent with you. (Bag is warmer.) The good news is that frozen trail runners are easier to deal with than frozen heavy leather backpacking boots. (Trust me on this.)
Freezing rain is IMHO one of the toughest conditions to deal with on the A.T. I get soaked to the skin when hiking no matter what I do, and I can't stop because when I do I get COLD, and the rain keeps me from putting on any nice warm dry clothes because I want them to be nice and dry when I finally stop for the night. As long as I keep walking, I'm fine, but it makes camping difficult. Just realize that you got the worst possible test conditions, and you made it through the night in one piece.
You'll be fine on the trail.
I would keep the shoes in the tent.
Also I think on a long hike you might get adjusted to the cold somewhat.It must have been really cold out there.. .
Okay... I guess I was trying to delay the stink factor that is going to overwhelm my tent soon, but that's probably hopeless. :rolleyes:
Yes, it was cold but the park was gorgeous and sparkly with everything coated in ice and snow.
Keep your shoes in your bag. It must have been freekin' cold. .. Your basketball team pulled a rabbit out of their collective hat the other day. Congrats on making it to the sweet 16!
Thanks you silly Gator fan! I guess I was worried that putting my shoes in my bag would force my body to heat them up and cost me in energy. I'll just have to pack a large ziplock or two since I don't want the bag to get wet.
As long as I keep walking, I'm fine, but it makes camping difficult. Just realize that you got the worst possible test conditions, and you made it through the night in one piece.
.
1-3 okay and thanks. Yes, as long as I kept moving I was okay and it really, really was a sight to see. :sun Just beautiful. :sun I know it'll be attractive when I go through there in several months, but nothing like the dazzling, white frosted scenery I was in for those days.
Like you said, the worst was stopping for any reason. And getting out of the clean, dry clothes in the morning to put on the cold, wet clothes from the day before. :( That took all my discipline but the thought of NOT having a safety set of dry clothes if I really needed it was motivation enough.
All sleeping bag stuff sacks are either coated nylon or silnylon, so leakage/wetness won't be an issue.
I thought my stuff sack was waterproof (especially since it's a down bag) but when I tested it in the sink, it didn't seem to keep the moisture out. I'll have to go back and try that again. I love the idea of not carrying yet another ziplock bag. Those things add up! Thanks for the idea.
which sleeping bag/stuff sack do ya gots?
It's a Sierra Designs 15* Women's Spark 800-fill down (on sale of course because the color was "so last season").
:confused: I guess what I'd like to know is: (1) is some amount of tent condensation okay or normal? (2) shouldn't a 15* bag be sufficient for an April start? and (3) most importantly - what can I do to prevent my shoes from freezing solid? :confused:
Some condensation is normal when it's cold. You might be able to minimize how much gets on the rest of your stuff by being very careful when you're moving around in the tent so you don't shake the ice or water drops down onto your sleeping bag. Once everything is out of the tent, turn it inside out and shake to remove ice/water. Dry in the sun. If there is no sun, pack up and move along, and dry things out when there is some sun, or when you get to town.
A 15 degree bag should be okay. The important thing is to get into it BEFORE you get chilled. Seriously, there is no such thing as a warm enough sleeping bag if you are chilled before you get inside it. It will take hours and hours to get warm, if you ever do. (My feet stayed numb all of one unpleasant night before I learned this. I was in a zero-degree bag on a 25-degree night.) General rules: Keep the time between stopping hiking and getting into bag as short as possible. Eat something hot and calorie-rich before getting into bag. Bring a snack with you to eat right before going to sleep. Drink hot beverages. Don't short yourself on either food or fluids. Put on a hat immediately upon stopping hiking. If you already have on a hat, put on a second one and pull up your hood. If you need to pee, go ahead and do it--it is counterintuitive, but getting out of the bag and relieving yourself will make you feel warmer afterwards. Make sure you have enough insulation between yourself and the ground. A Therm-A-Rest is harder to keep warm than closed cell foam. If you have a Therm-A-Rest, see if there's something you can put between yourself and it at your pressure points (hips and shoulders) to keep you warmer. Setting up your tent out of the wind and on a thick pad of leaves or pine needles will be warmer than setting up in an exposed area and on bare soil.
Instead of trying to keep your shoes from freezing, make sure they freeze in an open position so you can jam your feet into them in the morning. Make sure the laces are not tied into a knot which you won't be able to undo when it's frozen. It's not very pleasant to put on frozen shoes, but if you have good socks (wool or fleece), your feet will warm up when you start hiking.
If it's going to be really cold at night (less than 20)...before you go to sleep pour some water into a pan so you can boil it in the morning. Water bottles full of ice suck--or rather the opposite--you can't suck on them. It's the worst of both worlds--you have nothing to drink and you can't get more because your drinking vessels are full of ice. To add insult to injury, you have to carry them as dead weight until you can thaw them.
Good luck and have a great hike!
Marta/Five-Leaf
Earl Grey
03-20-2007, 18:12
Some condensation is normal when it's cold. You might be able to minimize how much gets on the rest of your stuff by being very careful when you're moving around in the tent so you don't shake the ice or water drops down onto your sleeping bag. Once everything is out of the tent, turn it inside out and shake to remove ice/water. Dry in the sun. If there is no sun, pack up and move along, and dry things out when there is some sun, or when you get to town.
A 15 degree bag should be okay. The important thing is to get into it BEFORE you get chilled. Seriously, there is no such thing as a warm enough sleeping bag if you are chilled before you get inside it. It will take hours and hours to get warm, if you ever do. (My feet stayed numb all of one unpleasant night before I learned this. I was in a zero-degree bag on a 25-degree night.) General rules: Keep the time between stopping hiking and getting into bag as short as possible. Eat something hot and calorie-rich before getting into bag. Bring a snack with you to eat right before going to sleep. Drink hot beverages. Don't short yourself on either food or fluids. Put on a hat immediately upon stopping hiking. If you already have on a hat, put on a second one and pull up your hood. If you need to pee, go ahead and do it--it is counterintuitive, but getting out of the bag and relieving yourself will make you feel warmer afterwards. Make sure you have enough insulation between yourself and the ground. A Therm-A-Rest is harder to keep warm than closed cell foam. If you have a Therm-A-Rest, see if there's something you can put between yourself and it at your pressure points (hips and shoulders) to keep you warmer. Setting up your tent out of the wind and on a thick pad of leaves or pine needles will be warmer than setting up in an exposed area and on bare soil.
Instead of trying to keep your shoes from freezing, make sure they freeze in an open position so you can jam your feet into them in the morning. Make sure the laces are not tied into a knot which you won't be able to undo when it's frozen. It's not very pleasant to put on frozen shoes, but if you have good socks (wool or fleece), your feet will warm up when you start hiking.
If it's going to be really cold at night (less than 20)...before you go to sleep pour some water into a pan so you can boil it in the morning. Water bottles full of ice suck--or rather the opposite--you can't suck on them. It's the worst of both worlds--you have nothing to drink and you can't get more because your drinking vessels are full of ice. To add insult to injury, you have to carry them as dead weight until you can thaw them.
Good luck and have a great hike!
Marta/Five-Leaf
Yep this is so true. When its really cold like that what I do is walk/jog around some to get warm and then immediately get into the bag. The heat generated from this will keep you warm for a good while.
Two Speed
03-20-2007, 18:38
One little point: if the MOASS* is predicted there ain't no shame in running for lower elevation. All the tips above are good stuff, but there will never be an acceptable substitute for good judgement.
Good luck and Happy Trails. The crew of SSWB is cheering you on!
*MOASS = Mother of all snow storms.
some other ideas:
hot water bottle - warm up a liter of water and put it against your femoral artery to help keep you warm at night - a polycarbonate bottle works best IMO - put a sock around it if needed (ie if the water was boiled)
hot water bottle for shoes also works well - put shoes and bottle in a bag together or just put the bottle in the shoe
another idea for the shoes - put them under your sleeping pad at about knee level - helps make sleeping on back a bit more comfortable and they won't freeze
ditto the idea about making sure if they do freeze that they are in the "open" position
depending on what bag you put them into they can also be used as a pillow - not something I have ever tried but I have heard of this being done
another idea on staying warm - wear more clothes on upper body in the bag - ie keep your core warmer
be sure to eat a meal before hitting the sack that includes some fat - slow burning fat is good to use to keep warm longer than just carbs - I use a good slug of olive oil in my evening meal for this purpose
1Pint, you will benefit from a start later than those already on the A.T., but you should still be prepared for cold weather comparable to what you experienced even as May approaches, especially in GSMNP.
Your time was well spent on this hike of yours, as was Blissful's dayhike of The Priest. This is how people learn and gain confidence in themselves and their gear.
It sounds to me like you're now ready!
You might consider the additional weight of a balaclava worthwhile if what you were wearing was a watch cap.
In addition to what you wore when you slept, I wore down booties and a down vest in my Trailwise Slimline (a comparable bag, I think). Those items didn't take up much space and didn't weigh much, but I can't say how much. I packed a pair of wool expedition-weight mittens too. Most would probably call these items excessive, but that would be how you might add insulation to what you have already. There's a weight penalty there, of course.
What appears below bears repeating and of all things posted is perhaps the single most valuable bit of information IMO (note BOLD).
A 15 degree bag should be okay. The important thing is to get into it BEFORE you get chilled.
Marta/Five-Leaf
The only time I was truly cold was when I hiked much of a day in freezing rain and sat by a fire upon reaching my destination, thinking that was how to get warm. I should have put on all my clothing, prepared a hot drink and gotten into my bag immediately thereafter.
Appalachian Tater
03-20-2007, 19:27
You can be wet if you're moving and still stay warm. You need to be dry when you stop. If you are moving and cold and wet, you need to stop and get dry or put on more clothes until you're moving, wet, and warm.
Jester2000
03-20-2007, 21:10
All excellent ideas posted here. To repeat some and add one or two more:
Hot water bottle is an excellent idea that I think I stole from Moxie. Has the added benefit of providing you unfrozen water in the morning.
A two gallon zip lock freezer bag will hold your shoes well while they're inside your sleeping bag with you. Instead of thinking about what to use instead of this, think about other ways you could use this bag.
Some jumping jacks before you get in the bag, and pee before you get in as well. Get into your bag, even if only halfway, as soon as you can. Cook while half in the bag. Eat cheese so you have something burning slowly in you all night. Put your legs in or on your pack for extra insulation from the ground. Vapor barrier yourself if you have a spare trash bag. Snickers Bar for that 3am "I'm cold" wake up thing.
And whatever else, do as you did and do not break discipline regarding keeping a dry set of clothes. That morning wet clothing shock is bad, but it's worse to have nothing into which you can change at the end of the day.
Gray Blazer
03-20-2007, 21:20
This was/is a good thread. I actually feel warmer reading jester's post. Thanks guys, good stuff for this FL cracker.
Jester2000
03-20-2007, 21:24
Cook while half in the bag.
Um. That looks bad, doesn't it? I didn't mean drunk, though. That would be bad if you were cold and wet.
Great thread, I agree.
If you kindle a fire or someone else has already when you arrive at a shelter, you can bake a foil-wrapped potato in the coals. It would serve as would a bottle of hot water, often recommend by others, much as did cast iron bed-warmers heated in the coals of a fire during colonial days.
What is better about a potato is that, once sufficiently cooled, you can have your bed-warmer and eat it too. Coat the potato with margarine, olive or canola oil before wrapping it with foil to prevent the skin from burning. You also benefit from the added fat calories.
You can coat and wrap one or two in town before getting on the trail. That way, you'll be prepared for that rainy night when you arrive at your destination cold and tired.;)
Just to expand on the water bottle for shoes idea...
Heat the water, place the bottle inside one of your heavy socks, then into the boot, inside the tent. Benifits as already stated.
The shoes may still freeze. Having a water bottle inside them helps assure that they freeze in an open postition. Will just have to plan to have a laces adjusting stop 10 or 15 minutes after starting your day's hike to tighten your boots once they thaw out after you start your hike.
Also, on the really cold nights, you might want to add some additional insulation below your sleeping bag. I typically use one full-length pad of whatever kind, and one 3/4 length. This combo works well for me.
Some condensation will typically be inevitable, try to brush off any frost that forms on your bag before you stuff it the next morning and before it melts and gets your bag damp.
Instead of trying to keep your shoes from freezing, make sure they freeze in an open position so you can jam your feet into them in the morning.
If it's going to be really cold at night (less than 20)...before you go to sleep pour some water into a pan so you can boil it in the morning.
It was surprising to me to see exactly how open my shoes needed to be just so I could get my feet in when they had absolutely no give. I'm one of those people who often slips my shoes off without undoing the laces and I'd loosened up the laces that night just on the off chance that they'd freeze the next morning. It was nowhere near enough. Lesson learned.
For water, I was able to use my 3 liter platypus as a partial pillow. I filled it with about 1 1/2 liters and then squeezed out all the air and put it between my sleeping bag and my ridgerest pad. Worked well both nights to keep it from freezing but I like the idea of putting some in my pot as well. Thanks!
One little point: if the MOASS* is predicted there ain't no shame in running for lower elevation. All the tips above are good stuff, but there will never be an acceptable substitute for good judgement.
Good luck and Happy Trails. The crew of SSWB is cheering you on!
*MOASS = Mother of all snow storms.
Yep, good judgment is the best safety tool. I checked weather.com for the SNP 2 days before leaving, the day before, and the day I left Ohio. No ice storm predicted. When I walked onto the trail in constant rain, that's exactly what they'd said to expect, so no alarm bells went off. Once I was in it, it was so beautiful that it didn't bother me too much. The first night I tried the Jardine idea (well, that's where I first read it, but I'm sure lots of people have this strategy) of looking for an area without snow to set my tent up and found a fluffy area with lots of old leaves and only about 1 1/2" of snow that I easily cleared with my shoes. Second night I set my tent up inside a shelter since I hadn't seen a single hiker either day (nor footprints in the snow). Figured if someone showed up, there was room enough for both of us or I'd move outside to the tent area if there was a group. And send my thanks to The Crew. ;)
be sure to eat a meal before hitting the sack that includes some fat - slow burning fat is good to use to keep warm longer than just carbs - I use a good slug of olive oil in my evening meal for this purpose
I neglected this. Instead, I just heated up the meal that took the least amount of boiled water. It was a veggie pasta thing. Thinking about it now, I should have dug into my stash of Italian dry salami with it's heavy fat content. At least as a supplement for the pasta. Thanks.
and pee before you get in as well.
I'd remembered reading sometime here on WB that having an empty bladder helped your body 'cause then you don't need to heat all that liquid. But I also remember (maybe inaccurately remember?) reading that staying hydrated helps. So, I'd pee but then I'd down some water. But while I was drinking, I'd be thinking "well, at least what I just peed out was "room temp" but the stuff I'm drinking is pretty cold and going to need heating from my body." Is it a good practice to drink water even if it's cold water?:confused:
If you kindle a fire or someone else has already when you arrive at a shelter, you can bake a foil-wrapped potato in the coals.
My backcountry permit had a big handwritten statement "NO OPEN FIRES". And everything out there was so wet from the rain followed by ice followed by snow, that I would have used a ton of energy gathering enough fuel to build a fire. But I like the creative thinking.
THANKS for your input everyone!! I love Whiteblaze! I get to benefit from all your experience and various ways of doing things. I really appreciate it.
Laura
rswanson
03-21-2007, 15:01
Laura,
If you're using a pack liner, this makes great stowage for wet shoes if you're going to place them in your sleeping bag. If your shoes dry easily, you might even find that your body heat has completely dried them out during the night.
If you kindle a fire or someone else has already when you arrive at a shelter, you can bake a foil-wrapped potato in the coals.My backcountry permit had a big handwritten statement "NO OPEN FIRES". And everything out there was so wet from the rain followed by ice followed by snow, that I would have used a ton of energy gathering enough fuel to build a fire. But I like the creative thinking.
Laura
Thanks.;) I like yours too! I've heard it said many times you can't go back.:( I was thinking more along the lines of the fire someone else might build and from which you could benefit in Georgia.:D
I'm not sure how much energy would be expended or how much heat could be generated by traveling back in time, but by the time you use that "ton of energy" gathering fuel, you could sleep warm and soundly without fire or potato.
This post might be yet another someone cold on the A.T. might bookmark to access with a laptop, but, without imagery, it just wouldn't have the full effect (http://www.trailjournals.com/photos.cfm?id=152481).
Two Speed
03-21-2007, 18:46
. . .And send my thanks to The Crew. ;)Consider it done.
FWIW I always get a little intimidated when I get loose for a long distance hike, but things always work out. You'll handle the weather just fine. Just don't let any Skidalonians tempt you with free beer (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15672&catid=member&imageuser=6779).
Footslogger
03-21-2007, 18:53
Just don't let any Skidalonians tempt you with free beer (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15672&catid=member&imageuser=6779).
=======================================
...and steer clear of those Klingon Beans too. Then again, that might help with the whole staying warm thing.
'Slogger
Gray Blazer
03-21-2007, 19:44
Come to think of it, if you had a phaser, you could heat up the rocks like I saw Capt. Smirk of the Starship Boobyprize do on an episode.
Staying warm when you sleep
Bag- When you stop to make camp, one of the first things you should do is get out your bag so it can fluff up as you eat, etc. Down bags especially take awhile to fully loft up.
Food and water- Boost your metabolic heat production by eating a good dinner and popping a high calorie snack immediately before getting in your bag. Proper hydration is also a huge part of staying warm since your blood is the fluid that circulates heat to all parts of your body. Your blood becomes more viscous when you are dehydrated, and is less effective at performing this function.
Pad- Everyone always looks at their sleeping bag first, but make sure to pay attention to your pad as well. You can lose HUGE amounts of body heat through conduction if you lack adequate insulation between your body and the cold ground. Try to camp on naturally insulating surfaces like tree needles, dry leaves, and uncompacted earth. Hard to find on the AT especially near shelters, which is why LNT stealth camping is great.
Location- Some of the places most attractive to hikers to camp are also the wettest and coldest. Avoid low lying areas near water. Cold air pools in low areas at night and water raises humidity in the area. Open meadows tend to be cold, dewy, and humid, causing condensation issues. I always try to camp on dry, well drained ground, away from large water sources, on higher ground while avoiding exposed areas, and under treet cover. Trees add some weather protection and warmth and also lower humidity in the immediate area.
Clothing- There are a few vital areas of the body where you lose much of your body heat. Head, face, neck, torso, hands and feet. Basically anywhere you have a lot of blood close to the surface of your skin. Bringing along some lightweight but well chosen garments like a balaclava and sleep socks can make a very great difference. On cold nights I drape my down vest on top of me like a small quilt which helps a lot as well.
A dry layer of clothing next to your skin is very important in keeping warm as well. NEVER wear wet or even damp clothes to bed in cold weather. Wet skin greatly exacerbates many of the causes of heat loss, and the moisture in your wet clothing will migrate into your bags insulation as you sleep, making your bag less effective.
To keep my shoes from freezing, I turn my plastic pack liner inside out at night, put my shoes into it and sleep with them in my pack under my legs.
Hope some of this helps you out, and good luck.
Skidsteer
03-24-2007, 20:58
Consider it done.
FWIW I always get a little intimidated when I get loose for a long distance hike, but things always work out. You'll handle the weather just fine. Just don't let any Skidalonians tempt you with free beer (http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/vbg/showimage.php?i=15672&catid=member&imageuser=6779).
From what I've read, 1Pint can indeed be tempted by beer.
I might have to spring for the good stuff though. Old Milwaulkee ain't gonna cut it. :p
Just Jeff
03-24-2007, 23:51
Good pints, 1Point. Glad your exploratory mission succeeded.
Nothing new to add to all the good info above. I always sleep with my water when it's cold, even if it's not freezing. 1 - I don't like ice cold water. 2 - Colder water takes more time and fuel to heat in the morning. 3 - I use a soft-sided Nalgene cantene so it makes a pillow or hot water bottle if I boil it. 4 - Even at home, the first thing I do in the morning is take a huge drink of water...this way I don't even have to get out of bed!
Re: peeing - if you're hydrated when you go to bed, you'll be fine all night unless you're sweating (then you have other problems). Drink if you're thirsty, but I doubt you'll be able to tell the difference in warmth if you stop drinking before bedtime. Just make sure you're runnin' clear on your last trip before turning in.
I also put my shoes in a stuff sack in my bag when it's freezing. It's pretty convenient in the PeaPod or TravelPod b/c it just sits in the empty space above my feet. If I'm not using the PeaPod I just put it wherever it fits...under my knees works good.
Lumberjack
03-25-2007, 10:42
A balaclava or hat goes a long way to keeping warm.
In deep cold I just leave the shoes loosely on as I cant stand having cold toes
Make sure you have enuff padding under you, many pads dont provide very much insulation. Cold ground will rob you of a lot of heat.
OK, two things.
First, if you plan to put really hot water in a Nalgene, make sure it's a Lexan bottle, not the HDPE. HDPE does not stand up well with boiling water.
Second, a tent adds about 115 degrees of warmth. So, just bringing your boots inside the tent may be enough.
I can recall one morning when there was so much frozen condensation on my tent that I couldn't stuff it. I just jammed it into my pack, and then later in the day, took it back out and spread it out in the sunlight to thaw out and dry somewhat.
Jester2000
03-26-2007, 18:43
. . . a tent adds about 115 degrees of warmth.
You must have the hottest tent ever. I don't think that's normal.
I'd remembered reading sometime here on WB that having an empty bladder helped your body 'cause then you don't need to heat all that liquid. But I also remember reading that staying hydrated helps. So, I'd pee but then I'd down some water. But while I was drinking, I'd be thinking "well, at least what I just peed out was "room temp" but the stuff I'm drinking is pretty cold and going to need heating from my body." Is it a good practice to drink water even if it's cold water?:confused:
The thing to remember is that the pee that's in your bladder cannot be used by your body for hydration purposes, unless, like me, you enjoy drinking it. It's already served it's purpose and it's outbound. So you don't want your body wasting energy keeping it warm.
Obviously you have to drink to keep hydrated, but you want, I think, to find that mysterious level that some of us find accidentally while hiking where your body is using most of the hydro you're putting in there. At least overnight.
As for water temp in cold conditions, I'd think warmer is better, but if left with no other choice I'd drink it cold. You can survive for three days without water, but that doesn't mean it would be all that pleasant.
You must have the hottest tent ever. I don't think that's normal.
Perhaps Peaks has a sweat lodge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweat_lodge)? I don't know whether constructing a sweat lodge would be permissible on the A.T. even under the supervision of MedicineMan. (See link for proper sweat lodge construction).
From what I've read, 1Pint can indeed be tempted by beer.
I might have to spring for the good stuff though. Old Milwaulkee ain't gonna cut it. :p
I am sooo going to miss WhiteBlaze! You guys crack me up! Nope, Old Mil won't cut it. I've got my heart set on tasting 12 bottles of Colorado's own Flying Dog brewery provided by Mags, of course, at the Gathering.
Second, a tent adds about 115 degrees of warmth.
I'm sure that's a typo, not a sweatlodge. Otherwise, who'd need a sleeping bag or clothes?!
Bag- When you stop to make camp, one of the first things you should do is get out your bag so it can fluff up as you eat, etc. Down bags especially take awhile to fully loft up. okay, that's another thing I neglected. I went ahead and did the hot meal first. I'll make an effort to get the tent up so my bag can start fluffing. Thanks!