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tucker0104
10-03-2007, 06:44
I was wondering what kind of weather I can expect to see for a NOBO hike starting February 20th. I've looked at weather.com but still wanted to get people's opinions and past experiences. What kind of clothes would you recommend bringing?

Lone Wolf
10-03-2007, 06:49
winter gear for sure

tucker0104
10-03-2007, 06:53
What do you mean by winter gear? How winter do I need to get?

Lone Wolf
10-03-2007, 06:58
mostly clothing and cold weather sleeping bag. you won't need snowshoes, crampons or ice axes. you'll have some single digit nites, some snow, etc.

tucker0104
10-03-2007, 06:59
How cold of a sleeping bag? I have a +15 sleeping bag. That should be enough with some long johns.

Lone Wolf
10-03-2007, 07:02
How cold of a sleeping bag? I have a +15 sleeping bag. That should be enough with some long johns.

i have a 20deg. bag but ALWAYS sleep in a tent. much warmer than a hard, open shelter floor

tucker0104
10-03-2007, 07:08
Yea, I have a MSR hubba hubba that I love.

The Solemates
10-03-2007, 09:39
we left 1 Feb 2004, and often do winter hiking. i carried a 5-degree bag and my wife carried a 0-degree bag. as wolf said, you will not need specialty gear, just extra warm clothes and warm sleeping bag. we had nights below zero. i would suggest something warmer than a 15-degree bag at least til mid-March.

Blissful
10-03-2007, 14:21
Weather is so unpredictable. Prepare for the worst, expect the best. We were ready for a March 1st start (I had a 15 degree bag and a silk liner). Yak traks too. March ended up being fantastic weather. 70's in the Smokies (which is not typical, BTW). Sent my Yak traks home when I got to Hot Springs. Then April was cold and snowy so I learned how to hike on snow (which I'm not fond of). You never know. Also, it can get really windy. A balaclava is good to have along with a garment to cut the wind while you are hiking (I used a windshirt at the end of my hike).

You will be much warmer in your hubba. Great choice. Also, be sure you have a good pad under you to insulate from the cold ground.

Grandma Dixie
10-04-2007, 11:15
I started on february 24th (07) with a 25 degree bag and was fine. The weather in marc was unseasonably warm though. it wasnt until april that it got really cold. I would reccomend a bag in the range of 0-15 degrees, depending on ow warm of sleeper you are. Also, if you bring warm gloves, and dont get rid of them too early, I made this mistake myself, and now I have a permanently numb thumbtip. Another piece of advice is not to bring equipment that you have to "fuss" with in the mornings. This is when its usually the coldest and if you have to fuss and fiddle with all sorts of high tech (or low tech) **** then your hands will probably turn into icicles. Get it down to a science. On those cold mornings the best thing you can do is get moving.