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dragonfeet
01-18-2008, 16:13
Is it possible to leave nobo in february. If so what should I take for cold wet weather clothing? I am afraid of becoming too sweaty and it freezing my clothes? I was waiting to leave with a friend in mid march but he took his own life a few days ago and now I have no more reason to wait around.

dessertrat
01-18-2008, 16:19
I would take fleece for tops and bottoms, but you probably won't wear them much during the day. Some wool or polypro long johns (both top and bottom) and windpants and windbreaker should be more than enough while moving during the day. It not, add a thin smartwool sweater or light fleece top. Then at night, change into the heavier fleece top and bottom. That's how I would do it, anyway. Some people prefer a down jacket to fleece, because down is lighter and packs smaller. However, down is more expensive, and does not insulate as well if it gets wet.

highway
01-18-2008, 16:19
Is it possible to leave nobo in february. If so what should I take for cold wet weather clothing? I am afraid of becoming too sweaty and it freezing my clothes? I was waiting to leave with a friend in mid march but he took his own life a few days ago and now I have no more reason to wait around.

Vent your body'd heat before you sweat, starting with head. Use venting outerware to exit the heat before you begin to sweat

Bootstrap
01-18-2008, 18:55
If you have the right clothes, as long as you're moving, you're generally OK:

http://tinyurl.com/2hx8l3

But you also need enough calories to stay warm. And the time you get coldest is that time sitting around when you aren't moving and you aren't in your nice warm sleeping bag. Remember to plan for that time!

Jonathan

Tinker
01-18-2008, 19:13
I think the fleece is a good idea, but you'll need some serious warmth in Feb. Think about taking a down jacket.

Tinker
01-18-2008, 19:13
Also- I'm very sorry to hear about your friend.

Blissful
01-18-2008, 19:24
I am so sorry to hear about your friend.

Smartwool longsleeve top is excellent to hike in. I also used convertible pants. In really cold weather, some use a silk or lightweight polypro underlayer for hiking. Hiking, you can get warm and you might sweat some. That's why it's good to have a jacket (I carried down) and another underlayer set (like mid weight duofold or similar) to change into once you get to camp. You want your hiking clothes and a set of dry camp clothes.
And of course, bring a good hat.

Cabin Fever
01-18-2008, 21:43
Under Armour Cold Gear is magnificent to wear as a base layer during cold weather. It stays very dry and makes for very comfortable clothing to wear in your sleeping bag. Waterproof convertible pants are a must and for the top I suggest a soft shell like the Apex Bionic from North Face and a lightweight waterproof jacket like the Marmot Precip.

Quagmire
01-18-2008, 21:51
NoBo is possible. My 2 mates and i leave February 1st. Just need plenty of warm clothing. Realize it is bulky now, but in a month or so you'll be able to ship some of it out.

Happy
01-18-2008, 22:07
I think the fleece is a good idea, but you'll need some serious warmth in Feb. Think about taking a down jacket.

I agree with Tinker, a down jacket is great for long breaks or when you reach camp...I use a 10.5 oz WM Jacket (expensive) and cover with Marmot precip jacket around campfires for protection.

It will also allow me to lower the temp rating of my WM down bag below 20 degrees during the February season, if needed, which well could be!

At that weight, I just keep it with me and use it for a pillow during warmer times.

The fleece suggestions are perfectly fine, if you are on a budget.

take-a-knee
01-18-2008, 22:22
Fleece is heavy, bulky, and not particularly warm. It used to be the ticket for alpine climbers, they all use soft shell garments now. A hiker needs light layers that wick moisture (Underarmor, Capiline, Visa Endurance etc), when you stop you need thick insulation that won't collapse when wet, IE Primaloft and Climashield. I would not own a jacket that didn't have a hood.

envirodiver
01-18-2008, 23:12
Fleece is heavy, bulky, and not particularly warm. It used to be the ticket for alpine climbers, they all use soft shell garments now. A hiker needs light layers that wick moisture (Underarmor, Capiline, Visa Endurance etc), when you stop you need thick insulation that won't collapse when wet, IE Primaloft and Climashield. I would not own a jacket that didn't have a hood.

I disagree, fleece is very warm unless you are using as an outer shell in strong wind. Regular fleece does not provide wind protection, however the winblock types of fleece (tighter weave on the outside) do provide excellent protection from wind (not as much as soft shells). But, most soft shells are heavier than fleece and bulkier.

Fleece does not compress nearly as well as down or primaloft. Fleece breathes well and does in fact wick moisture. Take-a-knee is correct about the under armour, capalene, MTS suggestion regarding your base layer (underwear), but fleece is very warm and affordable. If you layer it (any quality fleece) under a wind resistent outer shell it provides an excellent system. There are different qualities of fleece. Polartec is the standard and some of the cheap fleeces do not wick or breath as well, they will tend to pill when washing. The other nice thing about fleece is it's ability to insulate even when wet, dries quickly, mine are only damp when they come out of the washing machine.

take-a-knee
01-18-2008, 23:20
I disagree, fleece is very warm unless you are using as an outer shell in strong wind. Regular fleece does not provide wind protection, however the winblock types of fleece (tighter weave on the outside) do provide excellent protection from wind (not as much as soft shells). But, most soft shells are heavier than fleece and bulkier.

Fleece does not compress nearly as well as down or primaloft. Fleece breathes well and does in fact wick moisture. Take-a-knee is correct about the under armour, capalene, MTS suggestion regarding your base layer (underwear), but fleece is very warm and affordable. If you layer it (any quality fleece) under a wind resistent outer shell it provides an excellent system. There are different qualities of fleece. Polartec is the standard and some of the cheap fleeces do not wick or breath as well, they will tend to pill when washing. The other nice thing about fleece is it's ability to insulate even when wet, dries quickly, mine are only damp when they come out of the washing machine.

I just weighed my GI 300wt fleece jacket, 30oz with no hood. My REI Gossamer jacket (primaloft) is warmer, weighs half that (15oz), has a hood, and stuffs nice and small. The fleece rolls up about the size of my down sleeping bag.

River Runner
01-18-2008, 23:50
This worked for me in late Oct/early Nov:

Hiking - convertible pants with Capilene 1 base layer underneath in the mornings before I warmed up too much; Icebreaker wool short sleeve T-shirt with Capilene 2 long sleeve shirt underneath. In the mornings I would also wear my rain jacket, or if very chilly my Primaloft insulated jacket - only until I got very warm (not sweating), and then immediately stopped and removed it. Also, Darn Tough Vermont crew socks, fleece beanie hat & fleece gloves as needed.

Camp - Icebreaker 200 long sleeve shirt & leggings, Primaloft jacket, dry socks. Everything could be layered together, and I did that when it was in the 20's. I also had rain pants I never needed to wear.

envirodiver
01-19-2008, 00:01
I just weighed my GI 300wt fleece jacket, 30oz with no hood. My REI Gossamer jacket (primaloft) is warmer, weighs half that (15oz), has a hood, and stuffs nice and small. The fleece rolls up about the size of my down sleeping bag.

I don't argue that Primaloft is an excellent insulator, but are you saying that the REI Gossamer jacket is a softshell? Cause it's not. Primaloft is the best synthetic insulator that has come around, light, lofts well and insulates when wet. But I still don't think that soft shells (while a great jacket) is good for backpacking (as you were stating in your post) due to weight and bulk. I personally don't like hoods, would rather have a good skullcap. To each their own on that.

Regarding cost, fleece is much less expensive than primaloft, I put my fleece in a compression stuff sack to make it smaller. But, you are correct that fleece does not compress nearly as well as some other insulators.

minnesotasmith
01-19-2008, 00:34
I left Amicalola on a thruhike Feb. 14, 2006. I would have started on the 12th, but a snowstorm hit on the 10th. 4WDs had trouble navigating USFS 42 to Springer, to give you an idea of the snow height. When I got to Springer 2/15, there still was over 5" there.

The snow did cut out about 6 miles past Springer, and I saw no more til halfway through the Smokies, when a 3-day storm hit.

I was very happy to have brought:

1) (2) pairs thin long black underwear (Patagonia/Capilene)

2) Puffball jacket

3) zero-degree full-length synthetic sleeping bag

4) (1) thin knit cap

5) (1) LARGE fleece balaclava (like ski mask, but larger face opening, and comes down to collarbone)

6) lightweight fleece gloves

7) thin polypro glove liners

8) Gaiters

9) Pair of sealskins (impermeable very thin fleece-lined neoprene socks)

What I wished I'd had:

1) zippers on my long undies, so that I could get them on and off without taking footwear off, as temps varied

2) petroleum jelly to smear on feet each morning on days not totally gushy, yet wet enough chronic wet feet were a concern (later got tiny container and carried for rest of trip)

3) thin, 1' x 1' pad to sit on during breaks, to keep butt dry

4) windbreaker-like shell pants for extreme wind/cold combinations, especially when moving around camp

Tennessee Viking
01-19-2008, 00:49
We had several earlybirds in Tennessee in mid and late Feb last year. Some were packing heavy with winter gear. They planned on slowly changing out gear, from winter to spring, starting in Hot Springs into Virginia.

Then there were a few that sectioned to the Smokies in late fall, went home for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and started back up in Feb before the March crowd.

WILLIAM HAYES
01-19-2008, 00:55
I hiked the smokies a few years ago during near blizzard conditions with Stinger and Marlboro man-a college student had to be air lifted out from the shelter we were staying at by the tenn national guard because he developed hypothermia- he was wearing cotton camo pants- this was in march -my advice on clothing which served me well -I did not sweat or get cold-
montbell thermawrap jacket and vest-both are lightweight and easily packable
ibex medium wool zip long sleeve shirt and Ibex light weight wool pants
OR fleece gloves worn inside gortex lobster claw mittens as necessary
Marmot oracle rain jacket and full zip marmot rain pants
possum down skull cap-(highly recommend the skull cap-have the PD gloves but they are not very durable and piss poor when it comes to shielding your hands from a cold wind)
bandanna for covering your nose and mouth from a cold wind-helps you heat the air you breathe in a little
North face convertible pants
depending on wind and temp I usually hiked just with NF pants and Ibex layers with montbell vest-sometimes without vest under my marmot oracle jacket -If the wind really got up I would put on my rain pants but most of the time I really did not need the vest or rain pants when hiking
I also wore OR short gaiters smartwool socks ans hiked in Nike XCR Tennis shoes-Ice would ball up where the gaiter laces ran under my shoes but I simply knocked off the ice balls with my trekking sticks when this happened.
I also carried a light weight NF zip LS shirt two pair of dry wool socks and a
Light weight pair of columbia pants
I always changed into dry clothes and put on my thermawrap jacket and rain jacket and rain pants when I got to the shelter for the night
I packed away my water bottle and any wet underlayers/socks in my sleeping bag overnite along with my shoes which I wrapped in a small plastic bag If you don't do this the moisture in your shoes will freeze and it is hell to get your feet in frozen shoes the next morning. Usually everything was dry the next morning In the AM I pack all of my dry clothes and sleeping bag in a heavy duty plastic trash bag inside my backpack
sometimes I would also fill my nalgene bottle with hot water and stick it in my sleeping bag if it was really cold.
My advice to you is if the weather is really getting to be a bummer after you have layered up don't worry about your mileage for the day stop at the nearest shelter or put up your tarp or tent drink something warm and get in your sleeping bag
hope this helps been there and learned the hard way
good luck on your hike and sorry to hear about your friend

Hillbilly

take-a-knee
01-19-2008, 01:02
I don't argue that Primaloft is an excellent insulator, but are you saying that the REI Gossamer jacket is a softshell? Cause it's not. Primaloft is the best synthetic insulator that has come around, light, lofts well and insulates when wet. But I still don't think that soft shells (while a great jacket) is good for backpacking (as you were stating in your post) due to weight and bulk. I personally don't like hoods, would rather have a good skullcap. To each their own on that.

Regarding cost, fleece is much less expensive than primaloft, I put my fleece in a compression stuff sack to make it smaller. But, you are correct that fleece does not compress nearly as well as some other insulators.

The Gossamer jacket is merely a light primaloft jacket, no sexy shell technology. I see that as alpine climbing gear, it might be the ticket for the smokies in winter, I haven't tried it. You are right, fleece is cheaper, but a PL or climashield jacket isn't that much more and is a good way to cut pack weight. I am a fan of microfleece, like that made by patagonia and cloudveil. I have a patagonia microfleece hoody (I like hoods) that weighs nine oz. Cloudveil makes a simalar garment. I see this as an intermediate layer under the jacket, a high tech sweater of sorts.