How long is freezing an issue?

[walkinfool]

I REALLY wanna get the new Platypus CleanStream that's coming out for my thru. It's a hollow-fiber filter, though, and I know that they're sensitive to freezing temps. I'm leaving NOBO March 16 and wondering how long I'll have to worry about it being cold enough to harm the filter. I don't mind sleeping with it at night, and maybe if it's closer to my back in my pack while I'm hiking it'll stay warm enough, but I'm just wondering when the temps usually pick up enough for freezing not to be an issue. I have a different filter I could possibly use while waiting for the weather to warm up, but it's not the greatest. I know there's no definite answer...just looking for a ballpark date/range when it might stop being an issue.

Thanks,
-walkinfool

[Panzer1]

I've carried my filter on winter hikes in January and February. Freezing is always a issue. Just keep it as warm as you can. That's all you can do.

Bring Potable Aqua as a backup. It only weights 1 ounce for a bottle.

Panzer

[gungho]

I REALLY wanna get the new Platypus CleanStream that's coming out for my thru. It's a hollow-fiber filter, though, and I know that they're sensitive to freezing temps. I'm leaving NOBO March 16 and wondering how long I'll have to worry about it being cold enough to harm the filter. I don't mind sleeping with it at night, and maybe if it's closer to my back in my pack while I'm hiking it'll stay warm enough, but I'm just wondering when the temps usually pick up enough for freezing not to be an issue. I have a different filter I could possibly use while waiting for the weather to warm up, but it's not the greatest. I know there's no definite answer...just looking for a ballpark date/range when it might stop being an issue.

Thanks,
-walkinfool
AS unpredictable as the weather has been in recent years,it is really hard to say. I the North carolina mountain region you can expect to encounter near freezing conditions and below into early to mid April

[rafe]

Snow/ice can happen on the AT from August thru April, at least. I had sub-freezing nights and light snow in early April in GA, and snow in Maine mid-September. The mountains in northern New England aren't usually snow-free 'till late May or early June.

[Spirit Walker]

We had snow and freezing temps in southern VA in May.

[Peaks]

Some of the best advice I heeded is to keep your cold weather gear until after Memorial Day, and after Mt. Rodgers.