clothes for thru-hike

[powderfinger]

If anyone who has hiked the AT or had a lot of experience hiking could list the clothes they took that would be great. Thank you.

[tribes]

I think that this is a largely personal decision based upon how tolerant are you of the cold. Some people are just warmer than others and this will effect what you carry. I tend to always be warm while hiking and but get really cold after hiking all day. This is what I carry for the different seasons:

Spring/Fall--For Hiking: Supplex swim trunks with mesh liner. Silkweight Capilene long sleeve top. Low cut ankle merino wool socks(one pair extra). I use salomon trail runners to hike in and will use a fleece sock hat with windstopper hat till I warm up in colder temps but otherwise use a bandana. Rain top and bottoms for the blustery cold days. --For camp: Midweight Capilene tops and lightweight bottoms. A 100 weight fleece and a primiloft vest are used for added layered warmth and find that it gives more diversity than a 200 fleece jacket or other insulated jacket. I round off the package with a pair of light fleece gloves, a 100 weight balaclava and 200 wt fleece socks for sleeping. I always carry a rain jacket and pants (precip) if I need them in camp.

Summer I really scale down what I carry in the summer. Hiking: Supplex swim shorts with spandex bike short to prevent chafing during humid hiking. A coolmax tee with the sleeves cut off. I hike in polypro liners (carry 1 spair pair) and the same trail runners as summer. For camp: I use a different but identical pair of shorts that are dry and a long sleeve capilene silkweight. I use two bandanas and use waldies as my camp shoe I lose the rain pants and just carry the jacket.

This is what has worked for me in my limited time on the trail. The coldest night I have experienced was 20 degrees F. If it is colder than that I want to be in my sleeping bag anyways. I am curious to see what others carry?

[Kerosene]

Here are the clothes I bring for spring/fall trips where temperatures range from 25-to-70 degrees. Weights are for a men's size medium.

Duofold Coolmax Alta short-sleeve T-shirt (4 oz)
Duofold Coolmax Alta long-sleeve T-shirt (6 oz)
Columbia convertible trail pants/shorts with mesh liner (11 oz)
The North Face Summit Series Polartec Power Stretch half-zip fleece (12 oz)
Patagonia lightweight long undershirt (camp) (7 oz)
Naturexx Tights (camp) (4.5 oz)

I assume you're not looking for socks and footwear.

[Cehoffpauir]

What months are considered spring, summer, fall, winter, for any specific area/state?

(I ask because I'll be hiking VA in May-June, NC/TN in June-July, and would like to know the temps/weather I'll likely encounter.)

[Peaks]

What months are considered spring, summer, fall, winter, for any specific area/state?

(I ask because I'll be hiking VA in May-June, NC/TN in June-July, and would like to know the temps/weather I'll likely encounter.)

First, up north, we sometimes think that we have just 2 seasons: winter and July. Further north, the 2 seasons become winter and the fourth of July. So, I suggest that you look at Christopher Whalen's: "Workbook for planning thru-hikes." He has a table of average high/low temperatures along the AT. Note that this is not the aveage of lowest monthly temperatures. So, expect temperatures much lower and higher than those listed.

Some of the best advise that I heeded was to keep all my cold weather gear until after Mt. Rodgers. In 2002, there was a hard frost in the North Carolina and Tennessee in the week before Memorial Day. Up north in the White Mountains, it can snow any day of the year, and has.

So, the mid Atlantic States seem to have milder temperatures than Northern New England, and the Deep South. My recommendations is to retain your cold weather gear until after Mt. Rodgers and Memorial Day, which ever is later, and get it back again before the White Mountains.

[Jaybird]

My hiking clothing needs are:

1 capilene t-shirt(shortsleeve)
1 capilene shirt (long sleeve)
1 pair nylon-mesh lined shorts
1 pair "convertible" pants (water-resistant, fast drying)
1 pair capilene mesh briefs
2 pair mid hiking socks
1 lightweight shell (for rain & wind)
1 fleece pull-over (if hikin' in early spring or late fall, winter)


this list has gotten me thru 3 years of section hiking the A.T. & several other week & 2 week hikes.

see ya'll UP the trail in 2004!undefined

[hungryhowie]

If anyone who has hiked the AT or had a lot of experience hiking could list the clothes they took that would be great. Thank you.

All year long:

(always worn) Silk Weight Capilene Tshirt (short sleve)
(always worn) Baggies short (lined nylon shorts)
(insulation) Expedition Weight Capilene Zip Top (8oz)
(insulation) Expedition Weight Capilene pants (8oz)
(insulation) Powerstretch Balaclava (1oz)
(insulation) Powerstretch Gloves (1oz)
Red Ledge Thunderlight Anorak (8oz)
Red Ledge Thunderlight Pants (6oz)
OR Rain Mitts (1oz)

When needed:
Fleece Socks (1oz) (Lighter than wool, just as warm inside my sleepingbag)
Moonstone Cirrus Pullover (12oz) (Microloft insulation - increddibly warm)
Secondary fleece hat (2oz) (greater warmth for the head)

-Howie

[Cehoffpauir]

First, up north, we sometimes think that we have just 2 seasons: winter and July.

HaHa! Down in Tejas we have summer and spring. (66* today, Jan 16.)