View Full Version : cold enough for jacket
Big Terrapin
04-06-2008, 22:19
:confused::confused::-?:-?Hey all. I'm heading out for Springer on 4/13/08...I'm mostly a yankee and more used to cold weather then not. Question is do I take a warm jacket ( down etc..) ? .....I was thinkoing if cold that I have a 4 layer system underarmor long sleeve, regular (not cotton) shirt, warm fleece and a rainjacket, plus my old wool cap if It got cold enough.....the whole layering thing here......for those in the know can you give me a suggestion?
thanks for the help, and I'll be out there next weekend....
:-?
Bring a jacket for camp use only. You may want to use your fleece once in a while while hiking, getting it damp from perspiration. A down vest might be enough.
modiyooch
04-06-2008, 22:43
You may be a Yankee, but you are dealing with a different environment when you are 4000 -6000 feet elevation. IMO
fiddlehead
04-06-2008, 22:53
Sounds like you are carrying enough to me for that time of year.
If it gets colder than you expected and can't deal with it, set up your tent and climb in your sleeping bag for a while and drink a cup of tea or something to get your body temp back up.
Most likely the fleece, long und. and raingear will be enough. (the smokies gets a bit colder sometimes, don't know how far you are going?)
WILLIAM HAYES
04-06-2008, 22:54
While the weather can be variable anytime through april in ga nc an tenn you should be fine with what you are carrying through pennslyvania if you are averaging reasonable miles per day I personally would also carry a vest I carry a montbell thermawrap vest which weighs next to nothing and has an excellent weight to warmth ratio.
Hillbilly
:confused::confused::-?:-?Hey all. I'm heading out for Springer on 4/13/08...I'm mostly a yankee and more used to cold weather then not. Question is do I take a warm jacket ( down etc..) ? .....I was thinkoing if cold that I have a 4 layer system underarmor long sleeve, regular (not cotton) shirt, warm fleece and a rainjacket, plus my old wool cap if It got cold enough.....the whole layering thing here......for those in the know can you give me a suggestion?
thanks for the help, and I'll be out there next weekend....
:-?I don't know the climate in Georgia, but I wonder if by the time you put all the other clothes and layers on whether you would still need an insulated jacket. I hike in a sweater without my skin layer and wind layer, and with the skin layer and wind layer added its pretty much a parka. My hat and mitts come on and off alot, but the skin layer and wind layer tend to remain on the pack until I stop.
Thru Hiker Wife
04-06-2008, 23:45
In GA that it would probably be fine to go with just layers as it's getting to the point where temps only cool down at night when you can climb into your sleeping bag. However, depending on how far you are going, the Smokies may require further consideration to that jacket.
Your current layering system is plenty.
I haven't done much at any altitude either, so I don't have much real sense of the dynamics up there in terms of exposure and how much colder and windier it might get and how much quicker things might change compared to lower elevations, same climate, same day, different times of year. What elevation are we talking before things start to get interesting? Mount Carleton is only a 1/2 mile high compared to Katahdin at 1 mile. It's exposed at its rocky top, but the trees are not far away. Its was a pretty sunny day when my wife and I were driving by and decided to venture up one day with just a bottle of pepsi between us. I would imagine the next 1/2 mile is a different kettle of fish, but depending on the time of year Mount Carleton could get interesting also. We have our own Mount Champlain near Saint John also. At 1550 feet or 30% of a mile it gives a bit of a taste of exposure as its a fairly exposed ridge especially to prevailing North Easterlies in winter. I would imagine a big part of it is just how far and how long it might take to get down out of the wind and weather if things do turn ugly. I understand the Smokeys and the Whites are all 4000 feet up to 6000 feet or so. I'm guessing up over 3000 feet is where things start getting progressively more interesting. Most mountains are not so well monitored as Mount Washington. Do you treat them all more or less the same, I don't know.
This is rather instructive.
http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/normals.php
I think I will definitely check out Mount Katahdin this year, after it opens.
I want to get a better sense of time and distance when bad weather hits.
You're layering should be fine. I hiked Springer to Woody Gap the last week in March and was fine with what you have listed. I never even used the long underwear layer, and it snowed my first day out, was easily in the 20's my first night on top of Springer. You should have no problem.
Enjoy your hike :)
From my experience hiking this winter, which included a fair share of snow, sleet and cold driving rain and temps as low as the teens what you're carrying would be more than enough for me.
During the day when I'm hiking I never wear more than a t-shirt unless it's raining and then I wear my precip jacket.
I don't tend to take long breaks so really the only time I have to worry about getting cold is overnight and usually I'm ready to climb in my bag shortly after pitching my tent and gobbling up some dinner. I have usually worn long johns and a wool taboggan while in my bag and that was plenty.
Like food, I tend to overestimate how much I will need just as a precaution. I always bring back a few items I didn't wear. Better safe than sorry AFAIC.
SGT Rock
04-07-2008, 10:02
Knowing what someone else should wear in a given weather situation is like guessing your future. I've seen guys that walk around in shorts and t-shirts in a foot of snow, and have known people that get the shakes in the 40s. So it is hard to ever tell how someone handels the cold.
My suggestion is bring the jacket if you think you may want one. You can always mail it home if you decide you don't.
... I personally would also carry a vest ...
Hillbilly
I second the vest. I don't think you ever need an insulated jacket in GA. 4 layers is plenty for our arms. The insulated arms of a jacket is unnecessary weight and space.