gear help

[wikea1]

I am starting end of march at springer, what gear would I need for spring when I start clothing-wise, and for how long? then what would I need for the summer and would those clothing articles last me until the end or would I need to swithc back to winter clothing at some point? I know I will use a 0 degree bag and then switch to 20 degree but I dont know when just like with clothing....packed question i know but I would appreciate any answer!

[buckwheat]

I haven't completed a thru-hike, but I've decided not to worry about this. Reason: You will probably pass 400 Wal-Marts on your through hike. At just about any town, you'll be able to get clothing suitable for the season/weather you find yourself in.

I'd make sure I had enough warm wear to start out, and then worry about whether to ship, or just toss into the garbage, any clothing that becomes dead weight as I progress down the trail (it's probably going to smell to high heaven, so you may not want to even ship it home).

My 2c.

[KG4FAM]

I haven't completed a thru-hike, but I've decided not to worry about this. Reason: You will probably pass 400 Wal-Marts on your through hike. At just about any town, you'll be able to get clothing suitable for the season/weather you find yourself in.Not that many walmarts in trail towns that I have been in. None in trail towns in Georgia and Maine.

A raincoat, A fleece jacket, a pair of long johns, hat and gloves should keep you warm enough to stay alive. Keep it until it warms up in southern virginia and get it back in Hanover.

[MOWGLI]

I am starting end of march at springer, what gear would I need for spring when I start clothing-wise, and for how long? then what would I need for the summer and would those clothing articles last me until the end or would I need to swithc back to winter clothing at some point? I know I will use a 0 degree bag and then switch to 20 degree but I dont know when just like with clothing....packed question i know but I would appreciate any answer!

If you do a traditional NOBO thru-hike, I would hold onto the zero degree bag until at least Pearisburg, VA. It gets might cold above 5000', and Mt Rogers is not a place to experiment with your tolerance for cold.

Clothing wise?

A base layer (top & bottom)
hiking shorts or pants (or both)
a fleece top
wicking shirt
rain jacket (rain pants optional)
couple pairs of socks
hat
gloves
balaclava

That should suffice. Others will dispense different advice.

Good luck!

[Jack Tarlin]

Actually, there are only around a dozen Wal-Marts really close to the Trail.

They can come in handy and will save you money on a lot of stuff, but you'll also go weeks at a time without getting anywhere near one.