Advice for a February 1st NOBO start

[hallister]

Hey guys! I'm taking off February 1st. I know it's gonna be really stinkin cold and I understand the layering clothing system.

Here's my question: Is my 30 degree down sleeping bag gonna be warm enough? Also, will I need to bring some snow shoes or crampons? Any other advice is helpful as well. THANKS ALOT GUYS!

[Pedaling Fool]

It'd be better to take a warmer bag, but you can use a 30 deg, just be prepared to sleep in some winter clothes in addition to just your bag.

No need to take snowshoes or crampons.

[FatMan]

A 30 degree bag is not enough. You will probably survive with lots of winter clothing but you will be miserable.

[Pedaling Fool]

A 30 degree bag is not enough. You will probably survive with lots of winter clothing but you will be miserable.
I agree, you will be miserable.

[Ramble~On]

Crampons and snow shoes might be nice to have along if you needed them...but you will most likely not need them...so that would make carrying them dead weight.

A 30 degree bag would be pushing it in my opinion. There are obvious variables but you can expect to have night time temps into the teens and lower. That's not to say that you might not have some mild nights but for the cold temps at elevation, I wouldn't want a 30* bag.

[max patch]

Any other advice is helpful as well.

Start April 1; your bag will be fine.

[Blue Jay]

Bag not good, you may have to get up in the middle of the night and hike. Bring two head lamps. You may need snow shoes or crampons in the Smokies, I did starting years ago on Feb 13.

[hallister]

Thanks for the advice ya'll. I gotta get an early start so that I have enough time to be back for fall semester at college. Less than a month now..... I cannot wait!

What do you guys use to clean your dishes?

[MOWGLI]

What do you guys use to clean your dishes?

Leaves and H2O. I use soap only in town. Not in the woods.

FYI, I started March 7 at age 38, and with 26 zero days finished August 21. So you might want to rethink your start date. Unless you know you're a slow hiker. If I could go that pace at age 38, you should be able to easily.

[max patch]

What do you guys use to clean your dishes?

I didn't use "dishes" I ate out of the same pot I cooked in. And then cleaned it with water and a bit of camp suds or dr bonners.

[Marta]

You can make the bag work if you have a down jacket and maybe a small fleece blanket to wrap around your legs inside the bag. You can also, as was suggested above, get up around 3 and start hiking. That's way more hardcore than I'd be interested in doing myself, but it's possible.

Plan to carry lots of food. If you're using your body as your furnace, you'll go through more food than you'll believe possible. If you get stranded for a day, you don't want to be hungry, too.

[Blissful]

No way on the sleeping bag for Feb 1st start. (!)

At least 15 degree.

[CrumbSnatcher]

sleeping bag liners add 10 degrees to the bag,turning your (30 into a 20)might be cheaper than buying a new bag? AND MAYBE WAIT A COUPLE MORE WEEKS!!! mid feb. would be alot more forgiving,but HYOH. Ive always used a 20% bag,but my earliest start was mid febuary.

[Lone Wolf]

I understand the layering clothing system.

Here's my question: Is my 30 degree down sleeping bag gonna be warm enough?

what's a "clothing system"?

no. the bag ain't good enuf especially if you plan to sleep in the wooden boxes

[CrumbSnatcher]

no. the bag ain't good enuf especially if you plan to sleep in the wooden boxesgreat point! BRING A TENT:D

[The Solemates]

we started 1 feb 2004. it was a moderately big snow year.

i had a 5-deg bag and my wife carried a 0-deg bag. We had 2-3 nights below 0F, ~15 nights in the single digits and probably half of the nights of our 149 day trip was spent below freezing.

a 30-deg bag is nowhere near warm enough. you'll be miserable.

if you have other specific questions about early starts, we do a lot of winter hiking and would be glad to help.

[snowhoe]

I would wait until April.

[Lyle]

Hey guys! I'm taking off February 1st. I know it's gonna be really stinkin cold and I understand the layering clothing system.

Here's my question: Is my 30 degree down sleeping bag gonna be warm enough? Also, will I need to bring some snow shoes or crampons? Any other advice is helpful as well. THANKS ALOT GUYS!

I'm planning to start at Fontana on the 14th, so may well see you out there. I'm bringing a Montbell UL SS #0 bag. It's rated to 0*. I don't think I would be at all comfortable with a 30* bag. 20* maybe, with extra clothes, 15* probably comfortable. I'm almost certain I will be sleeping plenty warm.

For me:

Snowshoes - no, too much weight for the rather slim possibility they would be needed.

Instep crampons - still deciding. Probably not necessary, but I have hiked here in Mich in winter and wished I had some. Took some potentially nasty falls due to ice. Will probably bring some, just in case.

Hope I run into you, would love to know there is someone else around through the Smokies.

[general]

0 degree. nothing less. you'll still need to sleep in your base layer or more some nights. 0 degree doesn't mean that you'll be comfortable in single digit temps. just alive.

[Jack Tarlin]

Some good advice, especially from Solemates and others who've actually been out there in early February.

A thirty degree bag that early in the season is crazy.

Bring a zero, and in addition, make sure you have plenty of extra clothes, as there may be nights you'll be sleeping in them.

[IndianaBrad]

There Is No Way I Would Take A 30 Degree Bag In February. I Use Western Mountaineering And I Did From Davenport Gap To Fontanna Dam In Late October And And We Had A Surprise Snow Storm And I Had My 20 Degree Bag And It Got Down To 6 Degrees 1 Night And 13 The Next. Your In February. I Am Leaving In Beginning Of March And I Am Taking A Western Mountaineering Kodiak 0 Degree. I Could Take My 15 Or 20 Western Mountaineering And I Am Not Going To Take That Chance Since The Weight Difference Is 12 Ounces. I Am Still Going Light But I Will Have That Security At Least. You Always Can Unzip But You Can Only Put So Much Layers On. Then You Become Uncomfortable. Indianabrad