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Chicken Feathers
04-01-2010, 11:42
I know this is a loaded question but I need to know before I hit the trail. I have to have things set up before I leave. When should one want to mail winter gear home? I know each person is different but can someone give me a ball park destination and. :-?

bigcranky
04-01-2010, 15:08
You are hiking Northbound? The traditional answer is "after Mt Rogers in Virginia."

garlic08
04-01-2010, 16:13
Best guideline I heard was after Trail Days weekend, no matter where you are.

blackbird04217
04-01-2010, 18:10
Personally I carried mine the whole way. And used it as my 'always keep dry layer'. Considering the amount of rain and time that I was wet, it always felt nice to jump into my 'ninja' suit which was dry. Sure it was only thermals, but dry is a huge moral booster. There was probably 1000 miles where I didn't use my fleece but a handful of times, and within that handful I probably would have survived without it, though enjoyed it.

I can't say I had a ton of winter gear, basically just the thermals and fleece. Beyond that my normal hiking pants and tee-shirt. That made up of my wardrobe through the entire hike, besides my rain jacket, which was on quite often. My best advice though since I know more people send their stuff home then collect it later:

Send it home when you are comfortable to do so. When you know you won't be using it again, the trail will tell you - it is funny like that. Just because someone says "May 15th" or "After Such and Such" doesn't mean that is what the weather has been like during your trip. Up here in Maine right now it is in the 60's and likely 70s this weekend, it is abnormally warm this year, at least here. So just listen and feel for it, then when you decide wait till the next town and ship it off. My two pennies worth.

Ox97GaMe
04-02-2010, 08:41
Most hikers are changing gear either at Pearisburg or Damascus, depending on when you get there. you can still get some cold weather events around Mt Rogers, so my suggestion is to wait until P'burg. Most hikers then pick up their winter gear again at or near Hanover NH, to get them prepared for any cold weather events they may encounter in the Whites.