a few questions

[Tucky]

Greetings! Im planning a sobo starting the first week in July and have a few questions regarding cold weather gear. Any tips on locations to ship back cold weather gear in the beginning and locations (or time periods) where i would want my cold weather gear further south? Im also wanting to trade in my heavy fleece layer for a down layer, any advice on what to get? Also, any advice on a summer bag?

Thanks in advance!

[DBRIGGS9]

I don't know too much about when and where to send home gear, especially on a SOBO, but I recommend Montbell's UL Down Inner Jacket. I have it and really love it.
Check it out here:
http://www.montbell.us/products/disp.php?cat_id=70&p_id=2301131

Also, I would recommend just getting one 20-30 degree sleeping bag or quilt and using that for the duration of your trip. During summer months you can easily adjust your temperature by simply unzipping the bag, or not covering yourself with it completely. This saves money, and it's one less thing to have to worry about shipping to and fro.

Just my two cents.

[TJ aka Teej]

You won't need cold weather gear in Maine in July. Go with light clothing you can layer. A rain coat like the Marmot Precipt as your outer layer will suffice of the coolest of days. Remember there's no mail-home til Monson. Get the lightest down 30 degree bag you can afford and it might last your whole hike.

[Johnny Thunder]

you'll probably want a 10 degree (or lower) bag in the far south during the last part of your hike...they can be expensive but are worth the money. you can continue to carry this the whole way since the weight difference between an expensive summer bag and an expensive winter bag is about a pound.

I wouldn't be comfortable in a 30 degree bag above 4000 ft in November but that's just me. this past winter was cold and snowy early in the south.

make up for that by not carrying warm weather gear up north. long underwear and rain jacket/pants should do it. if you get too cold while in camp just wrap yourself up in the bag.

by the time you'll need warmer jackets/pants you'll be in the mid-atlantic with many resupply/outfitter options. so you can wait to see what's available when you get there. it's not a big deal to order something from the internet a few weeks in advance and have someone mail it to you on the trail. you might find that you're a warm person and can get by with the light down jacket linked above...personally, i would want something warmer and wouldn't notice the negligible weight increase after hiking almost a thousand miles.

[IronGutsTommy]

under armor cold gear longsleeve tops and leggings are great in colder temps, and i wear mine even when its a bit warmer out as long as im not sweating. the dual benefits of keeping the muscles warm and compression helps reduce soreness and cramping, like when a major league pitcher covers his pitching arm with a jacket (even in 90 degree temps) to keep his arm supple and less cramp/injury prone. hands down one of the best base layers u could go with, and in my opinion the base, which is likely to stay on during the duration of a hiking day even when top layers are added/removed, is the most important layer. for the other stuff, the advice above is solid and theres not much i differ on there. you can always unzip a warmer bag to cool down, or pack a liner to add warmth. i use a down 20, but the 30 or 10 mentioned couldnt hurt. i try to go a lil in the middle of the spectrum since i can alter it as said above, that way i can use a single bag year round

[Low Step]

Hi,
That's a good time to start a SOBO hike, you probably will not need cold weather gear at the beginning. When you are in the White Mountains, just plan on staying in a hut when you're in the presidentials (work for stay). After you pass over Mt. Greylock in Mass, you will be in warmer weather until Virginia. During my SOBO hike, we get our first cold spell in early November: Snow, upper teens in high elevations at night, frozen water bottles. I think it would just depend on where you were when it starts to get cold. You'll know when it's time to get some cold weather gear. It may happen around Pearisburg, or Damascus (VA).

Low Step Mega 2010