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Gacy
12-27-2004, 15:58
In march I will be starting a thru hike at springer and from the journal entries I have read from several sites every one says there sweaty clothes freeze. I have never done any very cold weather backpacking so this has never been a problem for me any input anyone has would be greatly appreciated.

weary
12-27-2004, 16:30
In march I will be starting a thru hike at springer and from the journal entries I have read from several sites every one says there sweaty clothes freeze. I have never done any very cold weather backpacking so this has never been a problem for me any input anyone has would be greatly appreciated.
I put on a down jacket and something to break the wind when I stop for the day. By the time I cook and eat supper, my sweaty clothes have mostly dried themselves from the heat of my body.

But I am also constantly removing and replacing layers while hiking to minimize the build up of sweat. It's impossible to keep from sweating during warm summer days. There's never a real reason to sweat heavily on cold winter days except for the inconvenience of hiking wisely.

Weary

chris
12-27-2004, 16:34
The only way to dry them is with body heat or a fire. I prefer the body heat method, as the only skill it requires is wearing the clothes. In order to do this well, you need enough clothing to stay warm while your body dries out the clothing, and your sleeping bag needs enough loft so that, when you wear the clothes to bed, it won't collapse with the escaping steam.

The other option is to have two sets of thermals. One you hike in and sweat up. The other you lounge in. The lounging one is always dry and comfortable. Put the damp ones under your sleeping pad at night. They won't dry, but they'll be warm in the AM and you won't mind putting them on so much if they are warm. If you go this route, I would actually bring just a single set of thermal tights, and two thermal tops. Thermal underwear is pretty cheap and relatively lightweight. Make the in camp top a heavyweight or expedition weight one, and the hiking one a midweight one. Include a shell of some sort, as any wind will come right through.

Pjter
12-28-2004, 12:46
When on winter operations in the Marines, I would take wet clothing and place it between my sleeping bag and bivy bag at night. The heat from my body would help dry them while sleeping. Really wet stuff was hung in the drying rack inside the tent and then dried with the heat from the stove.

Although a stove in a tent is dangerous and not for the inexperienced, extreme cold calls for extreme measures. It took a lot of fuel too, necessitating the use of a sled to carry gear sometimes for the longer operations.

-PJ

neo
12-28-2004, 12:49
wear them till they dry out:sun neo

SGT Rock
12-28-2004, 12:54
If they are typically just wet from some hiking I'll throw a layer on over them when I first get to camp, they usually dry completly in about 30 minutes while I do camp chores.

TakeABreak
12-28-2004, 13:03
If it is just a t-shirt or socks I would put them in the bottom of my sleeping bag, they would be dry in the morning, I washed my sleeping bag every couple of weeks any ways so the smell did not bother me that much either.

Pencil Pusher
12-28-2004, 19:53
Go to the local laundromat, insert quarters and go get some grub while it dries.

PaddyBeer
12-28-2004, 20:44
Whether it is from rain or sweat, I have found that a combination of the in camp and in the sleeping bag methods is best as long as I take it easy and bring one piece in at a time. In colder temps I use a longer bag so that there is room at the bottom to put the shoes / boots as well as the wet clothing. I take out a piece at a time and use my body heat to work it dry. Obviously efforts begin at camp and continue through the night