View Full Version : Winter Gear - When????
hikerjohnd
12-30-2004, 22:38
I will be leaving for my hike in mid March and know I'll nead cold weather gear at the start. I was wondering when I should expect to send it home, and when I might think about needing it again. By the Whites? sooner? later? Please share you wisdom - I need all I can get!
:jump
Todd Kirkendol
12-30-2004, 22:47
You can send all of your cold gear home (with the exception of maybe 1 long sleeve shirt for cool nights) once you get over Mt. Rodgers in VA. You need to have your cold gear sent back to you before you enter the Whites. Hope this helps.
Footslogger
12-30-2004, 22:51
I will be leaving for my hike in mid March and know I'll nead cold weather gear at the start. I was wondering when I should expect to send it home, and when I might think about needing it again. By the Whites? sooner? later? Please share you wisdom - I need all I can get!
:jump==============================
Weather every year is a bit different so you could get fooled. But here's what I did. I send a bunch of stuff home in Damascus ...ended up being WAY too soon. In retrospect, Pearisburg was a better timing point based on the weather in 2003. You start to get some cool nights in September but layering of clothes at night works OK. I would suggest Glencliff, NH as the spot for getting your cold weather clothing and gear back. It's just before you start into the Whites.
Hope that helps ...
'Slogger
AT 2003
hungryhowie
12-30-2004, 23:56
Although weather varies from year to year, Pearisburg, VA, seems to be a fairly consistent place recommended to send stuff home. Those who send it home in Damascus usually hit some cold nights over Mt. Rogers and wish they'd waited until Pearisburg. Of course, if you get there and are still having coldish nights, you can just bounce your warmer weather gear up the trail a week as needed. If you're planning on switching to a lighter weight bag, you might want to keep your warmer clothing for a little while to ensure you don't get too cold at night. I had one friend who ditched all of his stuff in Catawba and switched to a rucksack and a bedsheet...heard he was a little cold until he got his sleeping bag back...
Oh yeah, and Glencliff, NH is a good bet for when you should get a few warmer things back. Climbing back up to 6000 feet is no place to be caught without gear that can take you to the freezing mark. Obviously, if you travel slower than "average", you may need it sooner. Have a great hike!
-howie
Definately depends on the year, weather patterns and your pace, as people have suggested. I only sent some winter stuff home in Glasgow VA, WAynsboro and Harpers Ferry WV. Some stuff I kept the length of the trip, but I started early and stayed pretty consistent.
Also depends on how you deal with cold. I almost always backpack with a winter hat even in the warmer months, but thats just me.
Some of the best advice that I heeded was to keep your cold weather gear until after Mt. Rodgers, or Pearisburg. And I started in late April.
Much of the Trail between Springer and Mt. Rodgers is high. So, the cold weather can linger. After Mt. Rodgers, the elevations are lower until until New Hampshire.
The other advice is to hang onto your cold weather gear until after Memorial Day. Locals in the hills down south know enough not to plant their gardens before then because of late frosts. (And this did happen the year I hiked).