SOBO GEAR questions

[Megapixel]

i leave SOBO for my solo thru this weekend and I'm wondering about cold weather gear. What do i really need clothing wise? Can i get by without the gloves and beanie?

I'm counting on taking convertible pants, wool tshirt, patagonia long sleeve base 1, few pair of socks, 1 boxer for sleep... and a down jacket.

i could also take a patagonia base 3 pullover and a pair of smartwool baselayer bottoms, but i'm thinking its summer right?

[Lord Helment]

i'm leaving sobo in early july and am taking no cold weather gear initially....just a fleece jacket and rain jacket....i will be picking up my cold weather gear in bethel maine before heading into the whites....gloves, down jacket, balaclava, etc

[Megapixel]

yeah i should've put on there i do have a rain jacket- not insulated.

[emerald]

Mount Washington Observatory (http://www.mountwashington.org/weather/normals.php)

hikeSafe gear list (http://hikesafe.com/index.php?page=full-gear-list)

Expect tmperatures below 50°F and wind speeds in excess of 25 mph above treeline in New England. Conditions can deteriorate rapidly.

Necessity may dictate traversing exposed heights in a gale-driven, heavy rain. Well-prepared hikers carry clothing appropriate for such conditons.

I'd carry a full rain suit, sweater or pile jacket, watch cap and mittens. The last two items could be sent home from Glencliff or Hanover or given to a northbounder.

[mudhead]

Hat before down jacket for me.

[emerald]

I question the utlity of a down jacket. Surely someone wouldn't wear down under a rain jacket when hiking above treeline.

When would a down jacket be of any use, in camp? If I'm that cold, I'd be hiking or in my down bag.

[Kerosene]

A reasonably clean pair of wool socks can serve as mittens in a pinch.

You definitely wouldn't want to hike in a down jacket, which is why I typically go with a microfleece or a second warm long-sleeve if I expect sub-40 weather and +20 wind when I hike.

[Blissful]

No gloves our down jacket. I did take a synthetic ultralight Montbell jacket. And a hat at all times.

[Slo-go'en]

You need one warm outer layer. It is summer but we can still get temps in the 40's, usually in the early morning.

If the down jacket is one of those which weighs next to nothing and packs real small, you might as well take it. The other option is a fleece jacket or light wool shirt, either which will be more bulky and weight more.

Personally, I go with the light wool shirt, as I don't have a light down jacket.

[TJ aka Teej]

A reasonably clean pair of wool socks can serve as mittens in a pinch.
Worked for Earl Shaffer!

[palustris]

I question the utlity of a down jacket. Surely someone wouldn't wear down under a rain jacket when hiking above treeline.

Hi all, I apologize for resurrecting a thread from a year and a half ago just to answer my question; I didn’t see how to send a PM. I’m new to the forum so I was reading through previous posts so I don’t ask about something that has been discussed to exhaustion.
Would someone please explain why wearing down under a rain jacket is a problem? I understand down’s ineffectiveness if it becomes wet, but isn’t this the point of the rain jacket? Pardon my ignorance.

[Snowleopard]

Would someone please explain why wearing down under a rain jacket is a problem? I understand down’s ineffectiveness if it becomes wet, but isn’t this the point of the rain jacket? Pardon my ignorance.
You need to be able to avoid hypothermia. Any exposed location in New England can have heavy rain with 50+ mph winds and temps in the 40s in summer. It happens more often above tree line in NH where conditions can be much worse than this (i.e., 100+ mph winds). What I carry in southern New England on summer overnights: rain parka and rain pants, fleece or synthetic jacket, fleece hat, synthetic pants and shirt; unless I'm confident about the forecast I'd carry a light weight or medium weight base layer. For northern New England where there might be exposure to wind (especially above tree line) I'd add a second fleece jacket (or one heavy weight one), 2 layers of light weight baselayer (top and bottom) or one medium or heavy weight layer, a second hat (in case one blows away), warm gloves and perhaps waterproof shell mitts. Also, if the weather was bad I'd reconsider going above tree line. For rain gear in summer I usually carry DriDucks; for above treeline in summer I'd replace the driducks jacket with a very good Event Parka.

In in cold windy rain, the down jacket might get too wet to protect you from hypothermia. It's hard to stay dry in heavy wind driven rain even with the best rain gear. A light down jacket can be great for staying warm in camp when it's cold, but not for rain. They're light and would be great for when the rain stops and the temp drops 40 degrees if you've kept it dry in your pack. Usually a down jacket under a rain parka will be far too warm for hiking and it'll get wet from sweat.

A good article for everyone to read is Old Fhart's article on hypothermia: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/content.php?199-Hypothermia

[palustris]

Got it. Thanks, Snowleopard.

[bigcranky]

You're going to sweat inside the rain shell while hiking. Well, I sweat in there, anyway. Even in really cold weather. That sweat will soak the down jacket - not useful. Just hanging around and not hiking, then yes, the shell keeps the down jacket dry.

Cold rain is my least favorite hiking weather, because I am going to be soaked no matter what I do -- that means I can't stop until I'm done for the day. So I wear a light base layer top and bottom and a rain shell and pants, and that keeps me reasonably warm even though I'm soaked inside the jacket from sweat. I put energy bars and Snickers in my pockets and just keep walking. When I'm ready to stop for the day, it can get tricky -- I need to get out of my wet clothing and into some dry, warm clothes as quickly as possible. But if it's really cold and still raining I'll need to get my tent or tarp set up first, which can be difficult if my fingers aren't working. This makes finding a shelter a happy thing. Get some dry clothes on, get the stove fired up and make hot drinks, grab some quick food, and start making dinner.

If it's well below freezing, then it's not raining, of course. Then I find a light microfleece useful under my shell in very cold, windy weather. It does get damp from sweat, but I can ventilate as needed, and damp fleece is much more useful than wet down.