View Full Version : Could use a hand...
Ok, so i am heading north in early may, and since i am leaving later than normal i am not really going to see the cold spring temps. So my question is what would be your clothing list if you were in my shoes. I just want something to comapre what i have in mind. Also, a bag rating, i was thinking 40 full zip and then add a liner later when it gets chilly again. I know i am from FL but i have spent alot of time up north and know about the cold too. anyway, i would appreciate some advice, thanks.
T-shirt to hike in. Polypro long sleeve shirt. Lightweight fleece for camp. Rain coat.
Shorts to hike in. Either rain pants or tights for bed. 40 degree bag with liner. Hat, glove liners.
Ditch a lot of stuff once you get over Mt Rogers in Virginia. Keep in mind I sleep cold, so you might be able to do without more, but I wouldn't chance it, even though its may you're still in 4000-6000 ft mountains. Cold rains and snow are possible.
BookBurner
02-13-2005, 09:16
In early May, you are still going to experience some really cold nights. In 2002, the week before Memorial Day was one of the coldest of the entire trip - hail, snow, wet rain. Admittedly, I am not a hot-natured sleeper, but a 40 degree bag wouldn't cut it for me. If you tend to sleep warm, give it a try. But to be safe, start out with the liner for a few weeks instead of saving it just for the end. By the end of May, Summer should be here and you'll be good to go with just the bag.
Happy Trails.
-- BookBurner
AT '02
www.enlightenedthruhiker.com
Take a look at a list (A Sample AT Gear List) that I posted a couple of weeks back. It might give you some things to ponder over.
The link should be:
http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?t=7351
Ok, so i am heading north in early may, and since i am leaving later than normal i am not really going to see the cold spring temps. So my question is what would be your clothing list if you were in my shoes. I just want something to comapre what i have in mind. Also, a bag rating, i was thinking 40 full zip and then add a liner later when it gets chilly again. I know i am from FL but i have spent alot of time up north and know about the cold too. anyway, i would appreciate some advice, thanks.
I carried a 45 degree bag when I started in mid April in 1993. I found it okay, but I augmented it with a one pound down jacket on cold nights. I carried a down jacket the entire six months, mostly for use when I stopped, and needed something for the occasional evening chill, and on blustery summit ridges.
I considered the jacket a dual use supplement to my sleeping bag.
Weary
Kerosene
02-13-2005, 14:40
I like A-Train's list with BookBurner's modification. If it were me I'd probably start out with a 30-degree bag (with a zipper so you can vent) until Mt. Rogers. A sleeping bag liner is also nice in this "in between" season where some nights you might want a little more warmth and for others when you're more or less out of the bag but want to keep the chill off.