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yotarunner77
10-13-2011, 19:49
Thought I would ask yuins on here...I am looking for advice one what for winter gear and such I should take on my nobo thru hike in early march march 2012. Right now I just use military surplus gear but it is too bulky and heavy to take along. I am a little overwhelmed with all the options out there and don't know where to start.....any ideas???

leaftye
10-13-2011, 21:32
How long do you plan to take during breaks and outside your sleeping bag at camp? If that will be very little time, then you don't need much to stay warm because you'll be generating lots of heat while hiking. What can still defeat that is (1) wind, (2) rain and (3) not walking fast enough. Wind is easily handled by a very lightweight wind shirt or thicker nylon shirt, and that can take you into sub-freezing temperatures. I don't have much experience with rain, so I can't help you much there, but I can tell you that you'll probably sweat more than any truly waterproof membrane can handle. Not walking fast enough can be caused by creek crossings, terrain including rocks and snow, and sometimes altitude. Those limit how much heat your body can generate.

A lot of the military cold weather gear relies on fleece, and that stuff is thick, heavy, and really not all that warm unless you use layers of it. An example of this exists in my gear closet. I have a down jacket that has been tested to be 6 times as warm as my 300wt fleece jacket. The down jacket packs to a fraction of the size and weighs much less than the fleece jacket. I'm not a big fan of fleece or wool base layers except when used to keep drafts away while sleeping. As you can probably tell, I'm a big fan of using a puffy layer to stay warm. Zip them up and cinch it tight when you're cold, and zip it open and even wear it backwards when you don't need much insulation...you can stay comfortable and carry much less clothing this way. So that's where I'd start--with the puffy layer.

Hosaphone
10-13-2011, 22:04
How long do you plan to take during breaks and outside your sleeping bag at camp? If that will be very little time, then you don't need much to stay warm because you'll be generating lots of heat while hiking. What can still defeat that is (1) wind, (2) rain and (3) not walking fast enough. Wind is easily handled by a very lightweight wind shirt or thicker nylon shirt, and that can take you into sub-freezing temperatures. I don't have much experience with rain, so I can't help you much there, but I can tell you that you'll probably sweat more than any truly waterproof membrane can handle. Not walking fast enough can be caused by creek crossings, terrain including rocks and snow, and sometimes altitude. Those limit how much heat your body can generate.

Surely I am misreading this, and you aren't recommending going out in early March without a waterproof shell? It's true that you'll end up wet either way, but I'd much prefer to be soaked from the inside by my sweat (which starts out at ~90F or so) than by a cold 33F rain coming from the sky. As you noted, it's about staying warm not about staying dry. But being pelted by sleet and freezing rain will really suck the heat out of you over the course of a day. Once Spring arrives in earnest, sure, go ahead and ditch the rain gear if you're really warm blooded and want to save 6oz... But definitely start out with a rain shell. I love my Dri Ducks.



OP, here are two gear lists that might interest you:
Spokes posts this one in every gear thread and it's a good place to start: http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

Here's a more detailed rundown of what a 2009 thru took: http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?57557-The-gear-that-I-used-on-my-2009-AT-Thru-with-detailed-explanations&highlight=platypus

leaftye
10-14-2011, 00:40
Surely I am misreading this, and you aren't recommending going out in early March without a waterproof shell? It's true that you'll end up wet either way, but I'd much prefer to be soaked from the inside by my sweat (which starts out at ~90F or so) than by a cold 33F rain coming from the sky. As you noted, it's about staying warm not about staying dry. But being pelted by sleet and freezing rain will really suck the heat out of you over the course of a day. Once Spring arrives in earnest, sure, go ahead and ditch the rain gear if you're really warm blooded and want to save 6oz... But definitely start out with a rain shell. I love my Dri Ducks.


You're a little bit off, but not all the way. I don't think a 100% waterproof shell is necessary, so getting something like goretex isn't very helpful and might actually be detrimental when it doesn't breathe enough. Your Dri Ducks is just fine, and even more so when paired with an umbrella.

Hosaphone
10-14-2011, 11:51
Leaftye, how much hiking have you done in freezing rain? Maybe you have this viewpoint because you're from San Diego.... I could be wrong but I'm pretty sure a waterproof shell is necessary. There's got to be a reason even Ray Jardine, the king of minimalist hiking, carries one.

Hosaphone
10-14-2011, 11:57
But I'd have to agree that in my experience you don't get what you pay for when it comes to rain gear.... No WPB shell will breathe well enough to prevent you from getting sweaty inside, and I find that my $15 dri ducks actually breathe better than any expensive shell I've tried (and they weigh less, too, in most cases).

Spokes
10-14-2011, 12:13
This is a tried and true cold weather gear list. Ignore the pop up screen if you get one. Add a 100 weight fleece jacket if you want.

http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

Hosaphone
10-14-2011, 12:26
This is a tried and true cold weather gear list. Ignore the pop up screen if you get one. Add a 100 weight fleece jacket if you want.

http://www.backpacker.com/november_08_pack_man_/articles/12659?page=4

I already stole your thunder, sorry :sun

ekeverette
10-14-2011, 12:47
i don't understand... looking at spokes backcountry list... why do you need 2 sets of long johns... a mid. weight and a light weight?

Hosaphone
10-14-2011, 13:23
i don't understand... looking at spokes backcountry list... why do you need 2 sets of long johns... a mid. weight and a light weight?

I believe the lightweight is for hiking in, and the midweight is for sleeping. As it gets warmer you could ditch the midweight and just use the lightweight for sleeping.

sixhusbands
10-14-2011, 13:58
Before I even looked at where you were from, I already had it pinned down to southern Pennsylvania. That is the only area that uses "yuins" and is sounds great. My wife is from Carlisle and she still uses it. Down south it's y'all and all y'all. In New York and Jersey it's yous guys.
Has anyone heard something different?

Spokes
10-14-2011, 14:12
I believe the lightweight is for hiking in, and the midweight is for sleeping. As it gets warmer you could ditch the midweight and just use the lightweight for sleeping.

Yep that's right. Always need a dry pair for camp too.

Spokes
10-14-2011, 14:16
I already stole your thunder, sorry :sun

No worries. I failed to pick up on the link you included!

bigcranky
10-14-2011, 16:39
Thought I would ask yuins on here...I am looking for advice one what for winter gear and such I should take on my nobo thru hike in early march march 2012. Right now I just use military surplus gear but it is too bulky and heavy to take along. I am a little overwhelmed with all the options out there and don't know where to start.....any ideas???

I wrote this several years ago, but it still works pretty well.

http://www.whiteblaze.net/forum/showthread.php?31242-Cold-Weather-Clothes&p=487795#post487795

yotarunner77
10-14-2011, 23:42
Thanks those lists helped out a bunch...I knew "yuins" would help me out.

Chaco Taco
10-16-2011, 10:45
Yep that's right. Always need a dry pair for camp too.

Why? On the AT, depending on when you are leaving to start, you wont need 2 pairs. I had 1 pair of capilene 2 that I carried the whole way, minus when I dumped them in my bounce for the hot weather through virginia. Most of the time, if you get a really good pair of Base Layers, you will stay pretty dry. When its time for sleeping, you can just shove em down to the bottom of your bag and they will be pretty dry by morning.

Chaco Taco
10-16-2011, 10:50
2 pairs of socks, 1 pair of base socks, 1 pair of baselayer (you typically wont wear these while hiking. The only place you may during the day is The Smokies.), fleece pullover or a down jacket, gloves. Goretex is overboard and will make you sweat so much that you will soak from the inside. Moisture is a way of life. You are going to get wet, your gear will get wet at some point. The sooner you accept that and get used to setting up in rain, the better off you will be. As for rain jackets, The Marmot Precip was a popular choice. ALso EMS Thunderhead is a great jacket, both are breathable. I used the North Face Hyvent and was happy with it. Get a really good winter hat. The Mountain Hardware ones are great.

This is the stuff that worked for me. May not work for you but just remember layers. Obviously when you are in camp, your body will be cooler. Once you start walking, you will shed layers. On higher ridges, you will want something that will keep you warm and something that will block the wind.