How essential is a down jacket?

[CoolBlue]

I am starting a southbound hike on July 2nd. I was wondering how essential a down jacket would be to get me through Maine and the Whites, if not the whole trail. I am currently planning on carrying a lightweight fleece and long underwear.

[Lone Wolf]

not essential at all. i did a SOBO one year starting june 29. never got too cold

[Kerosene]

Needless to say, there are a lot of factors; chief among them is how cold you feel at what temperature and level of activity.

Starting SOBO in July, I'm pretty sure that you could get by without a down jacket. Remember that your body's thermostat will adjust downward after a few days of being outside. I've found that long underwear, 100-weight fleece, and rain jacket keep me warm in camp down to about 40. If you get too cold then you can either do jumping jacks or get into your sleeping bag early. In very cold weather, your bigger issue may be your hands and feet. Dry socks over your hands can help, but my feet get really cold (and then stay really cold all night). I bring a very lightweight pair of down booties or Possumdown socks for camp.

Come November as you approach Springer there might be evenings and mornings when you'll want a down jacket, but again that should be the exception.

[hikerboy57]

if youve got a rain jacket you should be fine with the fleece.like kerosene says it can get cold at night in the whites, you may be uncomfrtable for a night or two, but you wont die.

[Slo-go'en]

You might want to get that down jacket in October or November if your still on the trail. Up to then you should be fine with a light fleece and wind/rain shell. You'll probably want a long sleeve shirt of some kind too.

[jeffmeh]

Not necessary, but if you can afford a very light one it can make the trek more comfortable, particularly as you lose whatever insulation you naturally carry. :)

[Rasty]

On my last hike I brought a 40 degree down bag and my down jacket and pants. The temp got down to around 35 at night and I was very warm. The nice part is being able to sit around camp for a few hours and be very comfortable.

[FarmerChef]

It's not "necessary" at all. It just depends on your level of comfort as others have said. Fwiw, I've hiked and slept in the mid to low 20s and didn't have a single feather of down. A fleece with a windshell can be just as good, if not better. The fleece "breathes" and you can remove the windshell (aka poncho) to allow this or cover it up if the wind is doing too much breathing for your comfort. Down jackets often do not allow for the removal of the wind layer. Plus, if money is a factor, fleece is much more affordable. Still, it's a personal decision not a "right" or "wrong" one.

[joshuasdad]

If you sleep using a wearable quilt, that can double as a down jacket. Using that method this weekend.

[kidchill]

I went SOBO last year and carried that montbell UL down jacket that looks like a trashbag (Large weighs 8oz) and TNF triumph anorak rain jacket (Large weighs 6oz) the entire trip. I started July 3rd and there was at least one night that was 32deg and and a few nights that hit 35deg while in Maine. The coldest night in NH (the Whites) I was in the Lake of the Clouds hut (there was a storm moving through). The main times you'll be cold is sitting around camp and sleeping. This is magnified if you're sleeping/sitting in your sweat drenched clothes. Most of the time you camp (shelters/campgrounds) you'll be in the valleys, not the peaks, so it'll be a little warmer.

[Del Q]

I ran into a SOBO hiker who spent a lot of cold wet nights in Maine, had a synthetic jacket. I bought a lightweight Mont Bell, wish that I had gotten one with a hood. Light, packs small, use it a lot.............still has insulation value even when wet.

[AngryGerman]

I carried an Army field jacket liner that was issued to me back in the day; it worked well with the rain coat and doubled as my pillow. The field jacket liners are UL, cheap, modifiable and IMO work just as well. Just a thought if you don't want to spend big bucks on an UL down jacket.

[Pedaling Fool]

I've spent some very cold nights on the trail. I've never owned a Down Jacket; I'm still alive, unless you believe in ghosts:dance

[Spirit Bear]

I am starting a southbound hike on July 2nd. I was wondering how essential a down jacket would be to get me through Maine and the Whites, if not the whole trail. I am currently planning on carrying a lightweight fleece and long underwear.For the weight, it's an essential item in my pack. It's nice to throw on at night before going to bed when temps dip down below 40 and it is a huge plus to have in the morning after a high 20 to mid 30 degree night. My shelter is a hammock and tarp so I use my jacket as extra insulation around my legs in addition to my underquilt. Down is lighter than fleece and insulates better.

[q-tip]

For me, it is a crucial piece of gear. Even in hot weather, I get cold after hiking and having this jacket gets me warmed right up. I didn't have it when I started in March 2010 and froze nightly until I got one. I have the Mont Bell 6.5 oz . IMOH....

[Snowleopard]

A down jacket for July in New England is usually not needed for comfort. In the more extreme conditions on the mountains, especially the White Mts, if it gets wet it isn't warm. Extreme hypothermia conditions for summer in the presidential range: temps just above freezing (33F), torrential rain, winds above 60mph. To avoid hypothermia, I'd say add a thicker fleece to what you have, have a warm hat and gloves, rain parka and rain pants. A synthetic jacket, like a Patagonia nanopuff could be used instead of fleece and is lighter, but the fleece is probably warmer when wet.

When it gets much below freezing, the down jacket is nice to have.

[Water Rat]

Honestly, with the weather this year, I wouldn't count any kind of weather out.

[1azarus]

I am not a fan of down jackets... or of fleeces. snowleopard is right on -- a synthetic "sweater" like a nanopuff or thermowrap is way more useful for the weight. Consider bringing a really big rain jacket -- big enough to fit your sleeping bag under (hood on head, wrapped around back/tummy) -- if you need to be warmer when in camp. kind of like the wearable quilt idea Joshuasdad mentions. If you wear your sleeping bag you'll also have more room at shelters because people will assume you are an idiot and move off a bit. ;<))

[Odd Man Out]

I almost always have a jacket of some kind. If I don't need it to keep warm, it's my pillow.

[rocketsocks]

If you wear your sleeping bag you'll also have more room at shelters because people will assume you are an idiot and move off a bit. ;<))Now that's funny:D