Planning my sobo trip

[Honuben]

Just wanted to get some information to help plan my trip. I don't have backpacking experience but am an active hiker out here in hawaii. Being said, I don't get to test cold weather gear unless I'm in the movie theaters with freezing a/c. Joking aside, i was originally planning a nobo trip in 2015 but my timeframe moved up and can start sobo June 11/12th, 2014. I felt confident starting with my cold weather gear, shipping it home at warmer wether then getting it back in New England. Now, as I am going southbound is there a similar strategy? Would it be recommended to carry my cold weather gear (20 degree down bag, down vest) until passing through the Whites, then getting my warmer gear (40 degree quilt). With my inexperience I'm leading to holding my colder weather gear until confident it's gonna stay warm. I will post my gear later if requested, but would like to get others logistical approach to gear changes going southbound.

[Nick P]

I'm mailing my cold weather gear to Damascus for the Smokies in November, and using a 40 bag plus liner until then, but as this is my first SOBO, what do I know?
'Best of luck!

[Honuben]

Thanks nick, I saw some older posts from sobo of years past starting with a 40 degree bag and now I'm wondering if I'm going too warm. Though this is a better option than too cold.

[4eyedbuzzard]

IMO you are right on the cusp of seeing anything <40 degree temps in ME in early June. By late June you should be fine. You likely won't hit NH until July, and your 40 will do fine probably until late Sept. Which should have you somewhere in VA I'm thinking. I usually only take a 35 degree WM bag from late May to mid Sept in NH - but it is a true 35 bag plus I have a base layer. I'm thinking you would probably be okay starting with the 40 quilt and base layer.

[Honuben]

That's great info 4eyedbuzzard, thanks. with my lack experience,it's nice to get good feedback.

[wcgornto]

I'm mailing my cold weather gear to Damascus for the Smokies in November, and using a 40 bag plus liner until then, but as this is my first SOBO, what do I know?
'Best of luck!

I would suggest cold weather gear sooner ... Pearisburg or Daleville. I sent mine to Daleville (15 degree bag in place of 30 degree bag, added long sleeve base layer, added rain jacket back to my pack). It was all in the nick of time, as the weather changed to cold the day after heading out from Daleville. There was a day of near freezing rain and a night of snow and ice ... plus there was brutal wind at near freezing temperatures for a full day ... all during the hike from Daleville to Pearisburg between the 14th and 18th of October. If I had waited until Damascus to upgrade to colder weather gear, I would have been extremely uncomfortable and even unsafe. The one essential thing that I was missing during this stretch was waterproof gloves / mittens. Simple fleece gloves are useless when wet and / or when subjected to steady, strong wind.

[Blissful]

if it helps, I've got a blog series on southbound vs northbound hiking - I've done it both ways. I'll need to look at it as it was written in 2011 but basically the scenerios are the same.

[wcgornto]

Just wanted to get some information to help plan my trip. I don't have backpacking experience but am an active hiker out here in hawaii. Being said, I don't get to test cold weather gear unless I'm in the movie theaters with freezing a/c. Joking aside, i was originally planning a nobo trip in 2015 but my timeframe moved up and can start sobo June 11/12th, 2014. I felt confident starting with my cold weather gear, shipping it home at warmer wether then getting it back in New England. Now, as I am going southbound is there a similar strategy? Would it be recommended to carry my cold weather gear (20 degree down bag, down vest) until passing through the Whites, then getting my warmer gear (40 degree quilt). With my inexperience I'm leading to holding my colder weather gear until confident it's gonna stay warm. I will post my gear later if requested, but would like to get others logistical approach to gear changes going southbound.

I started my SOBO hike at about the same time, on June 14. I hiked with a 30 degree bag from Katahdin to Daleville and then switched to a 15 degree bag. I swapped out at the right time, as I didn't need the warmer bag at all before then, and I definitely needed the warmer bag immediately after then. There were some SOBO's who used a 20 degree bag the full length of the trail. If you are using a 20 and a 40, it is probably best to use the 20 until Hanover, NH, then swap to the 40 and then back to the 20 at Harper's Ferry or Front Royal. I kept my 30 until Daleville, but I would have been quite uncomfortable with a 40 through Shenandoah National Park, as my 30 was borderline.

The other switch I made was I sent my rain jacket home from Hanover and didn't get it back until Daleville. Once I got through the cool June weather in Maine into the Whites in July, I found that when it rained, I was just as wet with or without the rain jacket, as I sweated profusely with it on. I opted for one pound less in my pack for 1000 miles and hiked in the rain with no rain protection. It was fine, as the rain was warm during the peak of the summer.

The other thing I added in Daleville was another layer ... a long sleeve base layer to wear over my short sleeve base layer. I found that I needed all of these warmer things starting at Daleville, as I had everything in my pack on just two days further south.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Found this chart in my old files. It's almost 20 years old, but I doubt overall average climate has changed that much.

Average Temperatures Along the Appalachian Trail

Weather recording stations are not always near the A.T.
Where the A.T. is higher than the nearest recording station,
subtract 3.5° per 1,000 ft. to approximate actual trail temperatures.
Some examples are provided—click town name for details.
Guidebooks and maps include detailed elevation information.

The higher the mountain,
the colder, windier and wetter
you can expect it to be.

Temperatures shown = high / low, in degrees Farenheit
Location	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	May	June	July	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Millinocket, Maine 450 ft	25 6	29 7	38 18	50 30	64 40	73 49	79 56	77 53	68 45	57 35	42 27	29 12
Pinkham Notch, N.H. 2,000 ft	27 7	28 7	35 16	47 28	61 39	69 48	74 53	72 51	64 44	55 35	41 24	29 11
Mt. Washington, N.H. 6,252 ft	14 -2	14 -2	19 4	31 17	36 23	51 39	53 42	54 43	44 34	30 16	27 14	17 1
Barre-Montpelier, Vermont 1,122 ft	27 8	29 9	37 18	51 31	64 41	74 51	78 55	76 52	68 44	58 36	44 27	30 13
Somerset, Vermont 2,080 ft	27 7	28 5	36 14	48 27	61 38	70 47	75 51	73 49	66 42	56 33	41 23	29 12
Pittsfield, Mass. 1,170 ft	30 12	32 14	39 22	53 33	66 43	75 52	79 56	78 55	69 47	59 37	46 29	33 17
Location	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	May	June	July	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Bear Mountain, New York 1,300 ft	32 18	33 19	43 27	55 38	66 48	75 57	79 63	77 61	70 54	60 44	47 33	35 22
Mt. Pocono, Pennsylvania 1,915 ft	31 16	32 15	41 22	54 34	66 43	74 51	77 56	76 55	69 48	60 39	46 28	33 18
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 338 ft	38 24	41 26	49 31	64 42	75 52	83 61	87 65	85 63	78 56	67 45	52 35	41 26
Hagerstown, Maryland 560 ft	41 25	44 27	51 31	63 40	74 50	82 59	86 63	84 61	78 54	67 43	53 34	42 26
Shenandoah N.P. Virginia 3,535 ft	39 20	40 21	47 26	59 37	67 46	74 54	76 57	75 56	69 50	60 41	49 30	39 22
Peaks of Otter, Virginia 2,605 ft	41 24	45 27	49 30	64 43	72 52	77 58	81 63	79 62	73 56	63 46	51 35	42 27
Location	Jan.	Feb.	March	April	May	June	July	Aug.	Sept.	Oct.	Nov.	Dec.
Burkes Garden, Virginia 3,300 ft	42 23	43 23	51 29	62 38	70 45	76 52	79 56	78 55	73 48	64 38	51 29	43 23
Watauga Dam, Tenn. 1,760 ft	49 29	52 30	55 32	68 41	77 52	83 59	86 62	86 62	81 55	71 46	57 33	48 27
Banner Elk, N.C. 3,710 ft	44 24	45 24	51 29	61 36	69 44	75 52	77 55	77 54	73 48	64 38	52 29	45 24
Hot Springs, N.C. 1,480 ft	51 31	52 32	60 37	70 44	78 53	85 61	87 64	86 63	82 58	72 47	60 36	51 31
Gatlinburg, Tenn. 1,454 ft	51 27	54 28	61 34	71 42	79 50	86 58	88 59	87 60	83 55	73 43	61 32	52 27
Blairsville, Georgia 1,917 ft	52 27	54 29	60 33	70 41	77 49	83 57	85 61	85 60	80 54	71 42	61 32	53 27

This chart is adapted from the 1993 edition of ATC's
Walking the Appalachian Trail Step by Step.

[Honuben]

Thanks Blissful, I actually read your blog a few weeks back and its go some good stuff for me to look into on my early resupplies.

Wcgornto, I keep thinking about it, and flipping in my mind how to go. I've been acclimated to the warmer weather for 10 years now. The warmer bag seems safer to start with and change it out as I get adjusted. Its funny that you mentioned the rain coat issue, as I've run across the wetter under the jacket issue here in Hawaii. I enjoy the rain to cool off.

4eyedbuzzard - great chart, i was looking for historical temps for individual cities, this takes care of them all. I wonder how much temps have changed over that time frame.

[4eyedbuzzard]

Thanks Blissful, I actually read your blog a few weeks back and its go some good stuff for me to look into on my early resupplies.

Wcgornto, I keep thinking about it, and flipping in my mind how to go. I've been acclimated to the warmer weather for 10 years now. The warmer bag seems safer to start with and change it out as I get adjusted. Its funny that you mentioned the rain coat issue, as I've run across the wetter under the jacket issue here in Hawaii. I enjoy the rain to cool off.

4eyedbuzzard - great chart, i was looking for historical temps for individual cities, this takes care of them all. I wonder how much temps have changed over that time frame.

I doubt temps have changed much at all, even given all the science and pseudoscience that we have been subjected to. BUT these are only AVERAGE hi/low temps from several years of data. The extremes could be significantly higher, and more importantly lower. And I have personally witnessed it snow (quick shower) on Mt. Washington in mid July once (but that was really rare and didn't last - just a freaky cold day), but you don't camp above timberline anyway. That said, I think if you plan on seeing 10 degrees lower at times AND have a way to increase warmth such as adding a base layer, vest, etc you are probably okay in late spring through early fall even if a cold snap hits. The winter extremes/deviations from average are worse than summer ones almost everywhere. Summer temps tend to be more predictable and heat waves aren't a gear change issue.

[q-tip]

I have a number of extensive spreadsheet for gear (weight , cost), food/calorie requirements, training. If interested send me your email, they are too large to send PM

[Honuben]

Thanks Q-tip for the info.

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a mp3 player that runs off of AAA batteries.

[HikerMom58]

Thanks Q-tip for the info.

Was wondering if anyone could recommend a mp3 player that runs off of AAA batteries.

I can't speak to that question , Honuben But, if you need a place to send ur "swap box" 2, other than the PO in Daleville, VA. Let me know. I've kept boxes for other hikers at my place. I live close to the trail in Daleville and would be happy to allow you to send ur box to my place. I have the space.

[Honuben]

Thanks HikerMom I will take you up on that offer.

[HikerMom58]

Thanks HikerMom I will take you up on that offer.

OK.. no prob. I'll PM you my address, then.

[Honuben]

Think i finalized my gear for the my thru hike. This is what I'm starting with and will carry past the Whites. From there i will lighten my gear and receive my cold weather gear in VA. I would appreciate some criticism/critiquing of what got. My warmer winter gear is not included so keep in mind this is just for the first 500 miles or so. There are a few items i don't have weight on like the AM, Tp, carabiner, and will add those but those don't seem to be a significant weight, though its funny how the ounces add up. Also some background on my is that I'm relatively inexperienced as a backpacker, but do hike a lot here in Hawaii. Also I am 6'3 230 lbs and relatively good shape, so could stand to go heavier if i missed something. Thanks

http://lighterpack.com/r/btpua5

[forrest!]

This looks really good Honuben. June start? Does that tarp tent have mosquito netting? I see you have a headnet. A small bottle of Deet would be a good idea.

Forrest

[Honuben]

Hey Forest. Yes should have posted that starting June 14th, after flying in on the 12th and taking the 13th to relax and pick up the stuff i cant carry on the plane. The tarp has a bug net and bathtub floor. I don't have the deet yet,forgot about it. Thanks for the reminder.

[Honuben]

It looks like my start date will be pushed back between july 20th and august 1rst. Starting out in Maine doesn't bother me on those dates but am a little worried about the weather down south. I'm glad that 4eyedbuzzard shared those historical temps. Has anyone started in August and what should i expect with the later start.