warm enough?

[stonedflea]

hey y'all. =)

i'm planning on thru-hiking the foothills trail of nc/sc here in two weeks or so. it's 72 here today in charleston, but it was in the 40s last night.

the averages for the foothills in december are 51/38.

i've not done anything longer than a day hike, and when i go camping i plan it around the weather as far as not being out in the rain, so i've always just worn jeans hiking/camping.

i know cotton = bad, so i'm trying to figure out what kind of pants to wear. i was looking through the forums and someone mentioned maybe wearing leggings under a pair of quick-drying shorts.

i was looking at under armour cold gear today at dick's... would a long pair of those under a pair of shorts be warm enough, or should i actually get a pair of insulated pants?

thanks ahead of time for the input. =)

[Wags]

to hike in? you won't need much insulation on your legs as long as you are walking. during breaks you can simply sit on a piece of your sleeping pad. at night, stick em in your sleeping bag... no need to get fancy brosef

a simple pair of convertible nylon hiking pants should do the trick...

some guys like tights (like your under armour) with a pair of shorts overtop. up to you

[bigcranky]

Two things to consider: hiking and camp. For hiking, shorts or light nylon pants are almost certainly enough. If it's much colder than that, you can wear long John bottoms underneath. For camp, you'll want more warmth, so i usually start with the pants over the long johns, then add rain pants, or just put on my sleeping bag as needed.

The same applies to your upper half, too. Light clothing to hike, an insulated jacket for camp. Bring a warm hat a mittens, too.

[burntoutphilosopher]

it's important you know what your body is hardy to. i learned htta lesson when i went to winnipeg and my family members had T shirts on and it was 38 F. and these people were outside for HOURS. i was going numb.

anyway if you're from the south you might need a longsleeve wool shirt or something but i think most people in long pants and a button up shirt would be plenty warm;

that said, add altitude and you have the possibility of snow... wet coastal snow. i would be more concerned about that than the cold itself. something that insulates well when wet like my favourite Capilene three would come in good handy.


what's your budget and what other gear do you know you're bringing ?

[rip waverly]

those before me have said it well.
at those temps, i hike in silk weight leggings and umbro shorts.
when i hit camp, i throw on a heavier weight long-john and wind &-or rain pant.

[couscous]

.. from http://www.yuksrus.com/weather_coldtemp.html

"Cold" is a relative term. Use the handy list below to overcome
the confusion. Degrees (Fahrenheit)

65 - Hawaiians declare a two-blanket night
60 - Californians put on sweaters (if they can find one)
50 - Miami residents turn on the heat
45 - Vermont residents go to outdoor concerts
40 - You can see your breath
- Californians shiver uncontrollably
- Minnesotans go swimming
35 - Italian cars don't start
32 - Water freezes
30 - You plan your vacation to Australia
25 - Ohio water freezes
- Californians weep pitiably
- Minnesotans eat ice cream
- Canadians go swimming
20 - Politicians begin to talk about the homeless
- New York City water freezes
- Miami residents plan vacation further South
15 - French cars don't start
- Cat insists on sleeping in your bed with you
10 - You need jumper cables to get the car going
5 - American cars don't start
0 - Alaskans put on T-shirts
-10 - German cars don't start
- Eyes freeze shut when you blink
-15 - You can cut your breath and use it to build an igloo
- Arkansans stick tongue on metal objects
- Miami residents cease to exist
-20 - Cat insists on sleeping in pajamas with you
- Politicians actually do something about the homeless
- Minnesotans shovel snow off roof
- Japanese cars don't start
-25 - Too cold to think
- You need jumper cables to get the driver going
-30 - You plan a two week hot bath
- Swedish cars don't start
-40 - Californians disappear
- Minnesotans button top button
- Canadians put on sweaters
- Your car helps you plan your trip South
-50 - Congressional hot air freezes
- Alaskans close the bathroom window
-80 - Hell freezes over
- Polar bears move South
- Viking Fans order hot cocoa at the game
-90 - Lawyers put their hands in their own pockets

[stonedflea]

couscous -> haha, thanks for that. the -90 made me lol.

thank y'all for pointing out that cold is a relative term. i'm from the south and i hate cold weather... i would MUCH rather it be 115 with 90% humidity than 41 any day.

i'm not too worried about the hiking aspect, rather the camping part. my camping experience is limited to ms and tn. the only time i haven't woken up in the middle of the night because i was shivering and cold was when i was sleeping outside of a tent a little bit too close to the fire. it's probably a wonder a stray spark didn't light me up that time. my bag that i've been camping with is a coleman +40.

now the friend that i'm going hiking with in a few weeks said i could borrow a bag of his and he said there's no way that i'll be getting cold in it. i'm not really worried, per se, but i would prefer to be comfortable this entire trip so that i can enjoy it. like i said, i'd rather be hiking in 90 degree weather, hands down.

my budget is somewhat limited; i can't afford a $150 pair of pants. the under armour leggings were $50 at dick's, and i thought about checking ebay to see if i could find cheaper, but i wouldn't mind spending $50 on a pair of pants if i knew they'd keep me comfortable for 5 days out.

[10-K]

Not to veer off your question too much but you'll love the Foothills Trail. It's well maintained, well blazed and there aren't any terribly difficult climbs.

I found it to be more remote than most of the AT....

To your question - a cheap pair of convertibles from Dicks will do fine... Pick up a pair of Dri Ducks to wear if it rains and you're good.

[Skidsteer]

..now the friend that i'm going hiking with in a few weeks said i could borrow a bag of his and he said there's no way that i'll be getting cold in it. i'm not really worried, per se, but i would prefer to be comfortable this entire trip so that i can enjoy it. like i said, i'd rather be hiking in 90 degree weather, hands down.

The Underarmour leggings will probably be useful but you really need to nail down what sleeping bag your friend is going to loan you.

Staying warm while hiking is a lot easier and cheaper than staying warm while sleeping.

[Carbo]

.. from http://www.yuksrus.com/weather_coldtemp.html

"Cold" is a relative term. Use the handy list below to overcome
the confusion. Degrees (Fahrenheit)...

LOL

Probably more accurate than my back porch thermometer.

[Egads]

The Underarmour leggings will probably be useful but you really need to nail down what sleeping bag your friend is going to loan you.

Staying warm while hiking is a lot easier and cheaper than staying warm while sleeping.

+truth

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[Del Q]

To me once the sun is up and you are moving, the cold is not an issue, even in REALLY low temps. To me the issue is really like 4am - 7am and the cold from the ground or wood in a shelter.

Weather can change a lot, humidity really changes the comfort level or lack thereof, rain gear, hat(s), gloves, long underwear. On one WB thread a guy from Minnesota stated that the coldest he ever experienced was a 35 degree rainy day in Georgia.

Go prepared, could be a COLD winter!

[bigcranky]

To me the issue is really like 4am - 7am and the cold from the ground or wood in a shelter.

+1. Those pre-dawn hours are the only times I'll get cold, even in moderate weather.

To the original poster:

No jeans, no cotton underwear, no cotton t-shirts, no cotton socks. Go to Target and look in the athletic clothing -- they have some very good synthetic clothing for the trail. Much of it is Champion brand. You can find light long- and short- sleeved tops, shorts with or without liners, synthetic boxer briefs or panties, a nice light wind breaker jacket, and wool socks. You may be able to find cargo pants made of nylon, which make great hiking pants.

For camp, it's going to be cold. Lows in the 30s are easily handled, but that's cold. You'll want to have dry layers to change into -- including dry socks, and dry long johns top and bottom. (OK, these can maybe be cotton, if you promise you will NOT HIKE in them. They are for camp/sleeping only, and you have to keep them DRY. But it's better if they are wool or poly.) You'll want a warm sweater or jacket to put on, like a heavy weight fleece or a down or puffy synthetic jacket. You can find this stuff at Target, too. Bring a big warm hat and gloves, and maybe a scarf or neck gaiter.

You said your friend will lend you a warm bag -- great! -- but make sure you have a good sleeping pad, too, since a lot of heat is lost to the ground. Just a $15 closed cell blue foam pad from Wally World's camping department will be fine for this.

Good luck, and stay warm.

[Sly Reynard]

In my experience hiking on the Foothills Trail isn't bad year round (last year we got some snow), it's the sleeping (particularly near the river) and the general "around the campsite" times that get chilly (especially with so much dark time).

[Sly Reynard]

If I were going to plan on sleeping on the FHT next week I would probably take a good 20 deg down bag, poly thermals, wool socks, fleece cap, and maybe some fleece mittens and a wool neck gaiter. And a decent pad. And I would probably be very comfortable.

Love the Foothills Trail, backpack on it 12 months a year.

[Wags]

check your local army/navy store for polypro tights instead of the underarmours if you're on a budget. you'll save yourself $30