I’ve got all my gear for my thru-hike this year, but I have just one question. I am trying to go as light as I can. I am carrying 2 t-shirts(Under-Armour), 1 thermal insulated long sleeve shirt, and 1 warm lightweight fleece jacket. Can anyone tell me if this is too much or not enough for a thru-hike start in late March? Thanks a million!
m.d.
This is not going to help much but, hear is my 2 cent’s. It depends on the weather in March. Get rid of 1 of the t-shirts and add a very light insulated layer. The Flash Vest by western mountaineering is a good choice. You did not mention a jacket/wind shell.
This is a question only you can answer too because you know your body. I took more layers and when I got to neels gap I sent stuff home. One more thing to consider is what sleeping bag you are going to carry. I started with a big fat down jacket and I am happy I had it. It weighed in at a pound but it was well worth the weight.
Hope this helps
YoungNdum
:cheers
youngndum
You might want to add something like a Precip, Frog Toggs, etc. top and bottom to block the wind and water and for added warmpth on a real cold day. I prefer a down jacket to fleece. Some sort of headgear and lightweight gloves would be good. You lose a lot of heat from your head and cold hands are no fun. I used a 25 deg bag with a liner which adds 5-10 deg. I used my tent on real cold nights which was warmer than sleeping in a shelter.
Have fun.
Steady On
Steady On
Well, as youngndum and Steady On have pointed out, the obvious thing you’re missing is a shell of some kind. I use a Sierra Design Microlight anorak and pants for this purpose, but others prefer a waterproof to a DWR shell (like Steady On does above). I use an umbrella, so I don’t need quite the same level of waterproofing.
There are two other recommends I’ll give as well though: add a pair of silk-weight bottoms and switch out the fleece for an insulated jacket. REI silk-weights will do fine if you’re a ground sleeper (if you’re a hanger you’ll need to make that mid-weights) as extra bag insulation, and they also provide back-up warmth for those really cold days. The insulated jacket should be something like the Flash or Thru-Hiker’s Kinsman Pullover, a very light DWR shell and liner with high performance synthetic insulation. It will be much more useful than the traditional fleece.
Hope this helps and Good Hiking!
Strategic
thanks guys for the input. i’ll check into each response and figure out my next move. appreciate it and happy trails!
m.d.
m.d.
I agree with the shell layer, as well as the thermal bottoms base layer. A thermal base layer on your legs really makes a significant difference when the temp drops below freezing. I wear a wool sweater for my mid layer instead of a fleece. But, that is a matter of personal preference.
Also, don’t forget mittens. They’re relatively cheap, don’t weigh much and can be sent home at any time. But, you’ll love having them if you need them.
Good luck,
Nature
Naturejunkie
I’d say that’s enough for late march. that’s all i carried was two shirts and a jacket. just don’t forget your winter hat and gloves. the hat will keep you warmer than anything.
guess i disagree somewhat with the above posters, as i don’t think you need anything more than that. a second shell layer in addition to a jacket seems redundant.
but yes, in the beginning you will have a few nights when you’re wearing every article of clothing to bed at night, but you’re not going to freeze with that. and unless you’re from Florida or something, you probably won’t wear much when you’re actually hiking, as you’ll stay warm from the exercise–even in snow i was in shorts and a t-shirt and just had my fleece at the ready for whenever i stopped.
0101
m.d.,
I would agree most with 0101 (above). If your trying to do the ultralite thing you have to look at the overall method of keeping warm. When your hiking, physical activity keeps your warm. When your not hiking your mostly sleeping and your sleeping bag keeps you warm. The ultralite way doesn’t allow for many creature comforts. In addition to the clothes you hike in and your sleeping bag, you will probably want a rain and wind layer and a knit hat that covers your ears (a spare pair of socks can double as mittens). Doing it this way requires that you pay close attention to the weather and your body temperature. If the weather gets too severe for you to stay warm by just hiking, you have to quickly find/create some kind of shelter and get cosy in your sleeping bag. Your sleeping bag is your last line of defense against cold so carry a warm one (if going ultralite in shoulder seasons). And be willing to use it if bad weather is bearing down and you’ve just started your day. I would say, if your going ultralite, research hypothermia and be able to recognize it in yourself. but thats ultralite and many people don’t do it. On my thruhikes I take a hiking shirt, a cold weather synthetic running shirt, a hat, cheap windbreaker(shell), poncho (doubles at ground tarp), convertable pants, spandex pants, and a total of 2 pairs of socks and undies. and any way you do it you will want a shell. best of luck!
banjo boy (hiker miker)