Its -30F and possibly getting down to -45F tonight.
I frequently walk for considerable amounts of time in these temperatures and lower, even down to -60F.
I’m like to know the coldest temperatures people have hiked in with a backpack, camping out overnight, or for several night, or longer.
The more detail as to when, where, how long, and the exact temperatures or nearest estimate), the better.
Thanks.
Conan.
Canan
Sorry for all the typos, above.
It’s late and I’m exhausted; my eyes are even crossing over.
Sincerely–Conan.
Conan
Mollies Ridge in 2001 we had sissy +20* synthetic bags. It hit a 15* low with maybe 40mph gusts. Read long tunnel, bright light at the end, can’t…feel…limbs.
Bushwhack & Bramble
I was out on a 4 day hike on the Laurel Highlands Trail in Pa. in Feb during the mid 1990s. Temp was -20 at night and the ranger the next day said the wind chill was -40 to -50. Even being in a shelter with good equipment it was a tough night! In fact it was the last time my wife did a winter hike with me. I think about that experience often .
Roadrunner
Forgot to add, being awake and near death all night I stuck my pack thermometer inside my kleenex-like sleeping bag at 2am and after half an hour it read only 42* on my chest! Cool, I’m stored in a meat locker.
BW w/Bramble
It was 1969, I stepped out of my MUV (Moon Utility Vehicle)and took a short hike…must have been 150 below zero…but my custom-designed clothing and equipment kept me warm…could’nt find any white blazes…no shelters…left Old Glory there…damn, its a long drive to that trailhead.
MOONWALKER
i spent a winter in my tent a few years ago. the coldest it got was -30. i didn’t sleep much that night.
matt
The 4th of March 2002. There was a heavy rain on the 2nd and we reached the top of Springer about noon and hung around with some of that years hikers. The temp started droping so we headed for 3 corners near the bridge to camp. By morning everything was frozen solid. We had to break the ice in the creek to get water. Our filter would freeze while pumping. It was 12 degrees and windy. We met a ridge runner the next day (5th) and he said some areas had a -15 wind chill. Our water froze in our bottles while we walked. We had to put them inside our clothes next to our skin to keep them from freezing. Our sweat was freezing in small spheres on the outside of our fleese jackets. That was our first full day on the trail (4th). What a way to start a hike! Met Rambunny and Sir Falls-a-lot that day.
Papa Smurf
First Day of Spring, 1981. Spent two days holed-up in the Forest Service cabin on the summit of Whitetop Mountain during a blizzard. Whiteout conditions, temps down to -12*. Had our tents set up inside the cabin. Like a fool, I had sent some of my winter gear home from Damascus - big mistake!
Lyle
I took some Scouts on an overnight ski trip across a central Alberta lake in mid January a few years ago. The temp was -2F with a north wind as we started out so we didn’t go too far before setting up for the night. It warmed up the next day, but we heard that overnight lows in the area were in the -38 to -44 range so I’m figuring it was -40F where we were.
Neil
Hey Papa Smurf, I remember that day…what an exciting time to start a northbound hike. 
I guess the coldest for me was in January coming through the Smokies on a sobo hike when it was reported to be -8 at Fontana. I’m not sure what it was up in the mountains, but I didn’t hang around and have coffee in the morning. It turned out to be one of my most memorable days though because of the beauty of the winter.
Stumpknocker
Shelter north of Rainbow Springs NC in March 2004. Temps got down to 5*. I was in my tent but the shelter folk had rigged several tarps over the entrance to retain heat.
I was moving some sheep last january when it was -30*. The guy who drove the trailer was wearing overalls and a shirt, rolled up at the sleeves. Now that’s a hardcore Mainer for you. I saw him again this past summer, he was wearing the exact same outfit.
Cheers
Cheers
Same night as Papa Smurf, only I was at the Blue Mountain Shelter just past Walasi-Yi. Companion claims “shelter known for strong winds.” Maybe I should have heeded the warning. I was afraid if I went to sleep I’d never wake up. Fortunately, some Spring Breakers from Florida were there and in possession of an inexplicably large tarp. They covered the entire front of the shelter with it.
Helium
Suprisingly, my coldest hike wasn’t one in VT or NH but close to home in Harriman Park, NY. At -15 we didn’t hike far and ended up building one hell of a fire. Some scouts nearby were out on their annual “Caveman” hike and had built some flimsy igloo shelters out of the limited snow.
They nearly froze to death but to their credit survived.
This is the kind of trip you remember forever. To this day when we get together someone asks “Hey, do you remember when…?” Good times!
CitySlicker
on one long ago New Year’s Eve we spent the night on the then wire bunks of the Ice Water Springs Shelter. All occupants shivered until first light, whereupon my husband threw off his sleeping back with glee, only to realize that the light was from the rising moon, and it was still New Year’s Eve.
Cece
Helium, that tarp was still up when we got there. It came a thunderstorm at about 4pm and turn cold again that night. We put about 10 people in the shelter and several on the gravel in front. That tarp was a life saver that night. Several people had hung their water out front and it froze during the night. I remember that night so well. It was the first time we met Sasafras (the young hiker from TN). She came in with tennis shoes and cotton socks with hugh blisters on her feet and no extra socks.
Papa Smurf
I had a similar experience at this shelter. It got down to about 8*, again that was in march 2004. I was so grateful to see the sunrise from my sleeping bag the next morning. Nothing a hitch into Helen didn’t resolve. What a weird town.
Cheers
Cheers
Helen is a touristy, alpine-themed town that seems out of place in rural Georgia. Not the sort of town you expect to hitch into from the AT; then again, neither is Gatlinburg.
On the topic of cold nights, I remember hiking the loop trail (Pompey Mtn.?) near Cold Mountain in VA quite a few years ago in the dead of winter. I was well equipped (warm down bag, boiled water bottles at the feet, etc.) for the 6-degree temperature reading we got before turning in for the night, but my poor cousin had a 20-degree bag like the one Bushwack & Bramble described. He was making some weird noises (sort of a like someone gargling and shivering at the same time is the best I can do to describe the noises) throughout the night. My cousin says he thinks he was in trouble that night and is still mad I didn’t mate my bag with his. I did give him one of my boiled water bottles.
Ozone
im from new england[conn]and my coldest night out was supposed to be 3 nights out during the thanksgiving cold blast of 2001. my friend and i hiked up to the perch shelter[4300ft] just below the northern presidentials on thursday and set up house in the shelter. to make a long story short we froze our asses off even with our -20* bags. we got up on friday and hiked out back to the trail head got in the vehicle drove to hancock campground set up our tents, lit fire and drank many beers… the temps were thur -24 on the mtn with a chill of about -45 or so and the 2 nights at hancock camp it got below -10 fri and sat nite…my coldest nights by ALOT!!!:cheers
nitewalker