Hiking at +10*F

imported
#1

Alright, here are my questions:

Assume you’re hiking the AT and expecting +10F temperatures during the day for several weeks, with night-time temperatures of 0F.

  1. What clothing would you wear, head to toe (shoes and socks up to your hat) to deal with the +10*F temperature while hiking?

  2. What jacket would you be pulling out of your pack during belays (stops), which would also include evenings around camp and mornings around camp?

  3. What sleeping bag and pad would you be using to deal with the 0F nights? If you use a bag rated higher than 0F, how would you make up the difference in temperature rating?

Thanks.

Sincerely–Conan.

Conan

#2
  1. Head: Mountain Dome Perignon windstopper fleece hat
    Patagonia midweight capilene long johns top and bottom. Mountain hardwear ozone windstopper fleece jacket, covered by Mountain hardwear Epic rain jacket. Mountain hardwear Acsent gloves, Mountain hardwear Epic full zip pants over the capilene (possibly would add the MH Ozone fleece pants too, but that would get really hot) even at 10 degrees
  2. at 0 degrees, there would be no “stops” and any lounging around camp at night would be in my sleeping bag
  3. I wopuld use a marmot wasatch 20 degree sleeping bag. I sleep very very warm, and have had that bag out in as low as 10 degree nights if got a bit chilly, a dry pair of mid weight capilenes or worst case the ozone fleece pants and jacket, along with the dome perignon

Tabasco

#3

With Temps that Cold, you for sure would want a Slik Liner for your Sleeping Bag, adds 9-11 degrees to your bag, and if to warm take it out.

Patriot

#4

heretical but OK for me on mid Jan AT in PA, NY, CT, MA:
(1)light polypro longjohns;pertex hooded windsuit*;powerstretch hooded bodysuit*;polypro bike jersey; polypro lycra balaclava; ski goggles; neoprene socks+pp liners; Asolo leather boots; goretex overmitts*;p300 OR mittens; polypro liner gloves
(2) Jagged Edge Primaloft parka, 36 oz; primaloft insulated pants*, 14 oz
(3) 34 oz (yes!)TNF 35d F polargard 3d sleeping bag, long; silnylon vapor barrier suit over polypro underwear and under stretch layer; all insulated clothing over stretch layer

  • = homemade. Sleep outfit OK at 0 d F in open lean-to, all synthetic, damp clothing is dry by morning. Pack wt 7d =26 lb.
    Walt

walt

#5

Was out south of Mount Greylock in Mass the 7-10 of Jan this year. It wasn’t quite that cold but close. I just bought EMS’s Mountain Light 0’ bag and slept like a baby. I did a couple of stelth camps with a bivi and a tarp and was fine. I almost forgot. I used a Sea to Summit Thermalite line with that sleeping bag. On the clothing I would just use common sense and go all plastic. I’ll second the dual use of some cold weather cycling gear. I use a lot of it as a base layer and or as sleeping gear. No need to buy costly stuff twice. But experient and have fun.

JJB

#6

I hiked with a coolmax longsleeve, covered by a EMS microfleece and a frogtogg jacket and pants over my shorts. A Walmart micro fleece balaclava. My boots were Vasque Sundowners with smartwool socks. I had on my long gaiters to keep the snow out of my boots. After about an hour and some sun I would pull the jacket off. At night I slept in a 20 degree bag (our coldest night was a 20 below wind chill) with a silk liner and my capilene longjohns from Walmart and the only time I used them was to sleep in on cold nights. Flame was a different story. She had on about 4 layers day and night and still complained about being cold. But during the day hiking we had to strip most of the clothes off because of getting too hot. We’ve hike 14 days and it not get over 12 degrees.

I think most people have different tolerances to cold. So I would suggest you experiment with what you have before going out. We did. Of course our neighbors thought we were crazy because everytime the temp dropped to below freezing we were out hiking around the neighborhood and sleeping in the backyard. Don’t get caught unprepared. Have a good hike.

Papa Smurf

#7

CLOTHING

  1. Bottom: Microfleece longjohns and long hiking pants.
  2. Top: Poly T-Shirt, microfleece long sleeve top, 200 weight fleece with full front zipper and pit zips.
  3. Hat: Thick fleece.
  4. Mittens: with fiberfill.

JACKET

  1. Marmot Belay Park w/hood (Primaloft).

SLEEPING BAG

  1. NorthFace Endurance zero degree down bag.
  2. Ensolite 3/4 length closed cell foam pad

AD

Alphone Deluxe

#8

Ditto on microfleece baselayers.

Ditto on warm jackets with hoods.

Ditto on zero degree down sleeping bags.

Yucca Flats Harry

Harry Yucca

#9

My pick has lately been silk weight poly Long Johns (top & bottom) with a mid-weight pair to sleep in or use if windy. Next a pair of XO pants and an AirStrip shirt. A northface windstopper vest covered by a Hodini jacket while hiking. Once I heat up the vest goes first. Thick socks, gaiters, polypro glove liners inside wool mittens and a turtle fur hat works for me. Peelable layers is the way to go.

Any 15* bag with a silk liner added will work at 10* but I like to take a breathable (Read that as non-waterproof)bivy to use under my cat-tarp. A double Wal-mart bluepad works great for cheap insulation. (This setup weighs 4 lbs)

Around camp I wear heavy-wgt fleece pants over the poly-pro LJ’s I didn’t use while hiking and cover them with my frogg toggs if necessary. A dry pair of socks inside a pair of old fiberfil booties keeps the lower half very warm.

I tend to use a light wool shirt and the vest under a montbel UL down down jacket. If windy, I’ll use the Toggs jacket (It has a hood) and bail to the tent if conditions get worse. Overall, this worked for me.

CitySlicker

#10

Why would anyone hike in +10f weather?

What are the benefits?

Is it really any fun?

Ed

Ed Spoolie

#11

We started our thru hike the 3rd of March in '02. The 4th was a 0 night with a 15 below wind chill. We didn’t really have a choice. I’d rather hike in 10 degree weather than 90 degree. I can put on enough layers to get warm but I can’t take off enough to get cool! Any day to me on the AT is a good day!

Papa Smurf

#12

I am out there right now as I started Jan 7th. These are my clothes now after a little adjustment: 2 pair Ljs, 1 t-shirt, 1 long sleeve, 1 suntop/bra (for girls!!!), 1 thin fleece shirt that is wind resistant (Mt hardwear), primaloft Gossamer jacket with hood from REI, nylon shorts, expedition weight fleecepants (going home in about a month), and then rain coat and pants. headwear is a bandana that I can pull down to cover my ears, and for hands I have REI mittens that came with fleece glove liners. These layers have allowed me to sleep and hike comfortably from -3F with windchills of -40F up to 60F in the sun.
Sleeping bag is a Snowshoe (0 degree) synthetic bag as it often rains out here.
It is much better to have several layers rather than one thick jacket as you will find yourself constantly adjusting. be prepared to buy a piece of clothing or two after you get on the trail to find the combo that works just perfect for you.
PS a Nalgene bottle with hot H2O will most definately add a few degrees of warmth to the extra cold nights as will eating a chocolate bar right before you fall asleep - calories=warmth.

Red Dane