Hiking conditions in may

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#1

I’m planning on starting my thru-hike 26 April. What should I expect in the way of weather? At what point do most people send their sleeping bags home? I have an Army poncho liner I added zippers to and turned into a sleeping bag but I’m not sure it will be warm enough in the beginning. How many pairs of socks do most people normally bring? Being an army guy I’m used to bringing 2 pair per day of being in the field but I doubt I want to do that on a thru-hike. Can you get away with just 2 pair or is 3-4 pair more likely?

josh

#2

Hey Josh,

I started my hike on May 7th, 2001. That is still two weeks later than what you are projecting. Bring a real sleeping bag. It still can get damn cold at some of the higher elevations. There were some mornings (I can remember Tray Mtn in particular) that I didn’t want to get out of my bag it was so cold. If money is a concern then check out www.sierratradingpost.com I would recommend a bag rated to 30 degrees. It’s hard to believe but it is true. Starting so late, I would keep the cold weather gear at least until Erwin. People that start earlier than you will wait till Mt Rogers (north of Damascus) or even further down the trail.

For socks I was able to get by with three pairs total. I can only stand to wear socks for two days in a row, three if necessary. Sometimes it may be up to six days before you make your next town stop.

If you have any more questions feel free to email me.

Ganj

#3

My start was April 26. There was a heavy frost just before Memorial Day that killed many gardens even in the valleys. Some of the best advice I headed was to keep my cold weather gear until after Mt. Rodgers.

Peaks

#4

We had snow in late May. It can snow in the Smokeys in June. Mt Rogers has late cold weather, also. Your last cold snap will be when the blackberries bloom. The old timers call it “Blackberry Winter.” A 30 degree bag should be ok. I carried 2 pair of socks. I would wash one pair on the third day in a large baggie, hang them on my pack to dry. I wore gaiters so my socks didn’t get dirty, just smelly. It seemed most people carried 3 pair. They wore two and saved one for nights or camp. Good luck on your hike! Take your time in the beginning and have fun.

Papa Smurf

#5

I carry three pairs of socks. I wear two and use on pair in camp or when the other two are soaking wet or just nasty. I tried washing socks on the trail but they only smelled worse and didn’t dry. I like having the reserve pair for when everything is wet. Dry socks can make your day.

Darth Pacman

#6

I carried 2 pair of light liner socks, one pair of heavy socks I wore everyday and a pair of heavy socks I kept dry and wore at night. The daily socks got god awful nasty and every 2 months washing just wouldn’t do it and I had to throw them out and get new ones. I also wore low gaitors to keep them relatively clean. On sunny days I would stop on occasion and hang my socks to partially dry and also to air out the tootsies. I really got to appreciate dry clean socks!

Big B

#7

Thanks everyone for the advice. I do plan on taking my sleeping bag, it’s a 15 degree bag from Mountain Hardware. It has a expanding draft tube to cool it down even further. I also plan on taking 3 pairs of socks and then putting a couple additional pair in my bounce box. I plan on buying a set of low gaitors… Just wish I could have ordered them before I started. I will have to pick them up along the way somewhere. Only 4 more days before I leave. I can’t wait!

josh