Rough date for bag swap

imported
#1

Hey brothers, I am wondering if any of you have an opinion on when a good time would be for me to swap out my Mountain Hardwear 0* bag for my summer bag. The MH bags weights 4lbs. Ouch.

My summer bag is a Western Mountaineering Highlite, the 40 deg 16 oz jobbie. I have been warm in it down into the 30’s when I used it in conjunction with my bivy sack.

I also have a 15 deg synthetic that weighs a shade under 3 lbs, closer to 2.5 lbs.

Heres a rough itineray of when i should be where, this does not account for 32 feet of snow that may set me back a day or month. I am not “down” with the weather trends in VA in march and april.

Damascus, VA March 15
Pearisburg, VA March 26
Daleville, VA April 3rd
Waynesboro,VA April 12th
Harpers Ferry, WV April 22nd
Duncannon, PA May 3

Now, I am thinking in daleville to swap out the 0 deg for the 15 deg. Then in Harpers Ferry pickup the 40 deg. Maybe swap out the 0 deg even sooner than April 3rd ish?

I plan on mostly shelter hopping too, if that makes a difference. Thanks a lot in advance for your opinions, expert or otherwise, I value them all…

11 days!!!

Ben Reuschel

#2

don’t worry about the date to swap. worry about where you are along the trail. Probably been said a million times but keep your cold weather gear untill you get past Mt Rogers. I switched out at Catawba VA and again at Glencliff H.H. Good luck, you will have a cold first month and a half or so. Say hello to Miss Janet for me when you get to her place…don’t miss, Janet’s place.

yo-yo

#3

Well, this is just based on last year, I would really wait to swap your bag. I hit Waynsboro at the end of June (around the 25ish) and I had many nights prior to that where I was freezing in my summer bag, had all my rain gear on, had my pack up against my body. We are talking uncomfortable cold.

I know one person that kept their winter bag the whole time and just carried a silk liner. So in the shelters he slept in the liner and then at 5 in the morning when you tend to wake up cold he threw his warmer bag over him like a blanket.

Your 40 WM bag is a good one!!! I would just see how the weather plays out, Shenandoah can still be chilly in April and May.

It is nice to have a plan but you don’t have to stick to it.

Blip

#4

I think Blip is right. It all depends on many factors. First, you’re doing an early Feb start which throws the normal swap timetable out the window. Second, it all depends on the year. 2003 was a cold, wet year. I swaped in Damascus and almost froze to death on Mt. Rodgers. There were several nights that I had one everything I owned trying to stay warm. Once the weather broke, it was steaming hot. It depends a lot on the year. In 2001, I swapped at Atkins and I wished I had swapped in Damascus. VA that year was hot and dry and I was glad I had the bag. My suggestion is wait until you get a sustained period of warm weather before you swap.

By the way…Hi Blip. How you doing?

Moose

#5

Just my experince here from last year… You are going to hate that 0 bag with a passion. I had one to start with and rarely was I in the thing it was just to hot. I switched to a 55 REI bag that was supper light, and supper small and used it from Adkins VA until the finish. In Maine it got a little cold at night (at times in the 30’s and with my cold weather gear on I slept fine.

casey

#6

It really depends on when you are going to start, finish, etc.

I started in mid-April, went home for 2 weeks, then got back on the trail at the end of June in Damascus. I brought my summer bag with me, and got cold in the Grayson Highlands. But, that was only a day, and after the Grayson Highlands (which is a day or 2 from Damascus), I was fine. I swapped out my bag again when I got to Hanover, but was pretty chilly for a week or two until then. I didn’t get into Hanover until the beginning of Sept., though.

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