I’m wondering what to expect for coldest temperatures at night. Is an EN-rated 20 degree bag good enough? Also, is it shorts weather above 10,000? (I doubt it, but I’d like to know for sure.) I’m planning on wearing Keene sandals, just because they’ll dry quickly, and I love Keenes. But, if it’s cold, I would switch to my leather Keene shoes. I’ll be starting my thru hike on June 20.
Lorna
This time of year, as long as the sun is hitting you and you are hiking (actively moving), shorts are fine at all the altitudes of the CT, altho hiking in the early morning I always wore long johns until I warmed up enough. I sleep pretty cold but got by ok with a 20 degree bag MOST nights; when i did get cold- usually ~3am- Id put my rain pants and rain jacket on over long underwear this really helped, another couple of options to extend the temp rating of a 20 bag is to put a lawn & leaf bag, that u use to line your backpack, over your lower half in the sleeping bag- it gets a bit clammy but I found that it really helps, or if you have a bivy sack, or sleeping bag cover, that can add 5 to 10 degrees to your sleeping bag comfort range. I never tried a sleeping bag liner but others like them.
I did the CT in 2009 and wore shorts about 90% of the time and used a 20 degree WM Alpinlite sleeping bag. I used all the options above to extend the temp range of the bag when needed.
Danl
When hiking, I actually wore long pants most of the time for sun protection. I found that my pasty white skin got cooked to a crisp in the bright Colorado sun, even when wearing sunblock, so the easiest approach was to go with long sleeves and long pants. Rarely did I find that I was too hot with the pants and long sleeves because the dry air evaporates any accumulation of sweat and it’s cooler at higher altitudes.
It does get cold at night. I started on July 17th last year and had frost on three nights during my end-to-end hike. I used what was originally a 32-degree bag when I bought it, but realistically was about a 42-degree bag after a couple of years. But I had expedition weight long underwear (capilene 3), a winter hat, and a primaloft jacket with me, so at various times I actually slept with all of those clothes on in my sleeping bag. You’ll probably be better off than me with a 20-degree bag, but definitely plan to bring some clothes that you can wear in the evening in camp AND in bed when it gets really cold. And do not forget a winter hat!
With respect to your idea of wearing sandals…how can I say this? The Colorado Trail is also an equestrian trail and it crosses a number of grazing areas. I wore trail runners and ended up walking through a fair bit of manure. It’s possible that you might have a bit of a “crappy hike” if you wear sandals.
Loup