Hello /out/, I need advice for preparing what will likely be a solo Winter Appalachian Trail hike in mid-December, which should last between five to seven days. I've done solo AT hikes before but never in the dead of winter, and since the temperatures at that time of year can get to the single-digits (if not lower if there's a wind chill), I need advice on what I should prepare myself for, via both items that I need to bring (clothing, socks, etc) and miscellaneous tips. I've already sown up loose ends on my 20°F bag and I've added with it a liner that brings it to a 0°F bag, plus I've just bought new trekking poles and Goretex boots, for reference. Thanks!
Pic related, my new boots. Also I forgot to add that I live in Atlanta, and would preferably start anywhere that is within a three hour drive from here; I am not sure if I would be doing an out-and-back, or if it would be feasible to just go north and pay for a shuttle ride back south to where I would start. What would be the better option?
Which part of the AT? I used to do stretches in CT and MA during the winter months. You might have a few cold nights with a 20°F bag even with the liner. Depending where you are, snowshoes might be a good idea. Make sure you have a nice long sleeping pad that will insulate you from the cold ground. Stay warm and pack some powdered apple cider!
>>625571
Preferably somewhere around Mt. Pisgah by Asheville, so not particularly far north; I've usually gone to Standing Indian for training, but I intend to see more of the trail that I haven't trekked before
Also, I should add that I do not have a Goretex coat, but I do have a Filson Double Mackinaw wool coat that I've tested in pouring rain, before, and it has kept me dry completely. Coupled with a good underlayer, would this be sufficient to have as a top /campground layer?
>>625559
There is already a winter tips thread on the front page. Use the Catalog friend.
>>625588
It kept you dry for how long? How much rain does NC get in December? I'd be really worried about how heavy that would get in a rainstorm, but I don't really know what weather you have there.
>>625593
Yes I've gotten stuck by a river when it got down to 10° at night in the southern horn of NC, it's just to say that it isn't as comparatively bad as it can be expected to be up in say, Virginia, though that is by no means dismissive.
>>625594
Typically there isn't much rain in the winter months, but there can and often is microbursts of storms that can really wreck your shit
>>625588
I would buy a cheap breathable rain shell and pants. Used to be able to get them for like $100 for the set through campmor. It won't be the best thing in the world and it won't last more than a couple years, but it will be far lighter and more effective than that wool jacket. For insulation a synthetic or wool fleece/sweater is cozy under a rain shell.
I don't think this jacket (there are cheaper available, too) has them, but a rain shell with armpit vents is the bees knees.
https://www.campmor.com/c/mountain-hardwear-plasmic-jacket-mens
Pants:
https://www.campmor.com/ProductDisplay?storeId=226&productId=50311050&urlRequestType=Base&langId=-1&catalogId=40000000226
wish i was going with ya. everything takes longer to do and less daylight to do it in so consider that when planning. depending on where you go you may see quite a few people or none at all....enjoy.
>>625688
let's go senpai
>>625688
Fuck, everyone so often I really miss going /out/ back east.
>>625571
>snowshoes
For what part? I'm from MA and I was considering the same thing as OP, probably 2-3 days out and 2-3 days back in northern MA. I've got some nice waterproof boots, socks and pants.
Different anon here. How use full would a wool blanket be? Is there really a way to rate a wool blanket?
I'm planning on winter hammocking the AT.
>>626285
>winter AT hammocking
as a fellow hammocker, don't fucking do this, especially if you're going alone. Use the shelters instead, otherwise you are wasting at between 30 to 60 minutes of limited daylight rigging and disassembling your tarp and hammock set-up
>>626289
30-60 minutes? I'm up and down in ten tops.
Also, GPS and a way to charge it. Because it's too easy to lose a trail when it's covered in fresh snow.
>>626289
Of course I will use the she'll ERS. But I'll use the hammock too.
The most important thing people need to know about traveling in freezing temperatures is that nothing dries.
If your jacket holds moisture, it will freeze solid if you take it off.
If your boots hold moisture, they will freeze solid if you take them off.
If your gloves hold moisture, they will freeze solid if you take them off.
The only way to dry anything is either through bodyheat (provided you aren't sweating) or with fire. Generally this means that anything you wear during the day that might collect moisture (either from inside or out) you should either be able to bring into your sleeping bag with you at night, or dry over a fire. Keep in mind that trying to dry gear over a fire could add hours of "work" time every day that you can't spend sleeping or traveling.
You should swap all damp next-to-skin clothing for dry spares before you go to sleep. If you wear your damp stuff to bed, it will dry overnight but your skin will get fucked up after a couple days from staying wet too much. Wear dry stuff, and keep your damp stuff in with you and it will still dry.
Also, as mentioned daylight is scarce, so you should expect to be setting up or breaking camp in the dark, for which you might need a headlamp depending on conditions. A headlamp like the BD Icon Polar comes with a body harness for the battery pack so you can keep the batteries warm so they don't die on you unexpectedly. If you just have batteries out in the cold you could find out at the wrong time that they are too cold to function.
>>626285
Personally I wouldn't bring one in winter.
In winter you already have to carry much more than in summer just to stay warm, making it more important to be as weight-efficient as possible. Wool blankets simply aren't even remotely close to being as warm by weight as either down (on top) or foam/etc (below).
Not only do you have to carry more, but deep snow and ice are much more tiring or challenging to travel on than a solid trail.
>>626289
Post your whole sleep system. Are you using a sleeping pad or underquilt? If a pad, what is the R Rating? What are you wearing to sleep? How big is your pack?
How often can you resupply on the stretch of trail you are on?
We need more info to help. I went from Waynesboro, VA to Harrisburg, PA this last summer, live in WI and also hammock. I can offer advice but I need to know where to start.
>>626344
Not OP, but with quality clothes/gear and proper layering, moisture can be avoided in that climate.
The AT isn't "backcountry" except in very, very few places. If OP gets too uncomfortable he is usually only a days walk into a town (off the trail sometimes) or a couple hours from a road. But with a good base layer and shedding layers when necessary, he'll be fine.
He'd be smart to take people's advice on the softshell. In the winter, I personally don't think it's worth fucking with anything less than eVent or Goretex but I don't want this thread derailed so that's the most I'll say about that.
The extra clothes for sleeping is necessary. I'd hope that one is common sense since it's not even limited to winter hiking.
>>626366
>last summer
found you're problem, being suspended in the air in cold weather is arguably worse than sleeping on cold or icy ground; for this very reason concrete bridges freeze over during ice storms. I have an SOL Lite CFC mat with a 0°F bag and wool socks and a Noah's Tarp 12, and even then, it would be more prudent to avoid setting up a hammock and just utilize the shelters.
>>626285
I have one, and I love it, but fuck taking that heavy ass son of a bitch hiking! The only real advantage is that they don't have loft, so there's less heat loss if wet, compared to down or synthetic. But without loft, it's basically just a lot of weight and not much Rvalue to begin with. The only time I'd really recommend it, is if your horse is carrying it.
>>626285 here
This is my winter and sleep gear. Well, most of it. I also have some wool socks.
I also have a fleece jacket and am wondering if I should take out the coat liner and just use the jacket or should I leave it and stick with the bulk?
>>626448
You're preaching to the choir. I have no problem.
>>626467
Army surplus can work but just know that there is ALOT better products out there that won't slow you down.
Thinks you need that need:
>baselayer X2
You will need two sets, one to wear during the day and one for sleeping. Merino wool is the best but about $100 per piece of clothing. Synthetics work well and are half the price. Don't bother with cotton long Johns.
>sleeping bag
You need to get at least ten degrees below the temps you expect either with the bag alone or with a bag and liner. I highly doubt you will be able to fit a wool blanket in your pack.
>sleeping pad or under quilt
I use my sleeping pad in my hammock for 3 season hammock camping but I've never been brave enough to try it on the winter since I've felt 30 degrees was pushing the limits on that system.
My advice, save space and weight leaving the hammock at home, get a nice sleeping pad and use the shelters.
>backpack
I'm assuming you just didn't include it in your photo? What capacity is it?
>food
Pack light and small. Since its a short trip in the winter, I'd go with only about 2000 calories per day at most. It'll be a good vacation and you'll lose a few pounds too. If you are passing through towns, stop there for a quick lunch and thaw.
>cooking system
You need a small stove. If you plan on starting fires in the winter with flint and steel and by chopping wood, I'll just say good luck and leave my personal opinions to myself.
>trekking poles
Mountains and snow/ice make trekking poles more than just a way of taking weight of your knees... which in winter you will be carrying plenty of extra weight.
>headlamp
In ND and WI, where I've lived every winter of my life, a headlamp is necessary during eight hour "days". I'm sure that's no exception only a few hours drive south.
>gloves and hat
The hat is most necessary for sleeping. The temperature rating of your sleeping bag depends on it.
>>626504
>I highly doubt you will be able to fit a wool blanket in your pack.
I can. Although with the coat it takes up the rest of the space. But since the rest of the stuff is small so it is negotiable.
>Backpack
Fox Outdoor Advanced Mountaineering pack. Excuse the camo pattern. It was the only one the had in the store I got it from.
>What capacity is it?
65L for main area. It has two deep side pockets that are supposed to be for hydration bladders but one I use for misc gear and the other I keep food in.
>Food
I was thinking of bags of rice/beans with some protein and granola bars for snacks. And sugar packets
>headlamp
I knew I would need one. I need to get one still.
>gloves and hat
Wool cap and thinsulate gloves.
Most of the clothing I got was from a milsurp store. If any Anons see a goofy looking soldier on the trail it is probably me.
>>626517
Sounds like you should be fine if you can figure out how you are going to stay warm sleeping?
The ratings on sleeping bags, unlike most people believe, don't work by themselves. They assume you are wearing a dry base layer, a hat and have a high rated sleeping pad under you.
Just to illustrate this, I went on a three day 50 mile/day bike tour here in WI a few weeks ago. I had my 34F Mountain Hardware Lamina Z, a Thermorest Neo Air ~3.4 R Value), a synthetic base layer, merino wool socks and a hat. I also slept in my hammock. The temperature got down to 38-42 degrees and I woke up a few times to reposition myself because a part of my body was cold. I've lived my whole life in Wisconsin and North Dakota, so it's not like I "can't handle the cold"... our what ever that means. When you are sleeping you can't do anything to defend yourself from the cold besides coming prepared.
Almost every through hiker I've talked to said when they stated their hike in April in GA that the nights and mornings were cold. If this is something you really want to do, don't under estimate the cold when you are sleeping.
>>626536
Thanks for the advice. Really. I do have one more question.
If I made a fire and threw a few good sized rocks in there to heat them up and managed to place those under my hammock how well should that work?
>>626540
It wouldn't. Any heat those rocks retained would be blown away by the wind.
Semi related, funny side story... one day on the AT I ran into this group of college aged kids hiking the trail for the weekend. I met them at a shelter in VA. This one kid bought one of those fancy wood burning sides that also charge phones. I called my mom for a weather report because I wanted to sleep with out my rain fly. TWC said 15% chance of rain. I put up my rain fly anyway, partially because it was wet from the night before and I wanted it to dry. They, on the other hand, decided to leave there shit out. That night we got a really big storm. As a result, these idiots lost there fancy $200 wood burning stove/charger thing.
Morale of the story, stick to what's tried and true. It's one thing to think out of the box but living outside is something that has evolved for millions of years. The only thing that has changed in the last hundred thousand years is what material our things are made of and where we get them.
>>626536
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>>626536
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>>626555
This is the stupid thing I'm taking about.
It also did a shit job boiling water. Not sure if that's what it's designed to do or not.
>>626557
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>>626559
>Using AC power as a portable charger
Oh that's a good one.
>>626555
That is so true. Only a few hundred years ago, people were living full time in north America without any of the crap people think they need, just to spend a three-day weekend at a public campground.
Not that I'm saying leather pants and stone tools are the way to go, just that it's possible, and not to over think this stuff.
>>626559
>biolite
Ahahaha
Biolite is a failure trophy
Things that have failed on me in winter on the AT:
-Bic Lighters, if you are going to carry them carry a backup as well, matches are preferable or a good zippo
Canister fuel Stoves, Similer issue to the bic, the gasses get cold and don't burn hot enough to boil water sometimes. if you are relying on that to boil water you might be fucked.
Biolite: if you get it going it can be okay sometimes and it will boil with the blower on full blast but if the wood is slightly wet then you are fucked.
If you plan to stay in the shelters, bring plastic drop cloth and some duct tape, use it to keep the wind off you, space blankets might also help with this and if you used a combonation of space blankets and candles or maybe a grease lamp, you might even be able to add some warmth.
>>626936
OP here, I have pic related to make a makeshift seal across at least some of the open end of the shelter if need be
>>627166
forgot my image
>>625707
But it wouldn't be a solo then.
