[at-l] Fleece/Other Clothing Recommendations

[edwilliams@plangraphics.com (Ed Williams)]

Thanks for all the comments and suggestions, very helpful, as always!

Here's my modified clothing list after today:

Patagonia Silkweight Boxers (chaffing prevention)
Patagonia Silkweight Cap Texture-T (to hike in)
Patagonia Lightweight Cap Bottoms
Patagonia Midweight Cap Bottoms
Patagonia Midweight Cap Crew Top
Patagonia R2 Pullover
Precip Pants
Precip Jacket
Manzella Z-Base PowerDry Lightweight Liner Gloves
Manzella Z-Fleece Windstopper Fleece Gloves
(2) Ultimax Socks w/Coolmax Liners
OR Windstopper Balaclava
OR Seattle Sombrero
Mountain Hardware Flex Half Dome - Ear warmth!
OR Low Gaiters (forgot foot stuff on the first list).
Vasque Sundowners

Leave anything out?

Take Care,
Ed '02

--
Ed Williams
GA->ME '02
at basecamp
http://www.atbasecamp.com/

“Whoso walketh in solitude, And inhabiteth the wood,
Choosing light, wave, rock, and bird, Before the money-loving herd,
Into that forester shall pass, From these companions, power and grace.”
--Ralph Waldo Emerson





-----Original Message-----
From: Jim and/or Ginny Owen [mailto:spiriteagle99@hotmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, January 09, 2002 10:25 AM
To: at-l@mailman.backcountry.net; edwilliams@plangraphics.com
Subject: [at-l] Fleece/Other Clothing Recommendations


Ed Williams wrote:
>OK - heading to the outfitters tomorrow with sufficient money in hand to
>try and finalize the clothing for my thru-hike...Here's what I have so far,
>and I'd appreciate all the recommendations I can get to fill out the gear
>list!
>
>What I have:
>(2) Patagonia Silkweight Cap. T-shirts (to hike in/base layer)
>(1) Patagonia Midweight Cap. Bottoms (hike in these usually until I warm
>up)
>(1) Patagonia Midweight Cap. Top
>(1) Patagonia Exp. Cap. Bottoms - Winter Only
>(1) Precip Pants - Rain and Outer Layer when needed
>(1) Precip Jacket - Rain and Outer Layer when needed
>(1) Marmot AT Gloves - winter only
>(1) OR Balaclava - winter only
>(2) Socks and liners


Ed -
OB is giving you good advice but I figured another viewpoint might not hurt.
  Some years ago we stayed with a friend who was leaving the next morning to
start his thru and he asked us how his fully loaded pack "looked" to us.  My
only comment was "heavy".  The next morning his pack looked somewhat
different - and a lot lighter.  The single most common thing that people get
to Springer with is unnecessary clothing.

I'm not gonna tell you what to take - I don't do that.  But I'll tell you
what I carry and/or wear for the conditions you'll find on the Southern AT
in Spring (cold/wet/hot/dry/rain/snow/fog/sleet/???? - beautiful).

Top down - for the head - a floppy hat that'll protect my ears and bald head
from sunburn (that IS a problem on the southern AT before the leaves are
out) and a fleece or wool hat for warm and for sleeping.

Top - a (yeah - one) Thermax T-shirt, a lightweight Capilene top for really
cold hiking and a midweight top for camp/sleeping, a Supplex shirt for
hiking and for bug protection (it works), a 200 wt fleece jacket and a Frogg
Toggs jacket.  Used to use Goretex jackets - too heavy.  Just got a Precip
jacket but haven't tried it yet.

Hands - 1 pr fleece mittens for for really cold, 1 pr REI MTS liners for
anything else.  Mittens are better than gloves for warmth.

Bottom - 2 pr nylon shorts, one Capilene bottoms (for sleeping or for
extreme cold hiking), one pr Supplex convertible pants.

Feet - 2 to 3 pr socks (most people carry liners but they give me blisters),
lightweight boots.

I've used Exp weight only once - too hot.  Then it stayed home until I gave
it away.

One of the recent discussions on the list was acclimatization.  Once you're
on the trail, your metabolism will adjust to the temperatures.  How much it
will adjust is an individual thing.  One thing to watch is that for some
people, when it's cold hiking will keep them warm, but as soon as they stop
they go into instant "headed for hypothermia" mode.  Someone mentioned that
just this week on the list.  Several of my hiking partners have had that
problem - including my wife.  If it's cold, what we do is to change
"immediately" when we get to camp.  We don't set up the tent or start dinner
or anything else first - we change.  If you're young and invulnerable maybe
that's not necessary - we're not and it is.  Unless you're invulnerable,
you'll probably want to change before sleeping anyway.  Some people think
it's not necessary, but I don't like sleeping cold (or not sleeping) because
what I'm wearing is damp and the evaporation is drawing the heat out of my
body.  Note that it doesn't have to be "wet" to do that - normal body
emissions (perspiration) will make your clothing damp enough to be
uncomfortable even if you're not hiking - especially when it's cold.

In any case, as you get further North the weather and your body will both
change and so will your clothing requirements.  But you'll work that out as
you go.

Carrying a lot of clothes for an hour or two in camp is neither smart or
necessary.  If you're in camp and cold, get in your bag - it's your best
friend and you'll spend a lot of time with it.  As a thruhiker, you'll
likely be in the bag early anyway.

As long as we're here - a pillow - some people carry one, some don't need or
want one.  If you do, I'd suggest that you use your "extra" clothing, heavy
jacket, pack, boots, whatever.  I stuff everything into the sleeping bag
stuff sack.  Works for me - and I don't have to carry the extra weight.

Bottom line is - you can have whatever you're willing to carry. You can have
more if you can con a partner into carrying it for you, but that's not nice
:-))


>What I need:
>A heavier upper layer - was thinking a Puffball or R2?
>Anything Else??
>
>I also typically hike in cheap Wally World nylon soccer-type shorts - but
>was considering buying something like the CloudVeil Cool Shorts, or other
>"hiking" shorts.

If you're used to hiking in something, don't make massive changes just
before starting a thruhike - just make sure you've got spares in your
maildrops.

Walk softly,
Jim



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