[at-l] Thru-hike clothes

[nealb@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx (William Neal)]

While I agree with most of what was said, but I felt there was too much of a
pro-lightweight bias.  Nothing wrong with that, but I have seen too many
people get that bee in their bonnet and go too far that way.

I carried few heavy, warm clothes.  Actually only a three layer coat.  I
sent most of it home.  And later almost froze.

I had not hiked all that much farther up the trail after mailing my coat
home.  And I was not all that much higher in altitude; actually about the
same.  But some weather change turned one night frigid (and there were other
cold times later).

The guy I was sharing the shelter with and I burned the fire out front all
night long.  And we both wore all the clothes we had in our sleeping bags.
I even used a couple of trash bags as emergency vapor barriers, and they
were the biggest help.  Still I had a terrible night's sleep and woke up so
cold that I did not eat 'til late in the morning.

Of course as I hiked downhill that day, I did a striptease worthy of Gypsy
Rose Lee.

Later I bought some Capilene (sp?) longies and did fine.

Also, I bought souvenir T's and sweatshirts (mostly cotton or
cotton/synthetic blends) along the way.  I would wear them when I absolutely
need them or when appropriate.  Then when I came to a town, I would ship
them home as a souvenir of my hike, and I could buy new ones.  Of course if
they were smelly or dirty, I would wash them first.  Several of them ended
up being sewn into throw pillows and some were given away: I did not mention
to some people that I had wore them first.

Plus, I carried some scurb shirts and one pair of pants.  Some scurbs are
all cotton.  But many are blends.  And I have never tried one on that is not
light weight.  They are excellent in hot weather.  And they dry rather
quickly.  I found the best one was the one I had been wearing around work
and home and thus had been washed several times.  Also, in cold weather,
they made a good "inside" layer; usually over a T (long or short): Around
work I often wore a short T, a plaid flannel, the scrub, and a coat; the
coat and scrub I could ditch when I worked inside.  I rarely wore the pants
while hiking; except when in camp and when washing clothes.  Mostly I kept
them for town.

Back to the trash bags:  Since a hiker should carry out their trash, all
hikers probably buy or have "trash" bags.  Or they can easily pick them up.
Even bread bags work as trash bags.  But trash bags can be used as vapor
barriers.  Carry a few rubber bands or tape to close them around your
feet/legs, or the large ones around your torso.  After having to stay
outside all night when working for Wally World one gardening season (Feb.
thru' June), I found the trash bags an excellent way to stay warm.  Just
remember to take them off every now and again so that the vapor escapes.

And a friend gave me a couple of packs of "handwarmers" and they did good
when it got chilly and windy.

William, The Chilly Turtle