[at-l] Trip report - a cold walk in Harriman Park

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

Dwight wrote:
>I did some hiking in Harriman Park last weekend, in some pretty cold
>weather.  It wasn't my longest hike (the bar is not that high) but it
>was the coldest.
>
>I learned some things.

lol - you sure did.

>I removed the antennas from my car (I'm a ham
>radio operator)

Do you know Chase - or Beau?

>I was testing out my new Leki poles for the first time.  I
>found that I really liked the way they grabbed a snow covered rock and
>gave me more secure footing both uphill and downhill.  I'm sold.

That's what they were designed for.

>I've been using a Camelback hydration bag inside my North Face pack, I used 
>it on this hike and took a few sips every 10 minutes or so.  After an hour 
>the drinking tube froze solid and I was done sipping from the tube for the 
>rest of the trip.  One lesson learned.

Yup - learned that one in 1990 - made my own "sippin' system" back then.  
Had the same results and didn't take it for the thru.


>I was COLD and the roaring fire wasn't really helping, so I decided I
>needed all the protection I could get and popped open the freestanding
>North Face Rock tent inside the shelter.  I opened a Ziprest and a
>Guidelite (sp?) Thermarest. I'd brought both, planning to use them
>together.

Double pads?  Great idea -
And you didn't "depend" on the shelter (for shelter) - good thinking.
But - first - before the fire - should be the shelter and sleeping 
arrangements.  Then if the fire doesn't go - you still have an immediate 
place to get warm.

>I had two bags with me, a North Face Polarguard 3D 20 deg bag and a
>down 40 deg bag.  I put the down bag inside the North Face and climbed
>in.

Double bags?  Great idea.  What you might consider though is getting an 
overbag.  REI used to sell them.  They may still.  Reason - when you put two 
sleeping bags together like that, you get far less than the potential loft 
(which is what provides the air space/insulation to keep you warm)  The 
inner bag gets compressed by the outer bag - and vice versa.  So while you 
gain "some" extra insulation, it's far less than you'd expect.  The over 
bags are designed bigger so they give your sleeping bag room to provide 
"its" loft.  And they add another 15 - 25 degrees (or more) to your system.

Your tent is also part of your "insulation system".  It'll provide an extra 
10 degrees or so beyond what your sleeping bags do.


>I was COLD.
>
>I zipped up the tent and I was COLD.
>
>I ate the nearly boiling Pad Thai and I was COLD.
................................
>I never did find out the actual temperature on Fingerboard that night, but 
>it was clearly single digits.
>
>I pulled my water bottle, boots and cooking gas into the bag with me
>and tried to sleep.
>
>I was COLD.
>
>I finally realized after an hour or so (I'm a slow learner,
>apparently), that I was damp.  Not really wet, but pretty damp from
>perspiration during the hike.  I hadn't changed to dry clothes.

Thank you.  Do you have any idea how many hikers (and thruhikers) refuse to 
believe what you just said there?  You "may" be a slow learner - but I doubt 
it.  At least you DO learn.


>I sat up in the tent, opened both bags, stripped off three layers from the 
>waist up and replaced them with one dry layer.
>
>Got back in the bag.
>
>I was warm.  Well, at least I was warmer.
>
>I managed an OK sleep, but I can tell you that the Guidelite Thermarest
>is NOT good enough for the shelter floor. I'm buying the heavier model 
>before I go out again.  I'll carry it.

Experience is that it doesn't matter what you use - shelter floors are 
ALWAYS harder than any other surface.  That's one of the many reasons we 
seldom use them.  Earth - even frozen earth - is generally both warmer - and 
softer.  YMMV

>I thought about starting a fire (there was enough wood left over) and
>decided that it was so cold that I'd really rather break camp and get warm 
>by walking.

Good thinking - a fire can only delay you in those circumstances.  And the 
delay will likely make you colder.  Walking generates nearly immediate heat.

>So . . . what did I learn?
>
>1)  I can hike and overnight in the cold

Cool - both literally and figuratively.

>2)  I need a zero degree down bag

Only if you're gonna do winter hiking.  Most thruhikers - even those who 
start in March - use 20 degree bags and don't have problems.  The temps you 
ran into are extremes and you can't assume that they'll be the norm.

>3)  I need the most comfortable sleeping pad I can find, I'll carry the 
>weight

Comfort level - it's what makes or breaks a lot of thruhikers - and 
sometimes section hikers.  If you need the pad, then carry it.  But if you 
don't carry it - then you'll get used to the decreased comfort level.  It's 
always your choice though.  We sometimes carry the Thermarest for weekend 
trips - we never carry one for a thruhike.

>4)  It makes no sense to use that hydration bag when it's that cold

lol - yeah.  Any idea how many people get caught like that in Georgia?  In 
March?

>5)  I carried a filter and a collapsible water jug, but melted snow instead 
>. . .

When its cold, don't leave water in your jug at night - hauling a load of 
ice the next day is a real pain.  OTOH - we've left a half full water bag 
under our packs on nights when teh temps dipped into single digits - and had 
refreshing ice-cold water the next morning.

>6)  Don't get into the bag damp, if it can be helped

In fact - change clothes as soon as practical after you get to camp.  Even 
when it's not COLD.  I've seen people go into the early stages of 
hypothermia within minutes of setting their packs down.  Changing 
immediately when yo get to camp is good practice.

>7)  Did I mention that I need a warmer sleeping bag?
>
>I'd tested the two bag combo in the back yard at 10 degrees, and it
>worked fine.  I think the differences were:
>
>1)  It was colder, likely 5 degrees

Likely more than 5 degrees.  We used 20 degree bags in Colorado on the CDT - 
when the morning temp "inside" the tent was in low single digits - and we 
weren't cold.  Until we got out of the tent.

>2)  The bags in the backyard were warm when I got in them
>3)  I was warm and dry when I got in them

Yup - warm and dry.  For dry - don't sleep in your hiking clothes.  For 
warm, run around the shelter or your tent a couple times - just enough to 
get "warm" but not enough to raise a sweat.  And/or use a Nalgene as a hot 
water bottle.

>So, short overnight hike, nice country, two beautiful white tailed
>deer, and a few lessons learned.

And you survived.  No lost fingers, toeses or noses.  Sounds like a good 
trip.  <G>

>Did I mention that my wife thinks I'm crazy?

So does mine - and she hikes with me.  <G>

Walk softly,
Jim

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