Date: 2018-02-03
From: Kingsport Tennessee 

To: Kingsport Tennessee 
Miles today: 0.0

I commend anyone sticking with this trail journal with all of its entries from off the trail. There was a question and some comments on the guest book alluding to cold weather and my winter start, so I will use that subject as an opportunity to talk trail. First of all let¢s be clear: hiking and camping in cold weather falls under the heading Don¢t try this at home. Before attempting this, know what you and your equipment are capable of handling. If you live in an area where 20 degrees is considered cold, will you be ready to live outside when it¢s getting down into the 20¢s at night? It¢s important to understand the difference between the coldest weather you can tolerate and what you can live in 24 hours a day. I have tolerated temperatures lower than -15F, when I¢ve been properly dressed and had a heated building to go into and warm up. There¢s no way I could live outside for several days at a time in those conditions. Know the early signs of hypothermia and frostbite and take immediate corrective action if they occur. Cold and moisture don¢t mix. STAY DRY! I carry one set of clothes to hike in and one set for camp to sleep in. My camp clothes are intended to stay dry and keep me warm when the temperature drops. What you wear is your first line of defense against cold. I¢m probably speaking to hikers who know this, but it¢s worth saying: Do not take cotton clothing into the backcountry. Cotton absorbs moisture and stays wet a long time, potentially keeping your skin wet. Polyester and wool are excellent choices. Wool has the added benefit of retaining most of its insulating properties even when wet. You should have a functioning layering system and know how to use it. Layering does not mean randomly adding more and more layers of clothing. You should have a moisture wicking base layer that can efficiently take sweat away from your skin. A mid layer with thermal properties comes next. Finally some kind of outer shell layer. For me, this is a long sleeve Minus 33 polyester shirt, a Patagonia mid-layer hoodie, and a Patagonia puffy jacket. I also have the option of an Outdoor Research hooded rain jacket which is fairly heavy and will stop rain well and can provide some protection against wind. So far, I¢ve hiked in either my base layer only, or base layer and puffy. I¢ve used my Patagonia hoodie at camp after changing into my dry base layer. This set up has worked for me in wind chills that were probably in the teens. If it gets colder than that where I need my mid-layer to stay warm while hiking, I will head to the nearest town even if that means hiking in reverse to get to a road crossing. As my Blood Mountain pic shows, I¢m rocking the dead sexy Under Armor leggings with shorts on top. This has been warm enough for me, and at times slightly too warm. At camp, I trade dry, lined Mountain Hardware pants for the leggings and shorts. I hike in a pair of Darn Tough socks and then change into a dry pair at camp. When I restart the hike, I will add a second pair of Darn Toughs for hiking so that I can change into a dry pair of socks mid-day to combat blisters. A wool beanie, glove liners, and heavy winter gloves, complete the hiking outfit. The hat and gloves go on and off during the day as conditions dictate. Again, I have a dry hat and gloves to change into at camp. I also need a warm place to sleep. My ZPacks tent is ultra-light, and at best a three season tent. That being said, if I¢m set up protected from the wind, I can get a few degrees of warmup over the outside air temperature. My ZPacks sleeping bag is rated to 10F. I have a silk liner that acts as added thermal protection. And I¢m set up on a Therm-a-Rest pad that provides some additional insulation vs. setting up directly on the ground. Sleeping bag ratings are used to sell sleeping bags. They are a rough indicator of what the bag is capable of handling. I don¢t take 10 degrees as the gospel. I know I¢m fine in the 20¢s, but I¢m not overly interested in seeing how cold I can survive. If it¢s colder than 20 or so, I plan on being in a hotel eating pizza. What this all comes down to is being prepared and setting limits. Know how far you can take things safely. Know where the road crossings are, and have an exit strategy in mind. Know the forecast for temperature, rain, and wind; all factor into what you will need to do to stay warm. Start out in the morning hiking colder than what¢s comfortable so that when you get going and warm up you are not sweating profusely from being overdressed. Above all, stay safe and if you are not sure if you are ready for the conditions you will encounter, wait for the conditions to improve. The trail will always be there.Zin Master¢The journey is the reward.¢