Date: 2004-12-27
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Miles today: 0.0

Got back last night from my pre-hike trip to test gear. Besides testing the Vargo Titanium alcohol stove (see prior entry) I also wanted to see how my sleeping bag, tarp and pack would fare.My winter sleeping bag, purchased about three years ago, is a Marmot Couloir 0-degree down bag. At the time it was considered pretty light-weight (3.5 lbs) but not so these days. Nevertheless, I just couldn't justify the cost of a new bag. I wanted to see if the bag still worked as well as in the past. The two nights I slept in it had temps down to 10 degrees. Both nights I was very comfortable. The first night I made the dumb mistake of not removing enough clothing before going to sleep - and I woke up during the night actually too hot. My primary concern with down bags (perhaps my fear) is that they would get wet and lose their insulation capacity. Remember, when the daytime highs are not above freezing, the bag has no chance to dry out. I'm not speaking about the bag getting wet from rain/snow. Rather, from either condensation or your body's insate perspiration that you put out while sleeping. The only problem I noted was that part of the outside of the bag, near the face opening, was damp in the morning. I'm thinking this must have been from my warm breath that condensed on the bag. I believe this can be solved by better adjusting the size and position of the opening before going to sleep.I also slept the first night with a 3/4 length pad and used a full-length pad the second night. There was a noticeable difference in my lower legs and feet staying warm with the full-length pad. I'll be using a full-length Z-Rest closed cell pad along with a 3/4 length Thermarest for cold weather.Although I am planning on sleeping in shelters whenever possible, it is folly to not carry an alternative shelter. The tarp I am using was bought last year at the NOC - it's a Etowah brand sil-nylon tarp (6' by 8'). So I practiced some different ways to pitch it - combinations of guy lines and hiking poles for support. It worked quite well. I had no expectation about it affecting the outside temperature, but it definitely served to block the cold wind. I'll carry the tarp until weather is warm enough to switch to the Hennessey Hammock. I know a tarp is useless when the bugs start biting - but neither does a shelter help. Thus, the hammock.On my last thru-hike I learned to love the Golite Breeze pack. By keeping my total weight around 20 lbs, that pack was superb. I'll use it again after the weather warms up. But due to the extra clothing and food, I needed a larger pack. I opted for the Granite Gear Vapor Trail - which a number of hikers have used in the past. It is designed for a 30-lb load and that is about where I am at for the start. Testing the pack over the weekend, it carried quite well but I learned what on it could be modified. The pack's large sleeve is excessive and I trimmed that down to reduce some weight. I also added a small, waterproof external bag that I snap-linked to a shouldar strap. In this goes my camera, data book, lunch, TP, clorine tablets, etc. Also, the pack's two, external pockets are pretty useless when you cinch down the side compression straps. So, my 1-liter water bottle now goes into a small net bag that is hung from the hip belt. That will allow me to drink without taking off the pack. Also, I am thinking that the constant movement of the water bottle (from my hiking) will help prevent the water from freezing. We will see.I stayed one night at one of the AT shelters - David Lesser. I was surprised to find that there wasn't a shelter register book present. I'm hoping that this was a fluke. I sure hope the shelters near Springer will have their registers when I start next week.From hiking this past week on the trail south of Harpers Ferry I noticed quite a bit of frozen ground and "runoff" water that had frozen. If that is indicative of the trail in Georgia and North Carolina, there should definitely be some icy trail to hike over. So it looks like the decision to carry crampons is a good one.Even though the daytime temperatures on the test hike stayed in the mid 20's, when the sun was out, it was surprisingly warm. Hiking at about a 3 mph pace, I was just wearing a pair of thermals, fleece pants, and a wind blocker. Did not need to wear gloves - did wear a fleece cap. Even then, my hair got damp from perspiration after a while. But during 15 minute breaks I'd make sure to add clothing and remove it before starting again.