Date: 2013-02-21
To: Prep Entry #4
Miles today: 0.0
Weather: overcast clouds

Just a follow up on last night's gear test: It was, in fact, very cold. I ended up going back into the house around 3:00 AM. (That is why I am gear testing in my backyard. It would be a long walk to go from Georgia to Maryland to warm up). When I started outside last night, it was cold and windy but I felt that the tent would provide sufficient cover. Contrary to conventional backpacking wisdom, I wanted to test my gear in somewhat extreme conditions so I had set up on a knoll with no natural cover. In some ways, I am like a "sophomore" in the Greek sense of being a "wise fool" - I have some background and learning under my belt but there is so much more I need to learn (another potential benefit of spending 6 months on the Trail).    I began with one of those blue foam sleeping pads that you can find at Wal-Mart and a winter/Alpine sleeping quilt that was made from a Ray Jardine kit. I am trying to find a good balance between lightweight gear and comfort. Again ignoring conventional wisdom, I also failed to clear the snow from beneath my tent thinking that the tent floor, a plastic ground sheet and the blue foam pad would be sufficient. Wrong!    At first, it was OK but probably within 30 minutes I could feel the cold creeping through the pad. I tried to get warm and comfortable by shifting the quilt around with some of it beneath me but eventually the cold penetrated my insulation layers once again. Fortunately, I had packed in a Therm-a-rest NeoAir in case the foam pad wasn¢t sufficient. Using both pads and the quilt improved the situation but then I also started messing with the tent ventilation. After reading Ray Jardine¢s ¢Trail Life¢, I knew how important ventilation is but thought that I would close off the vent system due to the approximate 10 mph wind gusts. Wrong!    About 03:00 the moisture from by breath (I don¢t think I was sweating out there) had condensed to frost on the ceiling and sides of my inner tent. The air in the tent seemed moist and I just could not get warm again. Thus, I came inside the house, used a hair dryer to warm the sheets, (since it is just me at home now, I have had the house temperature set at 45 degrees for over a month ¢ trying to prep for the Trail and save some money on heating oil as well), crawled in the bed and was soon well asleep. If you have come to this journal to receive wisdom from a wise and experienced backpacker, you may want to read some of the many other fine journals found on this site. If you are willing to be patient and learn along with me, hopefully we will share a ¢worthy challenge¢ and an interesting trip together. Live and (hopefully) learn. Although it is cold, by this time next week I plan to be on the Approach Trail to Springer Mountain and the Southern Terminus of the Appalachian Trail. In one sense, the adventure has already begun as I have been planning, hiking, camping, reading and talking with others about the Trail for quite some time. I am still excited and looking forward to getting out there and also anticipating actually meeting some of the folks with whom I have already been in communication with or read their journals on line. See you ¢Out there¢.