I’m 350 miles along my way south of Mt. Katahdin and am celebrating a successful choice of clothing! For the first time yesterday morning I wore everything in my clothes bag except my extra socks. That was INSIDE the Lakes of the Clouds hut while we waited for breakfast. Outside, on the trail, I was warm and dry. I thought you might enjoy a peek at my “wardrobe”. A lightweight backpacker’s challenge is to balance weight with need. On this trip in the northern 600 miles of the Appalachian Trail during August and September, I considered possible cold mornings and evenings, some rain, and cool days. I gambled on my coldest, rainiest conditions being in The Presidential range where we would summit Mt. Washington, known as having the worst weather in the US.
Here’s what I decided to tak
e:
Base layer:
Nylon underwear and bra
Darn Tough socks
Quick-dry shorts (from thrift store)
Polyester short-sleeved shirt (my Benton MacKaye Trail Assoc shirt!)
Trail runner shoes
Warmth and Rain layers:
Insulated stretchy shirt
Light wool sweater
Wind shirt jacket
Rain jacket
Lo
ng stretchy pants
Silnylon rain skirt
Fingerless wool gloves
Extra socks/mitts
Warm hat
Sun hat
For emergency warmth, I can wrap up in the rain poncho that doubles for a ground cloth, the fleece sleeping bag coupler, or the down sleeping bag. That’s it for this trip!
As the temperatures drop, I would add the next layers of insulation, but for now, I’m a happily clothed hiker!
I love hearing about the outfits!