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  1. #11
    Senior Member Vanhalo's Avatar
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    Here is another thread on the AT that you might find helpful. Shaped my decision to get a Greylock 3.

    Excerpt:

    Insulation (cold weather)





    Notes: The Speer Top Quilt is a considerably thinner cut than any other quilt I've encountered, which makes it very light and compact for a 20 degree quilt. It worked for me, but I realize it helps that I'm pretty small (5'6" and 150lbs). It left me enough fabric to pull over my head or tuck tightly around my shoulders and neck. Your mileage may vary. I absolutely love the JRB quilts. I have 3 of them at this point and I am constantly impressed with the quality. One of my hiking partners liked my Greylock so much that they picked one up at trail days and used it for the rest of the trip. I found the Triangle thingies from AHE to be the best, no-fuss way to eliminate cold spots and keep my UQ from sliding out from under me, they may not have been the lightest UQ suspension option, but they were worth the weight in my book. My coldest nights on the trail got down into the high teens. With my thermals and beanie on, my 20 degree insulation kept me warm enough. I always carried a chemical handwarmer just in case I had a cold spot, and I didn't feel like fiddling with my insulation in the middle of the night, but I only ended up using one over the whole trip, in southern Maine.
    Last edited by Vanhalo; 10-08-2017 at 08:33.
    "...in Florida, she felt air conditioning for the first time, and it was cold and unnatural upon her skin."


  2. #12
    Senior Member Shrewd's Avatar
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    hey guys, thanks for the all comments. I didn't realize the difference between silnylon and silpoly: thanks for the heads up

    ok i'm gonna go through everyone's posts and address em'

    Definitely go with mesh for the snake skins. Cuben is a cool material but i think too many things are made of cuben that don't need to be just because Cuben fiber is the hot buzzword today. Like cuben fiber stuff sacks...unless its just soft clothes, its probably gonna wear through or tear. The ZPacks cuben food bag is reinforced and seems to hold up well, though. I used the cuben stuff sack that came with my tarp for my ditty/hygiene sack and its definitely falling apart now. I don't see the benefit of using a cuben snake skin. It locks the moisture in and is more expensive. What's the upside? A gram or two?

    i TOTALLY wish I'd gotten doors with the tarp. I mean, they really only would have helped me a few nights, but like i mentioned; its all about the peace of mind

  3. #13
    Senior Member Shrewd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by johnspenn View Post
    That's a really great summary.

    I'll add my questions to the ones already asked- Aside from the smokies what were the other times you had to go to ground and why? Thanks!
    After the Smokies I knew my mom and stepdad (who live in northern Va) were going to visit me somewhere after I crossed into virginia. So, instead of sending the neoair home i stubbornly carried it for WEEKS. It was still very rainy back then and I thought I'd be lazy one night and use a shelter. But every time i was like today's the day the shelter would be totally full. Or one night, i think it was Vandeventer Shelter (pretty widely regarded as one of the worst shelters to camp at) the shelter was literally too short for me. It was also filling up fast when a lady stumbled up looking absolutely fried, and then heartbroken when she saw how full the shelter was, so i sighed and got up and gave her the spot. Which ended up being a good call, because I had a great view from the hammock and a good night's sleep.
    Anyway, fast forward to somewhere north of Marion, Va there is a shelter that's a stone cabin on a flat bald. It's really cool, but crazy windy up there. I was like this is it. the last night i'll ever carry this pad. its like 40mph gusts....and I have 3 beers. Im sleeping in this shelter and having these beers with my buddy Moose.

    The next time was a church in Mass that let hikers stay. It was all tile floor. there were no trees nearby and it was windy and wet anyway. I just said screw it. A few hikers loaded me their butt pads and i made a pretty awful bed for myself
    IMG_1646-e1507411438404.jpg

    the last time was one of the huts in the Whites. We got there after an epic day of crazy weather and asked for work for stay. There was nowhere to hang so i put my ground sheet down, then my hammock, then my under quilt, THEN my butt pad for my back and laid down, using my top quilt as a...top quilt. Kinda ****** night but man do they feed you like a champ when you stay at the huts.

  4. #14
    Senior Member Shrewd's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kempset View Post
    Awesome write up! Thanks for the insight. I'm planning on hiking the AT in 2018, and the only thing I'm slightly worrying about is insulation...

    When did you start your thru-hike? Edit: WELL, I see you started in March (Oops).
    I see you kept your warmer top quilt the entire hike but switched out your UQ. I'm currently planning to use both 40 degree TQ and UQ for a mid April start. Only thing that is causing me to second guess my choices is the weather in the Smokies. I personally believe I will be content and warm in my 40's in the Smokies, but I'm always open to advice or suggestions.
    No I swapped to both a 40 degree TQ and UQ in virginia. When it started to get chilly again in the north I opted to have my 20 degree UQ shipped to me but kept the 40 TQ. Bottom insulation is more important; in a pinch i could have used my puffy to augment the TQ

    The Smokies can really mess you up. The weather there for me pretty much alternated between gorgeous and absolutely awful. bright blue skies one day, 13 hours of cold thunderstorms the next. And I was lucky. People a few days behind and ahead of me got slammed with FEET of snow. But we were a strange year, we had a terrible blizzard in georgia on march 14th and it had been 50s and sunny all feb. The smokies are less predictable. But I've never been there when you'll be getting there, which will be early May?

    I'd say you're probbbbbably going to be good with 40s. Just keep an eye on the weather and the forums to see what other hikers are saying who are ahead of you. If you need to you can have a warmer UQ sent to you before, or in Gatlinburg. Or bring an emergency foil blanket and put it between your UQ and hammock, that'll add some heat. Or just be less comfortable for a night or two - its bound to happen at some point. nothing wrong with sleeping in your puffy and/or mid layers

  5. #15
    Senior Member
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    Congratulations on your thru hike! I remember when you started, and thank you for sharing valuable tips.

    Thanks especially for helping a lady out who looked fried. Been there, felt that. Had a nice young man help me set up camp on one of those days. Those gestures of kindness are long remembered.

  6. #16
    New Member
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    Jan 2015
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    Thanks for the write up & congrats on Your hike.
    I'm heading out from Springer in Feb 2018. One thing you mentioned I'm going to rethink. I've got the cuben sleeve on my HG cuben w/doors, but might change out to the mesh ones I've got on my superfly right now.

  7. #17
    Two Speed's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Khs777 View Post
    Thanks for the write up & congrats on Your hike.
    I'm heading out from Springer in Feb 2018. One thing you mentioned I'm going to rethink. I've got the cuben sleeve on my HG cuben w/doors, but might change out to the mesh ones I've got on my superfly right now.
    I used the CF sleeve and had similar experiences and have switched to mesh since my Thru hike was over.

  8. #18
    Senior Member
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    May 2014
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    Quote Originally Posted by Two Speed View Post
    I used the CF sleeve and had similar experiences and have switched to mesh since my Thru hike was over.
    I also just purchased the Mesh Sleeve from HG. One trip in bad rain and not drying out the Tarp for about 4 days taught me that CF has Pros but also some cons as well. Nice to own both and fiddle with each as situations change.
    "gbolt" on the Trail
    We are here to help one another along life's journey. Keep the Faith!
    YouTubeChannel. [https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCik...NPHW7vu3vhRBGA]

  9. #19
    Senior Member Shrewd's Avatar
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    Right on, guys


    Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

  10. #20
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    Great report

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