Best Weight to Warmth upgrade for AT thru?

[MNMike88]

Hey All,

I am eyeing a potential AT thru-hike starting early to mid March. I thru-hiked the PCT and used a hammock for the 2nd half. I'm looking at potential upgrades/swaps to lower my comfort rating for those cold nights that might accompany an early start - based on my research potentially down to the teens. What do ya'll think will give me the best warmth-to-weight upgrade (with an eye on cost) to get me through the first 4+ weeks? I'm generally a warm/middle sleeper - I took my below setup but with a 40 deg top quilt down to around 38 and slept comfortably.

My current gear:

Warbonnet XLC
Dutch Dyneema Hex Tarp
20 deg Wooki UQ
20 deg EE Revelation L/XW Top Quilt

Options:

- Swap to 13' Superfly (already owned, +16 oz, downside: its huge and a pain to set up)
- Purchase Winter Top Cover ($95, +1.4 oz)
- Purchase UQ Protector ($125, + 7 oz)
- Purchase Top + UQ Pro ($195, + 8.4 oz)
- Add S2S reactor plus compact liner (already owned, + 9 oz)
- What other options you got?


I recognize that sleep clothing is an important part of the equation, but a separate discussion. I have EE synthetic booties, full wool base layer, fleece hat to sleep in.

Thanks for your thoughts!

[cougarmeat]

Whoa, whoa, whoa ... $125 for a UQP! is it made out of gold?

Why is the SuperFly more a pain to put up than the Hex tarp - assuming the are both the same length so you'd use the same trees? You have to tie off both ends, regardless of the tarp, pull back the snakeskins, and guy out the edges. You may appreciate those doors, especially if you are leaving that early in the Spring. When not needed, they are just held back on the outside (as shown in many YouTube Videos) so setup in that case is just like the hex.

[chromedome]

Hey All,

I am eyeing a potential AT thru-hike starting early to mid March. I thru-hiked the PCT and used a hammock for the 2nd half. I'm looking at potential upgrades/swaps to lower my comfort rating for those cold nights that might accompany an early start - based on my research potentially down to the teens. What do ya'll think will give me the best warmth-to-weight upgrade (with an eye on cost) to get me through the first 4+ weeks? I'm generally a warm/middle sleeper - I took my below setup but with a 40 deg top quilt down to around 38 and slept comfortably.

My current gear:

Warbonnet XLC
Dutch Dyneema Hex Tarp
20 deg Wooki UQ
20 deg EE Revelation L/XW Top Quilt

Options:

- Swap to 13' Superfly (already owned, +16 oz, downside: its huge and a pain to set up)
- Purchase Winter Top Cover ($95, +1.4 oz)
- Purchase UQ Protector ($125, + 7 oz)
- Purchase Top + UQ Pro ($195, + 8.4 oz)
- Add S2S reactor plus compact liner (already owned, + 9 oz)
- What other options you got?


I recognize that sleep clothing is an important part of the equation, but a separate discussion. I have EE synthetic booties, full wool base layer, fleece hat to sleep in.

Thanks for your thoughts!

I would Take the Superfly. At least until it warms up. I'm not sure why it would be more difficult to set up? I carry a torso length Zlite pad for a variety of things. One being if my insulation isn't enough I can put the pad under the cold spots. lastly, better or more sleep clothing. I personally like fleece pajama bottoms and a fleece pullover or hoodie.

[MNMike88]

The Superfly is a 13' that I normally pair with a ridgerunner - whereas my dcf is 11' - so the setup is harder because there is less room to work with. Also - 2 more guyouts on the 13' model, plus the doors = more setup/teardown time, which I have learned to minimize in a thru hike situation. I just realized it also adds more than +16 oz when you factor in the extra stakes/lines.

I'm not opposed to a tarp with doors if that is going to give me the best bang for buck/weight, but that is why I come to the experts . If you haven't guessed by now - I'm a gram weenie.

RE: Cost - yes, that seemed spendy for the Warbonnet UQP, I haven't researched others.

I will also have a fleece and puffy I can sleep in that I forgot to mention.

[DrPhun]

You could make an UQ protector from a $6 frog toggs disposable poncho from Walmart and some plastic mitten hooks. I put shock cord through the bottom hems, put a mitten hook on each end plus a cordlock, and hook the mitten hooks onto my uq suspension. Like this:

https://theultimatehang.com/2013/02/...eather-shield/

[possum daddy]

I only do short trips, but live in the area. Agree that temps in the teens are possible, but not regular.

My vote: no change, suffer fest. If you know how to use the gear, you won’t die or get frostbite with that setup. Pitch the tarp low as possible, if rain jacket is wet set it up as a door, if dry wear it with the rest of your clothes. Do burpees underneath your tarp before climbing in with some extra protein and a hot bottle. Make up some bushcrafter **** and put some dry pine needles underneath you in the hammock (dunno about that one).

Spend the extra weight on carrying 5 hot hands and a 90gsm double thickness alpha beanie (me thinking that head and extremities tend to be under insulated relative to the rest of the body)

More than cold I think it’ll be the wet you’ll have to get used to. A 13’ tarp can be hard here agree, but I think biggest quality of life bump is tarp w doors


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[MNMike88]

I only do short trips, but live in the area. Agree that temps in the teens are possible, but not regular.

My vote: no change, suffer fest. If you know how to use the gear, you won’t die or get frostbite with that setup. Pitch the tarp low as possible, if rain jacket is wet set it up as a door, if dry wear it with the rest of your clothes. Do burpees underneath your tarp before climbing in with some extra protein and a hot bottle. Make up some bushcrafter **** and put some dry pine needles underneath you in the hammock (dunno about that one).

Spend the extra weight on carrying 5 hot hands and a 90gsm double thickness alpha beanie (me thinking that head and extremities tend to be under insulated relative to the rest of the body)

More than cold I think it’ll be the wet you’ll have to get used to. A 13’ tarp can be hard here agree, but I think biggest quality of life bump is tarp w doors


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This is good perspective, thank you. I didn't necessarily expect the doors to be the biggest game changer. I may have to consider buying an 11ft superfly or a dyneema. It is difficult to set a 13' tarp also because the suspension gets in the way.

[SubaruWx]

I think you are pretty close to set with your current gear. Consider adding extra camp/sleep layers for those cold nights. EE Apex torrid pants add 6oz, but along with your booties and a puffy jacket will give you another 10F of warmth. Also works to keep you warm around camp.

[SilvrSurfr]

A 13 ft. tarp sounds ridiculous for the AT, and none of the other options you list sound like anything but extra weight.

[possum daddy]

This is good perspective, thank you. I didn't necessarily expect the doors to be the biggest game changer. I may have to consider buying an 11ft superfly or a dyneema. It is difficult to set a 13' tarp also because the suspension gets in the way.

Just for more dry real estate. I sometimes fantasize about how light a bivy could be and then I think about rain and realize those people are total suckers!

Also I only carry 4 stakes - doors are either clipped to the opposite corner, door on the same side, or to the other door’s shock cord on the other side of the tree. Speaking only for our southern bit of the trail, you can always tie off to a root somewhere if you needed a stake for the doors


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