Dean757
FNG
Ran my rambling draft post through ChatGPT and it distilled my novel into a digestible post:
Planning my first winter backpacking trip: 3 nights in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (SW VA), late Nov/early Dec.
I’ve done plenty of car camping and day hiking in the area, but never this late in the season.
Conditions:
New Kuiu gear just ordered: StrongFleece 290 jacket, Peloton 240 hoody/beanie, Axis Vest + Axis gloves. From what I’ve read, StrongFleece fits snug, Peloton more relaxed. Thinking: Peloton over 290, Axis Vest under.
Gear I’ve Got to Work With
Tops – Outer Layer
Arc'teryx Beta AR • Marmot Precip Eco • OR Helium II • Kuiu Axis Vest • Peloton 240 Hoodie • StrongFleece 290 • Sitka Kelvin AeroLite Jacket & Vest • Sitka Kelvin Lite Down • Icebreaker Hyperia Zoned • Icebreaker Descender • Patagonia Better Sweater Down Jacket
Mid Layer
Black Diamond Alpine Start • Kuiu Base Camp Snap Shirt • Helly Hansen Lifa Merino Crew • OR Alpine Onset Ubertube Top • Smartwool 250 Crew • Columbia Terminal Tackle LS (I’ve got a stack of these — slick and great for layering)
Base Layer
Icebreaker 200 Oasis LS • Smartwool 150 T-shirt • Icebreaker Sphere SS
Bottoms
Kuiu Axis / Attack / Guide Pants (all sized up) • Smartwool 250 Bottom • Icebreaker 260 Bottom • Ghost Whisperer Pants • Kuhl Rain Pants • Tungsten GTX Pants • Furio GTX Pants
First Pass Plan
Active (moving):
-Dean
Planning my first winter backpacking trip: 3 nights in Mount Rogers National Recreation Area (SW VA), late Nov/early Dec.
I’ve done plenty of car camping and day hiking in the area, but never this late in the season.
Conditions:
- Forecasts show –5 °F windchill at night, ~30 °F days.
- I’ll cherry-pick a window with low precip.
- Run hot when moving (jog in 45 °F in a T-shirt).
- Get cold fast when stopped (chilly at 65 °F).
- Low 40s resting heart rate.
New Kuiu gear just ordered: StrongFleece 290 jacket, Peloton 240 hoody/beanie, Axis Vest + Axis gloves. From what I’ve read, StrongFleece fits snug, Peloton more relaxed. Thinking: Peloton over 290, Axis Vest under.
Gear I’ve Got to Work With
Tops – Outer Layer
Arc'teryx Beta AR • Marmot Precip Eco • OR Helium II • Kuiu Axis Vest • Peloton 240 Hoodie • StrongFleece 290 • Sitka Kelvin AeroLite Jacket & Vest • Sitka Kelvin Lite Down • Icebreaker Hyperia Zoned • Icebreaker Descender • Patagonia Better Sweater Down Jacket
Mid Layer
Black Diamond Alpine Start • Kuiu Base Camp Snap Shirt • Helly Hansen Lifa Merino Crew • OR Alpine Onset Ubertube Top • Smartwool 250 Crew • Columbia Terminal Tackle LS (I’ve got a stack of these — slick and great for layering)
Base Layer
Icebreaker 200 Oasis LS • Smartwool 150 T-shirt • Icebreaker Sphere SS
Bottoms
Kuiu Axis / Attack / Guide Pants (all sized up) • Smartwool 250 Bottom • Icebreaker 260 Bottom • Ghost Whisperer Pants • Kuhl Rain Pants • Tungsten GTX Pants • Furio GTX Pants
First Pass Plan
Active (moving):
- Base: Merino + Terminal Tackle LS + Alpine Start
- Mid: Axis Vest or AeroLite Vest
- Outer: Peloton 240 or Sitka AeroLite (StrongFleece if nasty)
- Bottoms: Attack or Axis pants
- Accessories: Beanie + gloves
- Base: Merino + Terminal Tackle LS
- Mid: Heavier merino + Axis Vest + Kuiu Snap shirt + AeroLite Vest
- Outer: Patagonia Down + Beta AR shell (Helium backup)
- Bottoms: Merino base + Guide or Axis Pants + Ghost Whisperer Pants + light shell
- Sleep: Marmot CWM bag can be run as a quilt if needed.
- What’s the leanest, most efficient layering system for these conditions?
- Which pieces should I actually bring vs. leave at home?
-Dean
