I use a Texsport convoluted pad I bought a long time ago. Fairly comfortable and I have a dog, so I don't use an inflatable. I've camped down to about 30 degrees f with it. I've thought about getting an inflatable to put on top, but it's an extra pound and I don't have that much trouble sleeping on it. Might try it sometime.
Use a complete set of sleeping clothes🥼👖🧤🧦, menerio wool long johns, socks and even a hat to prevent body oil and dirt from harming the inside of the bag. When I get back I cool air fluff 20 minutes🕜 with a dryer sheet or two, which freshens it up, and store in a large loff bag💰📦. (dryer sheets before a trip gives you some mosquito protection). If really dirty or rain soaked🌧🚿, I use NIKWAX Down Wash and Polar Proof, or their other down treatments avail at REI. The care and storage is important for down bags😊👣
Grat Video to wake up too. I just got back last night (6-17-2024) from the AT. I hiked from South of Erwin to North of Roan Mountain/Lower Laura Falls. I was the only person cooking with alcohol and saw nothing but gas cannister stoves. That 6600 feet on Roan Mountain was cold;) Sleeping bags are "cool" topic.
great content as usual. my experience has been that exhaustion after a hard day of hiking makes a big difference in how warm I feel in my bag. as does being the least bit dehydrated. Keeping your bag dry at all costs is key. I usually carry an expensive but super light weight down jacket (even on summer hikes) and have worn it to bed many times to help me stay warm and asleep on cold nights.
Still using my 0 degree Camp 7 bag. It’s heavy but warm. About 40 years old but it works. I only section in late winter so it works for me. Kind if like Western Mountaineering back in the day
I once had a sleeping bag that was thick and heavy. I don't know what the stuffing was, but the cover looked like blue jeans . Anyway it kept me very warm but you wouldn't want to carry it for a long distance.
I layer my sleeping bag by bringing down ski pants + polyester puffy, they are like wearing a sleeping bag. I also have a 55gal contractors bag that slips over sleeping bag and comes up to my shoulders. On really cold nights I stick a hand warmer above my groin because major arteries pass through there and warms up my body.
oH I take the 50 deg bag or the 38 deg bag I am headed to Maine to finish Iam watching the weather to see which bag take ! the 38 is 32 but at 38 I get cold I know what talking about!
I have a synthetic quilt that's good to the low 40s in for summer use. I stack that on my 3-season 25 degree quilt and stay warm to around 0 F. The same synthetic quilt draped over my 0 degree bag will keep me warm to minus 20 F. Another benefit of a synthetic outer layer is that the dew/frost point will be in your synthetic layer and not your down. As a rule of thumb, I prepare for 20 degrees lower than the lowest forecast in warmer months, and 30 degrees in the winter. That tends to be enough to handle temperature along with mistakes like not eating or drinking enough to stay warm.
I have not been training enuf to think about what sleeping bag to bring .only walking at sea level is not challenging ,thank you for reminding me it's hiking season .
I like your discussions of the philosophy behind your hiking. The deciding WHY is the first step that must be taken before selecting gear, place, time or distance. I have a container of iodine crystals. You add water and let it set, yielding a saturated solution of standard strength. You then count out a number of drops. It has worked for years.
You must be talking about Polar Pure, right? I also have had a bottle for years. They were forced to go out of business because they were too small to meet the costs of some federal regulation, as I recall. Very regrettable! I'm glad you like the channel and thanks a million for being a viewer!
My Spot turned itself on no matter how I stored it and I didn't want the extra weight of their case. I recently purchased a Rovyvon 4th Aurora A5 USB. I also use a Petzl elite 50. I am going to carry a USB NOBO Headlamp.
I always carry 2 compasses also 2 flash lights. It is all too easy to be delayed for some unforeseen reason. I have had to make my way back to the parking area in the dark many times.
Glad to see you posting videos again. My GF has posted videos of our thru hike of the Allegheny Trail in West Virginia and the ALT, as it is known, may be closer to you is you are coming from Ohio and may be more convenient for you to drive to. Unfortunately the northern most section has a lot of road walking walking and you would have to drop down to thr area around Blackwater State park to get some mostly backwoods hiking in.
If I’m hiking or backpacking, I’ll take with me a thin reflective cord about 200ft long so I can trace myself back to the trail for sure, it would be a lifesaver and only about 3oz extra on my pack
So many people underestimate the AT. I love hiking, but know my own personal limitations. Some are, I don't like to get wet, and can't go a day without a shower. So I could never through hike. I also don't have the willpower to accomplish such an incredible feat. The AT is mostly portrayed as an easy stroll with a group of friends. Videos like this sir, are realistically honest, without any sugar coating!
I carry a bandana every day in my back pocket, even when I'm not hiking. It has plenty of uses, many of which can come up unexpectedly. I can't imagine why everyone doesn't keep one handy.
What I have done if I have to leave a trail is wait until I am on a single faced slope and go up the hill . The trail is always down hill to me . But , yes , I will always take a compass on a long hike .
I have a couple of analog compasses, but what scares me is addressing declination and the risk of either forgetting about that, or setting it backwards on the compass and then having the landmarks grossly conflicting from the map. I am used to being so close to the 0 line, that I don't need to worry about it for general use. However, we are moving to the Puget Sound area in WA, where they have a reasonable high declination of 15 Deg 8' East, (which seems highly variable depending on the source asked, and the age of the source). That gets really confusing. One thing though, even if you forget about the declination entirely and are heading off the trail for a potty break, you can still use the cardinal direction based on your red needle to navigate into the woods, and travel in the opposite direction back to the trail, as long a you are not trying to get exact information from a map. I agree that I need to take a formal class in navigation - for the lessons on declination if for no other reason.
One thing we can do is buy a compass that allows us to set declination on the compass. This is not exactly a simple procedure. I advocate practicing it at home. The following link shows how to set such a compass. What the link fails to emphasize is that once the declination is set, we line up the needle with the compass N -- which we adjusted -- and then use an arrow on the baseplate for our readings. I believe this can become clear if we work with such a compass for maybe 30 minutes at home. One detail about big compasses with baseplates is that they are almost always liquid filled, and if a big air bubble develops inside the compass, it might not give us an accurate reading quickly. When that happens, I vote to junk it and buy a new one. Also following is the link to my map reading video. Start watching at about the six minute mark and you'll hear a couple of very important details pointed out in the course I took. And thanks for watching! DECLINATION LINK -- www.rei.com/learn/expert-advice/compass-declination.html --- VIDEO LINK -- ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-2NO3OV1KiUA.html
