[Cyclopath]

I'm getting ready to head out on my first backpacking trip this year - better late than never! I lost a bit of weight beginning last summer. I had my sleep system dialed in pretty well, but now I'm carrying less insulation. I'm planning to carry more warmth than I could possibly need because that's better than shivering through the night, but I'm wondering if anybody else has been in my shoes and has any thoughts about how much extra I should bring?

[coldrain108]

I've heard it said that if you aren't wearing all your cloths to bed then you brought too much. I have been cold twice while summer backpacking in WA. Both times it was from spending the night in a lower hollow where all the cold air pooled. I had to wear all my clothing each night. Then when I got to the ridge top I slept commando...scared the bears and this one unfortunate ranger who came to check my permit - sorry you had to see that. Now in CA I froze my ass off many times. 10,000'+ will chill the air pretty good, throw in a nice 40mph breeze and it gets down right frigid in the California sun. Sounded like we were at the end of the runway at SeaTac in the 1000 Isle Lake basin. Major frost on the tent at night while getting up to near 80 during the day. That makes for some tough clothing choices. I had dedicated sleep attire. That altitude is one thing I really miss hiking around here. I love to spend long stretches of time at higher altitudes, changes the body chemistry and I become a lean mean fat burning machine.

[Randito]

IDK -- a friend of mine dropped a bunch of weight at one point to be a faster whitewater kayak racer. He indicated that he needed to add a fleece layer inside his drysuit as a result. But how much of that was from insulation issues vs not having to work as hard while racing at or slightly above anaerobic threshold seems like a different equation than how much insulation is needed while sleeping.

[bobbi]

awesome that you are healed (yes?) and ready to hit the trails? trust bicycling has been happening, too! great about your weight loss ... unsure what your sleeping bag rating is so that may be an issue. i carry toe warmers, hand, and even body warmers along. light weight but extra garbage though. a fleece beanie/gloves should help keep heat in.

[Pyrites]

I've been cold dayhiking once this year on a sleety day. I've always been a furnace. Even stopped and put on a second layer under rain gear, and hat under hood. A new experience for me. I attributed it to losing 85, and getting older.

[contour5]

If you have a decent sleeping pad, bag and base layer for sleeping- you probably won't notice much difference. Where you will notice a difference, maybe, is when you stop to rest in a cold or windy spot. Or sitting around camp morning or evening. Or, most likely- when you find a camp and throw your pack off for the last time of the day. And you may notice a decreased tolerance for washing in icy water. Nothing a few good layers can't fix. An optimal clothing system is indeed one in which all items carried can be worn simultaneously. My current faves for the coldies: A synthetic UA beanie/hat thing that's stupid and ugly looking, but works better than all of my wool hats put together. "32 Degree" brand fleece pajama tops from Fred Myers. One of my favorite things ever. I bought a pile of these when they were on sale for $6 each. Lightweight but surprisingly warm. I've stopped carrying my heavier fleece mid-layer for the most part. Dual puffies. Two 7 oz down jackets- a water resistant hoodie and a sweater/jacket that fits underneath. Two jackets provide three levels of temperature control!