Emergency use only. When I go canoeing, I make sure everybody has one. Never needed one in over 40 years but I always have those and a blanket version with me.
Angry’s Big Number Two
- Thread starter AngryMetalsmith
- Start date
Actually have a bit of signal in the Smokies.
Yes, there are some amazing people on the AT.
Um, yeah, I don’t know what to do about a rain jacket. Most of the outfitters along the trail so far don’t have much to choose from. Will probably have to order one and have it shipped. Unless the outfitter at the next town stop, Hot Springs, has a suitable jacket.
Unfortunately most rain jackets are marketed as breathable and are coated with a DWR which wears off on everyone of them it seems. Even the uber spendy Arcteryx stuff wears off.
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iirc hot springs has some decent outfitters. fingers crossed. also, expecting some amazing northern lights photos from you...keep on keepin on!
Breathability is pointless when it is actually raining. A jacket can only breath if there is a difference in humidity between the two sides, which is 100% when it is really raining. Breathable jackets are great when it is below freezing as the outside air is going to be dry.
It gets worse with DWR jackets as the treatment will stop working when dirty or after rubbing against a pack, which is your use case. Even Gortex is just DWR these days, no membrane.
I would seriously consider a proper rain poncho. Cheap, no DWR bullshit, will keep your pack dry, plenty of air movement like a Scottish Kilt, kind of heavy though.
I used one on a short trip. 90 degree days but i knew it would get cold at altitude at night. I did not expect 20 freedom degrees. In my sleeping bag with all my clothes I was still too cold to sleep. Emergency blanket over the top made the difference. There was a good 10mm of ice on the inside of the rain fly in the morning from my breath condensing.
Still gotta do something for the next 6 months, though.
My very generous in-laws gifted me a Arc'teryx Beta a few years ago and it still doesn't seem to wet out even in the nastiest conditions. But I'm not a rain jacket expert so I'm not saying you should get that - just that after 3 years of hiking it still holds up well.
@Westy my only problem with a poncho is that it's fine in some conditions, but if you're doing anything technical, it can be really cumbersome. Also:
Roll your own. Neve used it but I have read that this method works really well, can make an old bedsheet more waterproof and durable than a blue tarp.
www.instructables.com
Easy Waterproof Clothing, and About Anything Else in Your World.
Easy Waterproof Clothing, and About Anything Else in Your World.: Water proof about everything. Needed ingredients. 1. Mineral Spirits 2. 100% clear silicone caulking. Empty container to mix in and a stir stick. I used about 1/4 of the silicone tube and the quart of mineral spirits. If I...
www.instructables.com
I have a Beta SL that's admittedly quite old now. I've had to re-waterproof it a few times. Running through the dryer twice on medium heat to realign the polymers or whatever that does is key.
the columbia outdry uses no DWR. I have been through torrential downpours that lasted for hours and have stayed dry, I usually get 3-4 years out of them
Most trails I hike have a few sections with infuriating levels of undergrowth, I want to take a machete but somehow I feel like that would be frowned upon here. However all the sections of A.T. or P.C.T. I have been on is wide and well travelled.Still gotta do something for the next 6 months, though.
My very generous in-laws gifted me a Arc'teryx Beta a few years ago and it still doesn't seem to wet out even in the nastiest conditions. But I'm not a rain jacket expert so I'm not saying you should get that - just that after 3 years of hiking it still holds up well.
@Westy my only problem with a poncho is that it's fine in some conditions, but if you're doing anything technical, it can be really cumbersome. Also:
My understanding (not from my own experience but from hanging about with hikers) is most of these membrane materials are actually much of a muchness and it’s the prep and maintenance that makes the difference. Also heard a lot about the effectiveness of appropriate tumble drying.
Good stuff man. Still reading through, but had to stop hear. I thought in an earlier picture, that guy was wearing his socks at the fire. But are those shoes?
What are they though? I mean they look like socks basically so they are comfy I assume.
Asking for a friend
Fit KicksWhat are they though? I mean they look like socks basically so they are comfy I assume.
Asking for a friend
Hiking is going fine. Right now we’re in Hot Springs, NC at a hostel.
Unfortunately on Sunday I got a text from my bank asking if I recognized a charge on my debit card. There was a $733 charge that I didn't authorize. Thieves cleaned out my account basically. (Main thru hiking fund is in a separate account.) They also tried the same charge twice and also $5800. Talked to the bank and they have deactivated the card and are issuing me a new one which will be mailed to my parents house. They also started a fraud claim and I have to talk to them tomorrow. Hopefully they'll give me the money back and I won't get hit with a lot of overdraft fees. Very frustrating. I have money but can’t access it until the bank takes their sweet time processing the claim.
My friend Daytona Mike is paying for my stay at the hostel. There are some really great people on this trail.
fucking thieves
ouch. definitely not the kind of thing you'd want to handle on a thru hike.
Day 24 5/10 10.5 miles
Newfound Gap to Peck’s Corner Knob shelter
We caught a shuttle back to the trail after a much needed double zero in Gatlinburg. We had planned a long day but got derailed by bad weather. Four of us stopped briefly to get water near a shelter. Two of us continued up trail thinking the others were behind us. It was 60 degrees at the water source and within 15 minutes of climbing the temp dropped to 48 degrees and the wind kicked up to about 35mph. The others hadn’t caught up yet and we decided to turn back. One of our friends wasn’t feeling well and both had headed towards the nearest shelter. A short time later it began to hail. First time turning around on the AT. Slept in the shelter that night.
Newfound Gap to Peck’s Corner Knob shelter
We caught a shuttle back to the trail after a much needed double zero in Gatlinburg. We had planned a long day but got derailed by bad weather. Four of us stopped briefly to get water near a shelter. Two of us continued up trail thinking the others were behind us. It was 60 degrees at the water source and within 15 minutes of climbing the temp dropped to 48 degrees and the wind kicked up to about 35mph. The others hadn’t caught up yet and we decided to turn back. One of our friends wasn’t feeling well and both had headed towards the nearest shelter. A short time later it began to hail. First time turning around on the AT. Slept in the shelter that night.
Day 25 5/11 12.9 miles
Peck’s Corner Knob shelter to Cosby Knob shelter
Another cold and foggy day.
Peck’s Corner Knob shelter to Cosby Knob shelter
Another cold and foggy day.
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Day 26 5/12 12.8 miles
Cosby Knob shelter to Painter Branch
The day started off by discovering that a mouse had chewed up the mouthpiece on my hydration system while the pack was in the vestibule of my tent. Fortunately I had a spare silicone cover but the red part still had to go in my mouth so I soaked it in 91% isopropyl alcohol. But still, freakin gross.
Since cel coverage is still poor I can’t check messages regularly. Got a text that I thought was phishing but it was actually my bank alerting me to a charge I didn’t recognize. Was able to log on to my bank account and discovered that thieves had cleaned out one of my checking accounts, the one used for purchases. Later in the day we came to an intersection where I had enough signal to call the bank. They were able to deactivate the debit card and start a fraud claim. But it would still be another two days before I could get to a town to make more calls. What a mess.
The stress made hiking nearly impossible towards the end of the day. For two miles I could barely put one foot in front of the other. Again, exhausted and frustrated we found a decent campsite for the night. Thankfully there was no one snoring like the previous night in the shelter.
Cosby Knob shelter to Painter Branch
The day started off by discovering that a mouse had chewed up the mouthpiece on my hydration system while the pack was in the vestibule of my tent. Fortunately I had a spare silicone cover but the red part still had to go in my mouth so I soaked it in 91% isopropyl alcohol. But still, freakin gross.
Since cel coverage is still poor I can’t check messages regularly. Got a text that I thought was phishing but it was actually my bank alerting me to a charge I didn’t recognize. Was able to log on to my bank account and discovered that thieves had cleaned out one of my checking accounts, the one used for purchases. Later in the day we came to an intersection where I had enough signal to call the bank. They were able to deactivate the debit card and start a fraud claim. But it would still be another two days before I could get to a town to make more calls. What a mess.
The stress made hiking nearly impossible towards the end of the day. For two miles I could barely put one foot in front of the other. Again, exhausted and frustrated we found a decent campsite for the night. Thankfully there was no one snoring like the previous night in the shelter.
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Day 27 5/13 13.3 miles
Painter Branch to Roaring Fork shelter
Cold, wet and windy pretty much sums up the day.
Painter Branch to Roaring Fork shelter
Cold, wet and windy pretty much sums up the day.
Day 28 5/14 17.6 miles
Roaring Fork shelter to Laughing Heart hostel
There was a little light rain but the terrain was much more forgiving so we were able to keep a fast pace. Got up at 5:00 and were on trail by 6:20. Got 10 miles in before lunch.
The hostel is just a few dozen feet from the trail as it passes through the small mountain town of Hot Springs, NC.
Roaring Fork shelter to Laughing Heart hostel
There was a little light rain but the terrain was much more forgiving so we were able to keep a fast pace. Got up at 5:00 and were on trail by 6:20. Got 10 miles in before lunch.
The hostel is just a few dozen feet from the trail as it passes through the small mountain town of Hot Springs, NC.
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Day 29 5/15 0 miles
Zero in Hot Springs
We were all beat up from the last five days, especially by the Smokies, a section I was glad to be done with for sure. So we decided on a zero to rest and resupply. And for me, a chance to work on my banking troubles.
Zero in Hot Springs
We were all beat up from the last five days, especially by the Smokies, a section I was glad to be done with for sure. So we decided on a zero to rest and resupply. And for me, a chance to work on my banking troubles.
keep at it dude. from what my (admittedly suspect) weather forecasting skills can tell, once you get past the weekend, you should be good to go for a while!
Hot little tip I discovered…these actually fit perfectly in the bottom of a tapered fork steer tube. I made a cool little (you guessed it) gorilla tape stopper. It hasn’t come out in two years. Could save someone’s life on a ride.
Sorry to hear about your banking troubles. Wifey works with a bank and is heavily involved with scams and fraudulent transactions - it is scary how much $$ is lost to these thieving scumbags and the lengths they will go to try and avoid detection (like approaching children on tiktok to 'buy' access to their bank accounts so they can use those accounts as mules in the transaction). Hopefully your banks fraud team can get your funds back! How is the new tent going? looks pretty spacious!
Keep up the push!
These sock liners with socks over them will make your blisters go away. They're snug fitting and wont' move in your boot but your regular sock can slide on them.
this rain jacket it's the monkeys paws
These sock liners with socks over them will make your blisters go away. They're snug fitting and wont' move in your boot but your regular sock can slide on them.
this rain jacket it's the monkeys paws
sent you some $ to help with...whatever you need to keep going. you're killin it amigo!
Do you have a Versalite ?
Thanks man, really appreciate it. And thanks to all those monkeys who have donated. It helps a lot. Both financially and mentally. This has been very stressful.
amazing. do you have the soundtrack of The Last of the Mohicans running through your head on repeat as you hike there?!